The Seventh Seal of Revelation and the significance of the Number 7?

An in depth look at the Seventh Seal of Revelation, the final seal that is opened mentioned in the Book of Revelation at the beginning of Chapter 8 that states there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. This final seal is opened before the next group of judgements commence (the 7 Trumpet judgements) which again are 7 in number.

This one infamous verse contains just 20 words

Revelation 8:1
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

That is it!

To most people this verse is self explanatory and states that there was silence in heaven for approximately half an hour after the opening of the seventh seal, END of analysis. BUT there are some significant things mentioned in this Bible verse and as with most Bible verses the meanings can run deeper than the initial first impressions.

An in depth analysis of this Bible Verse at The Twelve Gates You Tube



This Seventh Seal follows after the Sixth Seal which includes dramatic signs in the Cosmos and here down on earth and the Seventh is a complete contrast to the preceding Sixth Seal.

According to my Hard copy of the KJV Bible, this verse has just one cross reference and that is Revelation 6:1

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

This is in relation to the First Seal of Revelation and quotes a "noise of thunder" upon the opening of this seal which is in direct contrast to the seventh seal which is "silence in heaven". Is this silence a pre-judgement or pregnant pause before the Trumpet judgements begin? Does this signify "Prayers in heaven" before the Trumpet judgements commence. Is it a pause for people to consider and repent of their sins on this earth? There are a multitude of questions that this raises.

To get a greater understanding of what the Seventh Seal is all about the key words of this verse need to be analysed closer which are the following:

"he", "seventh", "silence" and "half an hour". Heaven is the other prominent word but in the context of this verse is self explanatory.

1. Who is the "He" that is mentioned in Revelation 8:1

"He" is the only person that was worthy to open the Seven Seals on the Scroll or Book mentioned in Revelation 5 and that is the "Lamb" as in Jesus himself.

2. What is the significance of the "half hour" mentioned in Revelation 7:1
A prophetic Week is 7 years as in Daniels 70 weeks Prophecy Daniel 9:24-27 refers to the seven year tribulation period as in the final week being a prophetic week, and Revelation 6 begins the seven years of judgement.

A prophetic Day = 1 Year

A prophetic Hour = 1/24 of 1 year which is just over 2 weeks depending on which calendar you use

A prophetic half hour = 1 week or just over

3. What is the significance of the "Silence"?

Silence is a powerful tool and especially after the turmoil of the first six seals of Revelation. A moment of silence, even very short, is like a holy stop, a sabbatical rest and in this situation this "silence in heaven for half an hour" which could mean a prophetic half hour as in just over a week down here on earth gives time for contemplation about what has happened previously and more important what is next on the horizon.

Three Bible quotes below summarise Silence in Biblical terms

Job 29:21 - Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

3. The Significance of the Seventh Seal and the Number 7 in the Bible

Numerology is not part of the Christian faith BUT the Number 7 does appear an incredible number of times and this is not by accident. The Number Seven appears 735 times in the Bible and 54 times in the Book of Revelation. It is a very significant number in the Bible, and is mentioned many times throughout the Old and New Testament. No more so than the Book of Revelation which mentions the number 7 more than the whole of the other Books in the New Testament combined.

The Number Seven in the Old Testament

If we go back to the very beginning of the Old Testament where God created the world. From the very beginning in Genesis God created this earth and all that dwells in it. He did this in six days and rested on the seventh.

Genesis 2:1-3
1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

The Sabbath Day as mentioned in Deuteronomy 5:12
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

The Sabbath Day is for those who follow the "Law" or "The Old Covenant" as in the Jewish people, is the 7th day and is also a day of rest. The number seven has always been regarded as representing fullness or completion and the Sabbath Day in the Jewish Faith represents the completion of a week.

Another example of the number Seven is again in Genesis in the Times of Noah just before the flood. Noah was instructed to take every clean beast and fowls. male and female by "sevens" and pairs and not clean by "twos". The most important statement was Noah had to be inside the Ark for 7 days prior to the flood not a day sooner or later, before the floods came which would last 40 days and 40 nights.

