Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 6: The Great Censing and the Proclamation: “Blessed is the Kingdom”

 

1. The Great Censing: A Symbol of Heavenly Worship and Preparation

Before the Divine Liturgy formally begins with the proclamation “Blessed is the Kingdom,” the celebrant performs the Great Censing of the altar, sanctuary, icons, clergy, and faithful. This act is deeply symbolic, biblical, and preparatory.

Biblical and Theological Roots

The use of incense is richly rooted in Scripture:

• In Exodus 30:1–8, God commands Moses to construct an altar of incense and to burn fragrant incense every morning and evening as part of the priestly liturgy.

• In Psalm 141:2 (LXX), the psalmist prays: “Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.”

• In Isaiah 6:1–4, the prophet sees the heavenly throne room filled with smoke from the seraphim’s praise, a sign of divine presence.

• In Revelation 8:3–4, incense represents the prayers of the saints rising before God in heaven.

Thus, the Great Censing is not merely ritual—it proclaims that the church is entering into heavenly worship, and that our prayers and praises ascend to God like incense.

Patristic Commentary

St. Germanus of Constantinople, in his Explanation of the Divine Liturgy, writes:

“The incense is a symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit, whose sweet fragrance fills the temple of God, the souls of the faithful.”
— On the Divine Liturgy, 9

St. John Chrysostom connects incense with purification:

“The incense drives away demons, attracts angels, and sanctifies the soul.”
— Homily on Ephesians 6

By censing the altar and people, the celebrant prepares the sacred space and the gathered faithful for the coming mystery: the heavenly Liturgy made present on earth. The heavenly liturgical censing described in the Book of Revelation holds deep theological and eschatological significance. Far from being mere ritual, the use of incense in heaven reveals core truths about divine worship, intercession, judgment, and the destiny of creation.

Theological Significance of Censing in Revelation

In Revelation 8:3–4, we read:

“Then another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.”

This passage reveals that:

1. Incense symbolizes the prayers of the saints—not simply as a metaphor, but as an actual component of heavenly worship.

2. The altar in heaven corresponds to the earthly altar—establishing continuity between the Liturgy celebrated on earth and the one in heaven.

3. The angel’s priestly action suggests that the saints participate in the priestly ministry of Christ, our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 7:25).

The incense offered in heaven is mingled with the faithful’s prayers and lifted before God. This imagery confirms the sacramental realism of worship: prayer is not symbolic, but mystically real and effective. It also affirms the Church’s understanding that liturgical actions are participation in eternal truths, not merely temporal customs.

Eschatological Significance

In its eschatological context, this heavenly censing reveals three critical truths:

1. Worship Is the Final Destiny of Creation

Revelation portrays eternal worship as the central activity of heaven (Rev. 4–5; 7:9–12). The act of censing shows that intercession, adoration, and communion with God are the telos (purpose) of all redeemed life. Earthly Liturgy becomes a foretaste of the age to come, when time and history are fulfilled in perfect worship.

2. Judgment Proceeds from Worship

Immediately after the angel offers incense in Revelation 8, he takes fire from the altar and casts it onto the earth (Rev. 8:5). This act signals that divine judgment flows directly from worship. The altar, once a place of offering, now becomes a source of justice. In Orthodox eschatology, this reveals that God's response to human history is deeply bound up with prayer, sacrifice, and worship.

3. The Saints Intercede in the Eschaton

The image of incense mingled with the prayers of the saints reveals that the communion of saints transcends death. The intercessions of the righteous are active even in the final drama of the world, aligning with Orthodox belief in the living presence of the saints and the Theotokos in the ongoing spiritual life of the Church.

Patristic Reflections

St. Andrew of Caesarea, in his commentary on Revelation, writes:

“The incense offered by the angel represents the intercessions of Christ and of the saints, which ascend before the dread judgment seat of God as a fragrant aroma.”
— Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 8

St. Hippolytus, in his eschatological teachings, affirms:

“The prayers of the Church become the offering that moves the heavens; what the Church does on earth echoes in the throne room of God.”
— On Christ and Antichrist, 59

Conclusion

The censing in Revelation is not just liturgical ornament—it is a vision of heavenly reality and a blueprint for eschatological fulfillment. It teaches that worship is the very heartbeat of the cosmos, the means by which prayers rise, justice unfolds, and God’s Kingdom is manifested.

In the Divine Liturgy, when incense is offered, the Church mystically joins the worship of heaven, not symbolically but actually, proclaiming that eternity begins now. The liturgy on Earth is joined to the Liturgy in Heaven. 

2. “Blessed is the Kingdom”: The Opening of Eternal Worship

With the censing completed, the priest turns toward the royal doors and proclaims:

“Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.”

This is not a greeting, but a solemn declaration: the Kingdom of God is now made manifest in the Church's liturgy.

Biblical Significance

• Matthew 6:10 – “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

• Luke 17:21 – “The Kingdom of God is in your midst.”

• Hebrews 12:22–24 – “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God… and to the church of the firstborn… and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.”

This moment announces that the faithful are now standing mystically in heaven, participating in the eternal Liturgy of the Kingdom (see also Revelation 4–5).

Patristic Commentary

St. Nicholas Cabasilas emphasizes that the Divine Liturgy is the Kingdom of God in sacramental form:

“The Liturgy is the Kingdom of God manifested among us, and Christ is enthroned in our midst, ruling by grace and offering His very life to us.”
— Explanation of the Divine Liturgy, ch. 1

St. Maximus the Confessor connects this opening with the eschatological mystery of the Church:

“The Kingdom is Christ Himself, and the Liturgy opens the soul to communion with Him, in whom all things will be fulfilled.”
— Mystagogia, PG 91.669

Conclusion

The Great Censing and the proclamation “Blessed is the Kingdom” are not preliminary acts, but a dramatic opening of heaven to earth. The priest, representing Christ, opens the gate of eternity, and the faithful, like the angels in Isaiah’s vision, are drawn into the heavenly liturgy.

From this sacred moment onward, time and space are transcended, and the Church worships in the presence of the eternal King. Only then does the Great Litany begin—on the firm foundation that we are already standing in the Kingdom.