Revelation 8:1

"There was silence in heaven about the space of ball an hour."—Rev. viii. 1.

— Revelation 8:1

This is a very striking scripture, and records as striking an event, when took place on the opening of the seventh seal—silence in heaven; not a suspension or interruption to the happiness of the place, but the silent adoration of God and the Lamb. This must be the sense of the passage, if by heaven we are to understand the place where dwell "the spirits of just men made perfect." But as it is more than probable that it refers to the events of the kingdom of Christ upon earth, which are here spoken of under prophetical representations, the silence may rather be supposed to mean, that the church of God, both in heaven and on earth, are waiting in solemn expectation of what events the sounding of the seventh trumpet will bring forth. But there are some sweet instructions to be taken from what is here .said, of silence in heaven by the space of half an hour, which in the silence of an evening meditation, it may be highly profitable to attend to. If in heaven such solemn pauses are made, doth it not strike the mind, how very becoming such must be upon earth? Surely it is a sweet frame of the spirit, to ponder in silence over the many solemn things which connect themselves with the very existence of man, in a dying state, and in dying circumstances like the present; more especially, in the solemn seasons of devotion, when we draw nigh to a throne of grace, in and through the ever blessed Jesus, a holy silence in the first approaches, seems highly suitable to await divine visitations. What a lovely view doth the Holy Ghost give of David, 2 Sam. vii. 18. "Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord!" And elsewhere he saith, "truly my soul waiteth upon God :" in the margin of the bible it is, "Truly, my soul is silent before God," Ps. lxii. 1. The prophets were commissioned to enforce this by way of command: "The Lord (saith one of whom) is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him," Habak. ii. 20. And another saith," Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation," Zech. ii. 13. And the Lord himself, having pointed out the blessedness of waiting upon him, accompanied with a promise that his people who did so, should renew their strength, immediately' sends forth this precept: "Keep silence before me, O islands, and let the people renew their strength; let them come near; then let them speak," Isa. xli. 1. My soul! learn hence, the beauty of holiness, and the blessedness of waiting in silence before the Lord. For then, when the Holy Ghost comes in the refreshing influences of his grace, and commands the north wind and the south wind to blow, sweet will be the manifestations of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit, until," while the heart is musing, the holy fire from off the altar will be kindled," and the soul will go forth in all the exercises of faith, love, joy, humility, and desire upon the person, work, and offices of Jesus!