Revelation Chapter 6

As the songs of adoration cease, the Lamb begins the task only he can do. One by one he breaks or opens the seven seals on the scroll of destiny. As he does so, John is allowed to behold in vision the dramatic events associated with each seal. Each seal symbolizes a thousand years of earth’s history: “The first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh” (D&C 77:7).

In verses 1-8, John describes the Lamb’s opening of the first four seals, which contain brief information about the first four thousand years of the earth’s “temporal existence” (D&C 77:6). Comparatively little attention is given in Revelation to these and the fifth seal (verses 9- 11), for only eleven verses are dedicated to them. One commentator points out that John’s entire revelation “from beginning to end takes 317 verses, and yet John spends only eleven verses (or about 3.5 percent) on the first five thousand years of history (Lund, “Seeing the Book of Revelation,” 51).

At the opening of each seal, one of the four beasts invites John to “come and see.” John responds with “and I saw,” “and I beheld,” “and I looked,” followed by a brief description of what he sees: four horses and their riders. Each horse is a different color (white, red, black, and pale), and each is interpreted symbolically. Three of the four horsemen possess objects: the first has a bow and a crown, the second a sword, and the third a pair of balances. The fourth horseman does not possess an object, but he is named “Death” (the first three horsemen are not named). Each of the four horses, horsemen, and the objects or name attached to them tells us something about the thousand years that each represents.

Beyond what is mentioned in Revelation 6:1-8, we know very little about the four horsemen. Are they destroying angels from God executing his divine plan to destroy the wicked, or are they evil men from hell who are asserting their agency to kill and cause wars and famines upon the earth? Are the four horsemen related to the four destroying angels described in Revelation 7? Do they correspond in some manner with the four horses of Zechariah 1:8-11; 6:2? Do the four horsemen and their horses pertain only to the first four thousand years, or are they also types of things to come?

The number four has symbolic importance in Revelation, where we read about the four living creatures (Revelation 4:6, 8; 5:6, 8,14), the four horses, and the four horsemen who correspond with the first four seals (announced by the four beasts; Revelation 6:1-8), the “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth” (Revelation 7:1), and the “four quarters of the earth” (Revelation 20:8).

The first seals are linked together into a unified group of four (four seals, four horses, four horsemen, four statements from four beasts), while the final three seals belong to a second group. This pattern of one group of four and one group of three parallels that pattern set forth for the seven trumpets (Revelation 8-9) and the seven vials (Revelation 16).

According to one scholar, the number four “has its origin in the orientation to four sides which, as before, behind and to right and left, are suggested by man’s physical constitution.

The four corners of heaven or the world embrace the whole of man’s horizon.” (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 8:128, s.v. “four;” see also Bullinger, Number in Scripture, 123-34.) The following table sets forth the structure of Revelation 6:1-8.

#Four Horses White Red Black Pale

#(6:1-2) (6:3-4) (6:5-6) (6:7-8)

Lamb opens Lamb opened when he had when he had when he had

a seal one of the seals opened the opened the opened the

second seal third seal fourth seal

four beasts noise of thunder I heard the I heard the third I heard the voice say . . . saying second beast beast say of the fourth

say beast say

Words of the Come and see Come and see Come and see Come and see four beasts

And I saw And I beheld And I looked

#John beholds

Objects or he that sat on there was given unto he that sat on him his name that

description of him had a bow; him a great sword had a pair of balances sat on him

the four and a crown was in his hand was Death

horsemen given unto him

Significance of he went forth power was given a measure of wheat Hell followed with the four conquering, to him that sat for a penny, and him. And power horsemen and to conquer thereon to take three measures of was given unto

peace from the barley for a penny; them over the

earth and that and see thou hurt fourth part of the they should kill not the oil and earth to kill with one another the wine sword, and with

hunger and with death, and with the beasts of the earth

Apparently, John is seeing in vision an actual event which will happen in the future, that is the opening of the seven seals. According to the Doctrine and Covenants, the seals will be opened in connection with the Second Coming:

Then shall the first angel again sound his trump in the ears of all living, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the mighty works of God in the first thousand years. And then shall the second angel sound his trump, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and the mighty works of God in the second thousand years – and so on, until the seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound (88:108-110).

