(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 6
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Rev 6:9
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God:
The scene that opens before John is one of mercy and salvation. The Temple altar was where the priests would make sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people, sprinkling blood on the four corner “horns” as a symbol of God’s mercy. The souls John sees being protected there not only represent those who give up their lives for the Gospel but all souls redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice.
While Christ was warning the first-century Church of the eminent persecutions by Rome, the warning remains true for Christians of any age who courageously stand up for their beliefs.
Open Doors is an organization that publishes The World Watch List, an annual ranking of the fifty countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. According to their 2024 report1:
- 4,998 Christians were murdered for their faith;
- 14,766 churches or church properties were attacked or suffered damage;
- 295,120 Christians were forced to leave their homes or even their countries;
- Tens of thousands of Christians have been imprisoned in North Korea. The “Anti-reactionary Thought Law”, enacted in 2020, makes it extremely dangerous for Christians to meet or study together;
- The al-Shabab militant group in Somalia have vowed to eradicate Christianity;
- Along with North Korea and Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, and Yemen rank as the top five most dangerous places for Christians to live.
- Islamic oppression accounted for 7 out of 9 instances of persecution in the top ten countries on the World Watch List.
Rev 6:10
They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?:
God’s move to avenge his persecuted children is not just an end-time event. Those who perpetrate evil on the innocent will suffer the consequences of their sins:
Psa 79:9-10 Help us, God our Savior,for the glory of your name;deliver us and forgive our sinsfor your name’s sake. 10Why should the nations say,“Where is their God?”Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the out-poured blood of your servants.
Psa 94:20-23 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? 21The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. 22But the LORD has become my fortress,and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. 23He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness;the LORD our God will destroy them.
Isa 35:3-4 Strengthen the feeble hands,steady the knees that give way; 4say to those with fearful hearts,“Be strong, do not fear;your God will come,he will come with vengeance;with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
Rom 12:18-19 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Rev 6:11
Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer:
Consider again what Zecharia saw in his vision:
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” (Zech 3:3)
This a triumphant message to Christians throughout history! A believer’s sins are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, and God remembers them no more:
Isa 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”says the LORD.“Though your sins are like scarlet,they shall be as white as snow;though they are red as crimson,they shall be like wool.
Luke 1:68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…
Isa 43:25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Rev 6:12-13
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,and the stars in the sky fell to earth:
Prophecies often explain the illustrations they contain. For example, note the pattern in the following verses:
Isaiah 13:10-19
DECLARATION:
1 A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah, son of Amoz saw…9 See, the day of the LORD is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.
ILLUSTRATION:
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
EXPLANATION:
11 I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
Ezek 32:1-7
DECLARATION:
1 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt …9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction among the nations…11 “ ‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you.
ILLUSTRATION:
2 “ ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams …7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
EXPLANATION:
4 I will throw you on the land and hurl you on the open field. I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you and all the animals of the wild gorge themselves on you. 5 I will spread your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains. I will drench the land with your flowing blood…
Isa 29:1-7
DECLARATION:
Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on. 2 Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth. 3 I will encamp against you on all sides; I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you.2
ILLUSTRATION:
6 the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise,with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.
EXPLANATION:
7 Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night…
Joel 3:1-16
DECLARATION:
2I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.
ILLUSTRATION:
13 Swing the sickle,for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the wine press is full and the vats overflow—so great is their wickedness!” 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 16 The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble.
EXPLANATION:
5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. 7 “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.” The LORD has spoken.
Notice the use of these images and their possible meanings:
- The sun: light (understanding), sustenance (provision);
- The moon (illumination), light in the darkness;
- The stars: (direction), leaders, influencers, those in power;
- Earthquakes: Great shaking and displacement of nations and peoples;
- Thunder, lightning, fire: The mighty moves of God.
Most apocalyptic literature uses symbolic images unless referring to specific historical events3. Readers can apply the three-step interpretation of declaration, illustration, and explanation to other verses such as Isa 24:1-23, Ezek 38:19-22, Jer 8:2, Amos 8:9-11, Judges 5:19-22, Isaiah 34:1-10, and Ezek 32:7-10.
Rev 6:14
The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place:
Zephaniah and Isaiah used similar language when they prophesied against God’s people who had turned to idol worship:
Zeph 1:2-9 “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.
3 “I will sweep away people and animals alike. I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea. I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble… 9 Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies, and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
Isa 1:21-31 21 See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers… 30 You will be like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire. They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.
History doesn’t record any instance when all the animals, birds, and fish were swept away from the earth or when all evil people were burned with a fire no one could put out. This metaphorical language paints a vivid picture illustrating the consequences of evil—corruption and war “sweep away” the living, and inevitably, nations and peoples “burn” (suffer destruction) in the devastation left behind!
Here, John uses the Greek word “hōs,” which is used for comparisons, often translated “as it were” or “like.” It’s not likely that John is saying that the air will be literally torn apart or the atmosphere removed. Consistent with the rest of the vision, John is using metaphorical language to describe the chaos and destruction that accompanies mankind’s rebellion against God.
Rev 6:15
Then the kings of the earth…the great ones …the generals … the rich … the powerful,… and everyone else… hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains:
Without the cover of repentance and God’s redeeming grace in Jesus, how will humankind respond when faced with the reality of the terrible suffering they have caused? Isaiah declared the same warning:
Isa 2:10 Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty! 11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), 13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, 14 for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, 15 for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, 16 for every trading ship and every stately vessel. 17 The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 and the idols will totally disappear. 19 People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.
Rev 6:16
“Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!”:
While this rich prophetic language deals specifically with God’s judgment against the Jewish leaders and pagan Rome who rejected Jesus and hunted down his followers, the eternal principles can be applied to any unrepentant person or nation at any point in history. As we’ve seen, prophetic descriptions of great changes and judgments are found throughout Scripture. As God offers the gift of redemption through Christ and mankind rejects it, dismay, turmoil, and upheaval result. Leaders and nations will fall if they oppose God!
Hag 2:6 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Isa 24:19 The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken. 20 The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls—never to rise again.
As human beings, we have the choice to overlook the existence of God and the teachings of Jesus. The Presence of God is embodied in the Holy Spirit of Truth, which is given to anyone willing to accept it. To reject truth is to live in lies and deception! The teachings of Jesus involve kindness, generosity, and love. To ignore kindness engenders a mean spirit. To withhold generosity breeds greed and selfishness. To deny love leads to loneliness and isolation!
Rev 6:17
For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?
Verse 17 is the first of four references to God’s Final Judgment:
Revelation (6:17) For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
(11:18)The nations were angry,and your wrath has come.The time has come for judging the dead,and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name,both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
(14:18-19) Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great wine-press of God’s wrath.
(20:11-12) Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
Footnotes
- Open Doors 2024 World Watch List, https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/, accessed Jan. 20, 2024. ↩︎
- Ariel, a symbolic name for Jerusalem, Strong’s H740. ↩︎
- Amos 1:1, and Zech 14:5, compared to Isaiah 13:1-13 and Ezek 38:18-20; Gen. 12:10, and Acts 11:28, compared with Amos 8:11. ↩︎
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
