Sunday April 27, 2025 | Greg Boyd
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
This sermon brings us back to the book of Revelation, and in it Greg calls our attention to a singular verse, one that speaks of silence in the throne room.
This sermon brings us back to the book of Revelation, and in it Greg calls our attention to a singular verse, one that speaks of silence in the throne room. To this point in the book, the throne room has been full of loud and exuberant praise. In addition, the opening of the previous six seals was followed by worldwide death and destruction as demonic agents were unleashed on the world. At this point in Revelation, with the opening of the seventh seal, we might expect another blast of demonic agents, death and destruction. Instead, there is silence for thirty minutes. What does this signify?
This silence is a prime example of John relying on the Old Testament, as it seems to be connected to the Song of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah. In it we read:
Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As many were astonished at him— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men— So shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
God’s servant is raised up and highly exalted, yet at the same time he has an appalling appearance. This is a prophetic announcement of the crucifixion. Jesus, identified as the suffering servant in the New Testament, was whipped and beaten beyond recognition. This “lifting up” is called “the hour of glorification,” when he most perfectly puts on display the true character and glory of the Father.
Through this lifting up, he will startle the power brokers of the world and amaze the nations, driving them to speechless awe. Silence is their only possible response. What looks like weakness is actually the power of truth that will save with the world. What appears to be defeat is actually the glory that will overcome death and destruction.
God’s suffering servant was lifted up and exalted by becoming appalling in his appearance. At some point in the future, when the world is freed from deception and the revelation of this suffering servant is known throughout the world, this vision of the crucified lamb will shock the nations and leave rulers in stunned silence.
This point about silence has poignant relevance to life in today’s world in three ways. First, we need to be a people who seek to be awed by God. The God who is infinite, unbounded in time and space, and who holds the whole cosmos in the palm of his hand is the God who loves us and invites us to walk with him. If we’re not in awe at this God, it is simply because we aren’t yet seeing and understanding the transcendent beauty of this revelation.
Secondly, listen in silence. We need to create space in our lives to block out the noise and listen to God’s still small voice. God’s voice communicates at the frequency of love and therefore it will not force itself upon us to overcome the screams that bombard our lives. A passage that illustrates this is 1 Kings 19:11-13.
Finally, know when silence is golden. Remaining silent is a spiritual practice. “There is a time for everything, a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7). When the way of the culture is to scream at one another to be heard, sometimes the wisest thing to do is to remain silent. We must learn to follow the guidance of the Spirit to know when we should and should not speak.