Revelation Chapter 6

Revelation 6:1

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" (ESV)

After every creature created gives glory to God and the Lamb, the Lamb can finally start opening the seals that only He is worthy to. Now from research when they put seals on scrolls like this in antiquity, it was not usually like what you would think where you would have a scroll and it has seven seals in succession across the closed scroll. What was more often done was there was a seal (wax of some sort) at the edge of the scroll which you would break and then part of the scroll could be opened until you came along another seal and so on and so forth. If that is the type of scroll Jesus is opening then obviously when He opens a seal whatever might be read in that section of the scroll would then be carried out until He came across another seal. So Jesus opens the first of seven and one of the four living creatures thundered forth, “Come!” Simply enough the word “come” is spoken and things are brought into motion. It is very important to remember that everything that happens henceforth is brought about by Jesus. Nothing is haphazard and only happens when and where he deems and is necessary. He is in control of everything we experience at least from the time He takes the scroll up until the Father brings His glorious throne to the new earth among His people.

Revelation 6:2

And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. (ESV)

There are many speculations as to what these horses represent as well as who these riders might be. The most popular ideas on who this first rider is are: Jesus Christ, the antichrist, or the church in general (especially the early church). Now these would be quite different people so it makes the mind reel on how so many theologians can differ so far from one another on the identity. That being said there are valid points made for each of them that we will touch on the pro/cons briefly.

The rider being Jesus. The white horse is said to represent purity so that makes it easy to assume it would be Jesus, especially since the rider was given a crown. Further evidence might suggest that Jesus is also seen riding on a white horse later, wearing many crowns and has an army behind him (ready to conquer). Opponents of this theory site many excuses. First Jesus is the one opening the seals, so He would have to open the seal, ride the horse and then come back to open the second seal. Also there is the fact that the rider and horse seem to be obeying one of the living creatures which they argue is not something Jesus necessarily has to do, but that is easily countered because its the very fulfillment of all scripture. Lastly, He is dismissed here because this vision is quite possibly symbolic and the latter vision of Jesus is a very literal showing of Himself. Either way this is an interesting viewpoint.

The rider being the antichrist. The two main arguments for these are that he tries in every way to be like Jesus and that he kicks off this period of tribulation on the earth. Opponents dismiss the first because the antichrist does not claim or try to be Jesus but is the opposite and actually denies Him. The second argument is often dismissed due to the fact scripture states that the abomination of desolation will set himself up in the temple and then we will know. Also the beast comes out of the sea and is not necessarily seen on a horse. Either way this viewpoint has some merit as well.

The rider is the early church. One viewpoint is that all of the horses and riders represent a portion or stages of the church at large. This rider would represent the beginning of the church as it was found often to be pure. The crown it was given was the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit and as it was persecuted and grew it actually ended up defeating in a sense Rome through being persecuted. The view that this is the church carries a lot of weight and is mostly dismissed because most believe it is one of the first two options. The only real fault I find in this is the fact the fourth horseman is actually given a name/title that is somewhat difficult to fit the church into, but it is possible and we will discuss this in a later lesson.

With such a wide array of views that could very well be true, I dare not to push a belief on to you as it could be any of these or something else possibly; but either way one thing that is made certain is that this rider is given a crown and is sent to conquer. Because he is ordained by the Lamb to do so he will succeed in his task.

ref: Revelation 19:11-19

Revelation 6:3

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" (ESV)

We have spoken about who the first rider might have been and briefly about what he was sent to do. Since the seven seals are opened in a fairly short amount of verses, I will take the redundant verses to further expound on what is happening as we prepare for the second seal to be opened.

The timeline of Revelation is one of the most puzzling aspects of the prophecy, and while some of it is somewhat of mystery most of it can be understood. One such mystery is the playing out of the seals, trumpets, and bowls of wrath. While most theologians believe that these things happen in succession there are quite a few who attest that they may be three accountings or elaborations of the same events (eg. first seal, trumpet and bowl happening at the same time) or at least that there may be some overlapping of the timelines (eg. fifth seal opened as the first trumpet is sounded). These alternate views have their foundation in the fact that it was a very big deal that Jesus was able to take the scroll and open the seals but the actual events of these openings are run through pretty quickly and without much, if any explanation; such as we saw with the first rider. Also so much of what happens with the seals, trumpets, and bowls has some sort of repetitive nature to it and some of it can go hand in hand with each other, while some aspects seem to have nothing to do with one another. That being said, currently I am on the fence with which one is correct as I can see aspects of both arguments and that’s okay. It is far better to actually be open minded in seeking Truth rather than grasping onto a belief, that may be wrong, and then trying to force the rest of scripture into it.

