What is the meaning of Revelation 6:12? And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal • John sees the same Lamb who was “worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals” (Revelation 5:5–7, 9) proceeding with God’s plan. • The imagery places Jesus at the center of judgment as well as redemption, echoing His own words: “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). • This moment follows the opening of five previous seals, each releasing escalating consequences on a world that has rejected God (Revelation 6:1–11). and there was a great earthquake • Scripture often links earthshaking events to God’s direct intervention—Mount Sinai trembled when God descended (Exodus 19:18), and future prophetic scenes feature similar quakes (Isaiah 2:19; Revelation 11:13; 16:18). • A literal global earthquake signals that the created order itself is convulsing under divine judgment, fulfilling Jesus’ forecast of “earthquakes in various places” as part of early birth pains (Matthew 24:7–8). • The magnitude—“great”—suggests unprecedented upheaval, preparing the way for even greater cosmic signs that follow. and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair • Sackcloth in biblical times symbolized mourning and repentance (Jonah 3:6; Matthew 11:21). The sun darkening “like” sackcloth pictures the entire planet plunged into grief and dread. • Similar prophetic descriptions appear in Joel 2:10, 31 and Isaiah 13:10, showing a consistent pattern: when God judges, He darkens the lights of the heavens. • Taken literally, the phenomenon may involve atmospheric disturbances from the earthquake—ash, smoke, or other debris eclipsing sunlight—yet it ultimately points to God dimming the world’s primary light source (Mark 13:24). and the whole moon turned blood red • As sunlight is obscured, the moon takes on a bloodlike hue, recalling 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.” • Acts 2:20 cites the same prophecy, confirming that these celestial signs precede the Day of the Lord, a period of intense judgment leading to Christ’s return (Revelation 19:11–16). • The moon’s color conveys both terror and impending wrath, much like the Passover blood on Israel’s doorposts signaled safety for believers and judgment for unbelievers (Exodus 12:13). summary The sixth seal unleashes global upheaval: the Lamb’s authority initiates a quake that ripples through earth and sky, darkening the sun and reddening the moon. These literal events fulfill long-prophesied signs announcing the Day of the Lord, warning a rebellious world while affirming that Jesus governs history and will soon appear to set all things right. |
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