The breaking of the seals does not actually open any portion of the scroll or book. The scroll will not open until the seventh seal breaks. All must wait until then for the will of God to be fully executed. Before that day, evil will rule. But judgment, fully fueled by the indignation and wrath of God, will be executed when the seventh seal is broken.

John uses horses and their riders to symbolize the events of the first four thousand years. These are the “four horses of the Apocalypse” (white, red, black, and pale). The traditional symbolic significance of these horses is death, hell, pestilence, and famine. It seems likely that they have additional significance which will be discussed in the verse commentary below.

The fifth seal represents John’s own time, and he sees the persecution of his contemporary fellow Christians – “them that were slain for the word of God, and for their testimony which they held.” On opening the sixth seal, which represents the period of time in which we are now living, he sees some of the “signs of the times.”

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

verse 1 “the Lamb opened one of the seals” The Lamb, who now has the sealed book in his own hand, opens the first seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6) for the first one thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 4000 to 3000 BC. Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote, “According to received chronology – admittedly imperfect, yet approximately correct – four thousand years, or four of the seven great days given to this planet as the period of its ‘temporal existence,’ had passed before Christ was crucified; while nearly two thousand years have gone by since” (Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; see also McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:476; “Book of Revelation Overview,” 50-53).

By virtue of his supreme, divine, and infinite sacrifice, Jesus Christ is worthy to open the seals. Only he can open the view of the earth’s temporal existence that is the history of humankind upon the earth.

“noise of thunder” This sound probably denotes the powerful voice of the beast. Heavenly voices, including that of the Father (John 12:29), are often likened to thunder (Revelation 10:3; 14:2; 19:6).

“one of the four beasts . . . saying, Come and see” The beast guides John; this may be the first beast, which “was like a lion” (Revelation 4:7).

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, one of the four beasts, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, saying, Come and see.”

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering; and to conquer.

verse 2 “white horse . . . he that sat on him had a bow” The first vision opens and the first rider appears on a white horse. The color suggests two things: purity and victory or conquest. It was the Near Eastern custom for conquerors to ride white horses in their triumphs. The color reflects the nature of the horseman. He is one of God’s own, a prophet of power and light. He carries the bow, a symbol of war, suggesting a period in which righteousness was on the offensive. The rider receives “a crown,” not the sign of political rule (Greek diadma) but of victory (Greek stephanos, the laurel crown won through athletic achievement). Thus, victory goes to the one sitting on the white horse who conquers and receives commission to continue his conquests.

The use of the passive voice, “a crown was given unto him” is instructive. John uses this voice continuously throughout Revelation. By doing so, he indicates that an unseen power operates behind history, shaping it, molding it, making it conform to a specific will. That power is God, as John has already indicated, working through the Lamb.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie identifies the rider of the “white horse” as Enoch. The first thousand years of earth’s history saw the beginning of wickedness, apostasy, and war but saw also what could be considered the greatest triumph for good yet achieved. During this period, Enoch and his people laid the foundations of Zion, and righteousness truly was on the offensive. Note “that what John saw was not the establishment of Zion and its removal to heavenly spheres, but the unparalleled wars in which Enoch, as general over the armies of the saints, ‘went forth conquering and to conquer’” (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:477).

They waged battles in ways never seen before or after. The primary weapons of the righteous were faith and the word of God: “So great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course” (Moses 7:13). Having subdued earthly enemies, the people of Zion subdued earthly appetites, passions, sickness and pain, and eventually even death. Truly, righteous conquest was the highlight of the era.

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

verse 3 “when he had opened the second seal” John sees Christ open the second seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the second thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 3000 to 2000 BC.

