Something has bothered me for a long time about my visit to Heaven.
Every single person I’ve interviewed for the Heaven books I am writing, and 99% of every account I’ve read (that I can remember), speak of hearing sounds in Heaven. Mostly praise, of course, but also other (telepathic) voices. So many pass on that even the nurtured nature (grass, trees, leaves, rocks, animals, etc.) praise our Lord. And some people hear the angels singing, talking, or the sound of their wings as they pass by or fly amongst the gatherers.
Then why did I get silence when I arrived?
To coin a very old phrase - it was so silent, you could have heard a pin drop!
I felt cocooned in this silence—cottoned in comfort, which is highly unlike the me here on earth. Here on earth, I am alone most days, writing like a free spirit firecracker trying not to spark and blast off to the heavenly skies. And soon enough, it weighs on me, and I turn on the Heaven music. I’m always pleased when hubby arrives home—obviously for more reasons than just hearing some chatter in the house.
God revealed new things about my Heaven adventure as I wrote the book. He still broadcasts news flashes to me, and I gratefully welcomed it when He reminded me of one account I had read three times—and a new story He introduced me to at Heaven Encounters 2025.
Here is what I find on silence:
A Heavenly Hush
In Revelation 8:1, during John’s exile-vision, silence descends on Heaven for thirty minutes when all of Heaven held its words and praise. “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” This directly precedes the angels receiving the trumpets, in advance of this major earth event written in verse 5: Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
We hear that John, exiled to the island of Patmos, lived in a shallow cave. This cave is now surrounded by chapels, smells of sandalwood, and is open to tours.
Dean Braxton, a Heaven-visitor who died for an hour and forty-five minutes, says, “Just before I saw what was happening before the throne of God, all of what we could call sound…stopped. Everything got quiet—really quiet. There was no noise at all. I came to know what quiet is…at that moment, I did not hear a thing.” 1 And, “I was not amazed. I knew that this is what was supposed to happen. No sound in Heaven always preceded a great event. All the creations of God and I were anticipating what was to come next.” 2
Randy Kay also heard silence during his Heaven journey. “Within that instant, all of Heaven became beyond silent to an intense nothingness. A quiet that was thunderous. An absolute stillness of motion and sound settled after the Almighty’s declaration—the calm before the storm. And all of Heaven waited. My feelings changed from comfort to pure and absolute awe. Somehow, I understood that nothing would ever be the same again.” 3
An Earthly Quietude
What about biblical silence on earth? In Habbukuk 2:20, we read, The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice—he has consecrated those he has invited. -Zephaniah 1:7
Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. -Zachariah 2:13
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. -Psalm 46:10
‘Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.’ -Zechariah 2:10-13
The Commonality
The commonality in the silence lulls is this—it seems to precede great happenings either on Earth, given by Heaven, or in Heaven itself. So I wondered, what was happening or about to occur when I landed in a hushed Heaven? And where?
Certainly, it wasn’t because I was about to connect with Jesus! I searched the news headlines to see if anything had occurred on Earth in the afternoon of 8/24/24. Here is what I found with a Google and Wikipedia search:
Tyrie Nichols case: Former Memphis police officer Emt Martin pleaded guilty to using excessive force and witness tampering in federal court.
Extreme weather: Dangerous conditions included flash floods in the Grand Canyon, a heat dome affecting millions in the central U.S., and Tropical Storm Hon approaching Hawaii.
Health: Dr. Fauci was recovering at home from West Nile virus. And the EU warned of a massive Red Sea oil spill after Houthi forces destroyed the Greek tanker Sounion, leaking 150,000 tons of flaming petroleum. Thermal anomalies were spotted on August 25, and the Pentagon confirmed the spill on August 27.
The Somali Civil War and the Gaza War remained hopping in full force, and the Israel–Hezbollah conflict still resided in the headlines too.
An interesting sidenote, partially from the Wiki:
Historically, August 24th marks the anniversary of the destruction of Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Spiritually, Pompeii illustrates the transience of earthly power, wealth, and comfort. Many Christian writers, later on, viewed its sudden destruction as a divine warning or example of judgment striking a morally corrupt society. The city’s rapid burial under ash and pumice became a poignant reminder that life can be turned upside down instantly —a concept echoed in Scripture in James 4:14 and Psalm 39:5, and one I can personally attest to. :-) However, Pompeii is also preserved in ash, allowing future generations to witness its destruction.
Perhaps silence dominated because Jesus chose that for me until later on, when we chatted, but you know me—Curious Julie. I will continue to keep an eye out for revelations about that.
It dawns on me that the Heaven book now written contains a lot of my life in the past year since my Heaven visit. And as we know, scientists say Heaven and hell experiences take seven years to fully process.
Will I write a Heaven book each year? Oh, how fun! I suppose that is quite possible, as my mind never strays far from the Blissful Beyond. Yes, I have started book 2, and that means, if you have a story, I would love to hear it!
I am reminded of this excerpt in the Heaven book:
We were never meant to navigate Earth alone. The answers we chase, the direction we crave, the peace our souls long for—all of it is found in Him. We were all created to reside with Him in Heaven forever—even those of us who have sometimes charged ahead in our earthly lives without Him. When we choose a route without seeking His counsel, forward gears may still grind because He is gracious, but they will never quite settle into park. Instead, we feel only restlessness and a sense that something is missing. Eventually, it might even roll us backward. When we pause, lean in, and invite Him into the process, clarity surfaces. The pieces fit. Never doubt that He holds the map—and leads with wisdom, grace, and perfect timing.
In other words, I choose to trust His reasons for me not knowing everything about my Heaven trip right now. As I wrote this book, new information came to light, and the timing made a lot of sense. More will come. I remain grateful for His revealing and thankful always for His unique and omniscient timing.
Signed, Reporter Julie :-)
P.S. - Pre-Order the first Heaven book below.
P.P.S - Highly recommend this article, which I will term “Once Heaven-Bound, Always Heaven-Bound?"
Heaven Book Pre-Order!
I feel honored that so many of you are excited about the Heaven book. So I opened pre-orders on my website for both the paperback and the ebook. I do not yet have a publication date, but if you order now, you will get a discounted price (this is a largish book!), and those who order the paperback using this method will also receive a special gift from me in the package. READ MORE ABOUT THE BOOK.
(Note: The book’s publication could be a year out, so please ensure that there is a permanent mailing and email address on your order. Please keep my website handy in case anything changes for you.)
Also, this is a good time to get me booked if you would like a Heaven-speaker for an event. Yes, next year is already filling up. Thank you, Jesus, for this opportunity to share Your words. Julie’s website.
(Temporary Heaven Book Title and Cover)
“In Heaven: The Testimony of Dean Braxton”, Independently Published ©2015, page 108 (paperback)
“Deep Worship in Heaven: Learn How to Experience Worship at God’s Throne in Your Everyday Life (moments in heaven series book 8)” by Dean Braxton, Braxton Press Productions ©2017, page 31 (Kindle)
“Heaven Stormed: A Heavenly Encounter Reveals Your Assignment in the End Time Outpouring and Tribulation” by Randy Kay, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc. ©2024 Randy Kay, page 160 (Kindle)
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Links are affiliate and contribute a small amount to my Heaven Research Fund.
Wow, your thoughts on silence made me pause--very interesting! Thanks for sharing! I'm excited for your book.