The Apocalypse of the Last Day - Part 3
In Revelation chapter 6 we read about the opening of the sixth seal:
Rev 6: 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair; and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The passage above is describing a series of events that are to occur on the Last Day, which is Judgment Day; and verse 17 is the verse which confirms it is the Judgment Day: “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” These series of events begin with a great earthquake, followed by signs in the sun, moon, and stars. In researching what the signs in the sun, moon, and stars could be, I went back to Genesis 1 to read about how God created them. God created the sun, moon, and stars during the fourth day of creation as time keepers and also for the purpose of providing us with seasons. Before the fourth day of creation, there was no division between daytime and nighttime as we know it here on planet Earth because it was during the fourth day of creation when the Earth's first sunset and sunrise occured.
Genesis 1:14-19 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Genesis 1:14 states that one of the purposes for the creation of the lights in the firmaments was for signs; "and let them be for signs". The Hebrew word that was translated into the word “signs” is a very interesting word, ‘oweth [H226]. It is a noun which means that God has set aside, or distinguished, that particular object for a special purpose. For example, H226 is used in Genesis 4 when God set a “mark”[H226] on Cain after Cain killed his brother Abel.
Genesis 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark[H226] upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Genesis 9:12 when God created the rainbow after the flood of Noah’s day and then declared that it was created as a “token”[H226] of the covenant between God and every living creature for the remainder of history.
Genesis 9:12 And God said, This is the token[H226] of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations.
Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Genesis 17:11 as the distinguishing “sign” of God’s covenant with the Old Testament Jews.
Genesis 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token[H226] of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Exodus 4 when God was instructing Moses to go to Pharaoh and plead for the release of the Jews after Moses had stated his concern that no one would believe him.
Exodus 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
The LORD responded to Moses saying that He would create a sign[H226] for him. In our current modern language, instead of using the word “sign”, we might instead use the word “omen”, or “miracle”.
Exodus 4:7-9 And [the LORD] said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign[H226], that they will believe the voice of the latter sign[H226]. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs[H226], neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
Now getting back to Rev 6:12-13, we see that something is happening regarding the sun, moon, and the stars.
Rev. 6:12-13 ...the sun became black as sackcloth of hair; and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
The passage above can be linked to Matthew 24:29 and Luke chapter 21:25-26, where Christ is teaching the disciples about the “signs” of His coming and of the end of the world.
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Luke 21:25-26 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Jesus used the same Greek word translated as the word “heaven” in the 2 passages above (Strong’s G3772), in referring to our physical atmosphere in the following passage.
Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air[G3772] have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Getting back to Rev 6:12, I would like to focus on the expression, “black as sackcloth of hair” - Rev 6:12 The sun became black as sackcloth of hair. In ancient Biblical history, it was customary for a person in mourning, (and also those who went into deep repentance), to put on sackcloth and sprinkle ashes. In those days, bags were commonly made of sackcloth material, but it was also used as clothing for mourners. This sackcloth material was often made of coarse black goat’s hair; thus the expression, “black as sackcloth of hair”. The wearing of black sackcloth was a way of conveying deep sadness and humility; in fact, the wearing of black clothing at funerals in our modern day culture is still a common practice. In Isaiah chapter 50, when Jehovah is conveying His feelings of great sadness, He also refers to the covering of the heavens with blackness and sackcloth.
Isaiah 50:2-3 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
In Amos chapter 8, God again links together the darkening of the sun and the wearing of sackcloth with the Day of Judgment.
Amos 8:7-10 Surely I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned , as by the flood of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.
The darkening of the sun during the day is a clear indication that God has ended His covenant with mankind. This covenant is declared in several places in the Bible, for example in Genesis Chapter 8.
Genesis 8:18-22 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22 is a promise made to us that as long as the earth remaineth, day and night shall not cease. This is one of the reasons that I do not believe that the darkening of the sun of Rev 6, Matthew 24, and Luke 21, are to be taken spiritually. There are several passage that refer to the covenant God made regarding day and night. In Psalms 118, God's salvation plan through the Lord Jesus is "the day which the LORD hath made".