The beast, which may be the second beast identified earlier that was “like a calf” (Revelation 4:7).

4 And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword.

verses 3-4 “there went out another horse that was red” The time represented by the second seal was an era of war and bloodshed. John describes the horse as purros in color. The word means literally red as fire (the dragon in chapter twelve has the same color). The color suggests death by violent means, usually by bloodshed. But it also represents sin, especially the sin that moves against humanity. The horse, according to prophetic symbolism, represents a means of transport in war (Job 39:19-24). The rider of the horse carries a large, or “great sword,” a symbol of war (3 Nephi 2:19; D&C 45:33) and a weapon designed expressly to take human lives.

Of those living early in the second millennium, the Lord said:

For these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and in their own abominations have they devised murder, and have not kept the commandments, which I gave unto their father, Adam. Wherefore, they have foresworn themselves, and, by their oaths, they have brought upon themselves death; and a hell I have prepared for them, if they repent not (Moses 6:28-29).

Enoch saw the result. To him the Lord said, “Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations” (Moses 7:4). Enoch describes what happened:

I beheld in the valley of Shum, and lo, a great people which dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum. And again the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked towards the north, and I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents. And the Lord said unto me: Prophesy; and I prophesied, saying: Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them that they shall utterly be destroyed (Moses 7:5-7).

The second millennium saw the advent of organized warfare with the objective of genocide. Clearly, the red horse galloped supreme.

In addition, the rider is empowered to “take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another” (Revelation 6:4). John does not identify the rider; it is possible that the rider symbolizes all wicked and bloodthirsty men who murder and make war. The rider could also easily be the devil himself, reigning supreme during this period of gross wickedness.

Moses identifies this era as a time when “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark” (Genesis 6:5, 11-14). So great was the violence and wickedness during the period of this seal that God destroyed all flesh, except the eight souls who were aboard the ark.

“to take peace from the earth” A similar phrase is used in a modern revelation: “The day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion” (D&C 1:35; emphasis added).

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

verse 5 “when he had opened the third seal” John witnesses Christ open the third seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the third thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 2000 to 1000 BC (Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:479).

“I heard the third beast say, Come and see” The beast, which may be the third beast identified earlier who “had a face as a man” (Revelation 4:7), guides John.

“black horse” The time represented by the third seal was an era of great famine. John sees a black horse, black being the color of extreme hunger and famine (Lamentations 4:8-9). In the hand of the rider he sees a pair of balances, which are used to measure the food during the famine, a practice known from earlier times (Leviticus 26:26). For instance, on one occasion the Lord prophesied through Ezekiel that he would cause a famine by [“break[ing] the staff of bread in Jerusalem;” the Jerusalemites, he explained, would “eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure” (Ezekiel 4:16).

During this thousand-year time span, Abraham records, “a famine prevailed throughout all the land of Chaldea, and my father was sorely tormented because of the famine. . . Now the Lord God caused the famine to wax sore in the land of Ur, insomuch that Haran, my brother, died” (Abraham 1:30; 2:1). As Abraham and Sarai traveled through the land, he stopped and “built an altar in the land of Jershon, and made an offering unto the Lord, and prayed that the famine might be turned away from my father’s house, that they might not perish. . . And I, Abraham, concluded to go down into Egypt, to sojourn there, for the famine became very grievous” (Abraham 2:17, 21).

We recall that Joseph, the great-grandson of Abraham, interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of a famine that would last seven years and would “consume the land” (Genesis 41:30). The famine existed in Egypt as well as other lands. Genesis 41 relates: “And the famine was over all the face of the face of the earth . . . and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands” (Genesis 41:56-57). Jacob, Joseph’s father, also experienced the famine while dwelling in Canaan, and he sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy corn (Genesis 42:1-5).

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and hurt not thou the oil and the wine.

verse 6 “I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts” Again, one of the “beasts” interprets for John.

