Revelation 8:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Chapters 8 and 9 of the Book of Revelation are about the seven trumpets of warning, the warning judgements of God. This seems like a very serious and solemn subject, and we may wonder what the pastoral potential of the passage is, what comfort there is in it. What view of God is here? What view of the Christian life? But actually it is full of help and encouragements for us, because it’s all about the ruling sovereignty of God and his purposes, and because it explains so precisely what will happen throughout the gospel age, the long period between the two comings of Christ, between the saving work on Calvary’s cross, and his coming again on the clouds to bring in the last judgement. It has been over 2000 years already. How much longer will it be? We do not know, but we have the expectation that it could be at any time, and we are called in Scripture to be ready. This chapter gives us a picture of many of the things that will be going on in the world during this period of time. ‘When he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.’ Why is there silence? Because these are judgements. Everyone is hushed. ‘Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation’ (Zechariah 2:13). This is in contrast to the great volume of sound following the blast of the seven trumpets. It is God revealing his mighty judgments in the world, and which increase at the end of time. Silence is the awed response of heaven to the severity of the judgments of God. They are amazed at his mercy and it has already brought forth expressions of the highest praise. They are also amazed at his judgments and await the unfolding events with silence. They see how the world has provoked the Lord and wonder what expression of his anger this will bring forth. Possibly there is also here the idea of delay in this symbolic half-hour period before God acts. This is consistent with his being slow to anger, there is in the vision a delay in the execution of his plan. Certainly his amazing patience toward Israel for many centuries while he pleaded with them through the prophets shows that he held back time and again from punishing them as they deserved. It is also suggested there is a silence in heaven because we are going to be talking about the prayers of God’s people in the next verses. Prayer will be heard. Perhaps it symbolises that – the keenness of the ear of God to hear and follow the prayers of his people.The seven angels are given the seven trumpets. If the trumpets represent judgement – as they do in Scripture – then this is a perfect revelation of judgement. It’s happening all the time. This is all the judgements of God in the world all the time, which warn of the great final judgment at the end.