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There was silence in heaven. The singing, the glorifying, the praising, and the proclamation - all the sounds ceased. For about thirty minutes, after the Lamb opened the last seal of the scroll, all stood still. In the Jewish temple, musical instruments and singing resounded during the whole time of the offering of sacrifices, which formed the first part of the service. But at the offering of incense, solemn silence was kept. In the same manner, Revelation 8 describes this "moment of intense expectation, of awe at what God is about to do. A solemn recognition of God's holiness and righteous judgment." (Anthony Garland)
All the attention was directed to the golden altar in front of the throne. The altar was filled with fire. An angel with a golden censor came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God. Then the angel took the censer, filled with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. God's judgment began.
"More potent, more powerful than all the dark and mighty powers let loose in the world, more powerful than anything else, is the power of prayer set ablaze by the fire of God and cast upon the earth." (A.T. Torrance)
Father, I come before You today. Holy Spirit, cleanse me and fill me. Lead me as I read the Word. Jesus, speak to me, touch my heart, open my eyes, reveal Yourself, renew my mind, strengthen my faith. Amen.
read revelation 8
read revelation 8
The seventh seal and the golden censer
1 When he opened 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.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.
4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,
9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water –
11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in mid-air call out in a loud voice: ‘Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!’
Take a moment to ponder on what you've read and respond to God in prayer.
INTERCESSION
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." (Colossians 4:2-4)
PRAYER
Pray for open doors for the Gospel. Did you know that Japan is the second largest Unreached People Group in the world? Shaikh of Bangladesh comes first. Ask God to break down spiritual and cultural strongholds in Bangladesh, and Japan, as well as in other Unreached People Groups in the world.
Pray for spiritual openness and strong first and second-generation churches. Ask God to send more workers and equip local believers in ministry.
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