Chapter 8 begins with the opening of the seventh seal, immediately followed by a brief period of silence. The judgments which follow are associated with seven trumpets, given to seven angels, and these seven trumpets are themselves part of the seventh seal judgment. Prior to the sounding of these trumpets, an angel is seen with a censer—a metal container used to burn incense. In Scripture, incense is used as a physical symbol of prayers, which ascend towards heaven much like smoke. This same container is then filled with fire, again symbolizing judgment, and thrown down onto the earth (Revelation 8:1–5).