The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 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. 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.
There is a pause between the sixth and seventh seal and trumpet. There is no pause in the bowls. This might indicate the seals and trumpets are related and coexist as they lead up to the pouring out of the bowls. The silence after the opening of the seventh seal may be the only response possible as heaven looks on in awe of the sovereign majesty before them. The patience of God has worn thin. The time is at hand. It is a terrible thing to fall in the hands of The Lord.
Go back and look at Chapter 6 in Joshua. You will be reading of the battle of Jericho. It foreshadows the trumpets here in Revelation. The Israelites were commanded to march around the city for six days, led by their priests with seven trumpets. These trumpets are made of rams' horn symbolizing the power and might that belong to God, and announcing and confirming the righteous judgement that is unleashed with opening of the seals. They precede and make way for the bowls of wrath that will be poured out earth.
We note the connection with the creation story that uses a seven day framework to begin the revelation of Jesus. Revelation uses the hepatic structure presenting the ending visions with the divine stamp as signified by the number three. There are three sets of seven visions that speak of the perfection of God's plan. Just as creation unfolds within seven days, we see the creation story unfold with the Jesus Christ beginning His reign after His resurrection told through a three-fold prism conclusion which will bring us into the new creation. That creation has begun in all of us creatures that have reborn in the Spirit. We await the certain and known end of the old world, for it is passing away, and we look forward to a new day in which the light and glory of The Lord will fill the earth.
The prayers of the saints that rise before God echo the shout of those that marched around that ancient city for six days in silence and found themselves on the seventh day waiting on the Lord. They trusted in God and He showed them a new thing. The trumpet blows and the people shout.
We will another city here in later chapters.
The walls of the city fell with the onslaught of an earthquake and the city was destroyed. The inhabitants met their destruction. The city was burned and everything in it. The only thing taken from Jericho were precious items which went into the house of The Lord. One may be reminded of the plunder taken from Egypt as Israel began their desert wanderings. Another exodus looms in front of us and the earth will be shaken.
Christ opened the seals. We are the body of Christ. He rose from the grave and our prayers with Him, a sweet and savory aroma that rises to the alter of God. He left us sealed with His Spirit and left us in the world to give witness to the Christ and His light. He entered heaven to begin His reign.
Our prayers mix with the fire of fire before the throne, then are thrown down onto the earth. No longer will those under the alter ask, "How long"?
Amos 3:6
Is a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster come to a city,
unless the Lord has done it?
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