Revelation 6:12

The sixth seal. "The Apocalypse is molded by the great discourse of our Lord upon 'the last things' which has been preserved for us in the first three Gospels (Matthew 24:4; Matthew 25.; Mark 13:5-37; Luke 21:8-36; compare Revelation 17:20-37). The parallelism between the two is, to a certain extent, acknowledged by all inquirers, and is indeed, in many respects, so obvious, that it can hardly escape the notice of even the ordinary reader. Let any one compare, for example, the account of the opening of the sixth seal with the description of the end (Matthew 24:29; Matthew 24:30), and he will see that the one is almost a transcript of the other. It is remarkable that we find no account of this discourse in the Gospel of St. John; nor does it seem as sufficient explanation of the omission that the later Evangelist was satisfied with the records of the discourse already given by his predecessors" (Milligan).

Earthquake [σ ε ι σ μ ο ς]. Lit., shaking. Used also of a tempest. See on Matthew 8:24, and compare Matthew 24:7. The word here is not necessarily confined to shaking the earth. In Matthew 24:29, it is predicted that the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (saleuqhsontai, see on Luke 21:26). Here also the heaven is removed (verse 14). Compare Hebrews 12:26, where the verb seiw to shake (kindred with seismov) is used.

Black as sackcloth of hair [μ ε λ α ς ω ς σ α κ κ ο ς]. Compare Matthew 24:29; Isaiah 50:3; Isaiah 13:10; Jeremiah 4:23; Ezekiel 32:7; Ezekiel 32:8; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:15; Amos 8:9; Amos 8:10; Micah 3:6. For sackcloth, see on Luke 10:13. The moon [η σ ε λ η ν η]. Add olh whole. Rev., the whole moon.