Dismantling in sevens

David Chilton points out (Days of Vengeance, 196-7) points out that seven features of the creation are rendered useless when the sixth seal is opened (Revelation 6:12-14):

1. Earth quakes.

2. The sun turns black.

3. The moon turns to blood.

4. Stars fall from heaven.

5. Heaven splits as it rolls up.

6. Mountains move.

7. Islands move.

Verse 15 follows with a sevenfold classification of human beings: kings, great men, commanders, rich, strong, slave, free – all of whom try to find refuge in caves and rocks. The description forms an incomplete chiasm (vv. 15-16) that forms another seven:

A. Hid

B. in caves

C. among rocks

D. and mountains

E’. and said 

D’. to the mountains

C’. and to the rocks

A’. “Fall on us and hide us!”

As the creation collapses heptamerously, a heptamerous humanity seeks refuge from the face of the Lamb, and they scramble for refuge heptamerously. A decreation indeed.