Noah Genesis 7:1-4

1. And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
2. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
4. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

Joshua is another instance of the Number 7 in action in the Old Testament where he and the Israelites marched round Jericho for Six days and on the seventh day he made seven circuits and then seven priests blew seven trumpets outside the Jericho city walls before the city fell. Not six, not eight but SEVEN

Joshua 6:3-4
3. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

The law for animal sacrifice for the Jews is they must be at least seven days old

Exodus 22:30 command for animals to be at least seven days old before being used for sacrifice

Also the Number Seven is referenced when it comes to punishment for sins under the Law in the Old Testament

Leviticus 26:18
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

There were seven stems on the lamp stand in the tabernacle
Exodus 25:37. And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it

The Number 7 in the New Testament

Jesus performed seven miracles on God's holy Sabbath Day including healing a mans the withered hand (Matthew 12:9), casting out an unclean spirit that possessed a man (Mark 1:21), healing of Peter's wife's mother of a fever (Mark 1:29)a woman made sick by a demon for eighteen years, is freed from it (Luke 13:11), heals a man with dropsy (Luke 14:2) heals a disabled man who cannot walk (John 5:8) heals a blind man (John 9:14)


With the line beginning "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" mentioned 7 times in Matthew 23 Jesus mentions seven woes (or judgements) on those who refuse to repent (Matthew 23 Verses 13,14,15, 23, 25,27,29). There are also seven parables mentioned in Matthew 13.

There were seven divine qualities or attributes of the Messiah mentioned in Isaiah 11:2 mentioned below (numbers in brackets inserted)

Isaiah 11:2 And the (1) spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of (2) wisdom and (3) understanding, the spirit of (4) counsel and (5) might, the spirit of (6) knowledge and of the (7) fear of the LORD;

Seven is mentioned numerous times in the Book of Revelation including seven churches, seven Spirits, seven golden lamp stands, seven stars, seven lamps, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven heads, seven crowns, seven angels, seven plagues, seven vials or bowls, seven mountains, seven kings.

A total of over 50 times the number "seven" is mentioned giving the overall theme of the last Book of the New Testament and the Bible itself of completion and perfection but also judgement.


Summary

The Number Seven is used more than 700 Hundred Times in the Bible. The number seven in the Bible represents divine perfection, totality or completion. Six is representative of Mankind and gives an indication of 1 short of perfection. The Book of Revelation is the summary of many great climatic events that will bring God’s work to completion and perfection and the mention of the Number 7, fifty four times reinforces that message.

So looking at Revelation 8:1 again
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

This on the surface simple Bible verse contains a very powerful statement within it when scrutinised more closely. The Silence is possibly a contemplative period and/or possibly a period of rest just as God rested on the seventh day after the 6 days of creation mentioned in Genesis. The Seventh Seal represents divine perfection and completion as represented countless times throughout the Old and New Testament and is part of the first group of SEVEN judgements called "The Seals". The seventh itself is not a judgement but instead Silence and represents the opposite of the First Seal (sound of Thunder) and also the silence is the exact opposite of which is to follow which is the 7 Trumpet judgements. It could possibly represent silence via prayer in heaven of the Saints?

The time period on first inspection looks to be as stated in Revelation 8:1 to be "about the space of half an hour" but this could be a "Prophetic Half Hour" in Heaven which equates down here in earth time to just about over a week. A minutes silence when observed seems like a long time, a half hour would be incredibly more so, but a week would seem like an eternity. Just like everything in the Book of Revelation, the signs and wonders and events that occur are stated as things that have never been seen before and will never be seen again as mentioned in Matthew 24:21

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

These events which will form the Tribulation are designed to make the world sit up and take notice and take action before it is too late. They cannot be normal everyday events, they have to be something unmistakable that is mentioned in the Bible. The silence you could say is a pause and warning of more to come and the fact that it is prolonged gives ample time to think, reflect and take corrective action before the next round of judgements begin which are the very loud and even more dramatic 7 Trumpet Judgements.