Revelation 8:1

Seventh seal issues no revelation, but inaugurates the seven trumpets, Revelation 8:1-6.

1. And The cycle of the six seals being finished, the office of the seventh seal is simply to inaugurate the next seven-series that of the trumpets.

Just so it is the office of the seventh trumpet to issue the seven-series of the vials, with all the events of which they are a central part. Again, as the purpose of the opening of the seals is revelation, so the sounding of the trumpets is proclamation. That is, the cycle of world-destiny, briefly disclosed by the seals, is, with a new round, enlarged and proclaimed by the trumpets. And thus the revealing part of the apocalypse is a double cycle, a lesser and a larger; the lesser is given in chapters vi and vii; the larger, commencing here, fills the rest of the book. The following tabulation will show this parallelism: These two columns verify each other, demonstrating that our interpretation must be generically correct. See further in note on Revelation 12:1.

[* It will be noted that in both columns here is the changing point. Thus far the powers of evil are triumphant. Now commence the redemption and retribution.]

Silence in heaven The inauguration of this new seven-series opens with solemn ceremony. A dread silence, incense offering, fire casting, ominous soundings. This imposing prelude is based upon the scenes of the daily sacrifice offered at the temple, and familiar to every Jerusalemite. Morning and evening the people assembled at the temple, incense was burned on the incense altar, and then a lamb was sacrificed on the great altar. While the incense was burning, and its fragrant smoke ascending, there was profound silence, the people breathing their voiceless prayer without. Notes on Luke 1:8-10. Next, when the sacrifice was being offered, the trumpets were sounded, attended with Davidic instruments and with voices. See 2 Chronicles 29:25-28.

Accordingly, it was during the silence in this theophanic or symbol heaven ( note Revelation 4:11) that the incense of Revelation 8:3-4 is burning, and the trumpeters of Revelation 8:2 appear at their stand, and the trumpets are placed in their hands. The silence is broken by the detonations of Revelation 8:5, followed by the trumpets, 6, 7. This plainly preludial character of 1-6, will, perhaps, clearly show that the passage belongs to the (so to speak) machinery of the panorama, and not to the predictive part of the work. To make it, as the ultra-historical interpreters do, represent and predict historical events, mistakes the frame for the picture.

Half an hour About the length of time of the incense burning.