Revelation 6:13

13 and ¹the stars of the sky fell to the earth, ²as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.

Revelation 6:13 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 6:13

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth
All the other inferior deities lost their esteem, worship, and honour; for the idol temples being now opened, the idols and statues were exposed to the common people, and were found to be stuffed with hay and straw, which brought them into great contempt ^F12. Moreover, as stars sometimes signify the ministers of the Gospel in the Christian church, ( Revelation 1:20 ) , and sometimes the priests in the Jewish church, ( Daniel 8:10 ) ; so they may here likewise include the idolatrous priests among the Heathens, who were discharged and removed by Constantine, and had their posts and profits taken away from them; yea, Maximinus, an Heathen emperor, or tyrant, being beaten by Licinius, who was then Constantine's colleague, killed many of the priests and prophets of his gods, which were formerly had in great admiration by him, as deceivers and betrayers of him, by whose oracles he was animated to the war ^F13. And in like manner Licinius put to death the priests and prophets of the new idol at Antioch ^F14.

Even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of
a mighty wind;
which figs being young and green, and not fixed, fall off easily, and in great numbers, when a blustering wind beats upon them; and so the rabble of Pagan deities, and idolatrous priests, were easily, and in great numbers, removed through the power of Constantine, which carried all before it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Sozomen, l. 2. c. 5.
F13 Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 9. c. 10.
F14 Ib. c. 11.

Revelation 6:13 In-Context

11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;

13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.

14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:25; Revelation 8:10; Revelation 9:1
• 2. Isaiah 34:4