One last note on the first rider. The word conquer used in the earlier verse is translated as overcome. In Revelation there are a couple of places where this word is used and all of them have a direct correlation to one of the examples to the rider we spoke about; Jesus, antichrist, church. Going forward we will pay special attention to who will be dying in the events to unfold. So as for the first rider conquering; and this may shed more light on who it might be, there seems to be two different outcomes on who is conquered. If the rider is Jesus who is conquering than those conquered are whoever He sees fit to conquer. In most cases we would agree that it would be the wicked and we would be right, but there may be another aspect that we will discuss at a later date. If it is the antichrist then those conquered are most likely those that keep God’s commands and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus Christ and possibly some of Israel. If it is the church then the conquered are themselves. In Romans when scripture calls us more than conquerors it is in correlation with being beyond the conquering. In other words a Christian ultimately will conquer when and if he endures to the end and even or especially unto death. So in one case it is the wicked conquered, in the other two cases it is the believers who die.

ref: Revelation 17:14; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 13:7; Revelation 2:7

Revelation 6:4

And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. (ESV)

A couple a verses later we are already meeting the second horseman. Theologians overwhelmingly agree that this seal unleashes war upon the earth. In case you were wondering, I believe Jesus did prophesy to these very events. He spoke of false prophets coming in His name, wars and rumors of war, famine, earthquakes and death; and all this as being just the beginning. So if we were unsure about who the first rider is the second one should give us some kind of pause. Now some would say that war is not a good thing so the rider is not on the side of good but Jesus said something else that should grasp our attention. He said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” If you take a look back you will notice that the rider took peace from the earth and brought with him a great sword, similar to what Jesus had just said; but what of the fact of people slaying one another? Jesus went on to say, “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.” Now we think He is speaking about putting others above Him, which He was; but what if He was also speaking about peace being completely removed from the earth to the point where households were found slaying each other? Again He says, “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death”. I do pause long enough to say that He perhaps might have been discussing something other than this second rider but we must notice and appreciate that nations have been warring against nations since there was such a thing, so the removal of peace may become very personal as well. So far we have seen death portrayed by both riders, the first with conquest and the second being among nations and and quite possibly among our very own families.

ref: Matthew 24:5-14; Matthew 10:34-39; Matthew 10:21

Revelation 6:5

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. (ESV)

Behold a black horse! Another theory of these horses and riders are that they are all the same person being manifested in four different stages, and to the scholars who believe this it is most often decided that this person is the antichrist being unfolded in four different ways. Along with the other ideas this does have some credibility. I don’t necessarily agree with this thought process again because of the fourth rider and we will discuss this when we encounter him. That being said, the things certainly have glimpses of what it is that the antichrist will be accomplishing on earth. So this third rider has a pair of scales in his hand as we prepare for famine that is about to ensue. Once again, death is upon the earth and Jesus had prophesied these events.

Revelation 6:6

And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!" (ESV)

A famine is upon us. A voice comes from the midst of the four living creatures, who are around the throne; and that voice begins to set prices. In antiquity a denarius is thought to one days wages so you could work all day for either a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley. Some scholars state that it is thought that a quart of wheat is what one man would need to survive per day, so if you had a family you might need to buy the three quarts of barley (which is less nutritious) in order to sustain them. This gives a brand new meaning to the way Jesus had taught us to pray to our Father, “give us this day our daily bread”. If we will be found spending all of our money strictly for grain or barley, that doesn’t leave anything left for other “necessities” much less for extra-curriculars. In Ezekiel and in other places God pronounces judgments upon Jerusalem and other places and we see some pretty crazy stuff. Scholars mostly think that these things have already happened and they very well could be correct, but that in no way stops these things from being a sign of what is going to happen again. Just like there are similarities between the exodus and revelation, there may very well be similarities between these things that might have happened to Jerusalem and what we see happening here; as if those things were just a preview of what was to come. One such scripture is this, “Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers.” We have to ask ourselves what in the world would cause fathers to eat their sons and vice versa? We’ve already established that there will be wars in various places and very likely will be murders inside of our very own households because peace has been taken, but that still wouldn’t justify eating another human, especially one of our own, until now. If we are left spending all of our income on a great necessity like grain, there would be nothing left for milk, fruits, vegetables, or meat. So suddenly those members of our household, who we’ve come to hate, suddenly fulfill a need that the famine has caused. Moreover, the call also rang out that the oil and wine were not to be harmed. These are most often associated with things that are not essential. It may not be like some scholars attest that they are decadent things that will just cost more, but may just be that we do not need them for day to day living so they are less important and not essential so there is no need to ration these items out.

