The Seventh Seal
1When the Lamb 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 they were given seven trumpets.
3Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel.
5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were rolls of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
“there was silence in heaven for about half an hour”
David Guzik portrays an example of a pastor preaching and stopping for 10 minutes which would seem like eternity. So imagine heaven, with continual praising and all of a sudden everyone stops praising God and there is silence for half an hour!
Trumpets are significant also because in ancient times trumpets were used to signal an attack.
Then another angel comes forward with a censor burning incense “along with the prayers of all the saints”.
“It is not said that the angel presents these prayers. He presents the incense, and the prayers ascend with it. The ascending of the incense shows that the prayers and offering were accepted.” (Clarke)
“We waited for the seven seals to be opened and saw them loosed one by one. But when the seventh seal was finally loosed, the end did not immediately come. It set in motion seven trumpets that would sound upon the earth.” (Guzik)
“5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were rolls of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”
I don’t believe this is typical thunder and lightning or a typical earthquake, remember God is trying to get everyone’s attention. REPENT, judgment is coming!
When I grew up our family attended catholic school and church. During service and certain ceremonies incense was burned in a censor and usually a priest or alter boy swung it while prayers were offered up, “Lord hear our prayers “.
Why was incense burned and what does it symbolize?
“The altar of incense, then, can be seen as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people.”
“It is beautiful to know that God considers the prayers of believers to be like a sweet smell of incense.”.
Your prayers are sweet smelling!
Blessings, David
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