8 Then the lamb broke the seventh seal and there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven messengers who stand in front of God and they were each given a trumpet.

3 Then another messenger came and stood at the altar holding a golden bowl for burning incense. He was given a lot of incense to offer which was to be mingled with the prayers of all the believers on the golden altar in front of the throne.[ref] 4 So the smoke of the incense from the bowl in the messenger’s hand, together with the prayers of the believers, drifted upwards in front of God. 5 Then the messenger took the bowl and filled it with coals of fire from the altar, and threw them[fn] onto the earth and that caused peals of thunder and roaring, and lightning bolts and an earthquake.[ref]