How does Revelation 6:12 describe the signs of the sixth seal's opening? Revelation 6:12 – The Text “I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal. And there was a great earthquake; the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red.” What Happens When the Sixth Seal Opens • A great, planet-shaking earthquake erupts, signaling divine intervention felt worldwide. • The sun’s light is snuffed out, turning “black like sackcloth of goat hair,” a literal dimming that plunges earth into foreboding darkness. • The entire moon takes on a “blood red” appearance, an unmistakable cosmic warning visible to every eye. Prophetic Echoes and Parallels • Joel 2:31 — “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.” • Isaiah 13:9-10 — “The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not give its light.” • Matthew 24:29 — “Immediately after the tribulation… the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky.” These passages confirm that Revelation 6:12 fulfills earlier, literal prophecies of cosmic upheaval tied to God’s judgment. Why These Signs Matter • They unmistakably announce that history has reached a divinely appointed crisis point. • They demonstrate God’s absolute authority over both earth and sky, showing that no realm is beyond His reach. • They serve as visible evidence that every earlier prophetic warning—spoken by Joel, Isaiah, and the Lord Jesus—is trustworthy and will come to pass exactly as written. Takeaway Revelation 6:12 describes three dramatic, literal signs—the earthquake, the darkened sun, and the blood-red moon—that herald the sixth seal’s opening and confirm God’s Word with awe-inspiring accuracy. |