WHEN THE LAMB BROKE
THE SEVENTH SEAL
There was silence
in heaven
for about half an hour
Seven angels who are in the presence of God
and seven trumpets were given to them
and another angel went and stood close to the altar, carrying
a censer of gold; and abundance of incense was given to him
that he might place it with the prayers of all the saints upon
the golden altar in front of the throne.
And the smoke of the incense
rose into the presence of God
from the angel’s hand,
and mingled with the prayers of His people.
So the angel took the censer
and filled it with fire from the altar
and flung it to the earth;
and there followed peals of thunder, and voices, and flashes of
lightning, and an earthquake.
Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made
preparations for blowing them.
Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets
8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
- I would say this is one of the more challenging chapters/sections in the Book of Revelation (8:1-6) so go from here
and read it over and over again and study and think about it. Probably the most complex chapter in the Book of Revelation
is Chapter 17. I would think is number 2 – second place – in terms of challenging. I’m not saying that so you draw back and
say, “I don’t get it.” But I’m saying it so that if you don’t get it you keep reading and studying. It is one of the more
challenging and complex because there are several details that go together and you have to make sense of.
- This was to introduce a new set of events (MH)
- When – the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Malachi 4)
- He – the Lamb of God (Revelation 6:1)
- Manifest leadership of Jesus breaks forth when Jesus opens seventh seal
- Scroll now totally opened; everything following is the contents of the scroll
- The scroll is opened, finally allowing it to be unrolled (NCBC)
- Greater suffering and more terrible times coming
- Revelation 8 and 9 touch everything dear to humans
- The seven trumpets are part of the seven-sealed scroll
- When “he” – Jesus – broke open the seventh seal there was silence in heaven. This is meant to be understood
- Was – came to pass – began to be (JFB)
- A silence of expectation; great things were upon the wheel of providence (MH)
- All heaven breathlessly awaits the final act of divine judgment (Z)
- The seventh seal is so horrific that it says there was silence in heaven for half an hour. Even heaven is taken aback
by what they are watching happening below. A worldwide earthquake. The whole earth being shaken. That has never
happened before. (DP)
- Silence in heaven – this must be a mere metaphor, silence being put here for the deep and solemn expectation of the
stupendous things about to take place, which the opening of this seal had produced. When anything prodigious or
surprising is expected, all is silence, and even the breath is scarcely heard to be drawn. (AC)
- In the Jewish temple, musical instruments and singing resounded during the whole time of the offering of the sacrifices,
which formed the first part of the service. But at the offering of incense, solemn silence was kept. (JFB)
- There is here, and in the following verses, a strong allusion to different parts of the Temple worship; a presumption
that the Temple was still standing, and the regular service of God carried on. The silence here refers to this fact—while the
priest went in to burn incense in the holy place, all the people continued in silent mental prayer without till the priest
returned. (AC)
- This silence is broken only by a heavenly offering and “the prayers of all the saints” (NCBC)
References: Revelation 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9; Exodus 12:12 (For I will pass through … and I will execute judgment: I am the Lord); Revelation 5:1, 9;
Psalm 62:1 (Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation)
8:2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
- You want to circle the word “the” for these are particular group of angels called ‘the seven angels’. These are angels
that John is assuming that the reader is familiar with this group of angels. That is why he doesn’t describe them in a detailed
way because they are ‘the seven angels’ who were well known and understood. And these are the seven angels who stand
before God.
- Seven archangels stand before God
- Now all angels come before God in various tasks and assignments but these are seven that are particularly assigned
in the presence of God. Gabriel said that. Luke 1:19 – Gabriel says he stands in the presence of God. And I understand
him to be one of these seven angels -- a particular group of angels.
- Now to ‘them’ was given seven trumpets – it is a very dramatic moment because these angels are before God right
now but the trumpets have not been given to them. When these seven trumpets are given to them by God the implication to
the assembly around the throne – the implication to the hour when the seven golden trumpets (I assume are golden) are
handed to these angels – all of heaven understands it is a divine, dynamic timing in human history. So John is getting to see
in advance by the Spirit of Prophecy – an open vision – the events that are yet to happen in the days to come. It’s the hour
when the seven trumpets are handed to the angels -- because throughout the angels they don’t have the seven trumpets.
