The heavenly censer with the prayers of all the saints spoken of in Revelation 8 symbolizes what currently shields the world from divine judgment, so its sudden casting down to the earth filled with fire from the altar must represent the removal of that covering. It is as if this is the final offering up of the prayers of the saints just prior to the Rapture, the censer is no longer needed to hold the prayers of the saints hence the angel filled it with fire from the altar and it is thrown to earth to initiate the wrath of God. Note: the Trumpet and Bowl judgments immediately follow in sequential and escalating order.

“Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne. The smoke coming from the incense, along with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, roaring, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.” (Revelation 8:3-5)

This interpretation of the censer makes sense of the events that immediately precede the Rapture of the saints and the Wrath of God being poured out simultaneously. This is a perfect fit for the Prewrath position of the rapture of the saints prior to the Trumpet and Bowl judgements. That the heavenly censer is removed at the seventh seal thus provides additional verification that God’s wrath does not begin until the seven trumpets.