Who is this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. Selah. – Psalm 24:10

The Hebrew word Selah (H5542) is most widely understood to mean to Pause, Reflect, or Praise.

While its precise historical etymology remains a mystery, biblical scholars generally interpret it as an instruction to stop and weigh the importance of what was just read or communicated. – Google AI Gemini

In The Course of Time – Cain and Able

In the course of time [Selah – a pause in time to reflect and consider] Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:3-7 CSB

The Flood – Noah’s Ark – The Raven and The Dove

After 40 days [Selah] Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made, and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.

Then he sent out a dove to see whether the water on the earth’s surface had gone down, but the dove found no resting place for her foot. She returned to him in the ark because water covered the surface of the whole earth. He reached out and brought her into the ark to himself.

So Noah waited seven more days [Selah] and sent out the dove from the ark again.

When the dove came to him at evening, there was a plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the water on the earth’s surface had gone down.

After he had waited [Selah] another seven days, he sent out the dove, but she did not return to him again. – Genesis 8:6-12 CSB

The Eight Global Kingdoms

1. Tower of Babel – Shinar – Nimrod
2. Egypt – Pharaoh Akhenaten
– Selah –
3. Babylon – King Nebuchadnezzar II
4. Persia – Cyrus the Great
5. Greece – Alexander the Great
6. Rome – Julius Ceasar
7. Revised Rome – Emperor Constantine I
7A. Antichrist Kingdom
– Selah –
8. Millennial Reign – Jerusalem – Jesus Christ

Kingdoms 3 – 8 are represented in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 2:26-35). Kingdoms 1 – 7A are represented in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 17:9-11). Kingdom 8 is represented in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 20:4-6).

☆ The Kingdoms are presented Biblically in a Selah format as after Egypt there is a Selah a pause and reflect then it is the Kingdom of Babylon that becomes the focus the generic Kingdom representing all of the 7 global Gentile Kingdoms.

Moses – The Plagues of Egypt – How long must this man be a snare to us?

Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long [Selah] must this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may Worship the Lord their God.

Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is devastated?”

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” Pharaoh said. “But exactly who will be going?”

Moses replied, “We will go with our young and with our old; we will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds because we must hold the Lord’s Festival.” – Exodus 10:7-9 CSB

The Book of Psalms – Selah

Just as we heard, so we have seen in the [Heavenly] City of the Lord of Hosts, in the City of our God; God will establish it forever. Selah

God, within Your Temple, we contemplate [Selah] Your faithful love.

Your Name, God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with justice.

Mount Zion is glad. The towns of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments. – Psalm 48:8-11

Gospels – Matthew

From that time [Selah] Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. – Matthew 4:17 KJV

New Testament – Galatians

But when the fulness of the time [Selah] was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. – Galatians 4:4-7 KJV

Revelation – Silence in Heaven – 7th Seal – 7th Trumpet – 7th Bowl Judgment

The reader of the Book of Revelation is required to Selah; pause, reflect and consider the individual events that are to take place.

It’s possible that the Judgment events of Revelation start as individual judgment events but then are eventually combined into one similar event i.e. the 7th Seal, 7th Trumpet and 7th Bowl judgment are all very similar events and could take place in about the same timeframe.

Revelation – Seveth Seal Judgment

When He (Jesus) opened the Seventh Seal, there was Silence [Selah] in Heaven for about half an hour.

Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God; Seven Trumpets were given to them.

Another angel, with a golden incense burner, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar in front of the Throne [in Heaven].

The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up in the presence of God from the angel’s hand.

The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. – Revelation 8:1-5 CSB

Revelation – 7th Trumpet – Trumpet Judgment

Then the angel that I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 
He swore by the One who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it,
“There will no longer be a delay [Selah], but in the days when the seventh angel will blow his trumpet, then the Mystery of God will be completed, as He announced to His servants the Prophets.” – Revelation 10:5-7

Revelation – Seveth Bowl Judgment

Then the seventh (angel) poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the sanctuary, from the Throne, saying, “It is done!” – Revelation 16:17 CSB

Revelation – Heavenly Eternity of the Saints

He also said to me, “Don’t seal the prophetic words of this book (Bible), because the time [Selah] is near.

Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy go on being made filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; and let the holy go on being made holy.”

“Look! I Am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to what he has done.

I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the First [Resurrection] and the Last [Rapture], the Beginning and the End. – Revelation 22:10-13 CSB

Both the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires [Selah] should take the Living Water [Eternity] as a gift. – Revelation  22:17 CSB

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen [Selah in Truth and Agreement]. – Revelation 22:21 CSB

By David Anson Brown