Pslams 118:22-24 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
In Joshua 1, God commands us that we are to meditate on his Word "day and night".
Joshua 1:7-9 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success .
In Jeremiah 33, the word "covenant" is used.
Jeremiah 33:19-21 And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
God’s covenant with day and night is also closely knit with God’s ordinances of heaven and earth.
Jeremiah 33:25-26 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
In the following passage describing Judgment Day, day and night are no longer doing what God has ordained.
Zachariah 14:5-7 …and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
Not only does Rev 6 declare to us that day and night has ceased, but it also describes the departing of the heavens as a scroll that is being rolled together. Rev 6:14 “the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.” In ancient history, when someone was finished reading a scroll, the scroll would be rolled up (and mostly likely tied up with a string), much the same way as we close a book when we are finished reading it. The picture here of the departing of heaven as a scroll that is rolled up is a picture of the passing away of the universe. This concept is also described in the following passages.
Psalm 102:25-26 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
In Rev 6:15 we see that everyone is trying to hide themselves; and in verse 16 it tells us who they are trying to hide from; “hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” In verse 17 we are given a time reference; “For the great day of his wrath is come.”
I am fully convinced that the events of Rev 6:12-13 and of Rev 6:14-17 will occur after the Rapture, (which will occur simultaneously with the resurection of the dead - of both the saved and the unsaved; when everyone's physical bodies will be raised up and translated into their spiritual bodies). The end of daytime and nighttime, and the rolling up of the heavens like a scroll, can also be tied to the following passage of Rev 20; which also describes the passing away of our present world from the face of God as the Judge.
Rev 20:11-13 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
In the passage above, the earth and the heaven have fled away and there was no place found for them. This is clearly the same event as that described in Psalms 102 and Isaiah 51; the perishing of the earth and heavens. In Rev 20:11, it is plain to see that the judgment of the unsaved will occur after the universe as we know it has perished. This is one of many passages found in the Bible that absolutely will not support the doctrine that hell is the grave.
Moving on to the next verses of Rev 6:
Rev 6: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The reference to the kings of the earth in verse 15 is a reference to all the magnates of our world; the rich and powerful, and the billionaires of the world, celebraties, etc. The chief captains and mighty men is a reference to great leaders, for example, the presidents and leaders of the countries of the world, the dictators, Royalty, the military leaders and generals of the world, the corporate CEOs, etc. Then the passage mentions “every bondman, and every free man”. A bondman is another word for slave; and a free man is someone who is not a slave. There are many people in this world who are enslaved to other people. For example, the way that prostitutes are enslaved to their pimps; the sex slave market of the world has reached unimaginable proportions. There are many children under the age of 18 as well as grown women that are sold or kidnapped into becoming sex slaves and who are either prostituted or used to create pornography; and most of them do not know how to escape what becomes their only guaranteed source of food and shelter. In the news recently we have been hearing of a guerrilla group leader in Africa named Kony who has ordered the abduction of an estimated 66,000 children to become child-sex slaves and child soldiers.
But getting back to Rev 6:15-17
Rev 6: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath[G3709] of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath[G3709] is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The great day of the wrath of God has come; it is Judgment Day. The sun has been darkened and the stars have been removed from heaven; the heavens have been rolled up as a scroll. Every mountain and every island has been removed from their places because the world as everyone has always known it is no more. The Greek word that was translated as the word wrath in verse 16, is the Greek noun, “Orge”[G3709]; it is a word that is closely associated with the anger and vengeance of God.
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath[G2372] of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation[G3709]; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance[G3709]?
Rev 6:17 states: “For the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand?”
If the Biblical expression “to stand” signifies being safe and secure, then Rev 6:17 could be rephrased as, “For the day of God’s vengeance has come, and who shall be able to stand safe and secure?”
