The Angel and the Censer

Angel of the Censer ©Lawrence Klimecki

"an image that offers hope for those who attend to God's Word and a call for repentance to those who do not."

In the Book of the Revelation of Saint John, also called the Book of the Apocalypse, Saint John is given a vision of the passing of this earth and its subsequent renewal. The first "act" of this renewal is the opening of a book sealed with seven seals. As the final seal is opened we encounter this angel:

"And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth; and there were peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake." Rev. 8:3-5

The prayers of all the saints ascend to God as clouds of incense. These prayers ignite the fire of God's vengeance upon the Earth. The prayers of the faithful, begun earlier in the vision, drive the culmination of God's plan of salvation for His people. The thunder and lightning that opened the vision in Heaven are now seen on Earth as a conclusion of the first act of this vision.

In ancient tradition God's mercy and judgment are inseparable, one follows the other. The altar of the sacrifice of burnt offerings now becomes the source of God's judgment.

This drawing was executed for entry in the Apocalypse Art Prize. It represents one-third of the final entry. The competition was created by artist Gloria Thomas to motivate religious artists to higher levels of beauty and creativity inspired by the Book of Revelation.

In this work the angel is depicted according to tradition, the ribbons near its ears tell us that it is always attentive to the Word of God. The sword is a symbol of the impending judgment of God. It is an image that offers hope for those who attend to God's Word and a call for repentance to those who do not.

Angels are God's messengers, they carry our prayers to Him as an offering. Our call to God for the final renewal of all things will be answered in the last days. As the adopted children of God, ones who bear His mark on our souls, we will be spared much of the trials and tribulations that are to come.

The final entry is planned as a triptych, this image is the left wing of the triptych. The Apocalypse Art Prize does not allow digital work so this will be submitted as pen and ink work on paper.

Want to brush up on the events of the Apocalypse? Fisheaters.com has a great outline.
The deadline to enter the competition is December 31, 2013, learn more about the Apocalypse Art Prize.