They are given to them at a critical moment signifying the unfolding of the end time drama or which would lead to Jesus taking
back the earth and His full manifest leadership over the entire earth -- very dramatic moment.
- The trumpets were delivered to the angels who were to sound them (MH)
- As the Jewish new year was inaugurated with the blowing of trumpets, so the day of the Lord is heralded by the
eschatological trumpet-blasts (Z)
- Psalm 47:5 – God goes up with sound of trumpet
- Trumpets – instruments designed to awaken alarm at some approaching evil (W)
- Trumpets = warning – a ram’s horn (shofar)
- In OT trumpets gathered people of God
- In OT times the trumpet served to announce important events and give signals in time of war (NIV)
- Trumpets
1. Punitive for killing martyrs
2. Redemptive – a warning to respond
3. Vindication/victory for people of God
- Trumpets warn of the bowl judgments to follow
References: Matthew 18:10 (…in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.); Luke 1:19 (…I am Gabriel, who stands
in the presence of God…); 2 Chronicles 29:25-28; Psalm 47:5 (God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.);
Revelation 9:1, 13; 11:15; 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16
8:3 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.
- Now another angel – it’s the eighth angel in the passage. There are the seven with the trumpets and there is an
eighth one. And this one is very, very important. There are only eight angels in this passage but he is just simply called
‘another’ angel -- very important angel. This is the key event. Verses 3 and 4 are the core issue of the seventh seal – the
other angel. There is a mysterious dimension to this other angel. And verse 3 and 4 you really have to stay with and read
it over and over. I like what Alan Hood says if you stay with it long enough: the fog will lift. At first you read it is a fog, but
when you stay with it and then you will get it and the fog lifts.
- Then this other angel – the either angel – the core event of the passage – the key issue – has a golden censer. Think
of it as a big golden bowl -- a big one. So this angel comes with an empty golden censer – a big one – and he stands there.
So he came and he stood at the golden altar which is right in front of the throne of God. So already the angels that are
watching – again this is yet future but John was able to see it in an open vision – so first the seven angels that stand there
all the time are handed trumpets – there is a holy hush around the throne. “Oh my goodness it is really happening.” So it
is not complete that they are handed trumpets – but it is massive in its implications. But now there is another angel – he
comes. There is this even an intentional understanding of the movement of the angel – you see him at a distance – he is
coming up – he is walking up – I don’t know how far away – but he is coming with a golden censer – a golden bowl and
everybody is looking at him. He is this mysterious figure and he is walking to the throne of God. He is coming. I see all of
heaven staring – “wow – here he is. I’ve heard about this – it’s in the Bible. The hour has come.” And he stands there
alongside the seven angels who just received their trumpets.
- Another angel – about to perform the office of priest (AC)
- Well something mysterious happens. He’s got this big golden bowl – and its empty – and he’s standing right in front
of the golden altar – right next to the throne of God. It doesn’t get any more intense than this. And suddenly there is this
mysterious – there is not a lot of description to it – but this is the key event. He is given something he does not have
previous. He’s given much incense. That is the key phrase. I believe that is the key phrase through the entire passage.
He is given not just a little bit of incense – but much. He is given that which he did not have before this event. He is given
that which is outside the ability to produce himself. It’s the mysterious element of the seventh seal – much incense. When
the much incense is given to this angel in the same timing when the trumpets are given to those angels before the throne,
watch out – the domino effect – nothing can stop it. It is already set into motion. Again, this is a yet future event.
- Now he is given much incense – he is standing there with this big bowl – and God is giving it to him. It is the obvious
intending meaning. It doesn’t say who gives it, but we know this an angel of great stature and prominence to have this role
at the end of the age and so the absence of the description is given and it is clearly my understanding that when it is given
that it is given of God but it doesn’t signify who gives it – but I see it as the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the faceless man in
the dreams. It is the One who comes and announces something from God but you never get to quite see who it is – it is the
Holy Spirit speaking in the dream language.
- So it is this unspecified, undesignated actor giving this dynamic element – this mysterious element to this angel.
