Especially significant is the fact that those who hold this position never explain the content of the seventh seal, nor do they give an adequate explanation for the content of the seventh trumpet. But very poor or no arguments are given for such a position. The seventh seal contains within its scope all the rest of the judgments of the Tribulation (the trumpets and the bowls) which will restore the kingdom of God to earth.Īs mentioned previously, some have said that the seals, trumpets and bowls all describe the same period, or that the trumpets and bowls simply double back over all or portions of the seals. Here, then, is a dramatic pause caused by the significance of this final seal, by the intensity of its judgments to follow, and by their final result. Silence at this point, after all the vocal expressions of worship previously noted, would be an awesome thing. It last for half an hour (which may be understood just as literally as the other time designations in the book). It is also a silence of foreboding that precedes the onslaught of judgments. This is a silence of expectancy, for this is the last seal. The stillness is so intense that it can be felt. In place of the choruses of the elders, the cries of the angels and the multitudes, all is quiet. Everything becomes deathly still in heaven. With the opening of the seventh seal, the seven-sealed scroll is completely opened and immediately there is silence in heaven. This includes both the trumpet and bowl judgments. Remember that the seven seals ultimately contain all the judgments needed to usher in the rule of the Lamb and the kingdom of God.
The first parenthesis or interlude dealing with salvation in the Tribulation is now over and the narrative sequence begins again with chapter 8.
The Seventh Seal and the Silence in Heaven
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