When the Sky Rolled Back: Responding to the End

 

When the Sky Rolled Back: Responding to the End

Text: Revelation 6:12–17; Matthew 24:36–44

Today we reflect on two powerful passages of Scripture—Revelation 6:12–17 and Matthew 24:36–44. These verses paint vivid pictures of the end times, not only to inform us but to wake us up to spiritual readiness.

Revelation 6:12–17 – The Great Day of Wrath

In Revelation 6, we are given a dramatic vision: a great earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon like blood, stars falling, the sky splitting, and mountains and islands moving. These are not just poetic images—they are signs of total upheaval, symbols of God's final intervention in human history.

But what strikes us most deeply is the response of the people. What do they do?

"Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.’” (vv. 15–16)

This is fear at its most desperate. People from every level of society are unified—not in repentance—but in terror. They hide, not seek. They cry for rocks to crush them, rather than cry to God for mercy. Why? Because they are unprepared. The day has come suddenly, and they have no shelter in Christ.

Matthew 24:36–44 – The Days of Noah

Jesus warns us of the same suddenness in Matthew 24. He says:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows… For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (vv. 36–37)

In Noah’s day, people ate, drank, married, and lived life without a thought for judgment. The flood came—not because eating and drinking were wrong—but because people lived with no regard for God’s warnings. The ark was being built in full view, yet no one cared… until the rain began to fall.

Jesus is clear: Be ready. Life will look normal right up until the day it doesn’t.

The Contrast: Terror vs. Trust

Let’s compare the two groups:

• In Revelation 6, people face the end with panic and hiding.

• In Matthew 24, Jesus invites us to face it with watchfulness and preparation.

The difference is not in how sudden the day comes—it surprises both groups. The difference is whether we’ve listened and believed God before that day.

Lessons for Today:

1. Don’t delay. We do not know the hour. You can’t “cram” for the return of Christ.

2. Live visibly faithful lives. Noah built an ark in a dry land. Your faith may seem strange, but it is your lifeline.

3. Warn others. Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). Are we sounding the alarm in love?

4. Seek refuge in Christ. When judgment comes, the only safe place is not a cave or mountain—it’s in the Lamb who once bore wrath for us on the cross.

What about us?

The world will end, not in chaos, but in cosmic justice. For some, it will be the collapse of everything they trusted. For others, it will be the fulfillment of their deepest hope.

Let us be like Noah—not perfect, but faithful. Not asleep, but awake. And when that sky finally rolls back, may we look up—not in fear—but with joy, knowing our redemption has come.

More: Lesson 10 - Upon Whom the Ends Have Come