Silence in Heaven



Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, be praised in my heart today. Please join me in a time of meditation and prayer, that I might grow in my faith and You might be glorified. Pour out understanding of Your Word, that I might know You better and love You more. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.

Read: Revelation 8:1-5
http://www.esvbible.org/Revelation 8:1-5

Think about It: In the Book of the Revelation of John, we find a description of the End Times, told from three different angles. At the end of the first vision (The Seven Seals), we have the reading for today. “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” (Rev. 8:1) This silence is incredibly dramatic, as it comes immediately on the heels of the destruction of the world. Suddenly, there is silence in heaven where normally one hears the praises of God sung and chanted by the angels. Why the silence?
     Some commentators suggest that it mirrors the seventh day of creation, when God rested. This silence invokes the idea of entering God’s rest. The end has come and now it is time to rest completely in God. (See Genesis 2:1-2)In the book of Exodus, The Children of Israel are also told to stand in silence in order to watch God work their salvation as they run from the Egyptians in Exodus 14:10ff.

“When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. . . . And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Here is a dramatic example of standing in trustful anticipation that God will move and bring salvation as only He is able. When our all-powerful God moves we can do nothing except stand in silence and watch in awe. That day, the Children of Israel watched as their slave masters and enemies the Egyptians were simply washed away into the Red Sea. They didn’t have to lift a sword or club themselves, just stand in silence and watch.
     We will probably stand (after we scrap ourselves off of the ground where we have fallen in complete worship of the victorious Lord) in similar awed silence when Christ returns for all who believe. We will have done nothing to save ourselves. Then we will enter the “rest of God” which will last far beyond half an hour!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I look forward to the day of Your return. While it will be a time of fear and trembling, for You are a great and awesome God, it will also be a time of great celebration as You come to take Your church home. Help me to be constantly ready for You to come and get me and help me to live in service to others, showing them Your love until You get here. In Your name I pray. Amen.

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