Silence in Heaven
I've been pondering Revelation 8:1 for a couple of weeks.
"And when He (the Lamb) opened the seventh seal, there came a silence in heaven for about a half hour."
It stopped me in my proverbial tracks. For a while I just meditated on what that kind of silence would "sound" like and how it would feel.
The morning I read that, I was propped comfortably on my living room sofa. My three older kids had left for school, and my "baby" was still in bed. I wanted to listen intently to the sound of silence. We live in a quiet neighborhood, and most people have left for work or school by 8:00 in the morning, when I sit with Jesus. The next door neighbors, Mitch and Cindy, are the exception; they leave around 8:25 together to the job where they both work. So what did I hear during my attempt at listening to silence?
I heard the arbitrary click of a simmering coffee pot.
The furnace kicked on and wannabe hot air exhaled through the vents.
Molly, our golden retriever, snorted as she stretched out on the floor.
A few chipper sparrows sang a couple measures of the song God gave them.
Mitch and Cindy's Ford F150 revved up and out of their driveway.
I heard the sound of my own breathing.
Silence evaded me.
In heaven there will be silence for 30 minutes. No singing. No shouting praises. No whispering, "What's going on?" No crying. No laughing. Just silence. Silence for 30 minutes. What would a half hour in the realm of eternity feel like, when the Lamb is about to open the seventh seal?
Revelation 8:1-5:
And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel with a golden censer came and stood by the altar, and much incense was given to him so that he might offer it for the prayers of the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne. And smoke from the incense went up from the hand of the angel before God for the prayers of the saints. Then the angel took the incense holder and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. And there occurred thunderous voices(1) and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Sit here and imagine it.
Read Revelation 8:1 and following. Are you filled with awe and dread? Or something else?
"And when He (the Lamb) opened the seventh seal, there came a silence in heaven for about a half hour."
It stopped me in my proverbial tracks. For a while I just meditated on what that kind of silence would "sound" like and how it would feel.
The morning I read that, I was propped comfortably on my living room sofa. My three older kids had left for school, and my "baby" was still in bed. I wanted to listen intently to the sound of silence. We live in a quiet neighborhood, and most people have left for work or school by 8:00 in the morning, when I sit with Jesus. The next door neighbors, Mitch and Cindy, are the exception; they leave around 8:25 together to the job where they both work. So what did I hear during my attempt at listening to silence?
I heard the arbitrary click of a simmering coffee pot.
The furnace kicked on and wannabe hot air exhaled through the vents.
Molly, our golden retriever, snorted as she stretched out on the floor.
A few chipper sparrows sang a couple measures of the song God gave them.
Mitch and Cindy's Ford F150 revved up and out of their driveway.
I heard the sound of my own breathing.
Silence evaded me.
In heaven there will be silence for 30 minutes. No singing. No shouting praises. No whispering, "What's going on?" No crying. No laughing. Just silence. Silence for 30 minutes. What would a half hour in the realm of eternity feel like, when the Lamb is about to open the seventh seal?
Revelation 8:1-5:
And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel with a golden censer came and stood by the altar, and much incense was given to him so that he might offer it for the prayers of the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne. And smoke from the incense went up from the hand of the angel before God for the prayers of the saints. Then the angel took the incense holder and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. And there occurred thunderous voices(1) and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Sit here and imagine it.
Read Revelation 8:1 and following. Are you filled with awe and dread? Or something else?
posted by Zoanna at
7:06 PM
4 Comments:
Okay, so I haven't sat and read Revelation yet. But, I have to say Zoanna, I love how you described your "silence". Seriously brilliant writing, girlfriend!
I read that passage a few months ago and that 30 minute silence in Heaven caught my attention too. I didn't think about it as much as you, though, so thanks for your thoughts on this. I agree with Laurie, this is some good writing!
Thank you.
Hi Zoanna, Good to stumble onto your blog. I am a student at the Forerunner School of Ministry, which is part of the International House of Prayer in Kansas CIty. (ihop.org) As part of our assignments this semester we have had to take part in a Forum on the book of Revelation. The question that I posted was on Revelation 8:1 - the Silence in Heaven for half an hour. All the other students then have to attempt to answer your question.
Well, I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your pointing me towards an understanding of silence itself. An understanding that the Lord once gave me, and which spurred me on to ask the question in the first place.
10 years ago, I was with some friends ministering at a conference in Australia. We were to teach on how to hear the voice of God one morning. In preparing I was sitting outside in the garden of a fairly tranquil neighbourhood. I suddenly became aware of the silence and began to listen to it intensley. Suddenly I became, as you did, deafened by the noise of this silence - dogs barking, children playing, sirens screeching. This was a little puzzling for me... I then believe the Lord spoke to me and showed me that we hear God when we listen for Him. That he is always speaking to us, we just fail most of the time to listen. Since then, when I begin to think that Jesus is no longer involved very actively in my life I take a rain check and begin to LISTEN....
You dont hear unless you listen
You dont see unless you look.....
Now I have to write a paper on the question that I posted on the forum and the conclusion that I have drawn having read the replies.... Thank you so much for your help.
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