Revelation 6:16, commentary and pictures

At Christ's return as King of kings, people of every rank hide in dens and among the rocks of the mountains and beg the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of wrath has come. No rocks, mountains, caves or dens can shield them from the burning brightness and glory of His coming. Their terror is anguish at meeting the presence they rejected, for impurity cannot endure His holiness and the light of His purity exposes their true character and sin. To those who received Him the same Lamb is grace and shelter, so while the wicked cry to be hidden the faithful rejoice that God has come to save them. The verse therefore warns to prepare now by turning from sin, perfecting holiness and overcoming by strength from One mighty to save, for only those made ready can see the King in His beauty.

Words and Cry for Cover

At the final accounting Christ returns as King of kings, descending on the cloud wrapped in flaming fire with His holy angels, while the earth trembles and the heavens and the mountains are moved. Kings and great men and rich men and military leaders and mighty men and chief captains and every slave and free person, the powerful and people of every status, hide in dens and among the rocks of the mountains. They beg the mountains and rocks to fall on them and to cover and hide them from the face of Him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of wrath has come and they are unable to stand. While God's children are invited to inherit the kingdom prepared for them, the unprepared face vengeance as those who do not know God.

The cry expresses terror, dread, anguish, and horror at meeting the presence of God and the Lamb and at facing divine displeasure and judgment. It is the fear of those who despised and rejected Him, denied Him and did not seek His favor, and knowingly persisted in disobedience, who cannot meet Christ with joy. Their former scoffing and violence give way to prayer, weeping, and lamentation bursting from lately scoffing lips, as they long to be hidden from Jesus' face and frown and from His wrath. Neglecting duty brings dread at Christ's frown, while faithfulness to the end brings life and God's approval, and the great day brings the question of who can stand.

No refuge can shield them, for rocks, mountains, caves, and dens cannot hide them or protect them from the burning brightness and glory of Christ's coming. The voice of God from the throne brings a great earthquake that changes the earth's surface and makes places to hide accessible, yet even then the rocks cannot protect the wicked from the fate awaiting them. Those who rebelled, rejected truth and trampled on God's Sabbath, sided with evil, and took sides against God will find no refuge from indignation and will receive according to their works. Their fear follows deception, self-righteousness, and refusal to see sin as sinful, and those who chose worldly wealth, status, and other idols then see those advantages as worthless and suffer the results of their own choices, with lament too late.

In trembling agony with no escape, as the earth reels to and fro like a drunkard and the heavens shake and every eye sees Him coming with clouds, sinners who would not let Jesus take away guilt utter wild imprecations to dumb nature as their god. Creation stays loyal to God and deaf to the frenzied call, and unrequited love is now turned to wrath. The same Lamb whose wrath is terrible to scorners of His grace is grace and righteousness and love and blessing to all who received Him, the true Rock of shelter and hiding place to be fled to until the indignation is past. When Christ who stood before Caiaphas and the council as the accused returns as Judge, every secret thing is set in the light of God's countenance and sinners see their own sins without veil or softening of their hideousness, a sight so awful that they desire to be hidden under the everlasting mountains or in the depths of the ocean if only they can escape the wrath of the Lamb.

Cosmic Signs and Coming Glory

Before Christ's advent the heavens depart as a scroll, the earth trembles and is removed as a cottage, and mountains and islands are moved out of their places. The earth shakes and reels to and fro like a drunkard while the heavens and mountains are moved at His glorious return. Those who had sought to destroy God's faithful people see God's glory resting on the delivered ones, and amid the wicked's terror the faithful rejoice that God has come to save them. Rulers and people of every rank recognize that the great day of wrath has arrived and fear they cannot stand before it.

Christ returns as King of kings and heaven's King descending on the cloud wrapped in flaming fire. He comes with clouds with every eye seeing Him, in His own glory and the glory of the Father escorted by the armies of heaven, with crown upon crown, eyes as a flame of fire, clothed in whitest white and girded with a golden girdle. The brightness of the glory is revealed when the voice of God is heard. Those who rejected and mocked Him then recognize whom they have opposed and realize the great day of judgment has come.

