Bird's-eye view
With the opening of the sixth seal, the prophetic imagery intensifies dramatically. John is shown a vision of cosmic collapse, a complete deconstruction of the created order. An earthquake shakes the foundations, the sun and moon are darkened, the stars fall, the sky vanishes, and the very topography of the world is rearranged. This is not a scientific description of the end of the physical planet. Rather, this is standard-issue Old Testament apocalyptic language used to describe the fall of a nation, the collapse of a political world. What John sees here is the complete and utter demolition of the Judaic world order, which culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in A.D. 70. The terror this event inspires is universal, affecting every level of society, from kings to slaves. They recognize this cataclysm for what it is: the arrival of the great day of the wrath of God and the Lamb. The chapter ends with the terrified, rhetorical question from the mouths of ungodly men: "who is able to stand?" This sets the stage for the answer provided in the following chapter, which is that only those sealed by God can stand.
This passage is a powerful reminder that God takes His covenant promises and warnings with the utmost seriousness. The old covenant world, centered on the temple in Jerusalem, had rejected and crucified the Messiah. Now, the Messiah, the Lamb who was slain, exercises His wrath. The collapse described here is not just historical; it is theological. It is the end of an age, the final, violent death rattle of the old covenant system, making way for the full establishment of the new covenant kingdom that extends to all nations.
Outline
- 1. The Covenantal Deconstruction (Rev 6:12-17)
- a. The Shaking of the Foundations (Rev 6:12a)
- b. The Darkening of the Ruling Lights (Rev 6:12b)
- c. The Fall of the Authorities (Rev 6:13)
- d. The Dissolution of the Old Order (Rev 6:14)
- e. The Universal Terror of the Ungodly (Rev 6:15)
- f. The Cry for Annihilation Over Judgment (Rev 6:16)
- g. The Unanswerable Question of the Damned (Rev 6:17)
Context In Revelation
The sixth seal follows the first five, which have depicted the advance of the gospel through the white horse, followed by the consequent convulsions of war, famine, and death that Christ predicted would accompany the apostolic age (Matt 24:4-8). The fifth seal revealed the souls of the martyrs under the altar, crying out for justice and being told to wait "a little longer." The sixth seal is the beginning of God's definitive answer to that cry. It is the formal announcement of the great judgment that Jesus had prophesied against that generation. This passage is the apocalyptic description of the "great tribulation" that would befall Judea. The cosmic language used here is drawn directly from Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Joel, who used identical imagery to describe the fall of earthly kingdoms like Babylon and Edom. By employing this language, John is placing the destruction of Jerusalem in the same category of world-shattering, divine judgment. This event is not a minor regional conflict; it is a turning point in redemptive history.
Key Issues
- The Nature of Apocalyptic Language
- The Old Testament Background of Cosmic Collapse Imagery
- The Identification of "The Great Day of Their Wrath"
- The Preterist Interpretation of Revelation
- The Social and Political Implications of Judgment
- The Meaning of "The Wrath of the Lamb"
The World Comes Apart
It would be easy to read a passage like this and assume that John is describing the end of the space-time universe. But we must let Scripture interpret Scripture, and when we do, we find that this kind of language is the standard biblical way of describing the collapse of a nation or empire. For example, Isaiah 13:10 says that when Babylon falls, "the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light." No one reads this as a literal, astronomical event in the sixth century B.C. It is prophetic, symbolic language for a total political and social upheaval. God established the created order, and so when He brings a covenant lawsuit against a rebellious people, the judgment is depicted as a de-creation, a return to chaos.
In Revelation 6, John is simply taking up this established prophetic vocabulary and applying it to the greatest judgment of all up to that point in history: the destruction of the city that crucified the Lord of glory. Seven aspects of the created order are mentioned: earth, sun, moon, stars, sky, mountains, and islands. And seven categories of humanity are mentioned. The number seven signifies completeness. This was a total, all-encompassing judgment on the entire world of first-century Judaism. The old world was coming apart at the seams.
Verse by Verse Commentary
12 Then I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;
The opening of the seal is immediately followed by a great earthquake. In Scripture, earthquakes are a common sign of a divine visitation, particularly in judgment (Ex. 19:18; Isa. 29:6). This is not primarily a geological event, but a theological one. It represents a revolution in government, a fundamental overthrow of the existing order. The foundations of the Jewish world are being shaken to pieces. Following this, the ruling lights of that world are extinguished. The sun, moon, and stars in this kind of prophetic context represent the ruling authorities and dignitaries of the governmental firmament. The sun, the chief ruler, becoming black as sackcloth signifies a complete loss of its glory and authority. The moon, which reflects the sun's light, becomes like blood, a symbol of violence, death, and judgment. The entire ruling structure of old covenant Israel is being dismantled and judged.
