SILENCE IN HEAVEN
Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Revelation 8:1 ¶ And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
The sixth seal brings about the great day of the wrath of the Lamb. And this occurs when He comes to sit on his throne. And we know that he came to do so immediately after his cross-work and ascension. Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
God re-established the order of righteous law in the universe at the completion of redemption and the sending of the Holy Spirit. John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Then after we are introduced to the sixth seal, we are not immediately taken to the seventh and last seal, but prior to this we have Revelation chapter seven as an intermission. And its purpose is to make application of the redemption of God upon all His servants, before the next judgment of the seven trumpets is introduced. (See Revelation 7:3 listed above) And this scene has already been acted out in the Prophet Ezekiel’s vision.
Ezekiel 9:1 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. 2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. 3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; 4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 ¶ And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Then we see that the very next thing in God’s revelation to the Apostle John is the awareness of the Silence in Heaven. And here we have that Revelation 7:3 verse to inform us as to what is being done. Therefore there needs be no voice of instruction here, but as in Ezekiel’s vision, an awaiting of the application of the accepted sacrifice!
And we can also see a picture of this under the guise of the old covenant. For while the priest Zacharias, (John the Baptist’s father), was within the holy place offering the incense, the people waited outside to learn if his offering was accepted on their behalf.
Luke 1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Also to understand that which follows in Revelation chapter eight, concerning the angel offering up the prayers of the Lord’s people, we must see the relationship between the prayers of the people and the offering up of the incense. Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Revelation 8:3 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 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
And we can see this in actual occurrence as we read of the instruction the Lord gave his disciples and their conduct in that regard. For he gave them, as it were, an intermission in their ministry until the Holy Spirit was sent upon His ascension back to the Father. During this time of the ‘tarrying’ at Jerusalem, there was not a single word of revelation to them from heaven. There was Silence In Heaven. There was no public preaching. There was just the “praising and blessing God.”
Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50 ¶ And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Today’s religion has been so severely indoctrinated with the “Great Commission” mind-set that they cannot even consider that a time of tarrying could possibly be in God’s will for them. They don’t know how to “Be still and know that I am God!” They sadly know nothing of how to “lean not to our own understanding!” Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
And due to this justification-by-works mind-set, they have sadly severed their responsibility to follow the leadership of the Hoy Spirit! They now fail to realize that they are to be led by the Person of the Holy Spirit as their sovereign leader and not by their doctrine as sovereign! For the Spirit is Himself sovereign. 1 Corinthians 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Even the ancient people knew not to journey, except by the Lord’s leadership. Exodus 40:36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: 37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
And the early church was well schooled in the obedience to the Holy Spirit’s directives. For the timing of their evangelism was not directed by push pins on a mission map, but by the unction of the Holy Spirit. Acts 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Yet when the time was right, Asia did receive the effectual word! Acts 19:10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
We are clearly instructed by the word of God not to do anything according to our own will. For boasting in being directed by our own will is declared to be evil! James 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
Waiting upon the Lord renews one’s strength. And it enhances the spiritual ‘personality’ as that of the eagle, who is feasting upon the Lord’s ‘flesh and blood.’ Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
And waiting upon the Lord – which is a matter of ‘being’ and not just ‘doing’ – causes one to experience the personal graciousness of the Lord! Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
And it is only in silence wherein one is enabled to have a spiritual consciousness of the glory of God. Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Zechariah 2:13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
Every mouth shall be affected when the Lord raises up in wrath against all unbelievers. Zephaniah 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
It is only when one has been given a holy awareness of the Almighty that he restrains his mouth in silent respect. Job 40:1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, 2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. 3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Even the lying mouth of the father of lies shall in an upcoming day be silenced! John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
No liars are allowed within the spiritual kingdom of God. Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
And finally, it is of great blessedness to see that just before “the prayers of all saints” was offered up before the throne, God made sure that there was “Silence in Heaven” so as to be no distraction.
Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Pastor Gene Breed
November 11, 2022
