Open the Seals
The Sixth Seal
“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the 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 their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Revelation 6:12-17).
In 1906, the Great San Francisco earthquake, impacting the San Andreas Fault, struck on April 18, at 5:12 a.m. Pacific time. It ruptured 296 miles along the fault line. It was reported as having been felt from the Pacific Northwest in Oregon to Los Angeles, California, and parts of central Nevada. Its magnitude is estimated to have been between 7.9 and 8.25, according to some estimates. This quake and the resulting fire have been recorded as one of the worst natural disasters in California’s history. The death toll was estimated between 3,000 and 3,500 people, and approximately 200,000 people were left homeless.[1] There have been earthquakes before and after this one, but scientists expect one of a magnitude 6.7 or larger in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles within the next several decades.[2] However, many Christians, who operate in the prophetic have prophesied an upcoming major earthquake to decimate the entire state of California sooner than later. If true, this could cost thousands of lives.
The Apostle John watched in his vision as the sixth seal was opened. Some Christian scholars believe that this seal depicts literal events that will occur during the Great Tribulation, leading up to Jesus’ return, or will transpire at the moment of Jesus’ return. Others argue that the events in this seal are symbolic, similar to descriptions of the Old Testament’s warnings of judgment regarding certain nations. Yet, what if there’s a little truth in all of these beliefs? What if these events are both literal and symbolic, possibly taking place pre-trib, mid-trib, and post trib? First, let’s examine John’s vision and what the Word has to say about the importance of the sixth seal. In John’s vision of this seal, a great earthquake occurred. Earthquakes throughout the Bible were a sign of God’s judgment and a display of His power. During the reign of King Uzziah, an earthquake occurred in Israel, which was recorded by the prophet Amos and dates back to the eighth century. The prophet Zechariah also mentions this earthquake as a sign of God’s anger and judgment due to Israel’s rebellion and idolatry, for it was a reference point used by many prophets regarding future judgments. The Bible says: “And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him” (Zechariah 14:5). As we have seen thus far with the opening of the seals, this earthquake is a sign of God’s judgment, which can be taken both literally and figuratively because many events will occur leading up to the return of Christ.
Bill Gates, Microsoft cofounder, philanthropist, and businessman, has financially backed a sun-dimming technology aimed at spraying dust into the atmosphere to block the sun. Its purpose is to offset what many scientists believe are the negative effects of global warming.[3] However, there are opponents to this type of solar geoengineering, as taking such measures could have unpredictable risks, according to some scientists. These risks could include, but are not limited to, extreme shifts in weather patterns. However, meetings about these plans have been kept relatively secret from the public, as those involved fear that protests in opposition would hinder their execution.[4]
John went on to see in his vision the sun turns black, the moon turns blood-red, and the stars fall from the sky. Unlike man’s plans to alter God’s creation for power and control, God lets us know in His word that He would give us signs in the heavens to look for in the last days. These signs would be unmistakably powerful enough so that one would not be deceived as to what is taking place, and yet, this is not a license for those who are presumptuous to set dates regarding the Lord’s return. The sun turning to darkness usually happens during a solar eclipse. The moon looks blood-red during a total lunar eclipse. Falling stars or meteors take place when meteoroids encounter Earth’s atmosphere. So, what can we learn when we see these various signs in the heavens? The Bible says: “I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord (Acts 2:19-20). God has not left us without knowledge and revelation to understand the season in which we live. The signs of His return are all around us, and the signs of judgment that are taking place even now because of mankind’s sins and rebellion against Him are more evident than ever. We are to be like the sons of Issachar, who understood the times in which they lived, and had been given wisdom from the Lord to discern how to navigate. The Bible says: “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take” (1 Chronicles 12:32). Therefore, we can see from John’s vision that these signs in the sky represent God’s judgment upon the land. These signs also represent the spiritual decay of the world, thus bringing about judgments upon themselves due to their debauchery against the Lord.
During John’s vision, he saw the heavens peel back, and the mountains and islands moved from their places. People everywhere, small and great, ran for cover to hide from the wrath of the Lamb who was slain because of the guilt of their wickedness. This is similar to Isaiah’s prophecy regarding a judgment of the nations. The Bible says: “All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree” (Isaiah 34:4). This lets us know that sin will not be tolerated in the presence of God. All of those who were arrogant and delighted in the indulgence of sin will not be able to stand the sight of Jesus. Even now, light and darkness cannot mix. Those who seek truth cannot stand wickedness, and those who are wicked cannot stand to hear and know truth. The Word of God warns about this when it says: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20). Those who see the Lord’s coming will scatter like roaches when the lights come on. They will try to flee from the brightness of His presence. The Bible says: “For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; (Psalm 5:4-5).
[1] California Academy of Sciences Editorial Staff, "The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906," California Academy of Sciences, last modified 2025, https://www.calacademy.org/explore-science/the-great-san-francisco-earthquake-of-1906.
[2] EcoFlow Technology Editorial Staff, "California Earthquake: Is the Big One Coming Soon?," EcoFlow, last modified 2025, https://www.ecoflow.com/us/blog/california-earthquake-is-the-big-one-coming-soon.
[3] Ariel Cohen, "A Bill Gates Venture Aims To Spray Dust Into The Atmosphere To Block The Sun. What Could Go Wrong?," Forbes, last modified January 11, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2021/01/11/bill-gates-backed-climate-solution-gains-traction-but-concerns-linger/.
[4] New York Times Editorial Staff, "Warming Is Getting Worse. So They Just Tested a Way to Deflect the Sun," EPIC, last modified May 2, 2025, https://epic.uchicago.edu/news/warming-is-getting-worse-so-they-just-tested-a-way-to-deflect-the-sun/.
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