Sermon Tone Analysis

Revelation 6:12–17 (ESV)

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, 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.

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, 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, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The Seals

The seals represent the pain, sorrow, and judgements that will come upon the world in the last days before He brings about New Creation.

God is allowing to do its worst so that He might confront it head on.

Purpose of this chapter: To show God’s sovereignty in the midst of chaos and suffering

The fact that Christ holds the scrolls and breaks the seals, shows that God is in still control—even in the midst of the most horrifying circumstances—and he uses these for both judicial and redemptive purposes.

The First Four Seals: The Four Horseman

Rider on the White Horse: Conquest - Likely Symbolize Conquering Kings

The Red Horse and Rider: War (or Violence) - the malevolent behavior of humans one to another… this violence robs the world of peace.

Black Horse: Famine (Economic Woes) brought on by tyranny and national disasters

Pale Horse and Rider: Personification of Death: Conquest, Violence, & Famine, all lead to death.

In addition to the bloodshed from war and death from famine, many will be killed by pestilence and wild beasts.

The Fifth Seal

The Souls of the Martyrs: Cry for justice and call for patience

The Sixth Seal: Answered Prayers:

Christ’s opening of the sixth seal, is God’s answer to the patient prayers of the martyrs.

When the sixth seal is opened, John sees judgment poured out on the wicked.

He uses apocalyptic language to describe the impending judgement.

It seems clear, that this if the final judgement of which John is speaking.

Note: This is not a repeatable judgement like the first four seals (the four horsemen).

This is the judgement where the wicked will finally realize that they are under the Creator’s wrath.

Revelation 6:12 (ESV)

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,

In this scene of judgement, the created order falls apart.

Note: John picks up a lot of this language from the OT Prophets

Earthquakes

The last day is signaled with an earthquake (a regular picture of final judgement in Rev.)

Revelation 8:5 (ESV)

Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Revelation 11:13 (ESV)

And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell.

Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Revelation 11:19 (ESV)

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple.

There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Revelation 16:18 (ESV)

And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.

The OT used earthquakes to signify the judgement of God

Ezekiel 38:19–21 (ESV)

For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence.

And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.

I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God.

Every man’s sword will be against his brother.

Joel 3:16 (ESV)

The Lord roars from Zion,

and utters his voice from Jerusalem,

and the heavens and the earth quake.

But the Lord is a refuge to his people,

a stronghold to the people of Israel.

The Sun turns black and the Moon becomes like blood

Joel 2:31 (ESV)

The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

Isaiah uses these words to describes Babylon’s end:

Isaiah 13:10 (ESV)

For the stars of the heavens and their constellations

will not give their light;

the sun will be dark at its rising,

and the moon will not shed its light.

Stars fall and Sky Vanishes (again, picked up from Isaiah)

Isaiah 34:4 (ESV)

All the host of heaven shall rot away,

and the skies roll up like a scroll.

All their host shall fall,

as leaves fall from the vine,

like leaves falling from the fig tree.

Mountains are removed

Imagery or Literal?

There is debate amongst scholars as to whether or not the catastrophic events described in this verse are actual, literal events that will take place in the end or if John is, again, using apocalyptic imagery, attempting to describe something that words could not possibly do justice.

Given the book genre and the context, it seems like this language is metaphorical.

According to NT Wright, The OT would often use language like the sun turning black and the moon becoming like blood, and stars falling from heaven, and so on, in order to describe what we might call “earth-shattering events”

Consider the holocaust or the flattening of the twin towers: it is hard to describe those events with words, except through symbol and metaphor.

If these cataclysmic events were literal, why would the people be hiding in caves begging for death?

It is because they must face the wrath of God.

They would rather the earth swallow them whole than face God’s wrath.

*The images of the judgements in history are signs that point to the great and final judgment.

The Point: The World as we know it is over.

Revelation 6:15–17 (ESV)

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, 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, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The One Who is Seated on the Throne = the Father

The Lamb = Jesus

The Sacrificial Lamb is now a lamb of wrath.

Lambs are some of the most docile animals, but now the Lamb comes in fury.

For those who have rejected Christ, it is too late to cry out for mercy.

The time has come that the wicked will be judged.

Revelation 6:17 (ESV)

for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Who Can Stand?

Revelation 7:1–4 (ESV)

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.

Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

Answer to question: Who can stand = Those sealed by God.

Four Corners of the Earth?

- Not that the world is flat, but symbolic of the entire world.

Four Angels: God grants the four angels governance of the world for His sake

The four winds symbolize the judgement that is about to come on the entire world