When God is Silent
“Something is wrong!” I exclaimed. “It’s just too quiet…what is my son up to?” If you have ever raised kids, you can probably relate to these words. Typically, silence is golden—unless you have kids, then silence is suspicious. There is a verse in the Bible that confounds and puzzles readers and theologians alike. There is a moment of silence in heaven that is rather suspicious. It’s found in Revelation chapter 8 verse 1: “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
“Uh-oh! Something is wrong. It’s too quiet. What is God up to?”
Now imagine with me for a second, silence in heaven itself. What is that about? Think about the entire heavenly realm, all the multitudes of angels, the countless crowds of the redeemed, the martyrs under the altar, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, all hitting the mute button. It’s a silence so profound, you could hear a pin drop in the cosmos for half an hour?
Commentator after commentator will tell you the silence in heaven is a mystery. Many have come up with speculations, conjectures and jokes over the centuries about this passage. Yet I would suggest to you that if we read the following verses, we are given a profound insight into what is happening. Let’s read together… (this is so good!)
Revelation 8:2 says, “Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.”
Seven angels stand up before God and they’re handed seven trumpets. Now, trumpets in ancient Judaism weren't just for jazzy solos. They were multi-purpose instruments, often used in worship, battle, victory cries, triumphant entrances, sounding of alarms, or announcing a general's commands. But before the trumpeters can even clear their throats, something else happens; something that beautifully, and perhaps mysteriously, intertwines the realms of heaven and earth.
Revelation 8:3-4 says “And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
What a beautiful picture. The entire book of Revelation is a mixture of vision and prayer. And here in chapter 8, the Apostle John deals with the issue of prayer in the most powerful, picturesque, practical way, as he reminds his people of the power of prayer. This text indicates to us that as our prayers (prayers of the saints) ascend before God on His golden altar, it’s as though God says, “Hush,” to the living creatures who cry, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” God says, “Hush,” to the twenty-four elders who praise him continually. He says, “Hush,” to the thousands of angels who serve him and execute his plans. God is rendering heaven completely and totally silent. Why?
It’s almost as if God is saying at this moment, nothing else has my attention except the prayers my children are offering to me. “I don’t want to miss a single word,” God says.
I know this is true of me with my son. When he is hurt, or needs my attention or my help, I drop all other distractions, all other noises vying for my attention and give him my undivided attention. Think of two people who are totally in love with each other. They can sit in a crowded, noisy restaurant for hours and be lost in conversation as though no one else is around. That's the idea in the verse. God is passionately in love with us, his children, and he doesn’t want to miss a single word we are saying. What a truth to internalize today! You have God’s undivided and complete attention when you pray.
In addition, our prayers are mixed with incense. Throughout scripture, incense speaks of intercession. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25 says that Jesus Christ is our High Priest, who lives to make intercession for us. In other words, the incense of Jesus’ intercession on our behalf sweetens our prayers. According to this, the prayers of saints are like fragrance to God. They delight him. He smells in them a sweet remembrance of the character and righteousness of Jesus, the One who gave himself for us.
This is why David asked God, “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” (Psalm 141:2)
This indicates to us that our prayers matter to God. Our sincere prayers are valuable to God. They don’t have to be perfect, we don’t have to be perfect, we just need to come humbly before our God. Not only does God give us his undivided attention when we pray; our prayers move God to action.
Revelation 8 verse 5 continues, “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”
The Angel takes the censer of prayer, perfumed with intercession, and literally throws it back to Earth. If burning incense is symbolic of the prayers of saints who are imploring God to act, then returning that fire to Earth is a symbol of answered prayer. As the answer from God re-enters Earth's atmosphere, the whole world is shaken with incalculable effect. What a picture!!
Our prayers are heard and in due season the answer will shake the world!
This is why James says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (5:16b) Acts 4:31 says, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” The message is consistent: God’s people pray, and God acts in powerful ways in our experience on Earth.
I want to encourage you today not to underestimate the effects of your prayers. God is making clear here in Revelation chapter 8 that it is the prayers of his people that will bring about all that is happening in Revelation. And it’s the prayers of his people today that will be the means by which He works in the world today.
Be encouraged as you pray. You have God’s undivided attention, and as you pray, God acts. That is the testimony of Revelation chapter 8.
Are you tempted to think your prayers don’t matter? Do you ask, “God, do you even hear me? You seem distant, unresponsive, and silent.” If that’s you, remember this: sometimes God is silent, not because He is absent, but because He is about to act!
