Please take this moment of silence. Bowing heads and hands on hearts, eyes close in respect for the dead. Without hesitation the public submits. It is a proper protocol to honor fallen heroes and prominent people. 

While flags fly half-mast, many fail to see beyond the funeral. Clueless souls, captivated by everyday events, are held hostage in Satan’s kingdom. Like prisoners awaiting execution, the grave will cover their plucked out eyes and deaf ears. While unbelief mutes the sound of true life, one day this silence will thicken. 

And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon. 2 Kings 25:7

They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. Lamentations 4:14

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28

The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. Micah 7:17

Deafening Silence

Upcoming is a somber silence which will surround the universe. It will prolong past the period of reflection seen in our stadiums. 

Staged beyond the stars, instead of 30 seconds or more, a hush from heaven will last for about a half hour. Thirty minutes, when our world will grow extremely quiet. No tools working, music flowing, voices laughing, screaming children, vehicles speeding; just silence. This hush might seem like a heartbeat which stopped or may even hurt our ears.  We might feel like an eternity of deafness has descended upon us all. Be prepared. This prolonged selah happens after the seventh seal has been opened. 

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

Are you wondering like me what this is going to be like?  Will we stand in homage for the bones of unbelief, rattling in fear? Whether fainting like the Wizard of Oz lion, shaking as a tin man or falling on scarecrow knees, the prediction is difficult. Perhaps it’s safe to speculate, these thirty minutes of silence certainly won’t be forgotten. It is no con artist behind that curtain, not a fraud but the loving Father who tore one apart to bring us home. For those of us in Christ fear is absent, but for the unsaved, it will be sheer terror.

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. Mark 15:38

By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. Hebrews 10:20

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:15-16

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Defining Reverence

As these dreadful events unfold, an atmosphere of defining reverence will fragrance the air. For some, it will be pleasant but for others a stench. Nevertheless, judgment is not a time for pipers to perform. God is not jovial when justice takes its seat, sifting chaff from the wheat. When it is our loved ones bundled and bound for the fiery lake, our hearts won’t be warmed.  Nor for our neighbors outside the faith, do we cheer.

To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 2 Corinthians 2:16

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 33:11

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:12

Digging Holes in Hearts

Maybe it would serve us well to dig holes through the wall like Ezekiel. Behind the Facebook façades are hearts diseased and dying, dwelling in unbelief. Disgusting sin has sentenced them to silence, causing distance from the Father’s side. This is a cause for Christians to raise their hand. Duty calls. The eleventh hour is ticking, and Jesus is knocking on their door. 

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. Ezekiel 8:7-9

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand. Joel 2:1

The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. Psalm 115:17

Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. Psalm 94:17

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Prepped in Promises

Before running ahead of our zeal in search for the lost, let’s first sit still and hear our Savior speak. In the quiet, His Word will prep us with promises and pour grace into the holes of our unbelief. Positioned in faith, Heaven’s purpose will then prevail here on earth. Performing the supernatural in and through us, we participate with Christ. Miracles become commonplace. We take our temples to tattered lives and with the touch of Christ, they are made whole. Silence steps aside as angel trumpets blow. A sigh of relief bellows, God’s people are securely sealed. 

Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.Psalm 131:2

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy. Because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:12-14

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 10:7

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. Mark 5:28

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. Luke 15:10

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:2-3

Summing up the Silence

When the seventh seal opens, we stand with our Savior. Sealed in the Spirit and saved from the silence of the grave. Today, He sends us out into dark streets, to search for lost sheep. With light in our lamps we perform the Almighty’s work; strangely wonderful, contrary to our human expectation. 

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 15:24

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Matthew 25:4

And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. Luke 5:26

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.Ephesians 3:20-21

Now, won’t this make the thirty minutes more bearable, knowing you and I were used to save one soul?

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Jude 1:23