And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Revelation 8: 1
As seen in the sixth seal that was broken, some of the events depicted — a great earthquake, a black sun, a blood-red moon, falling stars — have occurred in recent history. But other events, including the Second Coming, are in the future. In between, we presently are living during the course of the Investigative Judgment that’s now taking place in heaven. And we await the tests that will determine who will be sealed by God. This in-between time is pre-millennium.*
With the opening of the seventh seal, John shifts back to our present in-between time of living (between Rev. 6’s verses of 13 and 14) to tell us more about future events, extending thru Rev. 8: 2- 6, that will take place before the Second Coming.
Those future events begin with a half-hour of silence in heaven. Some scholars, using the “day for a year” prophetic principle, say this time of silence is equal to a week. But the word “half-hour” comes from the Greek word “hemiorion,” which means “half an hour.” This is the only time the word is mentioned in the BIble. So.I agree with those who think “half an hour’ is literal.
However, we can go back into the Old Testament for the meaning of “silence.” There are prophecies in Zephaniah 1: 7 and Zechariah 2: 13 that speak of silence. In these prophecies, earth’s inhabitants are called to silence in anticipation of God’s judgments coming from His temple. So in light of this, we can surmise that all of heaven is silent in anticipation of a major move by God.
This silence happens after the 144,00 and the great multitude have been sealed in their foreheads. And the silence continues as seven angels are given seven trumpets. They don’t blow the trumpets, though, as they and all others in heaven wait silently in expectation of God doing something.
As such, an angel leaves the Most Holy Place and brings with him a golden censer into the Holy Place. Here, the angel stands before the altar of incense. The angel then takes from the censer, incense which is mingled with the prayers of the saints, and places the incense upon the golden altar. And the smoke of the incense, by the hand of the angel, rose up before the Ancient of Days. This is important because the incense represents God’s sustaining grace. God’s grace we can lean on and be comforted by when the coming times of trouble face us.
This angel, I suggest, symbolizes Christ Jesus. For the whole scene is symbolic of Jesus’ ministrations for His people. Take for instance the golden censer. We know from Hebrews 9: 3-5’s description of the earthly sanctuary, that in the Most Holy chamber was a golden censer. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy. So it must be Jesus, our High Priest who took the censer into the Most Holy in the first place, back in Rev. 5: 7. It is Jesus who has brought the censer back into the Holy Place and stands before the altar of incense.
In addition to prayers, the incense Jesus places on the altar represents atonement for the people (Numbers 16: 46, 47); in other words Jesus’ blood of atonement. Therefore, the burning incense symbolizes too, God’s grace and mercy. Certainly this will come in handy during the post- probationary period before Jesus’ return.
Jesus then takes the censer and fills it with coals from the altar’s fire. Whereas the burning incense represents God’s mercy; the fire in the censer represents God’s justice. As such, Jesus throws the censer into the earth. This signifies the end of Jesus’ ministry of atonement. The Investigative Judgment is over and so then is the world’s probation.
At this point the silence in heaven is over. The seven angels with the seven trumpets prepare to blow.
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* My description of the millennium is different than the popular conception. Read The Millennium: Earth’s Wasteland. Click here.