It’s called ‘much incense’. What’s he going to do with it? He is going to take this incense – this big ole bowl – he’s going to
take this incense and pour it out on the prayers of the saints that have been accumulating through history but really coming
to a crescendo at the end of the age. The prayers are on this golden altar. Now this golden altar has flaming fire – probably
a really big altar. How big is it? I don’t know. It’s probably really big – it’s right next to the throne of God. Flaming fire in this
golden altar – and this incense is on the altar – and somehow – it is not made clear to us – but the prayers of the saints come
before God at that altar. Now how that happens by the ministry of the Holy Spirit the Bible never tells us. It just tells us that
our prayers ascend before God. But this passage is letting us know our prayers ascend and the location – if you will – that
our prayers meet are at this golden altar that is filled with divine fire. It is an altar engulfed in Holy Spirit fire – right before the
Father. The Father is looking. The fire on that altar is never going to go out – never. It has a divine fire – a life of its own.
It is the very energy and life of God igniting this altar. But the Holy Spirit – in some way we don’t understand – brings the
prayers of the saints worldwide and they meet together right there upon that altar.
- Another angel – supposed to be Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, offering the prayers of His people with His own
intercessions accompanying them (Hebrews 7:25) (W)
- Another angel – not Christ, as many think; for He, in Revelation, is always designated by one of His proper titles;
though, doubtless, He is the only true High Priest, the Angel of the Covenant, standing before the golden altar of incense,
and there, as Mediator, offering up His people’s prayers, rendered acceptable before God through the incense of His
merit. (JFB)
- Golden censor – This was a preparation peculiar to the day of expiation. “On other days it was the custom of the
priest to take fire from the great altar in a silver censer, but on the day of expiation the high priest took the fire from the
great altar in a golden censer; and when he was come down from the great altar, he took incense from one of the priests,
who brought it to him, and went with it to the golden altar; and while he offered the incense the people prayed without in
silence…” (AC)
- Prayers of saints and incense of Jesus sacrifice become one
- The prayers of God’s saints have a part in the judgment of God. (NCBC)
- It seems to indicate that Prayer has some influence with God in shaping the course of history (HBH)
- The censer is a firepan used for burning incense. (NCBC)
- Golden altar before the throne
- The angel does not provide the incense; it is given to him by Christ, whose meritorious obedience and death are
the incense, rendering the saints’ prayers well pleasing to God. (JFB)
- Incense = prayers
- Incense is separate from prayers
- Incense first thing to burn in the morning and last thing at night in the Temple
- The saints praying for the kingdom of God to come receive a preliminary answer
- The prayers of the saints themselves stand in need of the incense and intercession of Christ to make them
acceptable and effectual (MH)
References: Revelation 5:8; Exodus 30:1 (You shall make an altar to burn incense on…); 34-38 (….You shall make of these an incense, a
compound according to the art of the perfumer…..But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according
to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.); Revelation
7:2; 6:9; Amos 9:1 (I saw the Lord standing beside the altar….); Hebrews 9:4 (having a golden altar of incense…); Numbers 4:11
8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the
angel’s hand.
- So we have two things happening through history. We have the fire always on the altar – it never goes out – and we
have the prayers ascending from all nations – from wherever the gospel has gone throughout history ascending. There are
two things meeting at this golden altar – fire and prayers are being added by the minute – by the hour – the prayers are
accumulating there. But now there is a third element. There is not just fire, there is not just prayers, there is a third
element. There is this mighty angel – I am adding the word mighty – takes this golden bowl of incense he was given
mysteriously and he pours it out. And so now there are fire and prayers in convergence and now there is divine incense on
it and it explodes. There is a combustion – there is a divine synergism – there is the fire of God, and the prayers from the
earth, and this mysterious element that ignites it and the smoke just races up in a big glory cloud right in the face of the
Father. And that is what ignites the final and great judgments in the Book of Revelation is this event – this reality.
