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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comVincent Word Studies - Revelation 6:12 - 6:12
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The sixth seal
“The Apocalypse is molded by the great discourse of our Lord upon 'the last things' which has been preserved for us in the first three Gospels (Mat 24:4; 25.; Mark 13:5-37; Luke 21:8-36; compare 17:20-37). The parallelism between the two is, to a certain extent, acknowledged by all inquirers, and is indeed, in many respects, so obvious, that it can hardly escape the notice of even the ordinary reader. Let any one compare, for example, the account of the opening of the sixth seal with the description of the end (Mat 24:29, Mat 24:30), and he will see that the one is almost a transcript of the other. It is remarkable that we find no account of this discourse in the Gospel of St. John; nor does it seem as sufficient explanation of the omission that the later Evangelist was satisfied with the records of the discourse already given by his predecessors” (Milligan).
Earthquake (σεισμὸς)
Lit., shaking. Used also of a tempest. See on Mat 8:24, and compare Mat 24:7. The word here is not necessarily confined to shaking the earth. In Mat 24:29, it is predicted that the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (σαλευθήσονται, see on Luk 21:26). Here also the heaven is removed (Rev 6:14). Compare Heb 12:26, where the verb σείω to shake (kindred with σεισμὸς) is used.
Black as sackcloth of hair (μέλας ὡς σάκκος)
Compare Mat 24:29; Isa 50:3; Isa 13:10; Jer 4:23; Eze 32:7, Eze 32:8; Joe 2:31; Joe 3:15; Amo 8:9, Amo 8:10; Mic 3:6. For sackcloth, see on Luk 10:13.
The moon (ἡ σελήνη)
Add ὅλη whole. Rev., the whole moon.