The previous five seal judgments were largely brought
about by the activities of man. However, this is not the
case here. Because of this, some have taken the position
that it is only with the sixth seal that we have the wrath
of God. Until this point, it is merely the wrath of man.
Because of this, they have also taken the position that the
church will go into the Tribulation and will not be raptured
until about midway through the last half of the Tribulation,
just before this time of God’s wrath. They believe the
church has been promised deliverance from God’s wrath, but
since the first three quarters of the Tribulation is not
God’s wrath, but man’s, the church will not be raptured
until just prior to the sixth seal which alone constitutes
the wrath of God.
According to what is recorded in chapters 4-5, all the seals
constitute an outpouring of God’s wrath and are unleashed by
the Lord Himself. Further, they are all seen as the means or
instruments by which He establishes His rule on earth.
Finally, just because the first five seals employ a human
agent that does not mean this is not part of the outpouring
of God’s wrath. The only difference in the sixth seal and
the first five is the degree and magnitude of His wrath. A
good passage to illustrate this fact is Isaiah 10:5-12. Note
that in this passage, Assyria is called “the rod of My anger
and the staff in whose hands is My indignation” (vs. 5).
Assyria was a human agent commissioned by God (vs. 6) to
execute His wrath or judgment against Israel for her
rebellion. The fact God used a human agency does not remove
the fact this was God’s wrath in action.
The sixth seal is the direct intervention of the Creator
upsetting the normal order of His creation. The nature and
effect of this judgment is such that it causes all of
humanity from kings to slaves to recognize that God the
Creator is acting in human history in divine wrath. If the
six things that occur here were set off or caused by
something which man does, as a nuclear explosion, then it
could be attributed to man’s foolishness causing universal
ecological destruction. It should also be noted that the
magnitude of this is far above what even nuclear fission
could accomplish. This is an act, a direct intervention of
God in history. The passage stresses that men see it as the
direct hand and action of God.
When the sixth seal occurs God shakes the universe like a
rag doll and all the world will know without a doubt not
only that there is a God, but that He is acting in divine
wrath against man’s rebellion. It is interesting to note
that this judgment affects the creation, that which from the
beginning of time has spoken of God, an evidence of His
being and of His nature, an evidence of His divine essence,
but also an evidence that modern man has rejected and
attributed to evolution (Romans 1:19-22).
This shaking affects the sun, moon, stars, atmosphere, and
earth, bringing about a tremendous quake all over the earth.
The devastation of this is beyond our imagination, though
many scientists today are actually trying to evaluate by
scientific data how much devastation would occur if a meteor
of various sizes were to hit the earth. Some actually think
that this is inevitable and that if large enough, it will
destroy the earth.
The sun is the most distinct of the heavenly bodies and the
most important to earth because of its warmth and light.
Note its use in Scripture, mark the time of day (Mark 1:32;
Luke 4:40), it rules the day and separates the light from
darkness or night (Genesis 1:14, 16). In addition, it is for
signs and for seasons; an indicator of seasons, and days,
and years (Genesis 1:14). Very important to the sun’s
function is the sign aspect. The word sign brings to mind
some spectacular display in the sun or moon, something
foreign to normal experience.
What is true concerning the sun in its function as a sign is
also true of the moon.
“Became like blood” means the moon will take on a blood red
color. As a sign, this speaks of the loss of life and death.
How eerie this all will be to look up at night and see a
blood red moon. Evidently, through the atmospheric changes
brought about by the shaking of the earth and the heavens,
particles or substances will be in the air that will cause
the moon to take on a red cast.
“And the stars of the sky fell to earth.” The stars that
John tells us will fall from the sky to earth and compares
them to unripe figs falling to earth from a fig tree when
shaken by a great wind. Here, because of their size, likened
to unripe figs, these are apparently meteorites or perhaps
asteroids.
“And every mountain and island were moved out of their
places” (v 14). The earth today has many geological faults,
cracks below and in the crust of the earth. Through this
worldwide earthquake, these faults will be undoubtedly set
in motion causing the mountains and islands to be moved out
of their present places.
In verses 15-17, we see who will be affected and their
response.
(1) Those affected every class of society. No one is exempt.
Money or status cannot protect one from these judgments.
(2) Their actions: Now men not only know that the end is
near, but they act like it. They hide themselves among the
caves and rocks of the earth.
(3) Their attitude, three things characterize their
attitude, first, they want to die. Second, they are struck
with terror. Third, they are, in spite of this, unrepentant
even though they know they are facing the day of God’s wrath
poured out against sin. Note their words, “who is able to
stand?” The idea here is not who can make it through alive,
because they want to die. They sense God’s perfect
righteousness and know they cannot stand before Him. They
must be judged, yet no note of repentance is heard. This
shows just how hard the soul of man can become.
