After the opening of the seventh seal with the expectant of God delivering the judgement soon to come, we find silence in heaven. John notes that there was silence for about a thirty-minute period. The symbolism inferred in the thirty-minutes of silence sheds light on the amount of time it would have taken the priest to enter the Temple and offer the evening sacrifice and offer the incense. The events of lightnings, thunder and earthquakes are symbolic of what would have happened when God would come to meet with the people of Israel at Sinai (Exodus 19.22). This tells us that when our prayers go up to heaven (incense was symbolic of prayers), Heaven would be silent for that period as God would listen to the prayers of His people. Isn’t it awesome to know that the one who created the world stops what He is currently doing to listen to our specific prayers? God becomes attentive to the prayers of those martyrs in John vision, but He is also as attentive to our prayers as well. God is never too busy to not listen to requests that we make to Him.