Scripture Reading: Revelation 8:1-13
The opening of the seventh seal on the heavenly scroll, leads to seven trumpets of increasing divine judgment on the people of the earth … which, in turn, lead to seven bowls of further divine fury of God's holy justice against earth's wicked rebels.
With the opening of the seventh seal, Revelation 8:1 says, "there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." After all the loud sounds of praise and songs by the inhabitants of heaven (cf. Rev 4:7; 5:2,9-12; 6:10), this long silence seems to be the silence of awe and anticipation of the coming judgments.
The ardent, repeated prayers of the saints are mentioned for the second time in Revelation. Earlier there were prayers for God's justice to be meted out (cf. Rev 4:9-11). The answer to that plaintive cry is the outpouring of God's justice on the wicked.
In considering the fury and suffering with which God will one day bring His judgments … and even in considering the suffering of so many people now … it is instructive to why God brings (or even permits) so much human suffering and death.
We do not have to guess as to at least some of the reasons God does as He does. The death of the wicked is the means of bringing them into God's court of justice, from which there is no appeal. The death of the righteous is the means of bringing them into their eternal home, to enjoy eternal life in God's presence. The death of anyone is a warning to the living to turn to Christ before it is too late.
