Devotional 3 March 2025

Revelation 8:2-5 (ESV) “Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

For a moment, there was silence in heaven (Revelation 8:1). But silence is not absence. It is anticipation. The prayers of God’s people had risen before Him, and now, at last, He responds. The golden censer, first used to carry their prayers, is now filled with fire from the altar and cast upon the earth. The imagery is striking—what was once an offering of incense becomes an instrument of judgment.

This scene mirrors Ezekiel 10:2, where God commanded an angel to take burning coals from His altar and scatter them over Jerusalem as a sign of coming destruction. It also recalls Exodus 19:16-18, when God descended upon Mount Sinai in thunder, lightning, and earthquake. In both cases, God revealed His power in response to His covenant people. He had spoken. He had warned. Now, He was acting.

For those who had remained faithful, this moment was both sobering and encouraging. Their prayers had not been in vain. The cries of the martyrs from Revelation 6:9-10, pleading for justice, were heard. The saints who had heeded Jesus’ warning to flee (Matthew 24:15-16) would be spared. But for those who rejected Him, judgment had come. The silence was broken. Heaven had answered.

We, too, may feel that our prayers rise in silence. We may wonder if God hears, if He sees, if He will act. But the vision in Revelation reminds us that God’s delays are not denials. He is patient, giving time for repentance (2 Peter 3:9), but He is not indifferent to the cries of His people. His justice is sure. His timing is perfect. And when He moves, He moves with power.

So let us persevere. Let us trust that no prayer is forgotten, no tear unseen, no plea unheard. Though heaven may seem silent for a time, the day will come when God will rise in response. And when He does, all the earth will know—He is the Lord.