Devotional 1 March 2025

Revelation 8:1 (ESV) “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”

Heaven has been filled with worship. The Lamb was declared worthy to open the seals (Revelation 5:9-12). The suffering saints have cried out for justice (Revelation 6:9-10). A great multitude has emerged from the great tribulation, praising God for their salvation (Revelation 7:9-10). But when the seventh seal is opened, there is silence. Nothing seems to happen.

This silence is not absence—it is anticipation. The silence before the seventh seal signals the weight of what is coming—God is about to respond to the prayers of His people.

For the suffering church, this must have felt like a long pause. John, who identified himself as “your brother and partner in the tribulation” (Revelation 1:9), knew what it meant to wait in hardship. The seven churches, enduring persecution (Revelation 2–3), were promised reward if they persevered. Yet, in their trials, they may have wondered when deliverance would come. In the same way, when we pray and see no immediate answer, it can feel like silence. But God’s delays are not His denials—He pauses not out of neglect but out of purpose.

This moment in heaven is the silence before the storm. The prayers of the saints are about to be answered (Revelation 8:3-5). God has heard every cry, seen every tear, and remembered every plea. “Shall not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7). When it seems like nothing is happening, God is already at work.

If you find yourself in a season of waiting, take heart. Silence does not mean God has forgotten. He is preparing to move, and His timing is perfect. Keep praying. Keep trusting. The silence will not last forever.