Revelation 6:12 kjv

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;

Revelation 6:12 nkjv

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.

Revelation 6:12 niv

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,

Revelation 6:12 esv

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,

Revelation 6:12 nlt

I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood.

Revelation 6 verses

Revelation 6 12 Meaning

Revelation 6:12 describes the opening of the sixth seal, a pivotal moment in John's vision signaling profound cosmic and earthly upheaval. This verse portrays signs in the heavens and on the earth—a great earthquake, the sun turning black, and the moon becoming blood-red. These dramatic phenomena signify divine judgment, the unraveling of creation, and the impending culmination of God's redemptive plan. They are not merely physical events but symbolic harbingers of the Day of the Lord, announcing the terror and majesty of God's final intervention against wickedness and for the salvation of His people. The imagery echoes ancient prophetic announcements of cosmic disruption accompanying God's direct intervention in history.

Revelation 6 12 Context

Revelation 6 describes the opening of the first six seals by the Lamb. Each seal's opening unleashes a distinct judgment or event upon the earth. The initial four seals reveal the four horsemen, representing conquest, warfare, famine, and death, indicating increasing tribulation for the world. The fifth seal portrays the cries of martyrs beneath the altar, desiring divine justice for their persecution. Revelation 6:12, the opening of the sixth seal, shifts from localized judgments or the effects on people to profound, global cosmic disturbances that affect the natural order itself. This verse signals an impending climactic intervention, a display of God's power that inspires terror and serves as a prelude to the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ. Historically, for the original audience in the late first century, facing Roman persecution, this imagery would resonate with familiar prophetic expectations of God shaking the world to deliver His people and judge their oppressors, drawing heavily on Old Testament prophetic language of the end times. It stood in stark contrast to the perceived stability and cosmic order propagated by the Roman imperial cult.

Revelation 6 12 Word analysis

• And (καὶ - kai): Connects this event directly to the preceding action, the opening of the sixth seal.
• when (ὅτε - hote): Specifies the precise moment; an action directly tied to the unsealing.
• He (αὐτόν - auton): Refers to the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who alone is worthy to open the scrolls.
• opened (ἤνοιξεν - ēnoixen): A completed action in the past, highlighting the certainty and irreversible nature of the event.
• the sixth seal (τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν ἕκτην - tēn sphragida tēn hektēn): Part of a sequence of seven, indicating escalating divine judgment leading to consummation.
• I looked (εἶδον - eidon): John's personal vision, emphasizing the prophetic eyewitness account.
• and behold (καὶ ἰδού - kai idou): An emphatic interjection drawing immediate attention to the spectacular and terrifying event that follows. Used frequently in Revelation to introduce significant visionary elements.
• there was (ἐγένετο - egeneto): Indicates something came into existence or occurred.
• a great earthquake (σεισμός μέγας - seismos megas):
  • Seismos: Refers to shaking, quaking, often used for earthquakes.
  • Megas: "Great," denoting an event of unprecedented scale and intensity.
  • Biblically, earthquakes frequently symbolize divine presence, judgment, or the destabilization of existing orders (e.g., God appearing on Sinai, judgments in prophecy).
• and the sun (καὶ ὁ ἥλιος - kai ho hēlios): The primary source of light, universally significant.
• became black (ἐγένετο μέλας - egeneto melas): Turned entirely dark, indicating total absence of light. "Blackness" often signifies mourning, judgment, or ultimate desolation in biblical prophecy.
• as sackcloth (ὡς σάκκος τρίχινος - hōs sakkos trichinos):
  • Sakkos: A coarse cloth, typically made of goat hair, worn in mourning or repentance.
  • Trichinos: "Of hair" or "hairy." The image vividly portrays extreme darkness, somberness, and spiritual despair, like a world in deep mourning or severe distress.
• and the whole moon (καὶ ἡ σελήνη ὅλη - kai hē selēnē holē): Refers to the moon in its entirety, suggesting a comprehensive cosmic transformation.
• became like blood (ἐγένετο ὡς αἷμα - egeneto hōs haima):
  • Haia: "Blood." The color red or blood in apocalyptic literature often symbolizes violence, bloodshed, judgment, or death. The moon, usually a source of calm, silvery light, now appears menacing and foreboding.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "When he opened the sixth seal...I looked, and behold": Establishes divine agency (the Lamb), precise timing, and the prophetic eyewitness account, drawing attention to the unfolding judgment. The "behold" creates a sense of immediate, startling revelation.
• "there was a great earthquake": This is not just a geological event but a theological one. In the Bible, massive earthquakes often signify God's active presence and power, whether in deliverance (e.g., Acts 16:26) or judgment (e.g., Zec 14:4). This "great earthquake" is a fundamental disruption, shaking the very foundations of the earth and the existing world order.
• "the sun became black as sackcloth, and the whole moon became like blood": This paired cosmic imagery is rich with prophetic tradition, deeply rooted in Old Testament prophetic literature, particularly Joel 2:31. It signifies the undoing of creation's order, bringing forth a sense of universal terror, divine judgment, and an era of great tribulation or the Day of the Lord. The specific imagery of "sackcloth" (for mourning/repentance) and "blood" (for violence/judgment) intensifies the visual and emotional impact, communicating profound despair and the severe consequences of human rebellion. These signs imply not merely an earthly disturbance but a cosmic one, affecting even the lights of the heavens.

Revelation 6 12 Bonus section

The imagery in Revelation 6:12 employs what scholars term "apocalyptic astronomical portents." These are common across ancient Near Eastern literature but are repurposed in the Bible to highlight Yahweh's unique sovereignty over all creation, even its seemingly immutable laws. The cosmic disturbances serve as a direct counter-narrative to Roman imperial claims of universal peace and prosperity under their deified emperors. Such imagery declared that even the sun and moon, central to pagan worship and omens, were subservient to the one true God, who could unravel their very nature. The severity of these signs indicates a departure from preceding judgments, which were more targeted. The sixth seal inaugurates a universal sense of dread, forcing humanity to confront the unchallengeable power of the Lamb. It serves as a visual and symbolic answer to the martyrs' cry for justice under the fifth seal, confirming that God is indeed moving to avenge the blood of His servants.

Revelation 6 12 Commentary

Revelation 6:12 depicts not merely natural disasters but a divinely orchestrated dismantling of the created order, serving as dramatic signals of the approaching climax of history. The "great earthquake" profoundly shakes the stable foundations of the world, symbolizing the shaking of human kingdoms and systems in the face of God's unassailable rule. Simultaneously, the cosmic darkness—the sun's blackening to sackcloth and the moon's turning to blood—reflects the somber mood of ultimate judgment. These phenomena, heavily rooted in Old Testament prophetic warnings of the "Day of the Lord," are not meant to be read purely literally as astronomical events, but rather as intense, vivid symbols communicating divine wrath, universal distress, and the unveiling of God's power before His final intervention. They instill fear in the hearts of those who have rejected Him, signifying the removal of divine grace (light) and the commencement of unparalleled suffering. This passage foreshadows a world where no refuge from God's wrath can be found, setting the stage for the desperate plea of humanity in the subsequent verse.