When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Comment: The fifth seal is broken and we see the multitudes of martyrs who have been killed because of their faith crying out for justice. Sadly martyrdom didn’t cease when Nero died – there are around the world, up to this day, people being martyred for their allegiance to Jesus. Those already dead are told to be patient for they are to be joined by more before they see justice – but they surely will see justice and they are dressed for the occasion! The ‘little while’ suggests that in the near future martyrdom will cease but in the end times there will be more before God sorts things out finally, successfully and completely!
The opening of the sixth seal gives a very different picture. The end of the world comes and not at the will of climate change (although this may be one of the methods God uses to have His way!) but at the command of God, The earth and the sky undergo huge destructive changes. People from all the ranks of humanity knowing that Jesus is behind it all, seek to hide themselves. But how can you hide from the all seeing and knowing God! Makes you think what will follow this catastrophe! And make one wonder if some of what we see happening around us all over the world is part of it.
Prayer: Help me to read and understand the signs of what is going on. But please give me courage to press on in faith and obedience to You.
As I read it! 