1. When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2. And I saw that the seven angels who stood before God were given seven trumpets.
3. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne.
4. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.
5. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with burning coals from the altar, and hurled it down to the earth. There were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
6. The seven angels who were holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.