“A measure of wheat [flour] for a penny, and three measures of barley [meal] for a penny.” A measure, Greek choinix, was equal to about a U.S. quart. The silver “penny” or denarius was the daily wage for a common laborer (see Matthew 20:2). Ordinarily, a penny or denarius would buy between ten and sixteen quarts of wheat flour or twice that of barley meal. Here, under famine conditions, a day’s work supplied only enough flour to keep a person alive for one day, or enough meal for three.

“and hurt not thou the oil and the wine” The warning against hurting the oil and the wine follows John’s principle of showing that God is in charge. Limits are set on how far the famine could go. It is unlikely that only wine and oil are meant. The terms were used as a standing formula designating the nutritive products of the earth in both times of plenty and want (see, e.g., Deuteronomy 7:13; 11:14; 28:51; 2 Chronicles 32:28; Nehemiah 5:11; Hosea 2:8; Joel 2:19). The point is that God controlled the breadth of the famine. Though much could be taken, the world would not succumb to the dearth. Further, the Lord had prepared a way of escape for his faithful people.

There is an aspect of this that is interesting. In the Temple Scroll (one of the Qumran scrolls), two previously unknown Jewish feasts are mentioned: the Feast of Oil and the Feast of New Wine. Both products were closely associated with the burnt offering of the temple in which they acted as sacrificial elements along with the animal. They were stored in a special place and handled only by the priests. Josephus described the horror stemming from sacrilege as the temple was plundered by troops who drew every drop of sacred wine and oil and anointed themselves and drank freely. He concluded this alone warranted the destruction of Jerusalem. John may have been suggesting that the temple would survive the famine – “hurt not thou the oil and the wine.”

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

verse 7 “when he had opened the fourth seal” John sees Christ open the fourth seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6) for the fourth thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 1000 B.C. to AD 1.

“I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see” The beast, perhaps the fourth beast identified earlier that “was like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7), guides John.

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

verse 8 “pale horse” The color described here (Greek, chlros) reminds us of a corpse and of death. The rider’s name is Death, and one named Hell follows after him to receive the dead. We are not told how Hell travels, whether by horse or on foot. John informs us that Death will kill one-fourth of earth’s inhabitants by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. Ezekiel calls these four ways to die (sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts) the “four sore judgments” (Ezekiel 14:21) that God sends upon the wicked.

Certainly, the millennium of the fourth seal was an era of numerous wars. In the biblical world alone we are aware of wars between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah; there were also wars among other Near Eastern groups, including the Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians, Syrians, and Egyptians.

“Hell followed with him” The horseman named Death and his companion Hell (signifying spirit prison) are given power over a quarter of the people of earth. The verse in Revelation recalls a prophecy of Isaiah: “Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it” (Isaiah 5:14).

“power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth” During the time period of the fourth seal Death (followed by Hell) destroys one quarter of the earth’s inhabitants.

verses 9-11 At the opening of the fifth seal, John sees individuals who were slain because of their testimonies of Christ. After listening to their prayers offered unto God “with a loud voice,” he then witnesses that each of the martyrs is given the white robes of salvation.

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held;

verse 9 “when he had opened the fifth seal” The Lamb opens the fifth seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the fifth thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately AD 1 to 1000.

At the breaking of the fifth seal, no horse thunders forth. Instead the Revelator sees the fulfillment of a prophecy given for his own day. The fifth seal represents John’s era, the era in which the Son of God was born, ministered, and atoned for all mankind. It was the era during which the new covenant was established and the keys of resurrection were first manifested. Interestingly, John depicts none of these things. The event on which the vision focuses is the deliberate destruction of those who stood as witnesses of Jesus Christ.

