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12 [a]Then I watched while he broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; the sun turned as black as dark sackcloth[b] and the whole moon became like blood.(A) 13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs[c] shaken loose from the tree in a strong wind. 14 Then the sky was divided[d] like a torn scroll curling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 6:12–14 Symbolic rather than literal description of the cosmic upheavals attending the day of the Lord when the martyrs’ prayer for vindication (Rev 6:10) would be answered; cf. Am 8:8–9; Is 34:4; 50:3; Jl 2:10; 3:3–4; Mt 24:4–36; Mk 13:5–37; Lk 21:8–36.
  2. 6:12 Dark sackcloth: for mourning, sackcloth was made from the skin of a black goat.
  3. 6:13 Unripe figs: literally, “summer (or winter) fruit.”
  4. 6:14 Was divided: literally, “was split,” like a broken papyrus roll torn in two, each half then curling up to form a roll on either side.

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.(A) The sun turned black(B) like sackcloth(C) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,(D) as figs drop from a fig tree(E) when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,(F) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.(G)

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