We know the Bible promises repeatedly that God will deliver His people on that day.
Malachi 4:1-3 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The passage above is describing a series of events that are to occur on the Last Day, which is Judgment Day; and verse 17 is the verse which confirms it is the Judgment Day: “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” These series of events begin with a great earthquake, followed by signs in the sun, moon, and stars. In researching what the signs in the sun, moon, and stars could be, I went back to Genesis 1 to read about how God created them. God created the sun, moon, and stars during the fourth day of creation as time keepers and also for the purpose of providing us with seasons. Before the fourth day of creation, there was no division between daytime and nighttime as we know it here on planet Earth because it was during the fourth day of creation when the Earth's first sunset and sunrise occured.
Genesis 1:14-19 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Genesis 1:14 states that one of the purposes for the creation of the lights in the firmaments was for signs; "and let them be for signs". The Hebrew word that was translated into the word “signs” is a very interesting word, ‘oweth [H226]. It is a noun which means that God has set aside, or distinguished, that particular object for a special purpose. For example, H226 is used in Genesis 4 when God set a “mark”[H226] on Cain after Cain killed his brother Abel.
Genesis 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark[H226] upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Genesis 9:12 when God created the rainbow after the flood of Noah’s day and then declared that it was created as a “token”[H226] of the covenant between God and every living creature for the remainder of history.
Genesis 9:12 And God said, This is the token[H226] of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations.
Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Genesis 17:11 as the distinguishing “sign” of God’s covenant with the Old Testament Jews.
Genesis 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token[H226] of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Exodus 4 when God was instructing Moses to go to Pharaoh and plead for the release of the Jews after Moses had stated his concern that no one would believe him.
Exodus 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
The LORD responded to Moses saying that He would create a sign[H226] for him. In our current modern language, instead of using the word “sign”, we might instead use the word “omen”, or “miracle”.
Exodus 4:7-9 And [the LORD] said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign[H226], that they will believe the voice of the latter sign[H226]. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs[H226], neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
Now getting back to Rev 6:12-13, we see that something is happening regarding the sun, moon, and the stars.
Rev. 6:12-13 ...the sun became black as sackcloth of hair; and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
The passage above can be linked to Matthew 24:29 and Luke chapter 21:25-26, where Christ is teaching the disciples about the “signs” of His coming and of the end of the world.
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Luke 21:25-26 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Jesus used the same Greek word translated as the word “heaven” in the 2 passages above (Strong’s G3772), in referring to our physical atmosphere in the following passage.
Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air[G3772] have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Getting back to Rev 6:12, I would like to focus on the expression, “black as sackcloth of hair” - Rev 6:12 The sun became black as sackcloth of hair. In ancient Biblical history, it was customary for a person in mourning, (and also those who went into deep repentance), to put on sackcloth and sprinkle ashes. In those days, bags were commonly made of sackcloth material, but it was also used as clothing for mourners. This sackcloth material was often made of coarse black goat’s hair; thus the expression, “black as sackcloth of hair”. The wearing of black sackcloth was a way of conveying deep sadness and humility; in fact, the wearing of black clothing at funerals in our modern day culture is still a common practice. In Isaiah chapter 50, when Jehovah is conveying His feelings of great sadness, He also refers to the covering of the heavens with blackness and sackcloth.
Isaiah 50:2-3 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
In Amos chapter 8, God again links together the darkening of the sun and the wearing of sackcloth with the Day of Judgment.
Amos 8:7-10 Surely I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned , as by the flood of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.
The darkening of the sun during the day is a clear indication that God has ended His covenant with mankind. This covenant is declared in several places in the Bible, for example in Genesis Chapter 8.
Genesis 8:18-22 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22 is a promise made to us that as long as the earth remaineth, day and night shall not cease. This is one of the reasons that I do not believe that the darkening of the sun of Rev 6, Matthew 24, and Luke 21, are to be taken spiritually. There are several passage that refer to the covenant God made regarding day and night. In Psalms 118, God's salvation plan through the Lord Jesus is "the day which the LORD hath made".
