Revelation — Chapter 6
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1Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!”
2So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.
3And when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”
4Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.
5And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales.
6And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”
7And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”
8Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.
9And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld.
10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?”
11Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.
12And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind.
14The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
16And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.
17For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”
1And 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.
2And 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.
3And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4And 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.
5And 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.
6And 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 see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
7And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8And 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.
9And 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:
10And 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?
11And 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 fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
12And 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;
13And 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.
14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15And 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 mountains;
16And 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:
17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
1And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come.
2And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer.
3And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come.
4And another [horse] came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
5And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand.
6And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not.
7And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come.
8And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
9And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled [their course].
12And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood;
13and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind.
14And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;
16and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?
1I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, “Come!”
2So I looked, and here came a white horse! The one who rode it had a bow, and he was given a crown, and as a conqueror he rode out to conquer.
3Then when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!”
4And another horse, fiery red, came out, and the one who rode it was granted permission to take peace from the earth so that people would butcher one another, and he was given a huge sword.
5Then when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked, and here came a black horse! The one who rode it had a balance scale in his hand.
6Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat will cost a day’s pay, and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”
7Then when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!”
8So I looked and here came a pale green horse! The name of the one who rode it was Death, and Hades followed right behind. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, famine, and disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.
9Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given.
10They cried out with a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Master, holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”
11Each of them was given a long white robe, and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached of both their fellow servants and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.
12Then I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became blood red;
13and the stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when shaken by a fierce wind.
14The sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15Then the kings of the earth, the very important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
16They said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,
17because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”
1I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!”
2And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
3When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!”
4Another came out, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword.
5When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand.
6I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!”
7When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see!”
8And behold, a pale horse, and he who sat on it, his name was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.
10They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
11A long white robe was given to each of them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed even as they were, should complete their course.
12I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.
13The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind.
14The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.
16They told 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,
17for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?”
Summary
The Lamb begins opening the seven-sealed scroll. As the first seal breaks, a white horse rides out carrying a rider with a bow and a crown, going out to conquer (vv. 1-2). The second seal releases a fiery red horse whose rider is given a great sword and power to take peace from the earth so that people slaughter one another (vv. 3-4). The third seal brings a black horse whose rider holds a pair of scales, and a voice announces steep prices for wheat and barley while sparing the oil and wine, signaling famine (vv. 5-6). The fourth seal unleashes a pale horse ridden by Death, with Hades following, given authority over a quarter of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild animals (vv. 7-8). The fifth seal reveals the souls of martyrs under the heavenly altar, crying out to know how long God will wait before judging those who killed them; each is given a white robe and told to wait until the full number of their fellow servants is complete (vv. 9-11). The sixth seal triggers a massive earthquake and cosmic upheaval — the sun turns black, the moon turns blood-red, the stars fall like unripe figs shaken from a tree, and the sky rolls up like a scroll, driving everyone from kings to slaves to hide in caves, begging the mountains and rocks to shield them from the wrath of the one on the throne and of the Lamb, because the great day of that wrath has arrived and no one can withstand it (vv. 12-17).
Authorship & Background
Deep Dive
Setting: The Lamb who was slain has taken the scroll from the hand of God (5:7). Now he breaks its seals one by one, and each seal releases something on the earth. Chapter 6 covers six seals. The seventh is held back until 8:1, after an interlude in chapter 7. The scene moves between heaven and earth. Heaven gives the order, and the earth feels it. The most important detail is easy to miss: none of these horrors happens on its own. The Lamb opens each seal, each command comes from the throne room, and each rider is "given" or "permitted" his power.
How this chapter is read depends heavily on the reading approach:
- Futurists usually place the seals in a coming seven-year tribulation, after which come the trumpets and bowls, either in sequence or nested one inside another.
- Historicists (Henry, for example) read the seals as the history of the Roman Empire from the apostles to Constantine.
- Preterists connect them to the Jewish war and the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
- Idealists, and many others who see the seals, trumpets and bowls as overlapping cycles, take the first four seals as the conditions of the whole age between Christ's first and second comings. This fits Jesus' own list in Mark 13:7–8: wars, nation against nation, famines, "the beginning of the birth pains."
All agree the sixth seal brings the reader to the very edge of the end.
The Seven Seals (vv1–8)
- "The Lamb opened one of the seven seals… 'Come!'" (v1). Each of the four living creatures calls out a horseman in turn. "Come!" is addressed to the riders. The four horses come from Zechariah's visions (Zech 1:8–11; 6:1–8). There, coloured horses patrol the earth for the Lord. Here they bring his judgments.
- "A white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer" (v2). The first rider is the most debated: - Christ, or the triumph of the gospel. In 19:11 Christ rides a white horse, and white in Revelation is the colour of holiness and victory. Jesus said the gospel would go out to the nations before the end (Mark 13:10). This is the view of Irenaeus, Henry and JFB. - Antichrist, or a false messiah. He imitates Christ, which is why he looks like him. The other three riders are all evils, and Christ is the Lamb who opens the seals, not a rider released by them. This is the common futurist view, which Guzik takes. - Conquest and military power in general. The bow was the weapon of the Parthians, Rome's feared mounted archers on the eastern frontier, who had defeated Roman armies. The Tyndale notes take this view: the four riders together show human power structures at their destructive worst.