- It might be an event in the sense that it happens in a five-minute time frame, but I think of it more as a reality –
not a reality that is going on right now – but a reality that is going to happen – but I don’t know how long it is going to
happen. The end time prayer movement – the prayers are ascending – the Holy Spirit brings those prayers to that altar –
there is a fire that is on the altar all the time – but there is a moment in time where the angel pours the divine incense on to
it. And when you throw incense – this fragrant incense – this mysterious element on to the fire – a big puff of smoke breaks
forth – of aroma – fragrance – and it is so pleasing to God. And when this smoke ascends – its as though the picture we
are confronted with – it is a picture that comes before us and it is meant to be understood – of God the Father smelling and
He loves the aroma of the combination of His own fire, the prayers of the saints – not just through history – yes, through
history – but particularly in that hour – particularly – the prayers from the fifth seal. And then there is this mysterious element
poured out on it – the smoke breaks forth – ohhhh, the Father loves it. The Father is delighted with it. Nothing delights Him
more than the aroma that comes from the combination, the synergism, the fire, the prayer, and the incense that all comes
before Him.
- And what happens? What happens? The Father gives the permission – He gives the word of direction (verse 4) –
the smoke of the incense – a fragrant smoke. Because without the incense you have a little bit of smoke on the fire but the
incense just brings a whole other dimension – it is sparkling – it is dynamic – the colors are breaking out everywhere when the
incense is poured on the fire. That is why it is poured on it. It all ascends before God in verse 4. And the idea of it ascending
before God means God is receiving it with pleasure. It means it ascends with favor. It ascends effectively – it makes the
impact it was ordained to have in the Father’s plan.
- Ascended before God – indicating that their prayers were accepted (W) (AC)
- There is a counterfeit to the incense of prayers and that is smoke of darkness, deception and mankind is blinded
spiritually
References: Psalm 141:2 (Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.); Luke 1:10 (And the
whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense); SOS 4:6 (Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my
way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense)
8:5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with the fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And
there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
- Verse 5 – then the angel takes this censor – that was once empty, then it was filled up with incense, then he dumps
it on the altar where the fire was, and now it is empty again. So the Lord designates it to him, “Fill it with fire from that altar.”
So he takes his hand and there are coals on the altar. He takes the coals out and fills this big bowl with coals from the altar.
The smoke is ascending; there are coals of fire. In Isaiah 6:2 there are the coals from the altar that touch Isaiah’s lips. It is
right from this altar – these coals. Ezekiel 10:2 – one of the angels take the coals from this altar and throw them on the City
of Jerusalem when they are going under judgment from Babylon in 586 BC. So my point is there are coals on this altar and
the coals from this altar – probably from one time – probably a number of times – that the angel actually takes these coals
and throws them to the earth. And when the angel throws them to the earth, the city comes under judgment and in the case
of the Babylon army came in and burned the city to the ground. There was this reality – it wasn’t just symbolic – it was a real
relevant act in the Spirit that was linked to the burning of the city by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
- So we are to understand as God is revealing this to us – we know there are coals on that altar, we know that those
coals can be thrown to the earth, and we know that when they are thrown to the earth that the cities that those coals touch
are burned – in other words they are devastated. They are terrifying judgments – terrifying.
- Verse 5 – the angel takes the censor. Now remember, the angel takes the censor – the censor started empty, then he
went and came – I have this image in my mind that he was real far away – I just think there is drama – my own interpretation.
It says ‘he came and stood’ – there is this element of movement. He is coming – he is coming closer. All those angelic beings
are watching and he’s coming closer to the throne of God. You just don’t walk up to the throne of God because you’re having
kind of a nice walk in the eternal city – this is awesome. Their eyes are getting big – and say this is getting intense. And he is
standing there with an empty bowl – and the mysterious element – filled with divine incense. Again, that is the core event.
That is the mysterious element of this seventh seal. It is full – it is probably heavy – it is probably big. He pours it on the altar,
fires, and colors and sparkle and fragrance – whoa – a big cloud of Shekinah glory of God and it is a glorious smoke. This is
a smoke filled with divine dimensions and activity in it. It ascends before God. And the Lord says, “This is that which was
spoken of…”.
