John's vision of the sixth seal is 23 verses long from Revelation 6:12 to 7:17.¹ This part of John's vision is more detailed than the first five seals combined in Revelation 6:1-11.² In Revelation 6:12-17, John describes a massive earthquake that will occur at the end of the sixth seal.³ Before this earthquake strikes, Revelation 7:1-8 describes the restoration of the true church of Jesus Christ and temple work in the latter days that is already in progress.⁴ In Revelation 7:9-17, John had another vision of heaven (celestial paradise)⁵ as it will exist at the end of the sixth seal and just before the Second Coming.⁶

The sixth seal covers the period of time from approximately 1000 to 2000 AD.⁷ Many scholars mistakenly say that this part of John's vision was fulfilled by any number of events in past history.⁸ Furthermore, since the year 2000 has already passed without any signs of a massive earthquake⁹ people are led to say that the Lord delayeth his coming.¹⁰ The Second Coming cannot be delayed, however, because the timing is unalterably fixed.¹¹ Furthermore, the Second Coming is not contemporaneous with the end of the sixth seal and the opening of the seventh seal.¹² It is true, however, that the end of the sixth seal and its attendant earthquake has been delayed beyond the year 2000. John's vision predicted this in Revelation chapter 7 where the end of the sixth seal and start of the seventh seal is delayed so that the important work of salvation in the sixth seal can be completed in latter-day temples.¹³

Revelation chapter 7 describes three events that must occur during the sixth seal before the seventh seal can be opened.¹⁴ In other words, the great earthquake‒the last major physical event of the sixth seal‒is currently on hold, even as other physical signs of the times are becoming increasingly apparent as a prelude to the great earthquake. This great earthquake marks the start of the great day of the Lord's wrath,¹⁵ which will include worldwide calamities on a massive scale.¹⁶ After John saw this massive and worldwide destruction in Revelation 6:12-14, a voice asked him: Who shall be able to stand?¹⁷ The obvious answer is: Only those who are prepared.¹⁸ Revelation chapter 7 then describes two events that will occur before the end of the sixth seal to prepare humans (both the living and the dead) to stand on mount Zion immediately before the day of the Lord's wrath is complete at the Second Coming.¹⁹

The first preparatory event of the sixth seal is the restoration of the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This event is symbolically represented in Revelation 7:1 as four restoring angels on the four corners of the earth.²⁰ Without the restoration of the gospel, no one of this latter-day generation would be prepared to stand on mount Zion at the Second Coming.²¹

Temple work is the second preparatory event of the sixth seal, which John describes in Revelation 7:2-8.²² The great earthquake and day of the Lord's wrath at the end of the sixth seal²³ have been delayed for temple sealings to be completed for the 144,000 Servants²⁴ so they will be worthy and qualified to stand with Christ on mount Zion at the Second Coming.²⁵