The Response of Unbelievers at the Sixth Seal

15 The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves…16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Rev. 6:15-17)

A. John describes those affected from seven categories of society. He emphasizes how leaders will respond. Kings (presidents); great men (world leaders); rich men (financial leaders); military commanders; mighty men (civil leaders); every slave and free man (common class majority).

B. Unbelievers will understand it is the Day of the Lord perceiving Jesus’ wrath in these signs. John does not tell how they conclude this. The forerunners will proclaim the details of the sixth seal.

C. Day of His wrath: For the great day of His wrath “has come” the issue is whether the Day of the Lord has just begun or is soon to follow. The Greek verb “has come” can look backwards indicating that the Day already arrived or it can look forward as something to occur soon. Robert Thomas explains that the verb elthen ("has come") is aorist indicative, referring to a previous arrival of God’s wrath. The verb tenses in the hymns are future tenses (Rev. 11:18; 19:7).

D. The narrow Day of the Lord is the 24-hour day Jesus enters Jerusalem. The broad Day of the Lord starts at the Tribulation and ends after the Millennium. It lasts for 1,000 years (2 Pet. 3:8).