(Revelation 8:1-2) When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
I can only imagine this scene. 30 minutes of silence is a long time! When I worked at radio & TV stations, two seconds of (air) silence was too long. As soon as this happens, your audience knows immediately that there is an issue, and you run the risk of them switching to another station. Although this silence will be different.
For those on earth, if they sense the silence - it will be tense and ominous.
For those in heaven, this silence will be a huge build up to something big.
Those who become believers during the Tribulation and are martyred - will be praying for justice - and their prayers will be added to God's wrath - and released upon the earth (just as the prayers of the saints from before the Tribulation is added to God's wrath for the first or last set of judgments, Rev.5:8, 6:16)...
(Revelation 8:3-6) Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
And then the first trumpet sounds, sending hail, fire and blood to the earth. A THIRD of the earth will be burned up!!!
Just curious! Will this come down on the entire surface of the earth so the destruction is evenly dispersed? Or will this come down in random parts around the word so the destruction is dispersed but widespread? Or will this be focused on a specific area of the earth which will wipe out entire countries and continents? If it is the latter, then it would make sense that it would be on the other side of the world from Israel.
No matter how or where this happens, it will hugely impact the world's resources and economy...
(Revelation 8:6-7) And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. 7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Today's takeaway: again, we see how God takes our prayers very seriously! And He answers them in the right time. And because God is all-knowing - I even trust God to hear my prayers when I haven't prayed them "in time"! Like when I've promised someone I would pray for a certain event, but I forgot. I will then pray after-the-fact - knowing that God knew I would pray this prayer at some point. NOT TO SAY that we should be negligent in our prayers! I'm just saying - how awesome is God!!!
And there are times when I'm praying for someone - I have no idea what should be done! So often I will pray, "LORD, this person! I am groaning for this person!" (or this situation). HE knows what should be done!!!...
(Romans 8:26-39) In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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