Silence in heaven

Revelation 8:1-6: “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.”

The seventh seal is broken and there was a silence in heaven. A half an hour does not seem like a long time. If you turn your TV off and sit in silence for a half an hour, you might think that maybe it can drag. On the other hand, if your Pastor would stop preaching and sat in silence for a half hour then it would seem even longer. However, in heaven where there is never any silence and the praise and worship of God is nonstop, a half hour can seem like an eternity. Maybe the silence was needed to emphasize the special prayers that were being offered. Maybe it was to commemorate the next aspect of God’s wrath upon the earth. The fact remains that this was a special ceremony to prepare the earth for the judgment to come.

The preparation of these prayers is significant. These prayers of the saints are brought to a great alter which was before the throne. They were mixed with incense; a great deal of it. Then they were burnt as an offering to God from the angel’s hands. When you pray, where do you think yours prayers go? Does it ever seem to you that your prayers are insignificant before God? Do you think that your non-articulate words could ever mean anything before an awesome God? I know I thought at one time that my prayers were just as weak and feeble as my ability to create an artful phrase. I was wrong. Our prayers are so special to God. They are a means of His pleasure. Angel’s bring before God our wants, needs, concerns, intercessions, and even complaints, and burn them as a form of worship to Him.

Prayer as a Christian is the avenue of faith. Romans 10:13 says, for "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." It all begins with our prayer. We are sustained throughout our Christian walk by our prayer life. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us through our surrendering to Him through prayer. Prayer is enjoyable and pleasurable to God. It is how we get to know our creator.

This moment of silence in heaven is accented by this precious scene of God enjoying the prayers of His people prior to the extreme judgment of the trumpets that the Angel’s will sound. God is never too busy for your prayers. A Christ-follower is a person of prayer. It is our defining mark and should continue to grow as we grow as Christians.
Tomorrows Readings:
Old Testament: Jonah 1-4 New Testament Rev. 9