<p>8:1 <em>And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven for about half an hour</em>- Literally &ldquo;<em>whenever </em>he opened the seventh seal...&rdquo;, as if there is an element of doubt as to whether it will be opened. See on :13. On 6:1 I discussed whether in fact the seventh seal is opened, or has anything in it; hence the silence.</p><p>But the silence is also an allusion to the silence in the temple at the time of the incense offering (see on 5:8). The run up to the final tribulation will provoke a &ldquo;praying always, that ye may be accounted worthy... to stand before the Son of man&quot; (Lk. 21:36). Perhaps this intense latter day praying of the faithful is what Rev. 8:1 refers to, in speaking of &quot;silence in heaven&quot; when the seventh seal was opened- for this is one of Revelation's continual allusions to the temple service: &quot;In the Temple, when the incense was offered, the people retired from the court and prostrated themselves in silent prayer&quot;.</p>