Revelation
6:5 When the Lamb opened the third
seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and
there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in
his hand.
The first
living creature called the white horse in 6:1 by saying "come," the
second living creature called the red horse by saying "come" in 6:3,
and now the third living creature uses the same word to call the black horse.
Black is
the color of mourning and starvation (Lamentations 5:10 KJV). Its rider was holding
a pair of scales in his hand to weigh small amounts of food, which depicts the
scales as a symbol of famine.
Leviticus 26:26 When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.
Ezekiel 4:16, 17 He then said to me: "Son of man, I will cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair. 17For food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin.
Revelation
6:6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,
saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley
for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
It is not
clear whose voice John heard coming from among the four living creatures. It is
not inconceivable that it came from the throne.
Revelation
6:6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,
saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley
for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
These
instructions indicate that they would receive a small amount of food for a full
day's wages. A quart of wheat was
considered a one day's supply for one soldier and a denarius was one day's wage
for an agricultural laborer. It means that a worker's entire earning would be
consumed on his allotment of bread.
If one
considers that the price of bread seems to have been about one-eighth of a
denarius, it reflects an 800 percent inflation in grain prices. Because of the famine the lack of grain
would inflate the price of wheat and barley.
Famine can
be brought on by natural causes such as drought or infestation, but, here, with
the preceding riders it is more likely that it is brought on by war, disrupting
trade and transportation.
Deuteronomy 28:49 - 51 The LORD will bring a nation against you
from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a
nation whose language you will not understand, 50a fierce-looking
nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51They
will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you
are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of
your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined.
II Kings 6:24 Some time
later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid
siege to Samaria. 25There was a great famine in the city; the siege
lasted so long that a donkey's head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a
quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.
Revelation
6:6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying,
"A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a
day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
The black
horse and rider with the scales bring famine and mere subsistence rations, but
the Lord would also have mercy in these terrible times, by not withholding wine
and oil, being used for food, medicine, and enjoyment.
Habakkuk 3:2 LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of
your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in
wrath remember mercy.
I Kings 17:14 - 16 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel,
says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry
until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' 15She went away and
did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the
woman and her family 16for the jar of flour was not used up and the
jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by
Elijah.
John 6:9, 13 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and
two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" 13So
they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley
loaves left over by those who had eaten.
God's
providential judgments are limited as his patience delays his final judgment at
the end of time.
II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance.
Romans 2:3, 4 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and
yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment. 4Or
do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience,
not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
[1]Limitations of various kinds distinguish
restricted, anticipatory expressions of the wrath of the Lamb throughout
history from the unrestrained display of his judgment at the end of time. Here
famine affects the grains but does not harm the oil or wine.
We see
that the rider of the fourth horse will only be able to bring death to
one-quarter of the earth, at the sounding of the first four trumpets only
one-third of the earth will be afflicted, and so on.
This
feature of limited judgments is an interpretive key and an encouragement to
besieged churches. When we see in
John's visions restrained and partial judgment, we are being shown symbols of
the course of ordinary history between the first and second comings of Christ. The dangers and disasters that shatter and
dismantle arrogant civilizations, which are symbolized in the four horsemen and
most of the trumpets, are the Lamb's providential instruments of prewrath wrath
and prejudgment justice, foreshadowing the end when God's victory over his
enemies will be total.
As
Christians see societies crumble and collapse, our response should not be
terrified alarm, as though our security were bound up with a fragile human
network of law and order, but anticipation and confidence: the Lamb is now on
the throne with God's plan for history firmly in hand.
Wine and oil used as food, medicine and enjoyment:
Genesis 14:18 Then
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most
High.
Ezra 6:9, 10 Whatever is needed--young bulls, rams, male lambs for
burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as
requested by the priests in Jerusalem--must be given them daily without fail, 10so
that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the
well-being of the king and his sons.
Luke 10:34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil
and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took
care of him.
Proverbs 21:17 He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever
loves wine and oil will never be rich.
Revelation
6:7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature say, "Come!"
This is
the last of the four living creatures and he too calls the pale (ashen) horse
and his rider forward by calling out "come." The first four seals
belong together, as will the first four trumpets and bowls in later series. Two
features link the first four seals with each other, namely, first the
call of the living creatures, "come", and second, in each case
the horse and its color appear first followed by its rider and his
significance.
Revelation
6:8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named
Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a
fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts
of the earth.
Some
translations render this horse's color as ashen, but we see later in this Book
that the color that John actually sees is green, and when applied to people's
appearance, green, or more accurately, 'pale greenish gray,' signifies the
pallor of illness or even death. So, it's perhaps more accurate to render the
fourth horse's color as pale, as meant to have the appearance of someone who is
gravely ill or already dead.
Revelation
6:8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named
Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over
a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild
beasts of the earth.
The
rider's name was Death and following close behind was the grave to harvest the
works of the rider. In this vision they are linked together for the Son of Man
has the keys of death and Hades and thus the authority to liberate their
prisoners. This final horse and its
rider portray the grisly effects of the preceding three.
Revelation
6:8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death,
and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a
fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts
of the earth.
The sword
represents the second rider and Famine had just ridden forth on the third,
black horse. Pestilence, like famine,
is war's toxic byproduct, spreading death among those who survive the
bloodshed. The same collection of
deadly afflictions were predicted by Jesus to reassure his followers that their
occurrence will not mean that the end is imminent.
Luke 21:9 - 11 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be
frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right
away. 10Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes,
famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs
from heaven."
The word
'sword' represents more than one Greek word used for sword, such as machaira
and romphaia. No significant
difference in meaning should be sought.
The Greek word used in all passages referring to 'sword' is machaira,
which refers to the sword that proceeds from the mouth of Christ,
symbolizing his Word, except in this passage, where romphaia is used to
emphasize the allusion to Ezekiel 14:21.
Ezekiel 14:21 "For
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send
against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments--sword and famine and wild beasts
and plague--to kill its men and their animals!"
A quarter
of the earth's inhabitants would be destroyed by these calamities. By the
sword, meaning war and violence; famine and the diseases that it causes; pestilence,
which results in mass, rapid deaths; and finally, attack by wild beasts
complete the quartet of Death's weapons.
This list echoes God's threat of inescapable judgments in
Ezekiel 14:12 - 21 The word of the LORD came to me: 13"Son
of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my
hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its
men and their animals. 14Even if these three men--Noah, Daniel and
Job--were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,
declares the Sovereign LORD. 15"Or if I send wild beasts
through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so
that no one can pass through it because of the beasts. 16As surely
as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it,
they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but
the land would be desolate.
17"Or
if I bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let the sword pass throughout
the land,' and I kill its men and their animals. 18As surely as I
live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they
could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. 19"Or
if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath upon it through
bloodshed, killing its men and their animals. 20As surely as I live,
declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they
could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their
righteousness. 21"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How
much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful
judgments--sword and famine and wild beasts and plague--to kill its men and
their animals!"
Not even
the presence of righteous men such as Noah, Daniel, and Job, could protect a
treacherous people from God's covenant curses of famine, predatory beasts,
sword, or plague. How much more would
the Lord's judgment be fulfilled when he sends his four severe judgments into
the world. These four are the Lord's weapons against lands and cities that defy
his authority.
The
churches of Asia must realize that through his sovereignty over all things,
from galaxies, stars, and rulers to atoms, microbes, and bacteria, Christ will
send all sorts of limited, providential judgments on the Roman imperial system,
exposing the emptiness of its politico-military confidence and its religious
pretensions.
And, yet,
even after such as stern judgment, God's mercy and patience preserve some to
come forth from the calamity.
Ezekiel 14:22, 23 Yet there will be some survivors--sons and
daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you
see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the
disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem--every disaster I have brought upon it. 23You
will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will
know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign LORD.
These four
seals represented things on earth and the riders went forth to do God's will on
earth.
Revelation
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.
When
Christ opens the fifth seal, the vision shifts from earth to heaven. The altar, mentioned here for the first
time, is an important item of furniture in the sanctuary of God, for approach
to God is impossible without sacrifice.
The Old Testament tabernacle and temple foreshadowed the throne room of
the Most High and the Old Testament tabernacle was made exactly as God
prescribed that it should be.
Exodus 25:9, 40 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings
exactly like the pattern I will show you. 40See that you make them
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
Numbers 8:4 This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of
hammered gold--from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly
like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.