“under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony” John sees those who have suffered or would suffer martyrdom for the sake of Christ and his gospel, such as Antipas of Pergamos (Revelation 2:13). He sees the souls of the righteous under the altar of heaven. The image of the altar suggests sacrifice. The direct association of these saints with the altar implies that their lives had been given in sacrifice because of their loyalty to God. Their position under the altar suggests that they were martyrs, their souls resting there only because their lives had been offered, as it were, upon it. During sacrificial rites, the blood of the victim, symbolic of its life, was poured out at the altar’s base, seeping beneath it (see Leviticus 4:7; 17:11). John’s view of the life, or soul, of the martyr as under the altar probably echoes this practice.

John may have seen the martyrs Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith under the altar. John Taylor wrote that the “innocent blood” of Joseph and Hyrum, “with the innocent blood of all the martyrs under the altar that John saw, will cry unto the Lord of Hosts till he avenges that blood on the earth” (D&C 135:7).

Elder McConkie wrote:

Martyrs of religion are found in every age in which there have been both righteous and wicked people on earth. Christ himself was a martyr who voluntarily laid down his life, according to the Father’s plan, that immortality and eternal life might become available for his brethren (John 10:10-18). ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). . . True martyrs of religion receive eternal life. ‘Whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name’s sake, shall find it again, even life eternal’ (D&C 98:13; Mark 8:35; John 12:25; Rev. 2:10). But the mere laying down of one’s life standing alone is not gospel martyrdom. Both the righteous and the wicked have and do sacrifice their lives for friends or country without gaining thereby any hope or assurance of exaltation. Those on the other hand who have the truth and who could escape death by denying it are the martyrs who shall receive a martyr’s reward – eternal life. When they seal their testimony with their blood, they are honored and their murderers are condemned (D&C 136:39) (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 483-84).

John already knew the way his dispensation would end. The Lord had made this abundantly clear. He told his disciples that after he departed, “then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matthew 24:9-10). John viewed the terrible fulfillment of that dire prophecy. Those men and women he saw in vision who had died for the Savior’s sake were in reality yet giving up their lives. The martyrs were slain for two reasons: for preaching the word of God and for their testimonies of Christ. John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos for identical reasons.

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

verse 10 “they cried with a loud voice” The prayer of the martyrs is loud because of their great number and their anguish (Revelation 5:12).

“how long . . . dost thou not judge and avenge our blood” From the martyrdom of Abel, whose “blood crieth unto [God] from the ground” (Genesis 4:10; Luke 11:50-51), to the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, whose “innocent blood” spilled “on the floor of Carthage jail” (D&C 135:7), martyrs for Jesus Christ cry out to God, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Similarly, the psalmist prayed, “Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?” (Psalm 94:3), and Habakkuk cried, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” (Habakkuk 1:2). But Jesus assures us, “Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with men?” (JST Luke 18:7). The martyrs will not stop petitioning the Lord “till he avenges that blood on the earth” (D&C 135:7).

When will God “judge and avenge” the innocent blood of the martyrs? That judgment and avenging may begin when he sends the judgments of the seven trumpets and seven bowls, as set forth in Revelation.

11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

verse 11 “white robes were given unto every one of them” A white robe is the dress of the glorified Christ (3 Nephi 11:8; see also “robe of righteousness,” 2 Nephi 4:33), heavenly messengers (1 Nephi 8:5; 14:19; JS-H 1:32), and exalted saints (Revelation 3:4-5; 7:9; 2 Nephi 9:14; D&C 109:76). Here the martyrs are given white robes, signifying that they have made the atonement effective in their lives and have “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). Jesus taught how one should wash his robes: “And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end” (3 Nephi 27:19; 1 Nephi 12:10).

Garments and robes are images often used to symbolize the inner state of the persons wearing them (Mormon 9:35; Ether 13:10). For example, the wearing of white robes represents an individual becoming an immortal, celestial person with a celestial body. Hence, the white robes identified in this passage refer to the celestial bodies of glory and light possessed by the martyrs.

