Day of Divine Wrath

Revelation 6:12-17

Introduction:

            Harder to paint a worse picture than what is painted here

Earth shakes, total blackness, stars fall, heaven departs, mountains and islands moved

Many take this passage figuratively:  Symbolically

      *say that it is referring to the changing in govt. and upsetting the traditions

H.A. Ironside:  “It is therefore not worldwide, literal earthquakes that the sixth seal introduces, but rather the destruction of the present order – political, social, and ecclesiastical – reduced to chaos; the breaking down of all authority, and the breaking up of all established and apparently permanent institutions.”

I don’t agree:  This would appear to make vv. 15-17 an overstatement

The five judgments of this broken seal

I.                   The Shaking of the Earth v. 12

1.      “Sizemos” Matthew 8:24 same as “tempest” (read vv. 23-27)

Compare the bouncing of a boat in the water to the whole earth

2.      Predicted many times in Scripture:

A.    Ezekiel 38:19 “Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel.”

B.     Joel 3:15-16 The heavens and the earth will shake

C.     Matt. 24:7 “Nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places.”

3.      Other times in Scripture that earth quaked:

A.    Giving of the Law when Lord descended on the mount   Exodus 19:18

B.     Jesus died on the cross Matt. 27:1

C.     Jesus came out of the grave Matt. 28:2

4.      Concern:  Often when there is an earthquake today there are comments and questions about whether or not this is a sign of the end of the times.  Bible clearly teaches that we don’t know when that will be.  It certainly doesn’t have to wait for anything to happen first.  I think that at times Christians make fools out of themselves by taking some of the current events and trying to link them publicly to the end time events.  Don’t misunderstand at times it is exciting to look  at events and see how they could tie in, be careful.  When Jews became a nation (1948?) some Christians said publicly, “Two years from now and it will all be over.”  They were made a laughing stock.  Acts 2 disciples were concerned about coming kingdom, Jesus told them to be concerned with the winning of souls, not events that the Father had not revealed His time frame it.             

                  5.  A clear act of God:  Not caused by atomic explosion, etc.

                        vv. 16-17 attribute it to the “wrath of the Lamb”

II.                 The Darkening of the Sky

1.      In the past:

A.    When Jesus died on the cross

B.     Plagues in Egypt:  darkness could be felt

C.     On Mt. Sinai  Exodus 20:21 thick darkness     

2.      Prophets spoke of:

A.    Joel 2:10, 31;  3:15

B.     Isaiah 13:10

3.      Hard to imagine what that would be like

Earth shaking, sky darkened: when no sun or moon get really dark

Illustration:  childhood in middle of night thought I was blind

III.              Falling of the Stars

1.      Meaning:  It seems that they just stop giving off their light:  appearance that they have fallen from the sky

Seems to fit with Joel 2:10

Others have taken this to mean that there is a meteor shower:  Base it on the fact that star = “aster” which can refer to any body in sky

2.      Put all together so far it becomes a pretty scary picture

IV.             Every Mountain and Island will be Moved

May be the result of the earthquake

Points for us to ponder:

1.      Note the horror of sin

a.       No one will escape

b.      No one is exempt

c.       This is only the beginning.  See silence of 8:1 at opening of the seventh seal

2.      Note the hiding of sin

a.       First instinct was to hide:  Adam and Eve

3.      Note the hardness of sin

a.       Instead of calling on God they called on the rocks

b.      Sin hardens the heart against God