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Revelation 6:15-17 shows that on Judgment Day the unsaved WILL desire to be annihilated in order to escape FROM God, yet they will not be able to OBTAIN That.

Updated - 10/26/10

We read an important passage discussing Judgment Day in Revelation 6:12-17 upon the opening of the 6^th seal. We read there:

12 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;

13 And 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.

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15 And 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;

16 And 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:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The language of verses 12 to 14 identifies with the Rapture and the closing off of the Gospel. The sun becoming black means that Christ, the light of the world, who is represented by the sun, is no longer saving. There is no more salvation.

The moon represents the law of God, the Bible, that now requires the due payment for sin.

The stars that fall from heaven to the earth represent the unsaved in the churches. They appeared to be true believers, the true stars from Daniel 12:3, but are now fallen under the wrath of God. This is similar language to Obadiah 4 which speaks about the unsaved church people as Edom.

So, Revelation 6:12-17 is talking about Judgment Day, when the true believers are raptured.

In this study, we want to pay particular attention to what the unsaved that are left behind are saying and doing in verses 15 to 17.

First, let’s note two other passages that cover the same information.

1. Isaiah 2:9-11 & 19-21:

9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

10 ¶ Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.

11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

In Isaiah 2:9-11 & 19-21 we read language that confirms that at Judgment Day the unsaved will be trying to hid from God in the caves and the rocks.

2. Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

In Luke 23:30 we read language that confirms that the unsaved will be asking the mountains and hills to fall upon them and to cover them. This means that the unsaved will want to be annihilated.

Let’s look more closely at the response of the unsaved at Judgment Day.

We read in Revelation 6:15-17:

16 And 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:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

There is an important observation that we want to make about verse 16.

Notice in verse 16 that the unsaved at Judgment Day want to be annihilated.

The unsaved are calling to the mountains and rocks to fall on them. That would destroy their bodies. They want to be annihilated. If anything in this world can annihilate someone it is a mountain that falls upon the person.

The unsaved want to be annihilated in order to “hide from the face of him that sitteth on the throne”.

The unsaved are trying to get away from God by being annihilated.

The unsaved want to be annihilated to get away from God and His wrath.

The unsaved want to be annihilated in order to hide from God. However, verse 15 indicates that they are not able to do this. In verse 15 we read that the unsaved are trying to hide from God in dens and rocks.

Why are they hiding in dens and rocks?

Why don’t the unsaved fall upon a sword or stab themselves with a knife or hang themselves to annihilate themselves?

If doctrine of annihilation is true, then the unsaved on Judgment Day can escape God by simply destroying their bodies and thereby annihilating themselves.

However, by the fact that the unsaved will desire annihilation and yet will flee to hide in the rocks and caves, God is teaching that the unsaved will not be annihilated. They will have to face God.

If the annihilation was true, the unsaved on Judgment Day could simply stab themselves or do something similar to escape God.

From verse 16 we learn that they are willing to be annihilated to escape from God. If annihilation was true, the unsaved would not need to hide in the rocks and caves.

However, because the unsaved are fleeing to hide in the rocks and the caves, God is teaching that they will not be able to annihilate themselves. The unsaved will not be annihilated.

It is said that on the day of the resurrection of the dead and the Rapture, that the graves of the unsaved will be thrown open and the corpses of the unsaved will be cast out upon the ground. Also, it is said that the land will be littered with corpses from the earthquake.

If there are many corpses spread out upon the land, then why don’t the unsaved simply stab themselves with a knife or fall upon a sword so that they also will be a corpse and annihilate themselves and thereby escape God?

If there are corpses everywhere, then that means that the unsaved can annihilate themselves and escape from God by simply stabbing themselves with a knife or falling upon a sword.

However, what are the unsaved doing?

We read in verse 15:

And 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;

The unsaved are hiding in dens and rocks in order to try to get away from God.

They are trying to run and hide from God in anyway that they can.

If there are corpses everywhere and many people are being annihilated by the earthquake and the resulting plagues, why are the unsaved in verse 15 trying to hide from God? Why don’t they annihilate themselves by destroying their bodies?

Verse 16 clearly shows that the unsaved are willing to be annihilated in order to escape from God.

If there are corpses everywhere, the unsaved would know that all they need to do is to stab themselves or shoot themselves or fall upon a sword, and they would annihilate themselves. They would escape from God.

However, they are not doing that. They are running and hiding and asking for the mountains to fall upon them.

