Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 6:12

καὶ σεισμὸς with אB2CP 1 and early Vg[253] *; Text. Rec[254] reads καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς with A and late Vg[255]

[253] Vulgate.

[254] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.
[255] Vulgate.

μέγας ἐγένετο with אB2CP; A reads ἐγένετο μέγας.

ἐγένετο μέλας with ACP; Tisch[256] reads μέλας ἐγένετο with אB2.

[256] Tischendorf: eighth edition; where the text aud notes differ the latter are cited.

ὄλη. Text. Rec[257] omits with P 1.

[257] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

12. σεισμὸς μέγας. Earthquakes follow wars and famines, in Matthew 24:7, as the earlier signs of the approach of Christ’s Coming. But here it is coupled with the darkening of the sun and fall of the stars which, ibid. 29, precede His Coming immediately: whence Alford says, that here it is more than the earth that quakes—that it is a fulfilment of Haggai 2:6-7, cf. Hebrews 12:26 sqq.

μέλας ὡς σάκκος. Isaiah 50:3 ἐνδύσω τὸν οὐρανὸν σκότος καὶ ὡς σάκκον θήσω τὸ περιβόλαιον αὐτοῦ.

ἡ σελήνη ὅλη ἐγένετο. The moon wholly became, or, perhaps the whole [i.e. full] moon became.

ὡς αἷμα. From Joel 2:31 ὁ ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἶμα. The image, no doubt, is suggested by the phenomena of natural total eclipses, when the sun disappears entirely, but the moon, though ceasing to be luminous, does not in general become invisible, but assumes a dull reddish colour. Perhaps the “blood and fire and pillars of smoke” of the preceding verse of Joel stand in similar relations to the natural phenomena of the aurora borealis. We are told of “signs in the Heaven” before the fall of Jerusalem which, if natural, must be assigned to this last cause, and in any case may be regarded as partial fulfilments of these prophecies, and types of their final fulfilment. See Jos. B. J. VI. Revelation 6:3; Tac. Hist. v. xiii. 1.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 6:12

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