Bible Gem 2256 – Who is Able to Survive the Outcome of the Sixth Seal?

¹²I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. ¹³Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. ¹⁵Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. ¹⁷For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”

Revelation 6:12-17

Where the breaking of the fifth seal was focused on heaven, the context of the sixth seal and the resultant aftermath takes place on earth. Let’s chart the events which followed the opening of the Sixth Seal:

1. There was a great earthquake
2. The sun became dark as black cloth.
3. The moon became as red as blood.
4. The stars of the sky fell like green figs in a strong wind.
5. The sky was rolled up like a scroll.
6. All of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.

There are earthquakes included in the events related to the end of times before the breaking of seals in Revelation. Witness Jesus’ comments in the Gospels before the opening of the seals. Need I remind you of the references to earthquakes which would be part of the end time scenario?

Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Matthew 24:7-8

And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Mark 13:7-8

Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.

Luke 21:10-11

When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

Hebrews 12:26-27

What is described in the above verses are earthquakes on a global catastrophic scale, the likes of which this world has not experienced before. We might call these earthquakes megaquakes, as they are referred to in the Greek text, [seismoi te megaloi – Luke 21:11] and [seismos megas – Revelation 6:12] . Did you take note of the line in Revelation 6:14?

The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.

Revelation 6:14

That is a great earthquake, the likes of which we have never seen before. Even allowing for Greek poetic hyperbole, it is a portent of scary proportions. All the mountains and all the islands moved from their places! That can only mean laterally, not necessarily vertical displacement. Talk about “earthquakes in many parts of the world”, the prospect of this ought to strike fear in our hearts. Notice now the words that are spoken by those on the earth at this time.

And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”

Revelation 6:16-17

Do you recall hearing those words before this moment at the time of the breaking of the sixth seal? I believe those astute ones among us will go immediately to the words of Jesus on the way to His crucifixion.

People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Luke 23:30-31

Was Jesus the first to utter these words? No, they first appear in mouth of the prophet Hosea. This is essentially a prophetic word applied at multiple times.

And the pagan shrines of Aven, the place of Israel’s sin, will crumble. Thorns and thistles will grow up around their altars. They will beg the mountains, “Bury us!” and plead with the hills, “Fall on us!” The LORD says, “O Israel, ever since Gibeah, there has been only sin and more sin! You have made no progress whatsoever. Was it not right that the wicked men of Gibeah were attacked?

Hosea 10:8-9

But the scale of the cataclysm is not limited to some great earthquakes in many parts of the world or all mountains and islands displaced. In addition, the coming dread includes the order of the heavenly bodies being shaken as well. Whenever the heavenly bodies are mentioned from Genesis to Revelation they are listed in the ordered way God created them. The Greater Light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars. I have told you already in The Message in the Stars Nugget series that the way God scattered the stars at Creation was immaculate to the N^th degree. Yet in accord with Luke’s description, there will be terrifyingly great signs in the heavens and shaking not only on earth but in the heavenly order as well (Hebrews 12:26). The ordered universe will begin to evidence signs of the end as well. This will not just be a global scale event but a univers(e)al one.

Now in accord with the title I gave this Gem, for whose benefit is this display of portents arranged? Do you see that it’s clear who God is wanting to get through to? It’s the people who belong to this world. For that, we need to go back to the text of the Fifth Seal. Did you notice the line in the Fifth Seal which read:

They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge ‘the people who belong to this world’ and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Revelation 6:10

Do you notice this is a re-occurring phrase through the Book of Revelation?

• to test those who belong to this world. (Rev 3:10)
•  judge the people who belong to this world. (Rev 6:10)
• Terror, terror, terror [woe 3x] to all who belong to this world. (Rev 8:13)
• All the people who belong to this world will gloat over . . . the two prophets. (Rev 11:10)
• And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. (Rev 13:8)
• [The beast] deceived all the people who belong to this world. (Rev 13:14)
• And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, (Rev 17:8)

The phrase is always the same and it is curious to say the least. The Greek phrase reads as follows:-

The root verb of [κατοικοῦντες] is [κατοικέω – katoikeō] which means “to dwell”, “to make the earth their dwelling place”, “to settle therein”. The sense is “to belong to the earth”, “to settle and be influenced by”, “to acclimatise to”. In another sense the verb carries the notion of “allowing the ways of the earth to influence them”, “settle and accept the ways of the world”, “to belong to” or “be comfortable with”. I like the way the NLT has captured the idea with “all who belong to this world”. That is the idea expressed by this word and it is remarkable that the exact same phrase appears each time related to those left on the earth who “embody the ways of the world”. These people each time are at enmity with God. Either actively opposed to Him or “comfortably compliant with” the Beast, the Antichrist and the forces of evil.

