Earlier in Revelation chapter five, we read how Jesus, the Lamb of God, took a scroll with seven seals from the right hand of the one who sat upon a celestial throne. Six of those seven seals were opened in Revelation chapter six. The following chapter then unveiled a quartet of angels who restrained four destructive winds until God’s people were numbered and set apart. With the completion of that task, we now turn to chapter eight and the opening of the seventh and final seal…
“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:1-5).
Revelation chapter eight opens with a reference to “…silence in heaven for about half an hour” (NIV). So what is the meaning behind this period of silence? Well, this brief period of tranquility may foreshadow the turbulent events to follow, much like a lull that often proceeds a powerful and devastating storm. Once opened, this seal will unleash a horrifying chain of events. The scale of devastation and overwhelming nature of those events will seemingly render these heavenly observers speechless.
This passage continues by saying, “Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God; seven trumpets were given to them” (CSB). While trumpets are widely recognized for their use as musical instruments, they serve a different function in the context of Revelation chapter eight. In the Biblical era, trumpets were often used as a call to assembly, to signal an announcement, to summon military personnel, or to warn of an emergency condition.
In fact, modern-day societies still use various types of horns to direct our attention to a period of remembrance, an emergency situation, an alert condition, or a call to action. The trumpets we will encounter over the course of Revelation chapters eight, nine, and eleven will function in a similar manner, for they will serve as a summons and a warning.
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