9When 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. 10They 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?" 11Then 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.
12I 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, 13and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15Then 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. 16They 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! 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
6:9-10 - For the first century readers of this prophecy, the tribulation described was soon to be all-too-real. Soon many among their number would be imprisoned and killed because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. When the fifth seal is opened, John sees under the altar the souls of those who had been slain. (The soul or nephesh of the flesh is in the blood - Lev. 17:11) This brings forth the imagery from Old Testament sacrifices where the blood of the slain would flow down the sides of the altar and form into a pool at its base. The blood of the martyrs is poured out and fills the trench under the altar, crying 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 question makes sense. Christian martyrs would wonder if they really were serving the king, why would He allow this suffering. How long before He would act? How long, is a standard phrase in the Old Testament calling for divine justice for the oppressed (Ps. 6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; 74:10; 80:4; 89:46; 90:13; 93:3-4; Hab. 1:2; 2:6). The specific imagery here, though, comes from Zechariah 1:12. After the four horsemen have patrolled the earth the angel asks "LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem?" John reverses the situation by depicting the martyrs asking how long God will put up with Jerusalem as the oppressor. Another point John was making to his original hearers is that if the martyr’s blood is flowing around the altar, it must have been the priests who were responsible. Those who were supposed to officiate the covenant have overseen the slaying of the righteous. This passage also invokes images of righteous Abel’s blood crying out from the earth, condemning Cain (Matt. 23:35-37). One of the characteristics of the people of God that the modern church has lost is the biblical practice of praying for God’s wrath to be poured out on the enemies and persecutors of the Church (See Ps. 5, 7, 35, 58, 59. 68, 69, 73, 79, 83, 109, 137, 140).
6:11 - Each of them was given a white robe as a symbol of their purity before God and a symbol of the victory of the overcomers (Rev. 3:4-5). God answers their plea for His wrath to be poured out on the enemies of the Church, telling them 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 sin of the persecutors has not yet reached full measure just as God told Abraham concerning the Amorites in Gen. 15:16). The message is clear that God will strike and strike soon.
6:12-14 - As the sixth seal is opened, the signs that we are dealing with the last days of the Old Covenant become clear. John uses a familiar symbol in biblical prophecy: de-creation. The Bible often speaks of salvation of God’s people in terms of creation (2 Cor. 4:6; 5:17; Eph. 2:10; 4:24; Col 3:10). In the same way, God’s judgments are often spoken of in terms of de-creation. John uses the structures of creation in describing the judgment of Israel: 1) Earth; 2) Sun; 3) Moon; 4) Stars; 5) Firmament; 6) Land; 7) Man. This is all familiar prophetic imagery. First, a great earthquake (Ex. 19:18; Ps. 18:7, 15; 60:2; Isa. 13:13-14; 24:19-20; Nah. 1:5). Second the eclipse and mourning (Ex. 10:21-23; Job 9:7; Isa. 5:30; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Mic. 3:6). Third, the continuing image of an eclipse with defilement added (Job 25:5; Isa. 13:10; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31). Fourth is the image of the stars which are images of government (Gen. 1:16) and clocks (Gen. 1:14). Their fall shows that Israel’s time has run out (Job 9:7; Eccl. 12:2; Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Ezek. 32:8; Dan. 8:10; Joel 2:10; 3:15). Fifth, Israel disappear as it is rolled up like a scroll (Isa. 34:4; 51:6; Ps. 102:25-26). Sixth, the shake up continues as every mountain and island was removed from its place (Job 9:5-6; 14:18-19; 28:9-11; Isa. 41:5, 15-16; Ezek. 38:20; Nah. 1:4-8; Zeph. 2:11) (Many Scriptures, for instance Daniel 916, Ps. 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; 99:9; Isa. 27:13 refers to Jerusalem as the mountain). God’s old creation, Israel is de-created as the Kingdom is transferred to the church.
6:15-17 - The Old Testament prophetic imagery continues with the seventh aspecte of de-creation: the destruction of men. Just as the seventh seal and seventh trumpet contains the next set of seven judgments, this seventh contains seven classes of men, showing that the destruction is total and complete. No one will escape regardless of class or status. As this all happens, the men of Israel flee and seek protection. The great day of the wrath of the Lamb has come, and who can stand? The origin of asking the mountains to cover them comes from Hos. 10:6-8, Hosea’s prophecy against Israel. It was referred to by Jesus on His way to crucifixion (Luk 23:27-30), stating that it would be fulfilled within the lifetimes of those who were present. The generation that had rejected the Lord would soon be destroyed as apostates.
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