ref: Ezekiel 5:10

Revelation 6:7

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" (ESV)

As the fourth horseman is on his way, I do want to reiterate a couple of points. As it has been spoken about before most of the actions of Revelation revolve mostly around the tribulation for the believers. In chapter 6 and beyond we are already seeing death and trials that are meant mainly for believers in Christ. This is a hard pill to swallow especially the way some of the actions are being portrayed with the wars and famine and such, but they are indeed actions meant to try the Christian in order to test whether he can walk in the way he says he can. As I contemplate this, nothing could really test your faith in Jesus, especially for us spoiled westerners, than to have to watch our families suffer and possibly starve through a famine like what will happen, A significant portion of Christians must die in faith in order that Israel be saved and so that scripture can be fulfilled. I’ve often heard and read Christians say things like “Jesus died on the cross so you won’t have to” or something similar and that is just not true. In fact He commanded us to pick up our cross and follow Him to death; so that is what we should make ourselves prepared to do.

Another point I want to make is that by the end of this all, two-thirds (⅔) of Christians will die on earth, while the other third will be the ones tested. We will see famines, plagues, and the unholy trinity wreaking havoc. Terrible wonders will be before us that as we read them will be downright terrifying, or at least should be. In all of this, while all of these things are going on; Jesus speaks about our condition in this way, “in those days...they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.” Apparently we will grow so cold, and it is already happening; that death and destruction being in our midst and upon us, will not deter us from living a normal life, going about our day to day. While wars are going on we are busy in the marketplace buying and selling. Though family members are starving in a famine, we still invite them to the wedding and probably still expect some sort of gift. While our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted and beheaded overseas (even right now), we go to work like it is the norm. The people of Christ should be used to or be at least prepared for suffering in this way, as long as we can keep it confined to northern Africa and the middle east. Christians, today, are being killed for the sake of Christ and yet we think the extent of persecution and outrageous gall of our government is to have a mayor subpoena some sermons. I’m almost convinced that if Steven were stoned to death in Houston the day the subpoenas hit, we still would have been more up in arms due to the restriction of freedom of speech. And before you say, “well that's just ludicrous, obviously we would have cared more about the death of one of God’s children”; ask yourself this, how many babies have been aborted in Houston alone from that day to this, and yet the Christian voice remains silent? Our lack of works is a shame before God; no wonder He must send destruction upon us in order to test the genuineness of our faith, me included.

ref: Zechariah 13:8-9; Matthew 24:36-39

Revelation 6:8

And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (ESV)

Behold, a pale horse; with a rider named Death and Hades following him. This is the horse that presents a problem to the people that believe that the horseman is the antichrist being presented in four different stages. Not only are we calling his name Death, which would lend to it being a different entity, but we have another scripture that is even more problematic for this theory. Later on, when Christ returns, the beast (antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. Then Jesus reigns on the earth for 1000 years, after which time Death and Hades give up their dead and are judged and then thrown into the lake of fire. These are two different entities who are punished at two different times.

