What does Revelation 6:13 mean?

This verse focuses on another sign Jesus predicted in his Olivet Discourse. John tells us "the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale." Jesus said, "The stars will fall from heaven" (Matthew 24:29). This prediction likely points to meteorite showers. This spectacular phenomenon could be visualized as a fig tree in a wind storm, as it drops its winter fruit. Isaiah 34:4 predicts this stellar event. Isaiah wrote: "All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree." This connection is one reason this particular passage in Revelation seems more likely to be an actual description, rather than a symbolic one. Even taken symbolically, there seems to be an emphasis on some physical image, or event, which inspires these words.

The phrase "winter fruit" refers to unripe figs, or winter figs, which grow under the leaves of the fig tree and hang on until winter. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, He was hungry and looked for some fruit on a fig tree, but He found none. He found only leaves, but no fruit under the leaves (Matthew 21:16–19). The barren tree resembled the religious leaders of Israel: they looked spiritually healthy from a distance, but not on close examination. They produced no spiritual fruit.