02.22. LECTURE No. 22 -- Rev_6:12-17
LECTURE No. 22 -- Revelation 6:12-17 The Opening of the Sixth Seal - A Great Earthquake - Are the Things and Events of This Seal to Be Taken Literally or Symbolically? - A Great Shaking Will Take Place in the Heavens and Upon the Earth - Men’s Hearts Will Be Stricken with Great Fear - The Prayer of the Wicked - God Will Laugh at Their Calamity
IN our preceding lesson, based upon Revelation 6:9-11, we considered the opening of the fifth seal, of the Seven Sealed Book, which John saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the Throne. Jesus was the only one in heaven or upon the earth or under the earth, who was worthy or able to open the seals thereof. A Work of Judgment
We have already stated that the breaking of these seals, indicates the terrible judgments from God which will come upon the earth, whereby Christ, acting as our kinsman-redeemer, will set about to restore unto man his lost or forfeited inheritance, which was lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.
In our last lesson we discovered that under the opening of the 5th seal, many will become martyrs because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of their testimony for Him.
John saw the disembodied souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held underneath the altar which was in heaven, and there they were represented as waiting somewhat impatiently for God to avenge their blood on them that dwell on the earth; but it was said unto them, “That they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled.” Not Yet Finished The very wording of this answer, which was given unto them, would indicate that even after the opening of the Fifth Seal, the work of God in judgment would not yet be finished.
This is confirmed in what is written in Revelation 6:12-17, where it says,
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, Lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.
“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shakenof a mighty wind.
“And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains;
“And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;
“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
Truly, my friends, in this passage we have a startling description of future events. It is therefore, in fact, a prophecy to which each and every one of us may well take heed. I know that because the events described here are yet future, many who read and study these words will be prone to discount them as being unworthy of present consideration. Nevertheless the Apostle Peter said, in 2 Peter 1:19,
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your heart.”
We should also remember that in Revelation 1:3, it says, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.”
Therefore we may rest assured that the things which are spoken of here are just as sure of fulfillment as if they had already come to pass. The First Question
Now I presume the first question that man will ask concerning this passage is, Are we to take these things literally, or symbolically. After a careful consideration of the text I am constrained to believe that the things spoken of here are to be accepted both literally and symbolically. What is stated here seems to describe a state of confusion and anarchy, both in nature and society.
Under the opening of the Sixth seal, the first thing called to our attention is that when the Seal is opened there will be a great earthquake, and other physical disturbances.
Everything to Be Shaken
We are told under good authority that the word translated Earthquake here refers not only to an earthquake such as we ordinarily think of, but that it refers to a general shaking of everything, and this interpretation is more in keeping with the general conditions described in the entire passage.
It would seem from what is described here that not only the earth, but the heavens also are to be shaken.
We do not need to be surprised at this, because in many places in the scriptures it tells of great convulsions which occurred in nature in connection with special manifestations of deity when God revealed His presence and His power.
When God came down to Mt. Sinai at the giving of the law, it says in Exodus 19:18, that “Mt. Sinai was altogether on a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole Mount quaked greatly.”
Elijah
You will remember that when Elijah was on Mt. Horeb, when the Lord passed by, the earth did quake and rocks were rent! You will recall also that when Jesus had expired on cross, it says, that “the earth did quake and the rocks rent.”
Matthew In Matthew 24:7, Jesus Himself said that some of the signs of the end of the Age would be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places.
Haggai
Now these things all apply to the earth, but in Haggai 2:6-7, the Prophet said,
“For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come:-”
Joel
Also in Joel 2:1-32, the Prophet spoke of the invading host from the north, saying,
“The earth shall quake before them, the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. And the Lord shall utter His voice before His army; for His camp is very great: for He is strong that executeth His word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?”
Hebrews To what we have already learned, let us add the testimony of the Apostle, which he gave in Hebrews 12:25-27, where it says,
“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken, may remain. Wherefore we, receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; For, our God is a consuming fire.”
Such, my friends, is the testimony of the Word of God concerning conditions as we may expect them to be at the opening of the Sixth Seal.
What Else?