The voice of God from the throne brings a great earthquake that changes the earth's surface and makes places to hide accessible, yet the rocks cannot protect the wicked from the burning brightness of Christ's coming. Before His glory the mountains shake and tremble and bow and the rocks are moved out of their place, for the Lord shakes not the earth only but the heavens also. The scattered ones who fled for their lives to the rocks and dens and caverns because of the fury of the oppressor will be made glad at the voice of God, for the Lion of the tribe of Judah comes to reign and to be glorified in His saints who love His appearing.

Signs in the heavens and distress on earth announce the approaching day of final destruction. The falling of the stars is the last of those signs, directing attention to the fulfillment of prophecy and to the coming judgment, leading many to heed the warning of the second advent. These signs are given so people may heed the warning and flee from the coming wrath, but those who refuse to watch will be overtaken suddenly and unawares and at the final destruction will be unprepared. The great event next impending after those signs is the wicked in terror seeking to flee from the presence of the Son of man when the great day of God comes.

All Ranks Who Hide

Those who cry for hiding include kings and great men and rich men and military leaders and mighty men and chief captains and every slave and free person, the powerful and people of every status and rank, with no ruler, king, wealth, or influence able to stand against or ward off divine judgments. Human pride is brought down before that judgment, and kings, nobles, rich and poor alike are humbled and bow before it. When Christ returns as King of kings descending on the cloud wrapped in flaming fire, while the earth trembles and heavens and mountains are moved, they hide in dens and among the rocks of the mountains and beg the mountains to fall on them and cover them so they will not have to face the One on the throne and the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of wrath has come. They recognize that judgment has come and fear facing it and fear they cannot stand before it, but no refuge of rocks, mountains, caves or dens can shield them from the consequences of rejecting Christ and opposing His truth.

Christ's enemies who mocked, clothed, crowned with thorns, struck, spat upon, scourged, derided, and condemned Him at His trial, especially priests and rulers, will be raised to see Him in His own glory and the Father's glory escorted by armies of heaven, with crown upon crown, eyes as a flame of fire, clothed in whitest white and girded with a golden girdle, His face shining brighter than the sun to give light to the city of God. Every insulting look, word and act was witnessed by the hosts of heaven and recorded by angels, though He who could have struck the multitude down by a look or word or driven them as He drove the defilers from the temple suffered scorn and abuse as part of redemption. The degrading trial scene stands before them in living detail, and those same base men look upon the calm, pale face they abused now seen in its glory. They see Him as He is, recognize Him as Son of God and true Messiah, see the marks of crucifixion, learn the value of the human soul and the Christlikeness they might have obtained, and understand their own condemnation and what is comprehended in the wrath of the Lamb. The whole work of their lives fills them with abhorrence of themselves as they see how by greedily eating of evil they poisoned their thoughts, separated from God, joined disobedience and cruelty, and tainted and degraded entrusted capabilities that might have been used for good, and viewing the hopelessness of their case they cry out in awful agony and horror for rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them.

Those hidden are those favored with great light who rejected the light and God's law, including the Sabbath, trampled truth, made void the law while claiming to know Christ, and followed commandments of men; they might have been saved by obeying but refused. The Lamb's wrath falls as judgment on those who worship the beast and its image and receive its mark, the image being identified with the exaltation of Sunday as the mark of the beast, a judgment of God's wrath poured out unmixed with torment by fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The warning belongs to the third angel's message, which those who receive its light and accept its truth are to proclaim everywhere, and those who disregard God's commandments expose themselves to real judgment while those who follow the Lord and submit to Christ's teaching receive complete free forgiveness through the One wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities. Those who ask to be hidden rejected offered salvation and would not let Jesus take away guilt, refusing the tender, patient Saviour of tenderness, patience and long-suffering who gave Himself as sacrificial victim led as a lamb to the slaughter to save sinners from the doom now falling upon them. When they see the Son of man coming in the clouds on the day of judgment, still wearing humanity clothed over divinity, they understand the great sacrifice and unmeasured love in His incarnation, His sweat-drops of blood, the marks of the nails in His hands and feet, and His pierced side, with His goodness, mercy, love, sacrifice, slighted love, abused compassion, entreating voice in synagogues and streets, suffering caused to His disciples, and taunts of priests and rulers in His agony all fresh as when done. Then they see again the condemnation of Christ and hear the loud cry to release Barabbas the murderer and robber in His stead and the answer to crucify Jesus, they remember the mercy they rejected and realize what they might have been had they received Christ and improved granted opportunities, and none impenitent shall be able to stand.