Now while Death is named here, it is the same word that is referring to death as we know it and is often associated to death as being the misery related to sin. It is also commonly related as death leading into the misery of Hades, as Strong’s concordance would put it. We see the same thing here in the vision with Death coming forward and Hades being close behind. We have some comprehension of death but as for Hades (especially for the Christian), it presents somewhat of a understanding problem for us. In the account of Lazarus and the rich man, there tells that the rich man found himself in hades under torment, with Lazarus far off in a separate place, the bosom of Abraham. Abraham goes on to tell the rich man that the separation is great and none can move between one and the other. So that’s easy, the good people go to where Abraham is at and the bad people go to hades. But that is not what it says. Also consider this; scripture says that Jesus, while dead, went and preached to those in prison because they formerly did not obey. That coupled with Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, he explained that Jesus was not abandoned to Hades. So Jesus when He saw Death, went to Hades to preach to those there. Notice that it never said that once that happened they moved from where they were at to where Abraham was at, nor does it say that about Jesus Himself. So going back to my “that is not what it says” statement, it would appear that both Christians and unbelievers can wake up to find themselves in Hades, yes, even today. Notice the words of Abraham when he was speaking with the rich man; “'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.” He never condemns the rich man nor do I believe that the rich man when judged at the end will automatically not have his name written in the Book of Life. The rich man might very well be saved in the end along with any and I dare say most, Christians that will find themselves in Hades after death. Being in the place where Abraham was at is probably the exception and not the rule for most humans and the determining factor may be just what Abraham said, we received good things and they received bad things and so now they are comforted. This is what Jesus died for, first that He would be able to take the scroll from His Father’s hand, and secondly so that He would receive the keys to both Death and Hades, so that dying like Him we would not be abandoned to Hades like Him. So you might be asking, so will all those He preached to and beyond in Hades be saved at the end? My answer is we will discuss this when we reach Revelation 20.

They, being Death and Hades, were given authority over a fourth of the earth. Some would say that it is quadrant of the earth but I believe it is more encompassing than that. Since this tribulation is for us and since prophecy says two-thirds of us must die; then I would say that in a real way Death is coming here to take the lives of a fourth of the people on earth in all the ways it is allowed, famine, pestilence, and by wild beast. So in a span of time a quarter of the earth will die by the fourth horseman. So if that happened today, almost 2 billion people would be wiped out, not including those destroyed by the other three horsemen. It is also important to note here that there has not been a single hint of a human leaving the earth through any kind of rapture or otherwise, so when we think it will not be Christians who will suffer through these things I would pose to you a huge gaping problem in that logic and a quite chilling statistic. Now I don’t believe everyone who dies by the hands of the horseman will be Christian, but I do tend to lean toward most of them being just that. If two billion people are killed during this time and none of them are Christian, then it appears that we as Christians have done a very poor job in making disciples of men as Jesus had commissioned us to do. As much as I hate to use a statistic or science to prove the bible I’ll leave you with this; in 2010 the pew forum did a census of sort and estimated that the population of Christians living on earth at that time was estimated at...wait for it...two billion.

ref: Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:13-14; Luke 16:19-31; Acts 2:31; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Revelation 1:18

Revelation 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 and for the witness they had borne. (ESV)

The first rider brought death through war. The second, death through removing peace causing people to slay one another. The third brought death through famine and the fourth was Death literally bringing death through famine, pestilence, and from the wild beasts of the earth. So now we see the fifth seal opened and see under the altar the souls of those slain. First this altar is the one seen several times throughout Revelation as the golden altar before the throne of God. This altar is the original of which was shown to Moses on the mountain when God told him to build the tabernacle as he was shown. It was square with four horns on the corner, with a fire pit in the center for the burnt offering. So we have to ask ourselves what exactly is the purpose of this burning altar before the throne of God, especially since we've already seen the Lamb who was slain?

So we see these souls under the altar. These are a very particular group of souls. They are not the souls of all Christians or Israelites that have died up until this point. They are not even all the souls of Christians that have been killed or died haphazardly since the four horseman came into play. These souls are those Christians, who since the start of the tribulation, have bore witness and remained faithful to the word of God and have been beheaded. I’ll say that again. The souls that we see under the altar are only the beheaded Christians since the beginning of the tribulation. In other words, if you are a Christian and find yourself starved to the point of death because of the third horseman, you will not find yourself among this group beneath the altar. If you are a Christian and find yourself in a war because of the first horseman and even if a gun is put to your head and are told to denounce Jesus, and you triumph and remain faithful and are shot, you will not be among those counted below the altar. Furthermore, if one happened to be alive in the first few centuries and assuming the tribulation hadn’t started yet and you were beheaded because of your testimony of Jesus Christ; while the world was not worthy of them, it appears that they will not be counted as these souls under the altar before God. I don’t want to ruin the surprise that is meant for later, but I feel I must explain this simply without going into much detail. A little later we are told these are given white robes and must wait a little longer. A little later this group of people is seen with white robes and palm branches and it is said that they have come out of the great tribulation. A little while later we see these “souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God” about to reign with Jesus for 1000 years. It is no coincidence that the same types of phrases are used here; souls, slain (beheaded), testimony of Jesus (witness they had borne), and for the word of God. Like I said very specific souls, killed in a very specific way, with a very distinctive cleansing, receiving a very distinctive reward. Now this may sound a little bit morbid but it is something I believe to be true; I believe it is better to die old and full of years like Abraham did but if you don’t the next best death it appears one can receive is to be beheaded during the tribulation for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