Pslams 118:22-24 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
In Joshua 1, God commands us that we are to meditate on his Word "day and night".
Joshua 1:7-9 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success .
In Jeremiah 33, the word "covenant" is used.
Jeremiah 33:19-21 And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
God’s covenant with day and night is also closely knit with God’s ordinances of heaven and earth.
Jeremiah 33:25-26 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
In the following passage describing Judgment Day, day and night are no longer doing what God has ordained.
Zachariah 14:5-7 …and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
Not only does Rev 6 declare to us that day and night has ceased, but it also describes the departing of the heavens as a scroll that is being rolled together. Rev 6:14 “the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.” In ancient history, when someone was finished reading a scroll, the scroll would be rolled up (and mostly likely tied up with a string), much the same way as we close a book when we are finished reading it. The picture here of the departing of heaven as a scroll that is rolled up is a picture of the passing away of the universe. This concept is also described in the following passages.
Psalm 102:25-26 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
In Rev 6:15 we see that everyone is trying to hide themselves; and in verse 16 it tells us who they are trying to hide from; “hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” In verse 17 we are given a time reference; “For the great day of his wrath is come.”
I am fully convinced that the events of Rev 6:12-13 and of Rev 6:14-17 will occur after the Rapture, (which will occur simultaneously with the resurection of the dead - of both the saved and the unsaved; when everyone's physical bodies will be raised up and translated into their spiritual bodies). The end of daytime and nighttime, and the rolling up of the heavens like a scroll, can also be tied to the following passage of Rev 20; which also describes the passing away of our present world from the face of God as the Judge.
Rev 20:11-13 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
In the passage above, the earth and the heaven have fled away and there was no place found for them. This is clearly the same event as that described in Psalms 102 and Isaiah 51; the perishing of the earth and heavens. In Rev 20:11, it is plain to see that the judgment of the unsaved will occur after the universe as we know it has perished. This is one of many passages found in the Bible that absolutely will not support the doctrine that hell is the grave.
Moving on to the next verses of Rev 6:
Rev 6: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The reference to the kings of the earth in verse 15 is a reference to all the magnates of our world; the rich and powerful, and the billionaires of the world, celebraties, etc. The chief captains and mighty men is a reference to great leaders, for example, the presidents and leaders of the countries of the world, the dictators, Royalty, the military leaders and generals of the world, the corporate CEOs, etc. Then the passage mentions “every bondman, and every free man”. A bondman is another word for slave; and a free man is someone who is not a slave. There are many people in this world who are enslaved to other people. For example, the way that prostitutes are enslaved to their pimps; the sex slave market of the world has reached unimaginable proportions. There are many children under the age of 18 as well as grown women that are sold or kidnapped into becoming sex slaves and who are either prostituted or used to create pornography; and most of them do not know how to escape what becomes their only guaranteed source of food and shelter. In the news recently we have been hearing of a guerrilla group leader in Africa named Kony who has ordered the abduction of an estimated 66,000 children to become child-sex slaves and child soldiers.
But getting back to Rev 6:15-17
Rev 6: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath[G3709] of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath[G3709] is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The great day of the wrath of God has come; it is Judgment Day. The sun has been darkened and the stars have been removed from heaven; the heavens have been rolled up as a scroll. Every mountain and every island has been removed from their places because the world as everyone has always known it is no more. The Greek word that was translated as the word wrath in verse 16, is the Greek noun, “Orge”[G3709]; it is a word that is closely associated with the anger and vengeance of God.
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath[G2372] of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation[G3709]; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance[G3709]?
Rev 6:17 states: “For the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand?”
If the Biblical expression “to stand” signifies being safe and secure, then Rev 6:17 could be rephrased as, “For the day of God’s vengeance has come, and who shall be able to stand safe and secure?”
We know the Bible promises repeatedly that God will deliver His people on that day.
Malachi 4:1-3 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