The cry applies to those who denied Him and did not confess Christ in word, life, and character and therefore cannot expect Him to confess them before the Father and holy angels, who chose worldly wealth, status, and idols, and who then see supposed advantages as worthless and realize they suffer results of their own choices while fleeing to caves that cannot hide them. It identifies God's righteous anger against those who neglect people perishing without help, who claim fellowship with Christ but remain indifferent to others' needs, who see fellow beings in peril and pass by without pity or help and say and do nothing to warn them and show the way of life while giving all attention to the ninety and nine safe within the fold, for the sufferings of every man are sufferings of God's child. It is connected with a death sentence upon those who have known the truth and rejected the Holy Spirit's leading, who had light and evidence but refused the Light and are guilty and inexcusable, and it is deserved by those who profess godliness but are not decided believers, since no one can occupy middle ground but is either a subject of faith holding truth in righteousness or among the guiltiest and most inexcusable of professors who add until scarcely a semblance of truth remains and bear false witness with fabricated lies. What is comprehended in the wrath will be discerned by those once established in truth who yield it up because truth was not brought into life-practice, who refuse the last warning message, who by yielding what they once advocated do greatest harm to the cause, and who walk in paths where the Lord does not lead with Satan going before them clothed as an angel of light in false paths until they learn by experience. Persecutors of God's people will at last face and understand that wrath when they realize they were dealing with Christ in the person of His saints, and all who caused His people to suffer, whether pope, legate, priests, or people, will experience that suffering in their own bodies. Those who in councils laid plans and by superior numbers gained power to oppress the saints and compel them to dishonor and disobey their Redeemer will then understand their work as enemies of God and betrayers of sacred trusts, see how many souls they deceived and led away from allegiance to God, and see that by misinterpreting the Word they made themselves responsible for their own destruction and the destruction of God's heritage, with blood of souls on their garments.

At the second resurrection the wicked are raised, see Jesus in kingly majesty and glory, recognize Him as the one they mocked and crucified, and overwhelmed by His presence try to hide and flee for shelter among rocks, their cry expressing terror, not repentance. At the end of the thousand years they are again raised, see Jesus in majesty as the crucified one they rejected, and overwhelmed with terror long to escape His presence and cry out in anguish.

Nature of the Lamb's Wrath

Revelation 6 and 7 are full of meaning about the terrible judgments of God. The cry to be hidden shows the Lord going forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, when the earth shall disclose her blood and no more cover her slain. His right hand shall dash His enemies in pieces, and this stands with the commissioning of the seven angels who stood before God and received seven trumpets.

The wrath of God and the Lamb brings destruction and death of the wicked. It is poured out in the seven last plagues after Jesus finishes His work as merciful High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary, leaves the sanctuary, and takes up His kingly work of judgment and vengeance. The saints do not carry out that judgment at that time, for its execution comes at the close of the thousand years. When the plagues of God come upon the earth, hail about the weight of a talent will fall upon the wicked who would not care for and obey God but insulted Him and despised all His mercies. Yet mercies are mixed with judgment, for the Lord has a people whom He will preserve.

The wrath is God's judgments unmixed with mercy, falling generally in a day far more terrible and stirring than any present confusion. That day is marked by general confusion, imprecations, fear seen in countenances, pale faces, weary distressed looks, angry looks and oaths, with the wicked fearful, terror-stricken, hopeless and despairing. It is Jesus rising in anger to punish transgressors who refused God's calls to repent and be converted and grieved and insulted the Saviour's Spirit. It comes soon after the season of mercy ends, when Christ has left the throne and calls for sinners to repent are heard no more, so that those who have not received mercy are terrified by His presence and cannot stand.

