And they say to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
και λεγουσιν τοις ορεσιν και ταις πετραις πεσετε εφ ημας και κρυψατε ημας απο προσωπου του καθημενου επι του θρονου τω θρονω και απο της οργης του αρνιου
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
They will beg that caves, stones, and mountains would better hide them than that they should endure the trials of the blazing wrath of God. At the coming of the antichrist, this wrath will permit them to perish from famine and calamities. Or they will face the endless torments awaiting them after the resurrection.
This means that the whole world, among the good and the holy, is about to seek refuge in the Church. Preserved under her protection, it may attain eternal life by the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns unto the ages of ages.
In turn, by the kings of the earth, the nobles, the rich, the commanders, and the mighty, he means the impious demons. They guided those living on the earth by deception and snares. By slaves and free men he means the rulers and the subordinate ranks among the demons.
Their hiding in caves and in the clefts of the mountains, and their saying, “Fall on us and hide us,” is mentioned figuratively. It signifies fugitives trying to hide from the punishment due them from Christ.
For if there is to be no invisible punishment and vengeance for them, what is meant by the prophet Isaiah's words spoken in the person of Christ? “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the nations no one was with Me. I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; I poured their blood upon the earth” (Isa 63:3). And what is meant by the words of the demons hostile to God in Matthew: “What have You to do with us, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come to torment us?” (Mt 8:29).
It is also permissible to understand this passage in Revelation as speaking not only of the torments of demons. It may also refer to the lawless Jews who nailed the Lord to the cross. During the war with the Romans they were hard pressed and became fugitives in mountains, caves, and clefts of the earth. Everywhere they were surrounded by hardship and distress.
In the Synodal translation: “their blood spattered My garments, and I stained all My clothing.”
Was it not from these temptations that the Lord promised to preserve the Philadelphian Church, the sixth in the order of His epistles to the Churches?
Beneath the figurative prophetic language lies a meaning no less mysterious. An earthquake is usually understood as a change in the existing order of things. The sun signifies life, and the moon the reflection of that life in something else. The stars signify brilliant persons, rulers of minds and hearts. Heaven signifies the veil over the mystery, a barrier. Mountains and islands signify certain unshakable foundations.
The attempt to shield oneself with perishable matter from the two-edged spiritual sword can only be called madness. Yet the events described here are the direct consequence of mankind's ineradicable desire to place their souls in vanishing corruption.
The expression, “from the wrath of the Lamb,” is remarkable. Who fears the wrath of the meek Lamb? His seven horns strike no one. If it had said, “from the fury of the Lion of Judah,” that would understandably be terrifying. But it says, “from the wrath of the Lamb.” Thus meekness and truth become a dreadful punishment for the unrepentant. Their unrepented deeds go before them, burning as wood, hay, and straw (cf. 1 Cor 3:12) beneath the meek gaze of Christ. This wrath is terrible. The sinner fears and flees, though no one pursues him. Torments of soul are far more terrible than bodily torments. This is the worm that never sleeps.
Therefore, “seek the Lord... perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the Lord's wrath” (Zeph 2:3), before “the cruel day of the Lord” comes, “with wrath and burning anger,” when “the heavens will be shaken and the earth will be moved from its place at the fury of the Lord of Sabaoth, in the day of His burning wrath” (Isa 13:9-13).
When we receive news that some earthly authority and judge is about to arrive, we take every measure to put our affairs in due order and earn approval. All the more should we be concerned about the judgment of Christ, where the eternal destiny of each of us will be decided.
The Judge is fearful, fearfully beyond words. He is fearful in majesty, fearful in almighty power, and fearful because He sees into the depths of the human spirit. No secret human thought, no most subtle feeling, is hidden from Him.
There is no place for justifications at His judgment. “Before Him not only the man deadened by sin, but no living man” with the life of righteousness “shall be justified” (Ps 142:2). “You will prevail,” cries the prophet inspired from above, already going forth to meet the coming Judge, “when You are judged” (Ps 5:6).
Trembling will seize all men when they stand before the face of the Judge. Trembling will seize not only sinners, but also the righteous. Sinners will tremble from despair, from the expectation of the torments awaiting them, and from that extraordinary fear which will cause a convulsion in them, when the universe is to be changed.
They will cry out to the mountains and rocks: “Fall on us, and cover us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?” They will tremble and glorify Him, though too late.
When the Creator covered His unapproachable and unbearable glory with the veil of humility, then alone could creation freely possess thoughts and feelings. Then it could freely utter words and freely dispose its actions.
But when the Creator appears in His glory, the freedom of creation will dry up before the majesty of His glory. This is like what happens in certain extraordinary circumstances, when freedom remains ours, yet seems to be abolished by the force of events.
The most hardened enemies of the Lord, even the Sanhedrin that crucified Him and swore hatred against Him, will cry out in praise to meet the Judge. The Lord Himself foretold this to them: “You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mt 26:64). “I say to you, you shall not see Me from now until you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mt 23:39).
The righteous will tremble before the immeasurable glory of the Judge who has appeared. They will look upon their righteous deeds, and in the light of the Highest Righteousness these deeds will seem like the old rags of beggars. In their righteous deeds they will see no pledge of mercy for themselves. They will expect mercy from the infinite mercy of God alone.
The very Angels of God will be troubled and afraid before God revealed in His majesty (Lk 21:27). He “has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father” (Jn 5:22-23). Insensible material nature will not endure the gaze of the Son of God. Heaven will be rolled up like a scroll, and every mountain and every island will be moved from its place (Rev 6:14).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 26 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS