What is the 6th seal in Revelation?

The sixth seal can be found in Revelation 6:12-17 and reads as follows…

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind” (Revelation 6:12, 13).

Learn More About:

>> The 7 seals: background & overview

>> The 7th seal and the silence in heaven

>> The fifth seal and the souls under the altar

A great earthquake

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake” (Revelation 6:12)

Following the events of the fifth seal, comes a great earthquake—the greatest earthquake in history, the famous Lisbon earthquake—on November 1, 1755. Please notice the accurate historical chronology of these events. Sixty thousand people died in six minutes in the city of Lisbon and the surrounding areas. The Encyclopaedia Britannica estimates the deaths at a slightly lower figure, but the effects of the earthquake were felt from Scotland to Turkey. Now we continue on under this sixth seal:

The dark day

“And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood” (Revelation 6:12).

May 19, 1780, is known as the Great Dark Day, in New England especially, and that night the moon did appear as blood. Let us continue reading our description of the events of the sixth seal:

The stars fall

“And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind” (Revelation 6:13). When the Scripture mentions stars as falling, it must mean the falling of meteors, not actual planets or suns.

Notice that within a very short time there occurred the most notable earthquake (1775), the most notable darkening of the sun and moon (1780), and the most remarkable meteor shower, that of November 13, 1833—and they came in the exact order mentioned in the Bible.

These falling stars or meteors came as from one central spot. Just as a tree might be shaken and the fruit fly in all directions from it, so these stars radiated from the constellation of Leo.

Had these three events—the great earthquake, the dark day, and the falling stars taken place in reverse order, skeptics would never cease telling us about it. But because of the fact that they came in the exact order as mentioned in the Scriptures, skeptics should think seriously, change their ways, and become people of faith.

The sky rolled up as a scroll

But what was the next great event mentioned in the prophecy? Let us read the next verse: “Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place” (Revelation 6:14).

This, of course, is still future and will take place in connection with the second coming of Christ. So we are now living between two great events, the last of the signs in the heavens and the parting of the heavens when all earthly things will be moved out of their places.

We are living between verses 13 and 14 of the sixth chapter of Revelation. The great signs which we have just mentioned are all in the past, signs which mark the approach of our Saviour's return to this earth. We are living under the sixth seal, waiting for the opening of the seventh.

Hide us from the lamb...

Between us and the opening of the seventh seal another event is to take place. Let us read it in verses 15-17:

“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”

This is the great final prayer meeting when everybody prays. God's children will be praying because they love Him and believe in Him and are looking for the return of their Saviour, watching for the great white cloud, waiting for the angelic host that “shall gather together his elect . . . from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:31.

all will pray…

skeptics will pray,

infidels will pray,

atheists will pray,

pleasure-lovers will pray,

doubters will pray;

great men, mighty men, rich men, captains, military men, all will pray.

Men and women of all nations, tribes, and peoples will pray.

Unfortunately many of them will not pray to God, but to the rocks and mountains to hide them from the face of Christ. They realize now that all their doubtings were based on sand, and that the faith of the Christians was built on the Rock, Jesus. All this is to happen under the sixth seal, and we are living under that seal today, right between verses 13 and 14 of the sixth chapter of Revelation.