God withholds His wrath and hot displeasure until every advantage has been given through the whole period of probation, with warnings, messages of invitation, presentation of His righteousness, light and evidence. Even when these are refused He does not break forth at once in great anger but leaves all judgment to His Son. The path of transgression exposes people to that wrath and leads to misery and destruction, for the wrath is the sure result of a wrong course persisted in. He yearns to save the purchase of Christ's blood by the rich and free mercy presented in the gift of Christ's righteousness, but those who scorn that precious gift, despise and reject the Saviour, refuse to take hold of His strength to make peace, and reject the character that would make them sons and daughters of God, bring that wrath upon themselves.

The wrath will be understood by the impenitent as the power they defied falling upon them as a rock grinding them to powder, when the pleadings of infinite love are no longer heard. Applied to those who rejected and crucified the Son, the punishment is all the more terrible because of the poor return made for God's great mercy and love. Even those who with satanic cruelty abused the body of Christ at the crucifixion were haunted by that wrath with dread horror, so that they were unwilling to remain near the scene. The terror is connected with the awful sentence that His blood would be upon the priests and people and their descendants, a sentence fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and in the later suffering of their descendants.

Why Sinners Cannot Endure

Those who are unready cannot bear the glory and holiness of His presence at His coming, for impurity and sin make that glory unbearable so that they would rather be hidden by rocks and mountains than face it. To those who hate Him and holiness that glory is a consuming fire, and though He died to redeem them, His presence is life to those who love Him but death to the ungodly who long to escape it. When Christ appears in glory the sight of His purity and majesty exposes true character and brings remorse, shame, and terror, for those stained by sin see their own sin in the light of His glory and know the great day of wrath has come. Overwhelmed by that revelation they plead to be hidden from the face of Him on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, fearing they cannot stand.

As guilty Israel could not endure the light that glorified the face of Moses when he came from the divine presence in the mount with the tables of testimony, much less can transgressors of the law and rejecters of the atonement look upon the Son of God appearing in the glory of His Father with all the heavenly host to execute judgment. In the same way the wicked at the second appearing shrink pained from the glory shining in the faces of God's glorified saints, as Israel shrank from the reflected glory on Moses' face. Their exclusion is not arbitrary, for sin has left them unable to find joy in holiness or in communion with Him and unfit for heaven's fellowship. Their wish to hide and even to welcome destruction rather than remain in His presence reflects their own settled rebellion and chosen exclusion, not rejection for its own sake.

The voice they hear is the same tender voice that long called them to repent and pleaded turn ye for why will ye die, now full of condemnation as it brings to mind warnings ignored, invitations refused, counsel set at naught, and privileges slighted. Before that face derisive jests cease and the tumult of battle is stilled into prayer and weeping and lamentation bursting from lips so lately scoffing, as those who despised and rejected Him plead for mountains to bury them rather than meet Him. That cry expresses terror, not repentance, for at the second resurrection they recognize Him as King, the One they mocked and crucified, yet their anguish does not turn them. Their appeal comes too late when none impenitent shall stand, and the question who shall be able to stand is answered only in those with clean hands and pure hearts, for whom grace is sufficient.

Contrast With the Faithful Saved

Amid the terror of the wicked at the glorious return, when the earth shakes and the mountains and islands are moved, those who had sought to destroy the faithful people see the glory of God resting upon the delivered righteous. The wicked cannot endure that glory resting upon the righteous and fall to the earth like dead men, while amid that same terror the faithful rejoice that God has come to save them and rejoice in their deliverance.

His presence is life to those who love Him but death to the ungodly, even though He died to redeem them. The wicked would welcome destruction rather than remain in His presence, because sin leaves them unable to find joy in holiness or communion with Him. Their exclusion from heaven is no arbitrary decree, for they are unfit for its fellowship, and the glory that is life to the lover of God is a consuming fire to those who hate Him and holiness.