Now, to the awful conditions already described, in Revelation 6:12, the Apostle John said, “And the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.”
It is interesting to note that when this event takes place, it will not be the first time that the Sun has been darkened in local areas on the earth’s surface. This is confirmed in Exodus 10:22, where it says, “And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.”
You will recall also that when Jesus hung upon the cross, a mysterious darkness came upon the land. This is confirmed in Luke 23:44-45, where it says, “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the Sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.”
To the events already described, we have the testimony of the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 13:1-22 it says: “Behold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the earth desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth.”
This is confirmed also by Joel in Joel 3:15, where it says, “The Sun and the Moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.”
What Jesus Said In Matthew 24:29-30, we have the testimony of the Lord Jesus Chirst Himself, saying,
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the power of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
With all of the combined testimony of Jesus and the other Prophets to the fact that the time is coming when the Sun shall be darkened, who could doubt or disbelieve the words of the Apostle John in Revelation 6:12, where he said, “The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.”
Sun Spots
Now, in addition to all of the scripture testimony which we have given, we call your attention to the fact that only recently spots have appeared on the Sun which have been visible to the naked eye when looking through a smoked glass of some kind, and we all know how these sun spots have affected climatic conditions here upon the earth, and of how they have also affected Radio and telegraphic service. Now just imagine, if you can, what will happen when much larger portions of the sun become affected, and the sun shall become black as sackcloth of hair. The Moon
It also says that the moon became as blood. This is not difficult to understand because we all know that the moon derives its light from the Sun, and if the Sun should become darkened, the moon would correspondingly refuse to shine. We can well imagine the psychological effect that such a phenomena will have upon the people of the earth! Joel prophecied, saying: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.”
Understanding these things, we are not surprised to read in Revelation 6:13 that “the stars of heaven also fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.”
There is little question but what the event referred to here refers to what we speak of as falling stars. It is likely that it refers to the actual stars of the upper heavens, because in Revelation 8:12, it speaks of the stars as still being in their places, saying,
“The third part of the Sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, so that the third part of them was darkened, and the day shown not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.”
But even if this event only refers to a shower of falling stars which has occurred as we know in times past, and which will occur again on a much larger scale, it will have a tremendous effect upon those who witness these things. The Mountains Will Be Moved
Now in Revelation 6:14, it says, “The Heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”
The wording of this passage would seem to indicate that these two events will take place simultaneously. In other words, there will be a great convulsion in the heavens and upon the earth at the same time!
The Apostle Peter seems to allude to some such event in 2 Peter 3:10-12, where he said,
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and Godliness.”
Surely, my friends, God is able to do these things, and all of the unbelief of the combined forces of wickedness cannot hinder Him from doing so.
Not only will the heaven depart as a scroll when it is rolled together, but it says, “That every mountain and island were moved out of their places. This would seem to indicate an earthquake of universal scope and of greater severity than has ever been known. No one doubts any more the geographical changes which can be wrought by an earthquake. In earthquakes that have already happened, great cities have been destroyed and mountains have walked right into the sea, and so we may expect an earthquake of great proportions that will literally accomplish the things which are stated in our lesson text, having lived in Tokyo, Japan for more than five years, after the great earthquake of 1923, we know exactly what an earthquake can do.
Now having considered the terrible convulsions in nature which will occur at the opening of the 6th seal, let us consider the impression that these things will have upon those who will be living at that time.
In verses Revelation 6:15-17 in our lesson text it says,
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” A False Hope
I know that there are those who are preaching peace, and who are looking for the ushering in of the Utopia by human effort. They dream of a day when all the present ills of the world will be done away with by those in authority!
But from what is stated in our lesson text, it is plain to see that the present ills of the world, and the present inequalities, and the same conditions of society, will continue right on to the time of the opening of the Sixth Seal. There will still be Kings ruling over the earth. There will still be great men, and those who are rich. There will still be great armies with chief captains, and mighty men leading men to war. And there will also be men in bonds. Thus, my friends, we may expect the present condition of society to continue right on as it is, unchanged to the very end.
