The Sixth Seal:
Points to be considered:
1/ Are the seals, trumpets and bowls a progression of events?
2/ Have the first five seals been opened already?
3/ Is the Sixth Seal actually the Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath?
4/ Is there a literal explanation of the Sixth Seal?
1/ All the commentaries that I have perused and most of the Bible scholars I have asked, agree on the chronological sequence of the seals, trumpets and bowls. It is only those with the agenda of the next event being a war and all the wrath of God is to be poured out at the Return, who place them out of the sequence as given.
Also a preterist will say it’s all past history or abrogated by Christ’s atonement.
2/ Although some say that because the description of the four horsemen and how they have been released already, as in Zechariah 1:8-11 and Zechariah 6:1-8, do not exactly match that described in Revelation 6:1-8, then they are different events. However, I see this as just an attempt to maintain their beliefs, especially those who hold to a pre trib/wrath rapture.
The Fifth Seal is telling those saints that have been martyred – they must wait until their number is complete. Matthew 23:35 Jesus said:…from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah… This significant quote confirms that the first five seals are open and the fifth, after the murder of Abel and their number will be completed by all who have been and will be killed from that time until the Return.
3/ The Sixth Seal matches quite closely the many prophecies of the worldwide Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath, found throughout the O.T. and the N.T. This event simply does not match the 3 clear descriptions of the Return of Jesus and what happens then. Zechariah 14:4-9, Matthew 24:30-31, Revelation 19:11-21
As for thinking that because it is the people who say; ‘Fall on us, for the Day of wrath has come’, then it isn’t a true statement, this is totally unbelievable because they haven’t said it yet and it is actually a prophecy of Jesus, as given to John.
4/ Prophecy should be understood literally, unless there is an obvious allegory and then it is most often explained literally in other passages. With hindsight and modern scientific knowledge, it is now possible to know what will happen and right now the fulfilment of Psalms 83:1-18 and Micah 4:11-12 is staring us in the face.
The sequence of judgements/punishments as revealed by Jesus to John in Revelation, will occur as written and the next event will be the Sixth Seal, the Great Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, the Day the Lord destroys His enemies. All the graphically described effects of a worldwide devastation will happen by the means He will use: a Coronal Mass Ejection; Isaiah 30:26, which will literally fulfil all the prophecies.
The Prophetic Word 