“rest yet for a little season” The martyrs are instructed to wait until after the martyrdom of other saints. The prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, and the two prophets of Revelation 11 may be included in this group of individuals who would “be killed as they were.” The martyrs were to rest until the allotted number of those who were to join them in martyrdom was complete.

verses 12-17 This section sets forth seven signs of the times that will occur after the opening of the sixth seal but before the second coming of the Lord. The seven signs are the earthquake, the darkened sun, the blood-red moon, falling stars, the heavens opening as a scroll, the movement of mountains and islands, and fear coming upon humanity. Many passages of scripture parallel this section.

These signs of the times warn the earth’s inhabitants that the end of the earth is near. They are designed, in part, to encourage the wicked to repent of their sins. In fact, many will misinterpret these signs, believing that the time of the second coming has actually arrived. They will say, “The great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17). But the scriptures inform us that Jesus will not make his great appearance until sometime after the opening of the seventh seal (D&C 77:12-13).

These signs are imminent. On 27 December 1832, the Lord revealed, “Not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree” (D&C 88:87).

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;

verse 12 “he . . . opened the sixth seal” Christ opens the sixth seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the sixth thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here is approximately AD 1000 to 2000.

“there was a great earthquake” Earthquakes, along with other catastrophic events, signify “great and terrible judgments of the Lord” (1 Nephi 12:4-5; Isaiah 29:6; Ezekiel 38:19- 20). Before the second coming, God sends earthquakes to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, for “they that believe not in him [the Messiah] shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine” (2 Nephi 6:15).

Earthquakes also serve as warning voices to earth’s wicked inhabitants: “The Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven, saying: Hearken, O ye nations of the earth. . . How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment” (D&C 43:23-25).

D&C 87:6 teaches: “With famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations.”

And again, the Lord has revealed that “after your [the Lord’s servants] testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people. For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand. And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests” (D&C 88:88- 90).

The great earthquake identified in Revelation 6:12 will serve as a testimony and a warning voice to earth’s people that the Lord is God. It may cause the sun to become black and the moon to look like blood. Other earthquakes are identified in Revelation 11:13; 16:17- 20.

“sun became black as sackcloth” The sun will look as if it is covered with black sackcloth, which is made from the hair of black goats. Sackcloth symbolizes mourning and its connection with darkening the sun implies that all God’s creations are in mourning over the wickedness of the world. As seen by the inhabitants of the earth, the sun may appear to be darkened on account of volcanic ash, dust, smoke, or other such things. This darkening may be a result of the “great earthquake,” or some other cause. We must remember that “the events of that day shall be so unprecedented and so beyond human experience, that the prophets are and have been at an almost total loss for words to describe those realities pressed in upon them by the spirit of revelation” (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:486).

Many prophecies have testified of this great event: “the sun shall be turned into darkness” (Joel 2:31); “shall the sun be darkened” (Matthew 24:29; JS-M 1:33); “the sun shall be darkened” (D&C 29:14; 34:9; 45:41); and “the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light” (D&C 88:87).

“moon became as blood” The moon does not become actual blood but becomes “as blood,” probably meaning that it will look red to the inhabitants of the earth. This change in the appearance of the moon may be the result of the earthquake spoken of in this same verse, which would send a great amount of dust and debris into the atmosphere, which could make the moon appear red “as blood.” Many prophets have foretold this event, using such phrases as “the moon into blood” (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20); “the moon shall be turned into blood” (D&C 29:14); “and the moon be turned into blood” (D&C 34:9; 45:42), and “the moon shall be bathed in blood” (D&C 88:87).

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.

verse 13 “stars of heaven fell unto the earth” Many of the stars that we see in the sky are much larger than our sun, and their size alone, not to mention their extreme heat, would pulverize and melt the earth. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “Such an earthquake has never before been known (Revelation 16:17-21), and it shall appear to man on earth as though the stars in the sidereal heavens are falling. And in addition, as here recorded, some heavenly meteors or other objects, appearing as stars, will fall ‘unto the earth’” (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:486).

