The Lamb opened the seventh seal: the Greek text says simply “He opened,” but it is recommended that Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation be imitated and the subject be made specific. This is the last seal, and so the scroll can now be opened and its message be revealed. This, however, does not happen.

For Lamb see 5.6.

For seal see 5.1.

There was silence in heaven for about half an hour: this period of silence not only emphasizes the importance of what is to follow; it may also serve to make it possible for the prayers of the people of God to be heard. All the heavenly singers (for example, those mentioned in 4.8-9; 5.9-14; 7.10-12) are quiet as the prayers of God’s people ascend to heaven. There was silence in heaven may also be rendered as “there was no sound in heaven,” “all over heaven, it was completely quiet,” or “all over heaven, no one made a sound.” In certain languages an ideophone meaning “complete silence” will be helpful here. Some languages will not have specific vocabulary for “minutes,” “hours,” and so on. In such cases a translator may say, for example, “for a short period of time.” The length of time does not have any particular significance here.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .