Revelation Study Week 17: Chapter 6:9-17

Rev. 6:7-17 The New Revised Standard Version

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; 10 they cried out with a loud voice, “Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?” 11 They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed.12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and there came a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll rolling itself up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Vs. 9-11 - 9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; 10 they cried out with a loud voice, “Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?” 11 They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed.

Who are “those who has been slaughtered?”

Believers on the earth - after the rapture of the church

living during tribulation and being put to death

first of a large group

Called Tribulation saints

The martyrdom of saints is part of the backdrop of all the events of the Tribulation.

God’s response to their question “how long?”

God responds to the prayers of the martyrs in two ways in 6:11. First, he gives each one a “white robe.” Here, as elsewhere in 3:4–5; 4:4; 7:9–17, these indicate high status, purity, and victory. The martyrs have entered their reward, and God has heard their plea. The answer is coming, but in God’s time, not theirs. They must “wait a little longer,” for there are events yet to take place before the final victory can be secured. There is a sense of imminent expectation, yet patience is needed. Satan “knows his time is short” (12:12), and the delay is virtually over (10:6). The command to “wait” contains the meaning of resting as well as waiting. With the white robe of glory, they will indeed rest in the glory of heaven as they await the consummation of God’s victory on their behalf.

Grant R. Osborne, Revelation: Verse by Verse, Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 129–130.

Vs. 12-14 - 12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and there came a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll rolling itself up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

The sixth seal brings supernatural events that people begin to recognize.

Sun becomes black

Moon becomes blood red - where does the red come from if the sun is blacked out?

Stars falls to the earth - not literal suns but are heavenly bodies…shooting stars, meteorites.

Sky vanished

mountains and island removed

VS. 15-17 - 15 Then the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Notice who will feel the effects of the terrible day…Kings, rulers, generals, rich, powerful, slave, free…No one will be left who is not tasted the sting of the sixth seal...

This is just information about what will happen because of what transpired with the opening of the 6th seal.

With the sun becoming black there would be no light to warm the earth.

There would be severe weather because of the rapid cooling of the earth.

The warmth from the core of the earth rising would create seismic activity.

Everyone would hid in the caves of the earth to escape the devastation, but it would not be safe.