The Seventh Seal and Heavenly Silence
Study note
When the Lamb opens the seventh seal, an awe-filled silence falls over heaven for about half an hour, creating a dramatic pause before the next wave of judgments. Seven angels receive seven trumpets, and another angel offers incense with the prayers of the saints on the golden altar. The angel then fills the censer with fire from the altar and hurls it to earth, producing thunder, lightning, and an earthquake, showing that the prayers of God's people are connected to his judgments.
1 The Lamb opened the seventh seal. Everything in heaven went fully silent. It lasted about half an hour. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand in God's presence. Each of them was handed a trumpet. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 Another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden incense holder. He was given lots of incense to mix with the prayers of all God's people. He offered them on the golden altar in front of the throne. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 The smoke from the incense floated up to God from the angel's hand, carrying the prayers of God's people along with it. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 Then the angel grabbed the incense container, scooped up fire from the altar, and hurled it down to earth. There were rumbles of thunder, crashes of lightning, and the ground shook with an earthquake. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
The First Four Trumpets
Study note
The first trumpet brings hail and fire mixed with blood, destroying a third of the trees and all green grass. The second turns a third of the sea to blood, killing sea creatures and ships. The third causes a burning star called Wormwood to poison a third of the fresh waters. The fourth darkens a third of the sun, moon, and stars. An angel then flies through heaven pronouncing three woes on the earth's inhabitants for the remaining trumpet blasts.
6 The seven angels with the seven trumpets got ready to blow. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire mixed with blood came crashing down on the earth. A third of all the trees burned up, and every blade of green grass was scorched. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8 The second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a gigantic burning mountain was thrown into the sea. A third of the ocean turned to blood. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 A third of everything alive in the sea died, and a third of all the ships were wrecked. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel blew his trumpet. A great star blazing like a torch fell out of the sky. It landed on a third of the rivers and on the freshwater springs. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 The star was called Wormwood. A third of all the water turned bitter like wormwood, and huge numbers of people died because the water had become poisonous. And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet. A third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars. A third of each of them went dark. A third of the daytime had no light, and a third of the nighttime too. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 Then I looked up and heard an angel flying across the sky, crying out in a loud voice, "Trouble! Trouble! Terrible trouble for everyone living on earth, because the last three angels are about to blow their trumpets!" And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!