Silence in heaven

One of the observations repeatedly made by reporters covering the Queen’s funeral, was how quiet the thousands upon thousands of mourners on the streets were. The noise you would expect with such numbers in downtown London simply wasn’t there. Instead, there was in its place a hushed reverence that comes with an overwhelming sense of the gravity of the moment. Similarly, as the dramatic events of the last days continued to roll out in front of him, John noted in Revelation 8:1 that, “There was silence in heaven for about half an hour” when the Lamb opened the seventh seal on the scroll. One commentator said that the moment was filled with, “dreadful anticipation” of what God was about to do. John’s description of that moment is a reminder to all of us, Christian and non-Christian alike, that when heaven stops in expectant silence, we should anticipate God’s next big move and respond accordingly. That’s what is ahead of us on Sunday as we continue our series, “Great and Amazing” in the book of Revelation.

Series: Great& Amazing — Revelation (Part 2)
Todd Dugard
Message: 14 – Silence in heaven
Harvest Bible Chapel
Text: Revelation 8:1-13
September 25, 2022

When heaven stops in expectant silence…(v. 1)

…I should anticipate God’s next big move (v. 2)

What fascinates me is that hardly anyone is wondering what we're actually doing on this planet. Most accept the work-eat-entertainment-sleep cycle as life and have no desire for a deeper understanding of our purpose in this universe.
@IAmAaronWill

Colossians 3:3
Philippians 1:21

…knowing that he will answer the prayers of the saints (v. 3-5)

Such prayers allow us to place our deep hurts before God and know that he will deal justly with those who have mistreated us. Thus we can overcome these deep hurts and love the unlovely.
Grant R. Osborne

…bringing about his will on earth (v. 6-12)

The six gods of our age:
• The god of comfort
• The god of escape
• The god of science
• The god of celebrity
• The god of wealth
• The god of sexuality

The kingdom of Christ is already here through his church. Our churches are outposts or embassies of Christ rule and reign. And yet we are still waiting for the return of the King with his kingdom in full. Dayton Hartman, Jesus Wins

For the believer, knowing that Jesus will come back and that he wins ought to drive us to live differently and distinctly from the world around us—to do for others what Jesus has done for us.
Dayton Hartman, Jesus Wins

Jesus Wins: The Good News of the End Times by Dayton Hartman

The Acts 29 Podcast "Dayton Hartman on Eschatology"

…in advance of the final, terrible judgment to come (v. 13)