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Introduction

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Interpretation

Authorship

Structure

Historical

References

Comparison

Chap 1

Chap 2

Chap 3

Chap 4

Chap 5

Chap 6

Chap 7

Chap 8

Chap 9

Chap 10

Chap 11

Chap 12

Chap 13

Chap 14

Chap 15

Chap 16

Chap 17

Chap 18

Chap 19

Chap 20

Chap 21

Chap 22

2.5. Fifth seal (6:9)

Rev 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. 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?" 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.

v9 - 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. - Earlier we have seen the Lamb looking as if it had been slain (5:6, 9, 12), now we see those who follow the Lamb and who are slain because of their obedience to the word of God and the testimony they had maintained to death (cf. Smyrna and Antipas, see also 11:7, 12:11, 17:6). The same Greek word for slain (sphazo) is used of both Christ and these martyrs which means literally 'butchered', they follow in the footsteps of their master. Later we also see the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God (20:4). The sequence of four seals is interrupted by a picture of the martyrs because by their martyrdom some might repent of the error of their ways (Caird) this scene of the martyrs intervenes prior to the sixth seal when Christ comes in judgement and it is too late to repent. See also the two witnesses which intervene between the sixth and seventh trumpet. Where is the altar? It is before the throne of God in heaven (Rev 8:3), in the OT the blood was poured under the altar of burnt offering (Lev 4:7). This indicates that their death by martyrdom is viewed as a sacrifice on the altar in heaven (cf. machaira of the second seal). They had offered their bodies as a living sacrifice, Rom 12:1. He saw their souls, they were thus alive demonstrating that although man can destroy the body he cannot destroy the soul, Mat 10:28.

v9 - slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained - This is one of the themes of the book that whenever men are obedient to the word of God and testify about Christ with their words and their deeds, persecution will follow. The main thrust of the book is to be obedient to the death and that in doing so they will be victorious over the powers of evil and will gain their (eternal) life. The Greek word for martyr, martus, means 'a witness'. See also Rev 11:7 in which when the two witnesses have finished their testimony the beast from the Abyss attacked them, and overpowers and kills them. We find that the beast makes war on the saints and kills them 13:7, the beast out of the earth set up an image of the beast out of the sea and killed all who refuse to worship the image, 13:15, and we find that the woman (Babylon) is drunk with the blood of the saints, 17:6. Those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark are destined for eternal torment, 14:9 ff. In Rev 20:4 we also find 'the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands'. This persecution and martyrdom is in accordance with the words of Jesus in Matthew, 'then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death', Mat 24:9, 'this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come' Mat 24:14, see also Mat 10:21, Mat 5:11, John 15:20. The testimony of the martyrs by their words, deeds and death is part of God's plan.

v10 - 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?" - This cry occurs several times in scripture, Ps 79:10, 119:84. It is God who will avenge their blood, vengeance is not to be theirs, Deu 32:43, Rom 12:19. Their cry is a cry for justice, not retribution, just as Abel's blood cried out to God for justice, Gen 4:10. This cry is answered in Rev 16:5-7 when the third bowl is poured out as the just penalty for killing the saints and prophets and in Rev 19:2 when he condemned the great prostitute, in her was found the blood of the martyrs and all killed on the earth, see Rev 18:24. In 19:2 the same Greek word for avenge is used (ekdikeo, cf. Luk 18:3, Rom 12:19, 2 Cor 10:6).

v11 - 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. - The white robe is the robe of righteousness, Isa 61:10, see also Rev 7:13. The idea of waiting 'until the number of their fellow servants and brother who were to be killed as they had been was completed' is that the persecution is all under God's control, he knows and has ordained the number to be killed, just as he knows the number of hairs on their head. There is a number that is fixed under the perfect will and foreknowledge of God, see Rev 7:4. The NASB has that they were told to rest for a little while longer, rather than wait, in 14:13 we are told that 'they will rest from their labour, for their deeds follow them'. Martyrdom seems like a setback for the church but in fact it progresses the gospel hence Tertullian's famous dictum, that 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church' (Hughes).

2.6. Sixth seal(6:12)

Rev 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, 13 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. 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. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

Verse 14 has parallels elsewhere in Revelation, in the seventh bowl "Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found" (16:17-21) and the great white throne "Earth and sky fled from his presence" (20:11-12). The language comes from the OT as in: Isa 13:9-13, 24:1-6, 34:1-4, Ezek 32:5-8, Joel 2:10-11, 2:30-31, 3:15-16, Hab 3:6-11, and in the NT Mat 24:29, Mark 13:24-26, Acts 2:19-20. The question is whether to take it literally, since in verse 14 the mountains were removed they would have no mountains to hide in, in verse 16. Some of the OT references refer to national destruction by enemies and even Mat 24:29 could refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (verse 16 alludes to Luke 23:28-31, which refers to the destruction of Jerusalem).