Other prophets besides John have foreseen this event. They write: “the stars shall fall from heaven” (Matthew 24:29; JS -M 1:33; D&C 29:14); “the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall” (D&C 34:9); “the stars fall from heaven” (D&C 45:42); and “the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a figtree” (D&C 88:87).

“as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs” “Untimely figs” should read “unripe figs,” referring to winter figs that frequently fall off the tree during a great storm or a great gust of wind. Isaiah’s words are similar: “And the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree” (Isaiah 34:4).

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

verse 14 “the heaven departed [heavens opened] as a scroll” This difficult expression parallels a similar one in Isaiah 34:4: there, however, the heavens are “rolled together as a scroll,” whereas here they are “opened as a scroll.”

The expression “heavens opened as a scroll” may correspond with an experience described by Wilford Woodruff during the Zion’s camp experience. “When the five men entered the camp, there was not a cloud to be seen in the whole heavens, but as the men left the camp there was a small cloud like a black spot appeared in the north west, and it began to unroll itself like a scroll, and in a few minutes the whole heavens were covered with a pall as black as ink. This indicated a sudden storm which soon broke upon us” (HC, 2:104).

“every mountain and island [was] moved out of [its place]” This movement may be the result of the “great earthquake” spoken of in Revelation 6:12. In the following verse we learn that fearful individuals also hide in the “rocks of the mountains.”

“And the heavens opened as a scroll is opened when it is rolled together; and every mountain, and island, was moved out of its place.”

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 mountain;

verse 15 “kings of the earth . . . and every free man, hid themselves” John lists seven categories of individuals here, the number seven denoting completeness. The list includes individuals belonging to the upper social class (kings; great, rich, and mighty men; and chief captains), middle class (free men), and lower class (bondmen) – all of whom will be affected by these cataclysmic events. Children are not included in this list, perhaps because of their innocence before God.

Why will people attempt to hide themselves from God? Three times Isaiah states that they will do so because of their “fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:10, 19, 21), which fear is due to their wickedness and its consequences. Similarly, after their transgression, Adam and Eve also “hid themselves” from God (Genesis 3:8-10).

According to D&C 29:15, these signs of the times will cause “weeping and wailing among the hosts of men.” Meanwhile the righteous, or those who worship the Lord in his sacred temples, will receive deliverance. The prophet Joel stated, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance” (Joel 2:32). A modern revelation, speaking of the same events, commands us to “be not troubled” (D&C 45:35).

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;

verse 16 “said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us” Jesus Christ prophesied of these events to “a great company of people” who followed him as he walked to Calvary: “Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us” (Luke 23:27-30; Hosea 10:8).

“face of him that sitteth on the throne” This expression is a reference to God the Father.

“wrath of the Lamb” This phrase speaks of Jesus’s righteous indignation.

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

verse 17 “great day of his wrath is come” It is the wicked who, as they hide themselves in the rocks, make this statement because of their fear. Because of the extraordinary events described in verses 12 through 14, the wicked will believe it is the end of the world. Though these events are certainly signs of the times, they do not occur at the second coming, for the revelations state explicitly that Christ will not come until after the opening of the seventh seal (see, for example, D&C 77:12-13). In John’s book of Revelation, Christ does not make his great appearance until Revelation 19.

Further, the same prophetic writers who prophesied of the darkening of the sun, the moon becoming as blood, and stars falling from heaven record that those events would occur before the second coming, not at the second coming: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come” (Joel 2:31; emphasis added; see also Acts 2:20); “but behold, I say unto you that before this great day shall come the sun shall be darkened” (D&C 29:14; emphasis added); “but before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened” (D&C 34:9; emphasis added); and “before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened (D&C 45:42; emphasis added). D&C 88:87 notes that these events will occur “not many days hence.”

“who shall be able to stand?” The psalmist asked, “Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?” (Psalm 76:7).