“Uh-oh! Something is wrong. It’s too quiet. What is God up to?”
Now imagine with me for a second, silence in heaven itself. What is that about? Think about the entire heavenly realm, all the multitudes of angels, the countless crowds of the redeemed, the martyrs under the altar, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, all hitting the mute button. It’s a silence so profound, you could hear a pin drop in the cosmos for half an hour?
Commentator after commentator will tell you the silence in heaven is a mystery. Many have come up with speculations, conjectures and jokes over the centuries about this passage. Yet I would suggest to you that if we read the following verses, we are given a profound insight into what is happening. Let’s read together… (this is so good!)
Revelation 8:2 says, “Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.”
Seven angels stand up before God and they’re handed seven trumpets. Now, trumpets in ancient Judaism weren't just for jazzy solos. They were multi-purpose instruments, often used in worship, battle, victory cries, triumphant entrances, sounding of alarms, or announcing a general's commands. But before the trumpeters can even clear their throats, something else happens; something that beautifully, and perhaps mysteriously, intertwines the realms of heaven and earth.
Revelation 8:3-4 says “And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
What a beautiful picture. The entire book of Revelation is a mixture of vision and prayer. And here in chapter 8, the Apostle John deals with the issue of prayer in the most powerful, picturesque, practical way, as he reminds his people of the power of prayer. This text indicates to us that as our prayers (prayers of the saints) ascend before God on His golden altar, it’s as though God says, “Hush,” to the living creatures who cry, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” God says, “Hush,” to the twenty-four elders who praise him continually. He says, “Hush,” to the thousands of angels who serve him and execute his plans. God is rendering heaven completely and totally silent. Why?
It’s almost as if God is saying at this moment, nothing else has my attention except the prayers my children are offering to me. “I don’t want to miss a single word,” God says.
I know this is true of me with my son. When he is hurt, or needs my attention or my help, I drop all other distractions, all other noises vying for my attention and give him my undivided attention. Think of two people who are totally in love with each other. They can sit in a crowded, noisy restaurant for hours and be lost in conversation as though no one else is around. That's the idea in the verse. God is passionately in love with us, his children, and he doesn’t want to miss a single word we are saying. What a truth to internalize today! You have God’s undivided and complete attention when you pray.
In addition, our prayers are mixed with incense. Throughout scripture, incense speaks of intercession. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25 says that Jesus Christ is our High Priest, who lives to make intercession for us. In other words, the incense of Jesus’ intercession on our behalf sweetens our prayers. According to this, the prayers of saints are like fragrance to God. They delight him. He smells in them a sweet remembrance of the character and righteousness of Jesus, the One who gave himself for us.
This is why David asked God, “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” (Psalm 141:2)
This indicates to us that our prayers matter to God. Our sincere prayers are valuable to God. They don’t have to be perfect, we don’t have to be perfect, we just need to come humbly before our God. Not only does God give us his undivided attention when we pray; our prayers move God to action.
Revelation 8 verse 5 continues, “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”
The Angel takes the censer of prayer, perfumed with intercession, and literally throws it back to Earth. If burning incense is symbolic of the prayers of saints who are imploring God to act, then returning that fire to Earth is a symbol of answered prayer. As the answer from God re-enters Earth's atmosphere, the whole world is shaken with incalculable effect. What a picture!!
Our prayers are heard and in due season the answer will shake the world!
This is why James says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (5:16b) Acts 4:31 says, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” The message is consistent: God’s people pray, and God acts in powerful ways in our experience on Earth.
I want to encourage you today not to underestimate the effects of your prayers. God is making clear here in Revelation chapter 8 that it is the prayers of his people that will bring about all that is happening in Revelation. And it’s the prayers of his people today that will be the means by which He works in the world today.
Be encouraged as you pray. You have God’s undivided attention, and as you pray, God acts. That is the testimony of Revelation chapter 8.
Are you tempted to think your prayers don’t matter? Do you ask, “God, do you even hear me? You seem distant, unresponsive, and silent.” If that’s you, remember this: sometimes God is silent, not because He is absent, but because He is about to act!
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3 Comments
Thank you for such beautiful clarification about prayer. Love ya, PA!
So encouraging PA! Thank you for this☺️
Thank you for the comfort, understanding, and inspiration your message brings to my prayer life Pastor Adrian. Love you!