God allows the portents of doom to move those on the earth to action in order to get themselves right with Him. The message is for EVERYONE. The kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, every slave and every free person. No one is exempt. But it does not seem to bring about any change of heart or repentance. Thus the disasters increase in severity and effect. The disasters that are coming only result in the people being afraid of one thing; Coming face to face with the One sitting on the throne and the Lamb. They fear the Wrath of God and the Wrath of the Lamb.

My friend and colleague, Michael Martens, sent me the following comment after Bible Gem 2255.

As believers in Jesus and part of His body, we are saved from “the wrath of God”. But we are not exempt from “tribulation”. In fact, the term “tribulation” in the NT normally refers to God’s people being persecuted. The 7 trumpets and 7 bowl judgments seem to be the pouring out of God’s wrath on the wicked. Maybe by that time Jesus will have picked us up into the air till He wipes out the forces of evil. But the 1st beast persecuting the saints, the 2nd beast forcing all people to worship the statue of the 1st beast, the harlot Babylon being intoxicated drinking the blood of the saints — it seems to me that we saints are here for all of that.

Michael Martens

Exactly Michael, I have picked up on that same thought. We think God’s wrath will come At The End. But stop and look what Paul wrote in Romans which I covered at that time in the Gems.

For God’s wrath is being revealed from Heaven on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, holding the truth in unrighteousness,  because the thing known of God is clearly known within them, for God revealed it to them.

Romans 1:18-19

But now the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from Law, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ toward all and upon all those believing . . .

Romans 3:21-22 ff [and following]

Most people, Christian and non-Christian alike, think God’s wrath will come at the end. Wrong! Notice the tense of these two verses. God’s wrath is being revealed, present tense! How? God tells us through Paul in Romans 1. God gave them up / gave them over . . . The phrase is repeated three times. Pay attention when God repeats things three times! Romans 1:24, 1:26 and 1:28. When mankind continues to ignore God, He gives us free reign to do what we want.

The parallel passage to God abandoning us is found in Romans 3:21 when at a particular point in time God revealed the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Righteousness of God. God’s way of making us right with Him; He is our Righteousness. There is no other way as I have told you. How will this be made known? By the White Robes we will wear! The White Robes symbolise the Righteousness of Christ. You won’t get into heaven without being covered by the Righteousness of Christ. A song comes to mind which we sang years ago. It’s still true.

I Am Covered Over With The Robe Of Righteousness That
Jesus Gives To Me, Gives To Me;
I Am Covered Over With The Precious Blood Of Jesus
And He Lives In Me, He Lives In Me,
Oh What Joy It Is To Know My Heavenly Father Loves Me So,
And Gave To Me, My Jesus,
When He Looks At Me He Sees Not What I Used To Be, But
He Sees Jesus, Jesus.

It is ironic that Jesus told the people of Laodicea, who had black as a favourite cloth marketed in city, that they needed to buy white garments from Him. But you can’t buy the white robes of righteousness; they have to be given to you when you accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and of truth.

John 1:11-14

The wages of sin is death. Repent before payday.

Ian

I think it is better for our future destination to be prepared for suffering, persecution and martyrdom than to hope God will snatch us out before the persecution.  

Ian

The 1st beast persecuting the saints, the 2nd beast forcing all people to worship the statue of the 1st beast, the harlot Babylon being intoxicated drinking the blood of the saints — it seems to me that we saints are here for all of that.  

Michael Martens

For God’s wrath is being revealed from Heaven on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

Romans 1:18

How? God gave them over . . .  

Romans 1:24, 1:26 and 1:28

Don’t disregard wrong doing and cosy up to the world to the point when God says of you, “Ok I give up, do what you want.”

Ian