Revelation 6:13

13 stars falling out of the sky like figs shaken from a tree in a high 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.


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 Then each martyr was given a white robe and told to sit back and wait until the full number of martyrs was filled from among their servant companions and friends in the faith.
12 I watched while he ripped off the sixth seal: a bone-jarring earthquake, sun turned black as ink, moon all bloody,
13 stars falling out of the sky like figs shaken from a tree in a high wind,
14 sky snapped shut like a book, islands and mountains sliding this way and that.
15 And then pandemonium, everyone and his dog running for cover - kings, princes, generals, rich and strong, along with every commoner, slave or free. They hid in mountain caves and rocky dens,
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.