The book of Revelation was given by God to the Apostle John in order to encourage the church of the authority and control of Jesus Christ while they suffered through persecutions on earth. It was to motivate them (and us) with the surety of Christ’s victory and his return in glory at the end of time, regardless of what their (and our) current situation looks like to them. This vision in chapter eight depicts a period of silence in heaven which symbolizes judgment, but at the same time it describes the prayers of the saints as rising up to God, assuring them that God hears them and will surely answer them. It is a powerful vision as it addresses in us our greatest fears – that God is blind and deaf to us – because of what Jesus has done for us on his cross.