"Crown" is stephanos, a victor's wreath. The lexicon notes the word can also be used for a royal crown, though diadēma is the proper word for that. In 19:12, Christ wears many diadēmata.
- "Another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth" (v4). Red is the colour of blood. Rome boasted of the pax Romana, the "Roman peace," but this rider takes peace away, and people "slay one another." That is civil strife as well as war between nations. The word "slay" (sphazō) is the same word used for the slain Lamb (5:6) and the slain martyrs (v9). "He was given a great sword." Even violence is on a leash.
- "A black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales" (v5). Scales mean rationing, food weighed out because it is scarce (Lev 26:26; Ezek 4:16).
- "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius" (v6). A denarius was roughly a labourer's daily wage (Matt 20:2). A "quart" (choinix, a little under a quart) of wheat was about one person's daily ration. So a full day's work buys bread for one person, with nothing left for a family. Barley, coarser food for the poor, stretches only three times as far. In normal times a denarius bought perhaps ten to twenty times as much. This is famine-level inflation.
- "Do not harm the oil and wine!" (v6). The voice comes "in the midst of the four living creatures," from the throne itself. Two readings: - Olive trees and vines have deeper roots than grain and survive a short drought. So this is a limited famine, not total ruin, and God sets the limit. - Oil and wine were comforts for those who could afford them, so the rich keep their luxuries while the poor go hungry.
Some note that in AD 92 Emperor Domitian ordered half the vineyards in the provinces cut down to grow more grain, then withdrew the order after protests from Asia. If so, the line would have had a sharp local meaning.
- "A pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him" (v8). "Pale" is chlōros, the word for green grass (8:7). The lexicon gives "pale" for this verse, and the colour is the grey-green of a corpse. Hades is the realm of the dead, following behind to collect what Death takes. Christ holds the keys to both (1:18).
- "Authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts" (v8). These are Ezekiel's "four disastrous acts of judgment" (Ezek 14:21; compare Jer 15:2–3). "Pestilence" is literally "death," a Greek usage for plague. A fourth is terrible but limited. The trumpets will reach a third (8:7–12). The bowls will be total (ch 16). Judgment increases in stages, each one a warning that leaves room to repent (9:20–21).
- Commentators: On the white horse, Henry sees "The Lord Jesus," his bow being the convicting word: "a crown is given him as the earnest and emblem of victory." JFB agrees: "Evidently Christ, whether in person, or by His angel, preparatory to His coming again." Guzik takes the opposite view: the rider is the Antichrist, a satanic imitation of Christ in chapter 19, because his rule brings war, famine and death rather than peace. JFB says "the color of the horse in each case answers to the mission of the rider." On prices, Henry calls their measure "but a single quart," enough for one day. He reads the sparing of oil and wine as a sign that the famine fell hardest on the poor, as Guzik and the Tyndale notes also do. JFB notes that ordinarily "from sixteen to twenty measures were given for a denarius." Guzik also stresses that every rider is "given" his power, so God is still in control.
The Fifth Seal: Souls Under the Altar (vv9–11)
- "I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne" (v9). The scene moves from earth to heaven's temple. In the temple, the blood of sacrifices was poured out at the base of the altar (Lev 4:7). The martyrs' lives were poured out like an offering (Phil 2:17; 2 Tim 4:6). They are not forgotten; they are kept close to God. "Witness" is martyria, the root of "martyr." They died for the same two things for which John was exiled (1:9). These include Antipas (2:13), and in the futurist view also believers killed in the coming tribulation. In the preterist view they include believers killed under Nero.
- "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood?" (v10). "Sovereign Lord" is despotēs, master, as of a slave owner. The lexicon notes the word implies absolute ownership and power. It is the same title the believers used in their prayer in Acts 4:24. "How long?" is the cry of the psalms (Ps 13:1; 79:5, 10; Hab 1:2). This is not personal revenge. It is a plea for God to be shown just in public, and it leaves vengeance with God, where it belongs (Deut 32:35, 43; Rom 12:19). Abel's blood "cried" from the ground (Gen 4:10). Jesus said God will surely give justice to his elect who cry to him day and night (Luke 18:7–8).
- "They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer" (v11). The answer has two parts. First, a gift: white robes, the sign of victory and purity promised to conquerors (3:5). Second, a word: wait. "Rest" is the same word used of the dead who die in the Lord in 14:13. They are not in torment or limbo. They rest.
- "Until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been" (v11). This is a hard sentence. More believers will die, and God knows the number. History does not get out of his control even through persecution. The words "the number of" are added in English to make sense of the Greek, which says literally "until… should be fulfilled." The idea of a fixed number of the righteous appears in Jewish writings of the time (1 Enoch 47; 4 Ezra 4:35–37).
