Originally posted: 12/15/2021
and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,” (6:16).
Today we come face to face with “the first of three sevenfold numbered series of judgments” NIV Study Bible, … and probably a lot of questions. But there is one thing that is without question; it is the Lamb Who breaks the seals and releases the Wrath of Him Who Is Holy, Holy, Holy.
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals… (6:1).
When He broke the second seal… (6:3).
When He broke the third seal… (6:5).
When the Lamb broke the fourth seal… (6:7).
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal… (6:9).
I looked when He broke the sixth seal… (6:12).
Consider the Wrath of the Lamb
As we consider the meaning of each seal, what is truly significant is that it is the Lamb Who Was Slain, the Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world, the Lamb Who purchased us for God by His blood, Who breaks the seals that usher in His indomitable Wrath.
and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (6:16-17).
I couldn’t help but wonder how John kept up; how was he able to record it all as he witnessed the stampeding Wrath of the Lamb unleashed as each seal was subsequently broken.
Six of the seven seals are broken in this chapter, seemingly one right on top of the other. The timing of it all is speculative at best. And while there is debate concerning the timing of the breaking of these seals, most agree on the general interpretation of each seal, with perhaps the first as the exception.
First Seal (white horse): Conquering Victory
I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer, (6:2).
The colors in Revelation correspond to the character of the rider; white symbolizes conquest. Major interpretations of the rider on the white horse are: (1) Christ (cf. 19:11), (2) the antichrist and (3) the spirit of conquest. The latter establishes a more natural sequence with the other three riders…” NIV Study Bible.
Second Seal (red horse): War
And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, (6:4).
Third Seal (black horse): Famine
I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.” (6:5-6).
Fourth Seal (ashen horse): Death
I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth, (6:8).
Fifth Seal (souls underneath the altar): Martyred for the Faith
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; (6:9).
Six Seal (great earthquake and supernatural devastation): Terror and Gripping Fear
I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (6:12-14).
How do we respond to the Wrath of the Lamb?
While I am somewhat familiar with the end times described in Revelation, it does not lessen the blow. And that is a good thing; for we need to live in constant awareness that the Lamb Who Was Slain for the sins of the world in no wise glosses over or excuses sin. Sin is serious. So serious that the Lamb Who Was Slain, the Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world, the Lamb Who purchased us for God by His blood, is the same Lamb Who will break the seals of His judgment in That Day, the Day of the Wrath of the Lamb.
And the reality is, any who have refused to seek refuge by faith in the Lamb Who Was Slain, will find no refuge at all. For even being buried by a landslide would be more tolerable to endure than the Wrath of the Lamb.
and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (6:16-17).
In closing, while thinking about the end times and the coming Wrath of the Lamb may be exhausting and yes, frightening, let us remember we are promised a blessing in reading, hearing and heeding so as to accept His Word in faith; for the time is near.
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near, (Revelation 1:3).
And perhaps one of the greatest blessings we will receive as we read the book of Revelation and are confronted with the Wrath of the Lamb, is being “Scared Straight.”
In the late 70’s a documentary film by that name was released, highlighting a group of young juvenile delinquents as they spent several hours in a state prison listening to the terrifying stories of the inmates who were serving life sentences. The hope was that fear of the future would deter these young criminals from their deviant path of crime so as to be “Scared Straight.”
Let us reflect back on our time in the books of the prophets, and the repeated warnings sent time and time again of what was coming if His people continued to reject His prophetic predictions. Let us seek His great blessing in reading, hearing, and heeding the prophecy in this book with gratitude that we have been Scared Straight into His Grace, and confident that through faith in the Son we will escape the Wrath of the Lamb.
“The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him,” (John 3:36).