There are
seven references to the altar in the book of Revelation, of which only one, in
Rev 11:1 refers to the altar in Jerusalem.
It is an
interesting image that is revealed to John here, namely, that the souls of the
saints are under the altar. The reason that it is given in this way, is that
the blood is the soul of a person, and when they were sacrificed for the sake
of Christ, their blood poured over the side of the altar, so to speak, and
collected under the altar. And thus, it is a reflection of the horror of these
sacrifices and murders that the saints are shown as 'under' the altar.
Leviticus 17:11, 14 For the life of a creature is in the blood,
and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is
the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 14Because the life of
every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites,
"You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every
creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.
But these
souls under the altar who petitions God to revenge their blood, are not only
from the martyrs, but also from those who suffered because of their
perseverance in Christ and died as a result of that.
Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever
loses his life for my sake will find it.
Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
II Timothy 4:6 - 8 For I
am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my
departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that
day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Mark 10:29, 30 "I
tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or
brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the
gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this
present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with
them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows
favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is
blameless.
Matthew 5:11, 12
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely
say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be
glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
John 16:22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see
you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose
sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
James 1:2 - 4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds. 3Because you know that the testing of your
faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so
that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
I Peter 4:12 - 16 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful
trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you, 13but
rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be
overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because
of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God
rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or
thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However,
if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear
that name.
The Old
Testament tabernacle and temple had two altars, one in the courtyard for the
offering of slain sacrificial animals, and then, within the Holy Place, the
altar of incense immediately before the veil into the Holiest Place.
John,
however, sees a single altar, which serves the purposes of both altars in the
earthly shadow sanctuary.
From this heavenly altar incense, symbolic of the church’s prayers, rises, but this altar has also witnessed the shedding of blood of Jesus’ martyrs.
Here the altar appears as the altar of sacrifice and John sees the souls who had been slain for God’s word underneath the altar. Although the Greek word translated with ‘soul,’ psyche, can sometimes refer to the principle of life in animate creatures, here, however, it refers to human beings’ inner, immaterial, conscious identity, which is distinguished from our bodies and continues after the death of the body.
Revelation
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?"
The souls express the longing of the church of Christ in their petition, that their suffering should be revenged so that it will be clear that they did not suffer in vain.
Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for
God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"
says the Lord.
Deuteronomy 32:35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time
their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon
them.
Psalm 94:1 - 3 O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges,
shine forth. 2Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud
what they deserve. 3How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will
the wicked be jubilant?
Nahum 1:2, 3 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD
takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
and maintains his wrath against his enemies. 3The LORD is slow to
anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His
way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.
Jesus is addressed as "Sovereign Lord" which unequivocally states his majesty and power as lone Ruler over all. The souls who petition the Lamb for revenge are not doing so for personal revenge, but they are pleading for the ultimate authority and judgment over the devil's henchmen.
John will see the souls of the martyrs in heaven again in his vision of their thousand-year reign, which we will deal with in chapter 20. Whereas the emphasis in Rev 20 is on the dominion of the martyrs, here, in the fifth seal, we hear their appeal for vengeance and vindication expressed as a psalm of lament: ‘How long?’ over God’s long-suffering toward his enemies.
Revelation 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe,
and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow
servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
Even
before the end of time, even before the final destruction of the devil and all
his cohorts, they receive the sign of victory, as a sure sign that they have
already overcome and received their glory.
Their sure sign is Jesus Christ, whose promise is sure and
definite. Just as the first rider on
the white horse received a crown as a sure sign of his victory, because God is
the guarantor of that sign, so the souls under the altar receive their sure
sign of which God is the guarantor.
Their white robes are not just mere white pieces of cloth, but it is the
clothing with which they cover themselves, clothing washed in the blood of
Christ. Truly garments of praise, to be worn until the final of the number has
come in.
Isaiah 61:3 And provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on
them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of
mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be
called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his
splendor.
Zechariah 3:3 - 5 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he
stood before the angel. 4The 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 rich garments on
you." 5Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head."
So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the
LORD stood by.
Revelation 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and
they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow
servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
These
words contain a comfort and a promise. A comfort because the promise was of a
limited nature and that they will see justice.
