Amos 7—9, Revelation 8 • Key Verse: Revelation 8:1

During the premier of Handels Messiah, King George II was so moved by the “Hallelujah Chorus” that he spontaneously rose to his feet and stood for the remainder of the performance, his eyes glistening with emotion. The rest of the audience, when they saw the king reverently standing as the music swelled, also stood—a tradition that remains to this day.

Remember that chorus? Wave after wave of hallelujahs sweeps over you. And then—the orchestra and the choir suddenly stop! There is silence, a thundering silence, full of awe and intense anticipation. There is a sense of drama, of suspense, of mystery. We know it is not over. The last hallelujah is yet to sound. Suddenly the silence shatters under the triumphant blow of the final majestic, “Hallelujah!”

Handel used a dramatic pause to get the attention of the audience, just like God used a dramatic pause to get our attention in Revelation 8:1. The rapidly moving drama of the seven-seal judgment stops. The breaking of the final seal brings an unexpected result: silence. The captured attention is then drawn to the seven angels who are given seven trumpets—but still no sound. Finally in verse 5 the silence is broken with “peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.”

God used silence to catch our attention to show us His judgment.
He does not do this for mere dramatic effect but that we might repent. Sadly, the Bible tells us, men will ignore God’s acts of judg¬ment and will instead curse Him. When God catches our attention, we better listen!

Do you really listen to what God says to you through His Word? The real evidence is the changes you make in your life. What evidence do you have to show that God has your attention?

Woodrow Kroll & Tony beckett
www.backtothebible.in