13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.
The lesser authorities, the stars of the sky, also fall. This refers to the provincial rulers, the chief priests, the scribes, the elders of the people. They are not gently set aside; they are violently cast down. The image of a fig tree casting its unripe figs in a gale is one of sudden, violent, and premature removal. These leaders are swept away in the storm of God's judgment before their time. Jesus Himself used the imagery of a fig tree in relation to the judgment coming upon that generation (Matt. 24:32-34). The entire leadership structure, from top to bottom, is being purged.
14 And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
The very fabric of their world, the sky, is removed. A scroll being rolled up is an image of finality. The story of that age is over, the book is closed. The sky represents the entire political and religious cosmos under which they lived. That covenantal world was vanishing. Furthermore, the most stable and permanent features of their world, the mountains and islands, are moved. Mountains and islands are biblical symbols of kingdoms and governments (cf. Ps. 46:2; Jer. 51:25). This means that the great institutions of Jewish life, including and especially the temple mount itself, were being overthrown. This was the fulfillment of what Jesus had told His disciples when they marveled at the temple: not one stone would be left on another (Matt. 24:2). This was a total political and geographical dislocation.
15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man HID THEMSELVES IN THE CAVES and among the rocks of the mountains;
The effect of this judgment is universal panic. John lists seven categories of people, from the most powerful to the most humble. Kings of the earth likely refers to client kings like the Herods, along with the Roman authorities. Great men are the aristocracy. Commanders are the military leaders. The rich and the strong are the influential and powerful. And then, to show the comprehensive nature of the terror, he includes every slave and free man. No one is exempt. Social status, wealth, and power are utterly useless in the face of divine wrath. All of them, in their terror, seek to hide. The historian Josephus records how, during the siege of Jerusalem, many of the leaders and wealthy citizens did in fact hide in underground caverns and tunnels, trying to escape the carnage.
16 and they SAID TO THE MOUNTAINS AND TO THE ROCKS, “FALL ON US AND HIDE US from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
This is the cry of the unrepentant sinner in the face of holy judgment. It is a direct quote from Hosea 10:8, which Jesus Himself had quoted on His way to the cross, applying it to the daughters of Jerusalem (Luke 23:30). Their terror is not a godly fear that leads to repentance. It is a craven fear of punishment. They would rather be crushed by a literal mountain and cease to exist than have to stand before the face of God. Notice who they are hiding from: Him who sits on the throne, the sovereign Father, and from the wrath of the Lamb. This is a crucial paradox. The one who is the source of all salvation for those who believe is the source of all terror for those who rebel. The gentlest of creatures, a lamb, is now the object of their dread. His wrath is the wrath of rejected love, of spurned mercy, which is the most terrifying wrath of all.
17 for the great DAY OF their WRATH has come, and who is able to stand?”
They correctly identify the event. This is it. This is the day of the Lord that the prophets had long foretold. It is the great day of their wrath, the wrath of both the Father and the Son. Their final question, "who is able to stand?", is filled with despair. From their perspective, it is unanswerable. No one can stand. And apart from God's grace, they are correct. Malachi asked the same question: "But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?" (Mal. 3:2). In their terror, they speak a profound theological truth. Left to themselves, no one can withstand the judgment of a holy God. This question hangs in the air at the end of the chapter, creating a moment of supreme tension, which will be answered in the vision of the 144,000 sealed saints in the next chapter.
Application
The language of the sixth seal is terrifying, as it should be. It is a stark reminder that God is not to be trifled with. He is a consuming fire, and His judgment against sin is total and inescapable. While this passage had a specific historical fulfillment in the first century, the principles it reveals are timeless. Every human institution that sets itself up against Christ and His kingdom will, in the end, be shaken to the ground. Every sun, moon, and star of humanistic pride will be darkened. Every mountain of arrogant self-reliance will be thrown into the sea.
The practical application for us is twofold. First, for the unbeliever, it is a call to flee the wrath to come. The men in this passage cried out for the rocks to hide them. But there is a Rock who can hide us, a Rock cleft for us, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way to be saved from the wrath of the Lamb is to be hidden in the Lamb. The only place of safety is to run to the very one from whom the wicked flee.
Second, for the believer, this passage is a source of profound comfort. Our God is a God of justice who hears the cries of His persecuted people. The martyrs under the altar were vindicated, and so will all who suffer for the cause of Christ. And we know that though earthly kingdoms shake and fall, we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28). Our citizenship is in a heavenly Jerusalem, a city whose foundations are secure. Therefore, we should not fear when the political landscapes shift and the nations rage. Our King is on the throne, and He is putting all His enemies under His feet. The day is coming when every mountain of opposition will be laid low, and the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.