The same mountain fastnesses, crevices of the rocks, caves, dens and caverns of the earth to which the wicked call to hide them from the face of Him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb are the places where the scattered remnant flee for their lives for the faith and testimony of Jesus from the fury of the oppressor. They are driven there by the storm and tempest of persecution, yet they are truly hiding in the Rock of Ages, and when the voice of God is heard and the brightness of the glory is revealed they do not cry to be hidden. When the trial is over and the dross removed they are made glad, strengthened to endure, and talk with the Lord Jesus just as John did, knowing they are in the presence of One who redeemed them by His own blood. The Saviour reveals His presence and glory to them in their hiding places, making these loyal and martyred keepers of His holy law resplendent with the glory of God, for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Conqueror, comes to reign and to be glorified in His saints who love His appearing, coming in wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate and destroy sinners out of it, before whose glory the mountains shake and tremble and bow and the rocks are moved.

The Lord is going forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, when the earth shall disclose her blood and no more cover her slain, and when the plagues come hail about the weight of a talent shall fall upon the wicked who would not care for and obey God but insulted Him and despised all His mercies. Yet mercies are mixed with judgment, for the Lord has a people whom He will preserve. In the coming day when the wrath of God unmixed with mercy falls generally upon the heads of the wicked, a day far more terrible than any present confusion and marked by general confusion, imprecations, fear in countenances, pale faces, weary distressed looks, angry looks and oaths, the wicked shall be fearful, terror-stricken, hopeless and despairing and crying to be hidden, while the peaceful and holy who made God and heaven their trust shall calmly lean upon an Arm mighty to save to the utmost, an Arm they sought after and relied upon before the evil day came.

The terror of the lost facing Christ's presence and wrath and longing to be hidden gives in some degree the anguish of being turned away and rejected by Jesus. That dread was felt when His face was turned away after softening messages required to be delivered, giving a partial sense of what the lost will feel, and the angel made clear it was a warning and not the final fate. Neglecting the duty to declare what God has revealed leaves others unprepared and brings dread at Christ's frown, accountability for their blood, and grave consequences for failing to deliver the messages given. By contrast, faithfulness to the end brings life and God's approval, the tree of life and the water of life, with grace sufficient for the suffering involved.

The preaching of the nearness of the judgment and the Advent warning tested its hearers and drew a dividing line. It awakened in some love for the Lord's appearing and in others hatred of His coming, so that those who examined their own hearts could know on which side they would have been found had the Lord then come. Those who welcomed Christ's appearing rejoice in Him with joy as their God who will save them and as their salvation, while those who dreaded His coming want to hide with the fearful plea to the rocks and mountains, revealing whether they stand in faith or shrink from the position God placed them in.

Warning to Prepare Now

The call for rocks and mountains to hide the unprepared from the presence of God and the wrath of the Lamb is a warning to get ready for the return of Christ by turning from sin and perfecting holiness, for only those made ready will see the King in His beauty. In that day the fierceness of wrath is poured upon those who slighted salvation and made no effort to overcome the carnal heart, and without thorough work and thorough reformation now there will be no shelter then. That reformation is overcoming an unlovely disposition by obtaining strength from One who is mighty to save and by imitating the lovely character of Jesus as the Pattern, with the alternative set before all being to enter the city of God, praise the Lamb, and receive everlasting life.

The wrath of the Lamb is the judgment that falls on those who worship the beast and its image and receive its mark, the image being the exaltation of Sunday, and it is God's wrath poured out unmixed with mercy in torment by fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. This warning belongs to the third angel's message against that worship, and those who receive its light and accept its truth are to proclaim it everywhere.

When Christ comes in glory and wrath falls, the ungodly will pray in terror for hiding, but that appeal will be too late, so scoffers are warned to repent and seek Christ's mercy now before that day. The wrath of the Lamb is a real judgment, and none should expose themselves to it by disregarding God's commandments, while those who follow the Lord and submit to Christ's teaching receive complete free forgiveness through the One wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities.

Terrible calamities that sweep away costly structures make sinners tremble before God and think seriously, and those times of fear create opportunity to share the truth about the signs of the times.