ref: Revelation 6:10-11; Revelation 7:13-14; Revelation 20:4-6

Revelation 6:10

They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (ESV)

These souls under the altar are crying out for vengeance and judgment from the righteous Judge. As we discussed these are those who have been beheaded since the beginning of the tribulation so it would seem that they wouldn’t have been waiting under the altar very long. In Christianity today, you would not think this is something that would be called for once a soul had entered into the vicinity of the LORD. We hear a lot about setting our crowns before the throne and walking down streets of gold and singing and praising God day and night but these possibly being the first humans we’ve encountered except for maybe the elders are doing none of these things. They are pleading with God to avenge their blood. Avenge: inflict harm in return for (an injury or wrong done to oneself or another). This is the simple definition which I think is important to look at in case we think avenge might mean something else. They are calling for God to bring harm upon the earth and those who had harmed them. The fact they referred to Him as Sovereign, holy and true shows us that they know who is sitting on the throne and what He is capable of. That still doesn’t quite completely answer why they are calling for vengeance though, because it does seem like they would just be pleased that they find themselves under the altar, or would they? I commented briefly in a previous lesson about how and why it is that they got under the altar and this may help us understand their pleas. The altar as I said is the golden altar before the throne that is ablaze and we see these souls underneath it. So I would propose that these souls have already been judged or at the very least, their works have been put through the fire. Paul said it like this, “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” Now in scripture we often relate the fire spoke about as always being the eternal fire meant for punishment but here and other places, we see a fire that is meant to test out our works to see if they are worthy of a reward. I believe that's what has happened with these souls; not only were they beheaded for the word of God (and one would reason that would be enough), but they have already been set ablaze on the altar before the throne and have made it through the fire that cleanses them. So in that they have been found worthy and though they are calling out for judgement and vengeance upon those that have killed them, they are righteous to do so because all of their worthless works have been burned up. And since they are already before the throne, God hears their cry and answers them...eventually.

ref: 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Revelation 6:11

Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (ESV)

So some of them have seen themselves in war, within nations and their own families due to peace being taken from the earth. They’ve been through a pretty serious famine and have been at risk from death from wild animals. They’ve encountered some or all of these things and yet ended up being beheaded because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And just when you think things might be over they are put through the very literal fire on the altar before the throne and all they ask (that we know of) is to be avenged. So naturally God would be quick to hear their prayer and act, right?...wrong. He gives them a robe that has been washed white and told to wait a little longer. It is important to remember that God is not bound by the words of men. Even after we are put through the refining fire, God has a plan that works on His timeline and not ours. The paradox in the timelines is this; God being omniscient knows how long all things are going to take but I wonder if His timeline is based on the number or is the number based on the timeline. Let me clarify a little bit. According to Daniel the tribulation time will be 7 years with the bulk of the happenings going on during the last 3 ½ years. So it would appear that His timeline is time based, but then we come to a scripture like this one and in Romans where it seems God is waiting on a certain number of people to fulfill His plan. Then we get to a line like what Jesus says that, “if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” So here these souls have to wait until a certain number of them are killed, then as we continue into the tribulation we have to keep going until a certain number of gentiles are saved so that Israel can be saved and then God in all His wisdom has to cut those days short so that scripture can be fulfilled so that some would not taste death. Only He is able to keep all of those balls in the air and do so righteously. That still doesn’t ease our minds about the fact that God is telling these souls that they have to wait, because all those that He has preordained to be beheaded in the same way they were, have not died yet. Not enough have been killed yet, what a crazy notion. Can we even grasp the concept that this in itself holds mercy. In the early church, as they were persecuted, the church grew and grew as Christianity always does under attack. So would I, a Christian, be willing to be beheaded so that His church would flourish with more and more gentiles turning to Him; so that Israel, as stiff-necked and stubborn as they are, can be saved?