- He looks at the angel and He gives that signal – He gives that go ahead – and the angel now goes to the very altar
that he poured the incense on because now that big bowl is empty – he takes it in his hands (Ezekiel 10 says hands) and he
gets big hands full of coals and put it in the bowl. And all the other angels are watching it. And they go, “Oh no. This is
serious. This is really serious.” When angels take burning coals from the altar – from the burning altar – this is a very
significant event. It is not just something happening every day all day. It is a very, very important event – yet future from
right now. This event has not happened yet in the eschatological final way. We know a few times in history that these events
have happened and probably has happened more times than God has revealed it. But it is not a common occurrence. It is
not something happening all day every day.
- He fills up this big bowl with fire – but Ezekiel 10 and Isaiah 6 says coals – so I am going to add the word coals – coals
of fire. I don’t know where he goes. Maybe he goes over the balcony of heaven and he pours it on the earth. It is at the end
of the age. It is God purging the earth preparing for His Son’s full kingdom rule that begins with the Second Coming of Christ.
Jesus’ rule in part in manifestation over part of the earth – it is not yet – but it is already existing in heaven and God’s claim
over the earth from the Cross, He is purchased it, but the kingdom is now but not quite fully manifest – but there is that hour
when He begins to exert His rule in a manifest open way. And that is what this fire is all about: to prepare the earth for this
glorious reign and rule of the millennial reign of Jesus. So he fills this censor with fire – he threw it to the earth. No more
terrifying words – threw it to the earth – threw it to the earth. Is that terrifying or what? And there were noises. Noises. One
translation says voices. In other parts of the Book of Revelation it is voices. Well voices could be included with noises. But it
could be noises plus voices and more. But all of a sudden – there are all those noises – singing and proclamations and
noises – like that word scares me. We think oh that will be so cool. I think it will really surprise us.
- The censer – the one used in burning the incense (W)
Filled it with fire – a symbol of God’s wrath soon to be visited on the wicked (W)
- Live coals always on fire
- Cast it to the earth – as the place where God’s judgments were to be executed (W)
- Prayers go up – fire comes down
- Prayers of saints bring judgment
- The cry “How long” is answered at last (Z)
References: Exodus 19:16 (Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on
the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.); Revelation 11:19; 16:18; 4:5;
2 Samuel 22:8 (Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because H was angry); 1 Kings 19:11;
Acts 4:31 (And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken); Leviticus 16:12 (And he shall take a firepan
full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense and bring it inside the veil); Ezekiel 10:2
(And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim, and fill your hands with coals of fire
from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight.)
8:6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
- And now, all things being thus prepared, the angels discharge their duty (MH)
- Each took up his trumpet and stood prepared to blow his blast. (AC)
- Seven trumpets – these appear to be used in connection with the tribulation woes (W)
- The trumpet blasts have three purposes: (LB)
1. To warn that judgment is certain
2. To call the forces of God and evil to battle
3. To announce the return of the King, the Messiah
- Five main activities of the seventh seal:
(1) The seven angels are commissioned with seven eschatological trumpets – which means end time angels.
They are before the throne of God all the time – that is their assignment. They are very dynamic group of angels –
but there is something that happens in the future – it has not happened yet – they receive the eschatological trumpets
they don’t have right now. They are commissioned.
(2) The heavenly silence – the awe of God. The hushed awe falls over the entire heavenly city because they
understand the implication of these angels receiving this commission. They know there will be great suffering on the
earth but they know there will be glorious redemption and everything that hinders love will be driven off the planet – the
domino effect of this event. They know it. So there is this heavenly silence.
(3) Then the core event – this angel is given divine incense. He is given this empty bowl and it is filled with
incense. And again, I believe this incense is the work, the Person, the intercession of Jesus and the intercession of
the Holy Spirit are added to the weak prayers of the saints. There is this divine incense that is added to the prayer
movement.
(4) It releases fire on the earth. It releases the Ezekiel 10:2 coals – fire of judgment coals. But there are also the
Isaiah 6:2 coals which touch the forerunners – the prophetic preachers and messengers.
(5) Then cosmic disturbances – thunder, earthquakes – and they are real. They are not just in heaven – they
are real. They will be discernable and real on the earth. Those are the five activities of the seventh seal.