If annihilation is the way to escape from God, then the unsaved do not need to call to the mountains to fall upon them. They could simply stab themselves or destroy their bodies in some other way.

However, they are not doing that. They are trying to run and hide from God.

This is showing us that on Judgment Day that the unsaved will not be able to destroy their bodies and annihilate themselves to escape God. The unsaved will not be annihilated. They will have to face God.

It is argued by some people that Revelation 6:15-17 is talking about the unsaved fleeing to the churches for salvation on the day of Judgment. Could this passage be teaching this?

We want to examine this argument. Could this passage be talking about the unsaved people fleeing to the churches for salvation on Judgment Day?

We can argue that the word “mountain” can refer to a kingdom, which could point to the local congregations that represented the Kingdom of God. Let’s look at verse 16 closely to see if this is a possible application for this passage. Notice what the people are saying in that verse:

16 And 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:

If the “mountains and rocks” represent the local congregations to which people are fleeing for a hope of salvation, are they going to be saying to those churches: “Fall on us”?

Would people flee to a church for salvation and say to church, “Fall on us”? Would people flee to a church for salvation and want to the church to “fall” on them?

The answer is no.

The phrase “Fall on us” does not identify with salvation, but rather with judgment. We see what happens when the Kingdom of God “falls” on someone in these verses:

Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall <4098> on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall <4098>, it will grind him to powder.

Luke 20:18 Whosoever shall fall <4098> upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall <4098>, it will grind him to powder.

In the above verses, we have the same Greek word translated “fall” that is found in Revelation 6:16. The “stone” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the essence of the Kingdom of God. The two verses above teach that when the Kingdom of God or Christ “falls” upon someone, it refers to the judgment of God and not salvation.

So, following the Biblical rule of comparing Scripture with Scripture, if someone were fleeing to a church for salvation, he would not be desiring or saying to the church “fall on us”. That figure is used to refer to judgment.

Let’s now consider the next thing that the people are saying to the “mountains and rocks”. The people are desiring that the mountains and rocks would “hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb”.

The people are asking that they might be hid “from the wrath of the Lamb”. That could fit for the idea of seeking salvation from a church. However, the people are also asking the “mountains and rocks” to “hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne”.

Do we go to a church so that the church might “hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne”?

The answer is no.

No one goes to a church seeking salvation to be hid from the face of God who sits on the throne. If we are going to a church for salvation, we are looking for reconciliation with God and not to be hid from God.

We read about the true believers being in heaven before the throne of God in Revelation 7:9-15. We read there:

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne <2362>, and unto the Lamb.

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne <2362>, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne <2362> on their faces, and worshipped God,

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 ¶ And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne <2362> of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne <2362> shall dwell among them.

The word “throne” is noted in the above passage to show that those that are seeking salvation are seeking God who sits on the throne.

We read in Revelation 22:3-4 that the true believers are before the throne of God and shall “see his face”. We read there:

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

If someone is going to a church for salvation, he is seeking reconciliation with God who sits on the “throne” and will “see his face”. That does not agree with the language that we read in Revelation 6:15-16:

16 And 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:

The people in Revelation 6:15-16 are asking the mountains to fall on them. That language identifies with judgment and not with salvation. People do not go to a church seeking for the judgment of God. Also, the people in this passage are trying to hide from God. Someone seeking salvation is not trying to hide from God, but rather be reconciled to God.

A careful examination of Revelation 6:15-17 shows that this passage cannot be talking about people fleeing to the churches on Judgment Day to seek salvation.

Therefore, this passage must be understood as indicated in the first part of this study. That, people will be seeking annihilation on Judgment Day but will not be able to obtain it, showing that the teaching of annihilation is not true to the Bible.

Finally, people say that “there may be a few people hiding in mountains on Judgment Day”

Actually, this passage does not point to a few people, it uses language that points to all of the people. Notice what God says in verse 15, “And 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”.

This is language that points to everyone, and not “just a few”. God talks about “every bondman” and contrasts that with all of the opposite type of people, “every free man”. God also includes the high and mighty of this world in the description. So, Revelation 6:15-17 is not talking about a few people. The language points to all of the people or at least a great number.

Revelation 6:15-17 is teaching that on Judgment Day the unsaved will want to be annihilated to escape from God. However, from their actions, we know that they will not be able to destroy their bodies and annihilate themselves. They will have to face God.

Therefore, the teaching that the unsaved will be annihilated during the 5 months does not agree with Revelation 6:15-17.

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