1. Rev 1:3—As with every other book in the Bible, Revelation was written by a real person to real people to
convey pertinent information. It was meant to bless the people who first heard it, not scare them.
a. John’s vision encouraged his original readers because they understood the vision in terms of the rest
of the Bible. In other words, the Book of Revelation wasn’t new information for them.
b. It was additional information that confirmed what they already knew from Old Testament prophets.
Revelation has more references to the Old Testament than any other New Testament book.
2. Rev 6:12-14—For example, in Revelation, John wrote that when Jesus opens the sixth seal the sun will
be darkened, the moon will become like blood, and the stars will fall from the heavens.
a. Matt 24:29—This was familiar information. Not only did Jesus make such a statement about His
return, several Old Testament prophets made similar statements. Consider one, the prophet Joel.
b. Joel 2:10; 2:31; 3:15—Joel spoke of the sun being darkened and the moon turning to blood before
the great and terrible day of the Lord. Note these points.
1. The prophets were not clearly shown that there would be two comings of the Lord separated by
2,000 years. The Day of the Lord was their term for what we call the second coming.
2. Remember what the Day of the Lord meant to them: The Lord will come to deal with the
ungodly, deliver His people, restore the earth, and come to live with His people forever.
c. Acts 2:17-21—Peter quoted from the prophet Joel in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost and clearly
connected Joel’s words to the Lord’s return.
d. Note that Peter cited the entire passage. He knew that there will be a time of calamity associated
with the Day of the Lord (the second coming), but wasn’t afraid because he knew that whoever calls
on the Lord will be saved. God will preserve and deliver His people. Joel 2:28-32
3. Why will the sun be darkened, the moon become like blood, and the stars fall out of the sky? John was
not describing some supernatural, freaky “throw down” from an angry God. He was describing nuclear,
biological, and chemical warfare and the resulting effects on humanity and the earth itself.

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a. Remember what we pointed out last week. John was a 1st century man describing 21st century
warfare in terms that he and his readers would have been familiar with. Let’s reread Rev 6:12-14.
1. John speaks of a great earthquake (seismos). This Greek word means a terrible shaking, not
necessarily an earthquake. However, if the earth shook due to nuclear holocaust John would
have no words to describe it but earthquake.
2. John saw the sun become black and the moon become red. This resembles a description of
the nuclear winter that scientists say will follow a thermonuclear war. The debris blasted into
the atmosphere will blot out light and heat from the sun and moon.
3. John describes stars falling. John saw multiple warheads streaking through the sky as they fell
upon their intended targets. They looked like falling stars.
4. John saw the sky rolled up like a scroll. We now know from observing the effects of nuclear
weapons tested during and after WWII that in a thermonuclear explosion, the atmosphere is
pushed back on itself creating a vacuum. Then it rushes back into the vacuum with almost as
much force, producing much damage. This violent movement of the atmosphere could easily
be described by a 1st century man as the sky rolling up like a scroll.
b. Since the production of the first atomic bombs in WWII there have been two wartime explosions (in
Japan) as well as many tests. So we have a lot of data about the effects of such weaponry. If we
were to describe it in 1st century terms, much of it sounds like the Book of Revelation. Consider:
1. Rev 8:10-11—John saw a great burning star fall from the heavens and poison a third of earth’s
water. John saw a nuclear warhead reentering earth’s atmosphere and the radiation released by
the impact explosion poisoned the waters.
2. Rev 14:20—John reported that he saw blood for 200 miles (the length of Israel), standing up to
horses’ bridles (five feet high). Although fighting will center in the northern part of Israel, it
it will cover the entire nation. Blood exposed to intense radiation (a by-product of nuclear
war) doesn’t coagulate.
3. Rev 16:2 says grievous sores form on men. Serious damage to the ozone layer because of the
nuclear explosions could produce cancerous sores.
4. Rev 16:21—John wrote of 100 pound hailstones falling out of the sky. Open air hydrogen
bomb tests not only produce intense fireballs and radiation, they have also produced hailstorms.
The hailstones put large dents on the upper deck armor platings of the test ships.