Revelation 8:1-2 and the Seven Angels

Greek: Καὶ ὅταν ἤνοιξεν τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν ἑβδόμην, ἐγένετο σιγὴ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ὡς ἡμιώριον. καὶ εἶδον τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλους οἳ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἑστήκασιν, καὶ ἐδόθησαν αὐτοῖς ἑπτὰ σάλπιγγες.

Buist Fanning III speaks of a "minor variation" here with some texts reading ὅτε, a reading that Stephen Smalley calls better attested but he indicates the lectio might not be original; other texts read ὅταν. Fanning thinks the two particles are overlapping relations in this context; he deems it more likely that scribes would have changed ὅταν to ὅτε to make it harmonize with chapter 6 of Revelation. See Fanning III, Revelation, page 279. Compare J.K. Elliott, "Revelations from the apparatus criticus of the Book of Revelation: How Textual Criticism Can Help Historians," page 8.

G.K. Beale (The Book of Revelation): 

Some mss. have οτε (“when”; so  א052 M) instead of ὅταν (“whenever”). The latter is preferable because of its better witnesses (A C 1006 1611 1841) and as the harder reading, because it usually is used to refer to repeated actions and not definite action (it is often translated “whenever”). Consequently, ὅτε is what a scribe would have expected here for the definite past reference to the opening of the seal.226 Furthermore, ὅτε is used to introduce the first six seals. Some grammarians view ὅταν as suggesting a repeated act of opening the seal,227 although this is unlikely because of the uses of ὅτε in 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12.228 Furthermore, ὅταν refers to a definite future action in 18:9 and possibly in 4:9. Consequently, 8:1 is conditional in form but definite in force.

ἤνοιξεν τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν ἑβδόμην-It is generally thought to be the Lamb per the context, who opens the seventh seal. The verb ἤνοιξεν is aorist active indicative third person singular of ἀνοίγω ("I open"); the agent of the verb is not clear from the verbal form alone, but the Lamb appears to be the implied actor of the verb.

ἐγένετο σιγὴ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ὡς ἡμιώριον-Scholars have essayed many suggestions about why silence in heaven occurs for about half an hour, yet it's hard to be too definitive about the reason for silence in heaven. Leon Morris offers these thoughts (Tyndale Commentary on Revelation):

The sixth seal was opened as far back as 6:12, so there has been quite an interval. At the opening of the seventh there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Clearly it was a solemn and impressive moment. It is possible that the silence is connected with the offering of the prayers of the saints (vv. 3–4, so Beasley-Murray) just as in 7:3 certain plagues were held back until the servants of God were sealed. The saints appear insignificant to men at large. But in the sight of God they matter. Even great cataclysms are held back while they pray. And the praises of angels give way to silence so that the saints may be heard. It is also possible that we should think of the silence as resulting from a sense of awe at the presence of God (cf. Hab. 2:20). He is about to launch severe judgments on people. All heaven remains silent.

καὶ εἶδον τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλους οἳ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἑστήκασιν-Morris proffers that John has specific angels in mind since he employs τοὺς, and then Morris recalls the seven angels mentioned in pseudepigraphal literature: Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel and Remiel. However, does Revelation truly have these specific angels in mind when it speaks of "the seven angels"?

Robert H. Mounce suggests (The Book of Revelation): "Whatever the connection may be between the seven trumpet-angels of John’s vision and the seven archangels of Jewish apocalyptic, their role in the book of Revelation is to announce a series of plagues that is to fall upon the earth and its inhabitants. It is possible that they are also the seven angels who later pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God (15:1, 6-8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9)."

These seven angels stand before God: ἑστήκασιν is perfect active indicative third person plural of ἵστημι, but Grant R. Osborne insists (Revelation, BECNT): "As noted before (3:20; 5:6; 7:1, 9), the perfect of ἵστημι has present force, and so connotes the idea of being continually attendant to the enthroned God."

For more on the perfect morphology of ἵστημι and its ostensibly present force, see David L. Mathewson, Verbal Aspect in the Book of Revelation, pages 92, 101-103. Regarding the expression, ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, compare Revelation 3:5; 4:5-6, 10; 5:8; 7:9, 11, 15; 8:3-4; 9:13; 11:4, et al.

ἐδόθησαν is aorist passive indicative third person plural of δίδωμι.