A promise because the words 'wait a little longer' indicates that there
will be an end to their rest and then their petition will be answered. These passages
do not allude to a doctrine of a 'soul-sleep' but rather a patient waiting upon
the fulfillment of God's justice.
The Lord’s response to the martyrs’ appeal for speedy justice is a gift and a strange word of hope. As the riders of judgment horses were given a crown, a sword, and authority to kill, so each of these sacrificial victims under the altar is given a white robe, symbolic of victory through faithful purity. When we see this multitude of martyrs again in the interlude between seals 6 and 7, their multiethnic character will be evident, but also their song will have shifted from the minor key of lament to the major chords of celebration for the salvation won by the Lamb.
Revelation 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they
were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants
and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
There is a set number of people who would die for their faith and they, too, will join the souls under the altar, and only once each and every one of them has been killed, will their petition be granted and will the Lamb revenge their blood.
II Peter 3:9, 10 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as
some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be
destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Isaiah 46:13 I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far
away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my
splendor to Israel.
Habakkuk 2:3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it
speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it
will certainly come and will not delay.
Luke 18:7, 8 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen
ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I
tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son
of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
Romans 9:22 What if God,
choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience
the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction?
I Timothy 1:16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in
me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as
an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
Hebrews 10:37 For in just a very little while, "He who is
coming will come and will not delay."
II Peter 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means
salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that
God gave him.
They are comforted by the words 'wait (rest) a little while longer' anticipating the second of Revelation’s seven benedictions, which pronounces in
Revelation 14:13 Then I
heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the
Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest
from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
The mixed experience of the church on earth – liberated,
consecrated, and crowned by the Lamb but also assailed by enemies – is
reflected in the words '…until
the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they
had been was completed."
The Lamb will return to avenge his witnesses’ blood just as soon as the very last martyr lays down his or her life. More familiar to us and more pleasant is the prerequisite to his Second Coming that Jesus announced in
Mark 13:9, 10 "You
must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and
flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and
kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must first be preached
to all nations."
God delays not because he is late but because he is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Or do you show contempt
for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that
God's kindness leads you toward repentance? (II Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4.)
Accompanying the worldwide spread of God’s good news, however, is the prolonged affliction of the church that bears this joyful message. The days on God’s calendar are marked off, one by one, in the blood of the martyrs.
Revelation
6:12 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.
The sixth seal indicates the arrival of the end that will come, when there will be unspeakable suffering and an increase of wickedness.
Matthew 24:7 - 14 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All
these are the beginning of birth pains. 9"Then you will be
handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all
nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the
faith and will betray and hate each other. 11And many false prophets
will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of
wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands
firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will
be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come.
11"The
days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a
famine through the land--not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a
famine of hearing the words of the LORD. 12Men will stagger from sea
to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but
they will not find it. 13In that day the lovely young women and
strong young men will faint because of thirst."
The theological significance of the earthquake is rooted in Old Testament precedent. In previous biblical narrative and imagery, the earth was set to quake at the coming of the Lord in his holiness to establish justice. God’s descent to Sinai to deliver his law to Moses for the people was accompanied by an earthquake (Exodus 19:18).
Frequently the creation shakes before the Lord’s majesty and awesome power, just as John witnesses it here.
The sixth seal carries us suddenly to the end of history, when, as Scripture interprets Haggai 2:6 and 7, which reads
Haggai 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. 7I will shake all
nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house
with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.
with the words of
Hebrews 12:26 - 29 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now
he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the
heavens." 27The words "once more" indicate the
removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be
shaken may remain. 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom
that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with
reverence and awe. 29For our "God is a consuming fire."
We clearly see the contrast between the impermanence of earth and the heavens and the eternity of their Creator in the citation of
Psalm 102:25 - 27 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the
earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26They will
perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing
you will change them and they will be discarded. 27But you remain
the same, and your years will never end.
Hebrews 1:10 - 12 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord,
you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your
hands. 11They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out
like a garment. 12You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment
they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never
end."
Ezekiel 38:19, 20 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at
that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20The
fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature
that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will
tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will
crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.
Revelation
6:12 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.
