Moving along we come to Revelation 8:1-5 which says:
When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3Then 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. 4And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5Then 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.
We've just come out of an intermission period between the 6th and 7th seal. Up until now everything's been loud and boisterous, but all that comes to a screeching halt here. We've heard loud sayings, music, noise, worship etc up until this period. This 7th seal willl open the 7th trumpets. We are looking at chronological events intensifying with each seal and trumpet mentioned.
The best way to look at this is to picture a telescope with one lens at a time opening to reveal a bit more. After these trumpets we'll go right into the bowl judgments and continue to uncover one lens at a time. With each the intensity increases. This is God's judgment upon the earth pictured almost like heat being turned up a bit at a time.
Thru it all God's mercy is still present giving every opportunity to any who will turn to Him as Savior. He is the only answer to the judgments that are occurring upon the earth.
Romans 1:18 says a man will have no excuse before God. We read this in Romans 1:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools
We have seen in the opening of the 6th seal the recognition of where all this was coming from. They knew that God was behind all of what was occuring. Yet they still refuse to fall on their knees to the only one who could save them as they continue to go down the path of rebellion and sin. We'll continue to see this as we go through Revelation.
So first we notice here there was silence in heaven for a whole half hour. This only seems to speak to the fact that this is a stunning event about to happen. Everyone is quiet. All praises stop. It's like all are holding their breath for what is to come and what is about to happen upon the earth. It's almost like the calm before the big storm.
Something's coming big enough to bring heaven to a complete stop. We read in Zephaniah 1:7
Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.
Thru all this, the earth is unaware of what is about to happen. While the preparations are being made for the end, the world carries on as normal. We are seeing here is the heavenly viewpoint. This scene should remind us that we should not take every day for granted but with anticipation warn others. It should drive us to be different. We are to hear the call to be different and to tell others. They will probably not listen, but tell them anyway. We never know the one for whom this will have an affect on.
We see in v2 a specific group of angels he selected here. Who are they? In Jewish literature a case is made that these are seven archangels. The only two named in the bible are Michael and Gabriel. But we do see here they are ready and prepared for this day. Notice they are standing (present tense) and will continue to stand in readiness.
Notice it was "given them." They don't have the power in themselves but are given the power and authority to do what is needed to do. We see seven trumpets mentioned here. Jewish history has much to say about the different trumpets used for different occasions. The two most common uses for blowing the trumpets were to announce an important event by gathering the people together and to prepare for war. Numbers 10:9 says:
“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
So we can picture these angels ready and waiting to blow these trumpets. God will soon be announcing war upon the earth.
We see in v3 that a different angel or "another" angel is called to duty. Some think or say this different angel is Christ. But we see it says "another angel." The word another means from the same kind so it can't be Christ.
The golden censer could be a golden plate or container and in this are coals. Kind of reminds of a scene in Isaiah 6:1-7. Also going back to Leviticus 16:6-15 we see the commands given on how to build this altar which is really a carbon copy of what is in heaven. This whole event here is reminiscent of the Day of Atonement, the day of the year where all sins were covered. The day the sins of the people are laid upon the goat and chased into the wilderness far from their camp. The day when the Priest goes behind the veil in the Temple and presents incense to God for the forgiveness of sins.
What we are seeing here in Revelation is the same thing. Those who believe in God, no more sacrifice is needed. Christ came to earth to become the ultimate sacrifice once and for all. Those who remain and reject Christ will have to pay for thier own sins with their own lives.
The incense will be offered to God along with the prayers of the saints (believers). We don't know the content of the prayers, but it does show the importance of our prayers. Now we pray for justice, defeat of pain and suffering, death and for Christ to come soon. All will be answered in the end. All prayers will be heard and answered, but first the judgment will come. He hears each prayer offered. He allows us to be part of his plan using what we have to say to affect his plan. Psalm 141:1-2 says:
Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
What is going thru John's mind as he watches all this unfold? He has to be thinking "what's He doing?"
We see here a fireball will be hurled towards the earth. How shocking this will be. Fire is a symbol of God's judgment. The big bang will occur at the end of the story, not at the beginning. As this is happening, much noise and reaction happen as a result. We see four things going on here; noise, thunder, lightening and earthquakes. We also see these same events mentioned way back in Exodus at Mount Sinai. If you go to Rev 11:19 and 16:18 you see these same four things mentioned yet again.
Much is said today about global warning. How many know Peter wrote about this even before we even knew the globe was well.....even a globe? In 2 Peter 3:3-7 we read how and who is behind the real story of global warning:
knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men
How do we respond to all this? There are only two reactions.
Unsaved
1. hardening of the hearts
2. Repentance
Saved
1. Thanksgiving
2. Prayers for the Lost
Repentance is not something we hear too much these days in our society. Sad to say even the churches are reluctant to bring this up. Repentance is when we turn away from the world, leave our sin behind and turn toward God. It's a time of recognition that Christ died for us willingly, nailing our sins to the cross. In response we follow him leaving our sins right there nailed to the cross.
The gospel will be preached even up to the end so there will be many chances. We will have no excuse.
For the saved we need to remember the severity of sin. We should be cringing everytime we sin. Our view of sin should repulse us knowing that judgment is coming because of sin. We need to pray for the lost and ask for opportunities to speak because time is running out. Let's not be Christians who don't do anything (like the Pirates in Veggie Tales) and therefore take all this seriously.