Now They Scoff
We all know that at the present time men are hearing the Gospel with an attitude of indifference and unconcern, and in spite of the truth which they hear, and the warnings which they receive from the Word of God, they go right on in sin with an air of confidence and self importance, as if neither God nor man dare to interrupt them in the course which they have chosen to take. Now they scoff at those who believe the Bible as the Word of God. Now they laugh at those who pray, and look with disdain on those who practice righteousness, and who refuse to run with them to the same excess of riot.
But when the Sixth Seal is opened, and the earth begins to quake beneath their feet, and the sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon becomes as blood, and when the stars fall from heaven, and the heaven itself departs as a scroll, and every mountain and island are moved out of their places; then conditions will suddenly become changed. When they see these things coming upon the earth all men from the least to the greatest will be stricken with fear, and their attitude of self composure, and rebellious pride, will completely give way, and become one of confusion and desperation!
Lofty Looks
All this is in keeping with what is stated in Isaiah 2:11-12 where it says: “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day; for the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.”
We are not surprised, therefore, that when these things come to pass, even the Kings of the earth and the great men, and the rich men and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, irrespective of their state or position in life, will hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.
What They Will Pray For Not only will they do this, but let us notice the prayer which they will utter. When that time comes, it says “they will pray to the mountains and rocks.”
This will be in perfect keeping with the philosophy which they have held, and the doctrines which they have believed.
Millions of people throughout the world today, instead of worshipping the God of Creation, are worshipping the Creation of God.
They are what we might term materialists, and evolutionists, who refuse to believe that there is any God apart from the material universe, which they see with their naked eye.
Therefore when the crisis hour comes, and nature herself goes into convulsions, all of these men who have been wise in their own conceits, will pray; not to God, but to the rocks and mountains, saying “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
How Foolish
Indeed, my friends, what a foolish thing it will be for them to think that they can escape the wrath of God by fleeing into the dens of the earth, or by calling upon the mountains to fall on them.
In Psalms 139:1-24, David said, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”
But these men who shall flee to the dens of the earth, and seek to hide from the presence of God, and to escape from the terror of His wrath, would not believe the teachings of God’s Word.
How foolish it was for Adam and Eve to even think that they could hide from the Lord among the trees of the Garden! And it will be just as foolish for these men to think that they can hide from God in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.
Men Are Mistaken
Today men are defiant, and they misinterpret God’s grace, and long suffering toward them, as a spirit of weakness and indifference on His part. Their attitude of rebellion is well expressed in the Second Psalm, where it says, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.”
But in the very same Psalm, it says,
“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure.” And it will be even so!
God Will Refuse to Heed
Indeed, my friends, will not God laugh at men who have been so foolish as to disbelieve His Word, and who have been so unbelieving and so rebellious as to reject Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, as their Saviour? Will not God laugh at those who laughed at other men because they prayed to the God of heaven, when he sees them rushing like mad men to the rocks and mountains, and praying to the rocks and mountains to fall on them?
It is interesting to note that those who will flee to the rocks and mountains will do so because they are afraid of Him that sitteth upon the Throne, and want to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb. And their last words will be a confession of the fact that the great day of His wrath has come, and their last question will be, “Who shall be able to stand?”
Now, for those of you who wish to accept our lesson text as being purely symbolical, let me say that whether you apply it to industrial, political or religious conditions, it can mean nothing more or less than an utter breakdown of present day civilization, ending in total anarchy, and no doubt these things will come to pass. A Prophetic Warning So what we have in our lesson text here is a prophetic warning of things that will actually come to pass under the opening of the Sixth Seal of the Seven Seal Book.
These words should be received with solemn concern by all who study the word of God; for current events are only an index finger pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of these very things.
These words should serve to awaken the Church of Christ everywhere to a sense of her duty and responsibility of reaching men with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ while she yet has time and opportunity for doing so.
And these words should also be a warning to all who are unsaved! They are not an overdrawn picture of things contrary to fact, but they are a clear statement of those things that shall come to pass upon the wicked of the whole earth who refuse to believe in the Bible as God’s Word, and in Jesus Christ as God’s Son.
~ end of lecture 22 ~