Joel 2:10, 31, 32 Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles,
the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 31The
sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32And everyone who calls on the
name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will
be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
Ezekiel 32:7, 8 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. 8All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken
over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Isaiah 13:10, 50:3 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. 50:3I clothe the sky with darkness and make
sackcloth its covering.
Amos 8:8 - 13 "Will not the land tremble for this, and all
who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be
stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt. 9In that
day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at
noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. 10I will turn your
religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make
all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like
mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day."
Revelation
6:13, 14 And the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig
tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll,
rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Seal five explained the restraint of the judgments of seals 1-4, showing that the evil will not come until all martyrs have died. Now seal 6 provides the balancing assurance that the end will come certainly and suddenly. The breaking of this seal precipitates an earthquake of unparalleled magnitude, reaching up into the heavens, blackening the sun, bloodying the moon, shaking the stars loose to fall to earth like figs in the wind, ripping the sky open like rolled papyrus, and then returning to earth to toss mountains and islands from their places.
The imagery used here is rooted in Old Testament prophecies: sun darkened and moon turned to blood, as we have read in Joel 2:31; stars falling like figs in the wind and sky rolled like a scroll, mountains and islands displaced.
Isaiah 34:4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the
sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves
from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
All symbols of steadfastness in creation are moved or destroyed, dislodged from their familiar places and all things are changed.
Everything stained by the dragon’s touch and human sin is swept aside before the face of God and the wrath of the Lamb, and rebels from every stratum of society – from king to slave – try in vain to hide from the great day of their wrath. The terrified sinners ask a desperate, rhetorical question, 'who is able to stand?' assuming that no one can survive the coming cosmic trauma.
The sixth seal carries us beyond the present period of limited, providential judgments on earth and the martyrs’ rest in heaven. This destruction falls not on a portion of rebellious humanity or a fraction of the spheres that touch human life but on the whole of the earth and the sky. It falls specifically on those light signs (sun, moon, stars) placed into the firmament at creation’s dawn to separate light from dark, day from night, and to mark time’s passage as long as the first heavens and earth endure. But before the end is revealed, John sees the surprising and positive answer to the rebels’ question 'who is able to stand?'
Revelation
6:15 Then the kings of the earth, the
princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man
hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
Here Scripture lists seven elements that describe all of mankind: kings, princes, generals, rich, mighty, slaves, and free men. Princes here do not necessarily mean those of royal descent but rather those who are in power close to the king.
Kings:
Revelation 16:14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous
signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the
battle on the great day of God Almighty.
Revelation 17:2, 18 With
her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth
were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries. 18The woman you
saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.
Revelation 18:3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine
of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the
merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
Revelation 19:19 Then I
saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to
make war against the rider on the horse and his army.
Princes:
Revelation 19:18 So that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals,
and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free
and slave, small and great.
Mark 6:21 Finally the
opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials
and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
Esther 1:14 And were closest to the king--Carshena, Shethar,
Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and
Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
Generals:
Ezekiel 39:18, 20 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink
the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and
bulls--all of them fattened animals from Bashan. 20At my table you
will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every
kind,' declares the Sovereign LORD.
Rich:
Revelation 2:9 I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you
are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but
are a synagogue of Satan.
Revelation 3:17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do
not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor,
blind and naked.
Revelation 13:16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich
and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his
forehead.
Hosea 12:8 Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich; I have become
wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin."
Zechariah 11:5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished.
Those who sell them say, 'Praise the LORD, I am rich!' Their own shepherds do
not spare them.
Luke 6:24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already
received your comfort.
Mighty:
I Samuel 17:46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and
I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of
the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and
the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
Jeremiah 19:7 "'In
this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall
by the sword before their enemies, at the hands of those who seek their lives,
and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts
of the earth
II Chronicles 14:11 Then
Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you
to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely
on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are
our God; do not let man prevail against you."
Job 34:20, 24, 41:25 They die in an instant, in the middle of the
night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without
human hand. 24Without inquiry he shatters the mighty and sets up
others in their place. 41:25When he rises up, the mighty are
terrified; they retreat before his thrashing.
Slaves and
free men. This encompasses all the others who were not included in the above.
We have taken time to distinguish between these seven elements to show that
everybody will seek refuge in the mountains. Everybody, that is, who has to
fear the coming of the Lord.