- Commentators: Henry writes: "Persecutors can only kill the body, and after that there is no more that they can do; their souls live." He sees the martyrs at the foot of Christ, kept near him. JFB reads the altar as Christ: "so the souls of those sacrificed for Christ's testimony are symbolically represented as under the altar". He says "Lord" means master, as of slaves, which the lexicon supports. JFB also notes that "season" in v11 is a span of time, not a fixed moment. Guzik connects the altar image to the blood poured at the altar's base (Lev 4:7). He defends the martyrs' cry for justice as fitting and holy, not vindictive. He notes that "the number of" in v11 is supplied by translators.
The Sixth Seal: The Great Day of Wrath (vv12–17)
- "A great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood" (v12). These are the classic signs of "the day of the LORD" in the prophets (Isa 13:10; Joel 2:10, 31; Amos 8:9), repeated by Jesus (Mark 13:24–25) and by Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2:20). Sackcloth was coarse goat's-hair cloth worn in mourning.
- "The stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale" (v13). Late figs that never ripened through winter drop off easily in a strong wind. It is a homely picture for a cosmic event.
- "The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place" (v14). This is from Isaiah 34:4: "the skies roll up like a scroll." The very thing people think most permanent, the sky overhead, is rolled up like a document no longer needed.
- How to read the signs. Readers differ: - Futurists usually take them as real physical events at the end, described in the language of observation. - Historicists have read them as the collapse of the pagan empire under Constantine, with sun, moon and stars as rulers and powers. - Preterists note that the prophets used this same language for the fall of earthly kingdoms, Babylon in Isaiah 13 and Edom in Isaiah 34. They read it as the fall of Jerusalem or Rome. - Idealists see the final judgment pictured in symbol.
All agree the language means God's judgment shakes the whole created order, and that it points beyond any single earthly event to the last day.
- "The kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free" (v15). There are seven groups, covering everyone from emperor to slave. Power, rank and money don't protect anyone. "Hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks" comes from Isaiah 2:19–21. On the day of the Lord, people hide "from before the terror of the LORD."
- "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne" (v16). This comes from Hosea 10:8. Jesus quoted it on the road to the cross (Luke 23:30). People would rather be crushed by mountains than face God.
- "And from the wrath of the Lamb" (v16). This is one of the most startling phrases in Scripture. The gentlest image in the Bible is joined to wrath. The Lamb who was slain for sinners is also the Judge of those who reject him (John 5:22, 27; Acts 17:31). His wrath is not a loss of temper. It is the settled opposition of holy love to evil, and the answer to the martyrs' cry in v10.
- "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (v17). "Their" puts the throne and the Lamb together again (5:13). "Who can stand?" echoes Nahum 1:6 and Malachi 3:2. The answer comes in the next chapter: the sealed servants of God and a multitude no one can number, standing before the throne (7:9). Some manuscripts read "his wrath" instead of "their wrath." The meaning is the same.
- Commentators: Henry reads the signs figuratively. He mentions the view that they describe "the great revolutions in the empire at Constantine's time, the downfall of paganism," but himself prefers the fall of Jerusalem, as a picture of the final judgment. JFB summarizes that same historicist view, then breaks from it: "at least the sixth seal is future, and is to be at the coming again of Christ." Guzik, a futurist, mentions the Constantine reading only to reject it as heavy spiritualizing, and calls the signs real but described in poetic Old Testament language. Henry says "the wrath of the Lamb is exceedingly dreadful": if the Redeemer becomes your enemy, no one is left to plead for you. Guzik makes the same point. The wrath is more fearful because it comes from the one who offered mercy, and only those made right with God by faith can stand.
Pointing to Christ
The chapter is hard to read: war, famine, plague and martyrdom, ending with the world in hiding. But the one who breaks every seal is the Lamb who was slain for the world. Nothing here escapes his hands. The horsemen are limited by his permission, the martyrs are held close under his altar, and the cry "how long?" is heard. The last question, "who can stand?", has an answer, and it isn't the strong or the rich. The people who stand on that day are those who have taken refuge in the Lamb, whose blood ransomed them (5:9). For them his wrath has already been borne on the cross.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik covers each seal, the four horsemen, the martyrs' cry, and the cosmic upheaval of the sixth seal.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Revelation -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- The Four Horsemen Ride (vv.2-8) — Conquest, war, famine, and death are unleashed on the earth as the first four seals open. How do you respond to global suffering and upheaval — with despair, indifference, or confidence that God is still sovereign over it?
- The Martyrs Cry Out (vv.9-10) — Souls under the altar ask God how long He will wait to bring justice for their blood. When you've cried out for God's justice or relief and had to wait, how did you handle it?
- Told to Wait a Little Longer (v.11) — The martyrs are given white robes and told to rest until the full number of the faithful is complete. Can you trust God's timing even when it means waiting longer than you'd like?
- Who Can Stand? (vv.16-17) — Facing the wrath of the Lamb, even kings and the mighty beg the mountains to hide them. Are you standing before God clothed in Christ's righteousness, or trying to stand on your own?