The Greek that is translated as “angel with a golden censer” or similar in English in Revelation 8:3 is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as ein Engel füllte Feuerbrand in sein goldenes Räucherfass or “an angel filled fire into his golden censer.”
In Revelation 8:5, what is translated in English as “the angel took the censer and filled it with fire” is translated as der Engel nahm das leergebrannte Räucherfass [und] füllte es erneut mit Feuerbrand or “the angel took the burnt-out censer and filled it once again with fire.”
The translators are attempting to close a logical gap in the text (i.e., there can only be smoke in Revelation 8:3 if there is fire in the censer).