ref: Daniel 9:27; Romans 11:25-27; Matthew 24:22

Revelation 6:12

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, (ESV)

The sixth seal is something else. All of nature is physically stirred up. Now you may remember earlier when I spoke about the seals, trumpets and bowls, that they might be played out in tandem, the sixth seal and trumpet and bowl definitely look like one another. I will cover the similarities between these as we finish up chapter 6. This seal starts with a great earthquake. Later on when the two prophets come to prophesy, they die and once they are taken back to heaven there is said to be a “great earthquake” which is said to kill 7,000 people. During the first part of the seventh bowl of wrath is said to have a “great earthquake”, such that has never been. I wish I could speak definitively about these being the same incident but I think there is not quite enough evidence to prove that but there is enough evidence as to offer it as a possibility.

The sun becomes black and the full moon like blood. I realize that scientist have big plans about the sun lasting billions of more years, but God’s plans trump those of man. Here we see the sun becoming black. I don’t stand in unison with most scholars about what is about to happen in the heavens. Almost across the board they agree that the sun turning black is simply an eclipse. While I do reserve the right to agree with that, because it will appear black, I do believe this sun will be different from other suns (that we see often enough). I don’t think its out of the realm of possibilities that God can truly turn the sun black and not just cover it up. Likewise we see the moon be turned like blood. This too is not an uncommon occurrence seeing as which we had several over the past few years. While this very well could happen, I think God is also powerful enough to turn the moon to the color of blood. Now in Revelation there are several other occurrences of the sun turning black or partially darkening. Over and over again this appears to be training us to be without the sun in some way since this does happen again and again until finally the earth has no use for the sun because the glory of God gives it light and the son its lamp.

ref: Revelation 11:13; Revelation 16:18; Revelation 21:23

Revelation 6:13-14

and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (ESV)

“The sun and the moon are darkened,and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earthquake.” The heavens and earth are being literally shaken in preparation for the Lord. Once again we find ourselves inside of scripture that looks like the very end of the earthly timeline, directly before the Lord appears, which is why it is difficult to pinpoint if this is indeed the end or just the beginning of the end. Either way the sun is blackened, the moon becomes like blood, the stars in the sky fall to earth, which is most likely a reference to angels, fallen and otherwise (more on that in a later lesson); and now the sky is rolled up and every mountain and island is removed from its place. Now this latter verse could very well be due to the magnitude of the earthquake; but if this is truly the end when Jesus comes then this would be due to Him creating the valley that He will bring all nations into to judge. This is the valley of decision mentioned in Joel in the below reference, and again in Zechariah it says, “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.” If this is that time then that very wide valley might be the cause for every mountain and island being removed from its place. Similar events (if not the same ones) occur later in Revelation saying, “a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts...And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.” Due to the sky rolling up such as it did, this is a time that we should take notice of the things that are to follow immediately as spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.” Now this may feel like I’ve just thrown a lot of scripture at you but more and more it will become important for us to just listen to what the prophets have already said about these events as we get ready to read about them, let alone live them out in real time.

ref: Joel 3:14-16; Zechariah 14:4; Isaiah 54:10; Revelation 16:18-20; Isaiah 51:6

Revelation 6:15

Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, (ESV)

The sun has turned black, the moon like blood, and the stars have fallen to the earth. As I’ve stated before, there are many who would like you to believe that these are simply eclipses, blood moons and meteorites falling to earth. If that be true then why is everyone running for the mountains and caves trying to hide? Surely we have moved beyond the point where meteorites and eclipses have frightened us to that point. We did not really discuss the sky rolling up like a scroll. It may be a halting of all the winds upon the earth by the four angels in the next chapter looking like the sky is being rolled up. But because of the words that are about to be spoken in the next verse, many say that the sky rolling up is a revealing of the throne room of heaven. This may be the case because people become afraid of very specific representations of the Father and Son that a lot may not have been exposed to or at the very least are not used to referring to in that way. But Jesus described these events in this way, “"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” So it may very well be that the seals, trumpets and bowls do in-fact coincide with one another and the Son of Man is well on His way; which is plenty good reason to go and run into a cave somewhere.