However, this clearly is an apocalyptic reference to destruction and judgement, and whether local or globally its parallel in the great white throne scene indicates global judgement as does the seven-fold description of those people affected in verse 15. It also affects the total cosmos in seven ways: earthquake, sun, moon, stars, sky, mountains and islands (v. 12-14). "The great day of their wrath" in verse 17, seems to indicate the 'last day'. In Acts 2:20 Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 with reference to what was happening at Pentecost (the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood). And in Luke 23:30 Jesus alludes to Hosea 10:8, when referring to the future destruction of Jerusalem ("'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'). Surely, the destruction of Jerusalem is a type of the end of the world.

v12 - I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. - The Lamb opens the sixth seal. Verses 13-14 all deal with disturbances in the cosmos, verses 15-17 deal with those who dwell on the earth. A great earthquake will accompany the Second Coming, (Isa 29:6, Ezek 38:19, Zec 14:4).

Other occurrences of earthquakes in Revelation:

i. Seventh seal, 8:5.

ii. Two witnesses go to heaven, 11:13.

iii. Seventh trumpet, 11:19.

iv. Seventh bowl, 16:18.

v12 - The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, - This passage is a clear reference to the second coming of Christ in judgement against the nations, as prophesied by Joel 2:30-31 and Mat 24:29, although Chilton would see this in terms of the destruction of Jerusalem who had rejected Christ. Perhaps then, we should see this passage as the destruction of all who have rejected Christ at his Second Coming. There are some features of these verses, which refer to the Lord coming in judgement at specific points in history, not just the last day, see for example the destruction of Babylon in Isaiah 13.

v13-14 - and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. - Quoted from Isa 34:4, see also Hab 3:6, Mic 1:4. These signs herald the end of the age, Mat 24:29, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken'. There can be no doubt that this refers to the Second Coming of Christ. Notice the similarity with the seventh bowl, 16:20, 'Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found'. There is also a similarity with judgement day when the earth and sky fled from his presence (20:11). In the same way when Christ returns in judgement He will 'make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger' (Isa 13:13).

v15 - 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. - Verses 12-14 deal with disturbances in the cosmos, now we come to the effect on the people on earth. There is great terror, the day of the Lord affects all men from the highest to the lowest, see the similar description of those in Rev 19:17, who are gathered for the great supper of God, which clearly depicts the second coming. They flee to the caves to hide from his wrath, Isa 2:10, 19, 21 see also Isa 13:6-8, 24:21, 34:12, Zep 1:14. This sevenfold description covers all men from the greatest to the least.

v16 - They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! - All the nations will mourn when they see the Son of Man appear, Mat 24:30. Being buried by a mountain is preferable to seeing God and experiencing the wrath of the Lamb, quoted from Hosea 10:8 see also Isa 2:19-21. Both God and the Lamb are here linked to wrath, see also Rev 14:10. This is also similar to a saying of Jesus to the woman of Jerusalem as he was being led to the cross (Luke 23:28-31) when he was alluding to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, but this also prefigures the last day (see Mat 24), it is clear from the context that here in Revelation it is the last day being referred to.

(Luke 23:28-31 NIV) Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. {29} For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' {30} Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' {31} For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Chilton takes this to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. While many scholars link Mathew 24 with the seven seals, few also make the connection with the destruction of Jerusalem, which is also clearly portrayed in those verses (Chilton).

v17 - For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" - When Jesus comes again he will come with wrath for the world, it is 'the great day of their wrath', Psa 110:5, Isa 13:9, Zep 1:14 ff., Rom 2:5. It is a unique day, (Zec 14:7), who can stand on the day of his wrath? Malachi and Joel posed the same question: Mal 3:2 'But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?' Joel 2:11 'The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?' So does Nahum 1:16. The answer to 'who can stand' is given in the next section of the 144,000 sealed, (especially 7:9) see also 1 Thess 1:10 in which it is Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath. God’s wrath also occurs in the seventh trumpet, Rev 11:18; on those who worship the beast, 14:10; when the grapes are harvested into the winepress of God’s wrath, 14:19; with the seven bowls, 15:1; the destruction of Babylon, 16:19; the rider on the white horse, 19:15.