Revelation 6, Isaiah, Hosea, and Jesus

Revelation 6 is like the Table of Contents to a book - it is a list of short descriptions telling the reader what is going to happen in the book.

Revelation 6 highlights the law-based judgments of first century, old covenant, Christ-rejecting Israel that unfold from Revelation 7-20.

These judgments were based on Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, and they were carried out in AD 70.

These judgments were the vengeance upon Israel for killing their fellow Jewish people who believed in Jesus.

Those killed by unbelieving Israel were the martyrs in Revelation who were praying for vindication.

They were vindicated when the judgments came.

To read about these law-based judgments, CLICK HERE.

To read about AD 70, CLICK HERE.

Revelation 6:15-17 described the terror of those who experienced the judgments.

Then everyone—the kings of the earth[land], the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”

Those who experienced the judgments:

- hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains

- cried to the mountains and the rocks to, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.”

These judgments were called the great day of their [the NKJV uses His wrath] wrath.

The great day of their (his) wrath is also called The Great Tribulation.

CLICK HERE to learn more about The Great Tribulation.

The language of Revelation 6:15-17 originated in Isaiah 2:6-21 and Hosea 10:8.

Isaiah 2:6-21 is describing the last days of judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem (the Southern Kingdom of Israel) in AD 70 - see Isaiah 2:1-2.

Hosea is describing the judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Assyria in 722 BC.

Let’s start with Isaiah 2:6-21, paying special attention to verses 10, 19, and 21 (they are quoted in Revelation 6:15-17).

Isaiah 2:6-21 (New Living Translation)

Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

6For the LORD has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans.

7Israel is full of silver and gold; there is no end to its treasures. Their land is full of warhorses; there is no end to its chariots.

8Their land is full of idols; the people worship things they have made with their own hands.

9So now they will be humbled, and all will be brought low—do not forgive them.

10Crawl into caves in the rocks. Hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty.

11Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment.

12For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning. He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted.

13He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the mighty oaks of Bashan.

14He will level all the high mountains and all the lofty hills.

15He will break down every high tower and every fortified wall.

16He will destroy all the great trading ships and every magnificent vessel.

17Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment.

18Idols will completely disappear.

19When the LORD rises to shake the earth, his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty.

20On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idol they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, 21while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth.

Isaiah foretold and described these judgments that fell upon the nation of Israel in AD 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies.

This was The Great Tribulation.

To read more about The Great Tribulation, CLICK HERE.

These judgments were consistent with the law based-judgments of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

The Book of Revelation foretold and described these judgments as well, for they were close to being fulfilled when Revelation was written in AD 68. (CLICK HERE to learn more about the date Revelation was written.)

In addition to quoting from Isaiah 2, concerning judgments upon the land of Israel, Revelation also quoted Hosea 10:8, which reads,

“Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

Hosea, like Isaiah, described law-based judgments upon Israel for their violations to the law of Moses.

Hosea’s words of judgment were carried out by Assyria in 722 BC against the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Jesus quoted directly from Hosea, applying the words of Hosea to the Jewish people of his generation as they faced the final judgment for their violations to the old testament of law, their rejection of Jesus, and the killing of fellow Jewish people who believed in Jesus.

Jesus, in quoting Hosea 10:8, said:

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then

“ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ (Hosea 10:8)

Luke 23:26-30 provides the context and the words of Jesus concerning this judgment.

As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then

“ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’

In these verses, Jesus was being led away by the Roman soldiers to be be crucified.

The crucifixion had been ordered by Rome as a result of the false charges brought against him by Israel’s leaders.

As the verses indicate, a large number of people followed him.

The women were mourning and wailing.

At this time, Jesus told them that judgment was coming upon the Jewish people of thier generation.

Jesus described the judgment against Israel as being so horrific that people would call women who had no children blessed.

In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus spoke the following words about this horrific event.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Josephus, the Jewish Historian and eyewitness of this judgment, described this terrible time in his writings.

If you would like to learn more about this time of judgment, check out Brad’s other blogs on the topic. CLICK HERE