ref: Matthew 24:29-30

Revelation 6:16

calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, (ESV)

So it would seem very quickly, if not instantaneous, that we would go from hiding in caves and among the rocks to pleading with the rocks and the mountains to fall on us, but what has happened? I had heard from a long time that it was a glorious day when the Lord would return. Finally everything would be fixed, meaning that everyone else would do right and I myself really wouldn’t have to change much. Jesus would come back to finally be the servant we’ve always dreamed of. He would constantly be washing our feet, and lets not forget the obligation He has to make sure that we all get to make it to Heaven. Commanding rocks to fall on me to protect me from His wrath was not something that was explained as an option when I came to Christianity. Again this is something Jesus had warned us about. When He was carrying the cross up to the place that He was about to die, it is said that women were crying and mourning for Him. His response was, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! ' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us. '” On His way to death, as women were mourning for Him, He would stop and tell them it is for they that they should be weeping for. You no doubt have heard something said as cliched as “On the cross, He had me on His mind”. Probably so but it seems it was not out of gratitude that He could do such a thing for you and I, but because He was looking past the cross into the future that would hold His wrath and the wrath of the Father. You see He had already prophesied that, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” So His death and resulting resurrection is not convincing enough if we have not also listened to Moses and the Prophets. The prophets were constantly being killed for upholding the word of God. As for this fellow Moses, who gave us the law, He was not allowed to enter into the land that was promised. Do you think they held rights and obligations that God was bound to honor? Do you think as these things were happening to them, they thought as highly of themselves as we do today? The prophets over and over again have foretold what is happening. Isaiah said this, “For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low...And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.” And again, “Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.”; and “For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” Amos summed it up like this, Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” So it would appear that the only people who should be calling upon the day of the Lord to come are those who are already beneath the altar; for everyone else will want to die, according to this verse. Before we part, I do want to point out that mankind is scared of the Lamb. I do think this speaks mightily to how powerful Jesus really is that we would be so fearful of one called the Lamb. Though He already is, in the biblical timeline He has not played the “King of kings and Lord of lords” card. He has not had to because He is powerful enough as the slain Lamb that we would want to hide ourselves from His judgement.

ref: Luke 23:26-30; Luke 16:31; Isaiah 2:12-19; Isaiah 13:9; Joel 2:11; Amos 5:18-20

Revelation 6:17

for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (ESV)

We spoke in the last lesson some about the day of the Lord and how dreadful a day that will be. Today we will discuss who can stand on that day. “At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth.” The psalm establishes that at the rebuke of God both rider and horse are frozen and that no one is able to stand once His anger is roused. “For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me?” By this time we have already seen what kind of things a shepherd is capable of, defeating lions, bears & the giant Goliath. There is no shepherd that can stand before Him let alone dare to summon Him. And this warning was given twice in Jeremiah, once to Edom and another time to Babylon (more on those later). “The mountains quake before him;

the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire,

and the rocks are broken into pieces by him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” Thus far all of these are mostly talking about those He is angry with, although every time He asks who can stand. So let's take a look at whether His people are able to stand. “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers 'soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.” So here we see He will refine the Levites, preparing them for the work they were meant to do and yet they can not stand when He appears. In the other cases, He was angry with those and they couldn’t stand but just showing up will be enough to arouse fear. Even John himself, who is seeing the vision had this reaction, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” It seems that it is a reaction unto man to not be able to stand before Him. But my favorite example lies in Job where God is first speaking about the antichrist and our reaction to him and then moves the conversation to Himself. “Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him. No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.” Soon we will hear words like “Who is like the beast, who can make war against it”; and then God comes back and says if this is true of something I’ve created, how much more is it true of Me. He goes on to say that it is not man’s right to expect anything from Him because we have given Him nothing that He should repay. So it seems our destiny that we too are headed toward the refiner’s fire (a very real fire), that we have already seen the souls under the altar go through and which it was spoken about the Levites earlier. And while this fire will be no doubt painful, it is preferable to being raptured and tossed into the winepress of the wrath of God Almighty.

ref: Psalm 76:6-9; Jeremiah 49:19, 50:44; Nahum 1:5-7, Malachi 3:2-3; Revelation 1:17; Job 41:9-11