Review
In the last article, we saw the Lord open the second seal, which revealed a red horse and its rider that brought war such as has never been seen before on the earth.
He took away the peace that the previous rider had brought to the earth.
Christ opened the third seal, and along came a black horse, and the rider had with him a pair scales. This was famine. So, after war comes famine.
We saw that it will take one day's wage to purchase one day’s worth of food for one individual. Food will be very expensive and only the wealthy will be able to afford it. Therefore, the poor will die of starvation.
Then, Christ broke the fourth of seal and an ashen colored horse arrived. His name was “death,” and “hades” was following him.
These two were given permission to kill one fourth of the world's population using sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts.
The total world population as of January 1, 2025 is estimated to be 8,202,000,000 (billion) people. Yes, that number is fluctuating by the second, but this will help us to gain perspective.
If this were to happen today, that would mean that 2,050,000,000 (billion) people would die at one time!
As of July 5, 2024, the estimated population of the United State’s population is 346,383,567 million people. The U.S. would be completely wiped out!
As of July 5, 2024, the estimated population of Canada is 41,288,599 (million) people. Canada is wiped out!
As of December 2024, the estimated population of India is 1,455,993,730. India is wiped out!
These are only the “birth pangs!”
Now, we’ll take a look at the next section of Revelation, chapter 6: Revelation 6:9-11.
v.9, “And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained”:
· With the opening of the fifth seal, John’s view switches back to heaven.
· Did you notice that none of the four living beings has cried out this time?
· Instead, John sees the souls of some of the martyrs:
o This tells us that people will be saved during the Great Tribulation, but many of them will be killed for their faith in Christ.
o These martyrs are mentioned in more detail in Revelation 7.
· There’s something significant here that’s missed by those who explain the fifth seal's
impact as God producing martyrdom:
o They say this represents the difficulty of sharing one's faith, even to the point of having one's blood poured out by God's enemies as an offering to Him.
o This is an unacceptable interpretation because it ignores the fact that the seal judgments are God's wrath against those on the earth, not against those who believe in Christ.
o Murder of believers, for Christ's sake, can hardly be looked upon as a judgment from God against those on the earth.
o It’s also out of keeping with the purpose of the other seal judgments.
o The significance of the fifth seal judgment will be seen by the cry of the martyrs in v.10:
Ø Their prayers for God's vengeance against those on earth are heard and vindication against their killers is certain.
Ø God will avenge Himself and these martyrs in His time.
Ø And these prayers serve to confirm this for us.
o Those on the earth have already had a taste of suffering from the first four seal judgments, but the worst is yet to come, particularly under the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet judgment.
· There is debate about the timing of the fifth seal:
o One suggestion places it in the past, connecting with those martyred under the first century Roman emperors Nero and Domitian.
o An argument against this idea is that these martyrs must be killed during the Tribulation period, because their persecutors are still alive when they slayed:
Ø Otherwise, their prayers would be meaningless.
o A second view is to locate these martyrs throughout the entire Christian era, but this idea fails for the same reason.
o Remember, these seals are sequential and nothing in history has happened that’s prophesied in these seals.
o These martyrs must belong to the group to be slain [future] during the time of the Tribulation just before Christ returns.
o This also matches what Jesus said in His Olivet Discourse (Matt. chapters 24-25).
o So, the offering of these prayers should be placed after the events represented in the first four seals, and before the events of the sixth seal.
o Remember, all the seal judgments are against the rebellious people on the earth.
· To place these martyrs in the past doesn’t account for the fact that their persecutors still live on earth, during the time when their prayers are spoken.
· Taken altogether, the evidence supports putting these martyrs in the 70th week of Daniel, during the Great Tribulation, perhaps somewhere in the first half of the seven-year period.
· What about "the altar?"
o One view is that it’s the heavenly altar after which the altar of burnt offering was patterned.
o Another view sees this altar as the one after which the golden altar of incense was patterned.
o A third view sees the altar as a blending of those two.
o We can dismiss the last view due to the different functions of the two altars.
o The altar of burnt offering identification is a possibility because the blood of the sacrifices was poured at the bottom of that altar.
o Calling this an altar of sacrifice is also supported by the term "slain," a word connected with animal sacrifices in the Old Testament.
o The importance of the altar of burnt offering led to its being referred to often as simply "the altar," as it is here.
o The concept of a martyr offering his blood as a sacrifice to God is similar elsewhere in the New Testament.
o But, there’s a problem with identifying this as the “altar of burnt offering”:
Ø If this were the altar of burnt offering, the souls of the martyrs would more likely be "on" rather than "under" the altar.
Ø In the Old Testament, it was the blood that was beneath the altar of burnt offering, but here it is the souls.
o Another weakness of this view is that it weakens the uniqueness of the Lamb’s sacrificial death:
Ø Since the once-for-all death of Christ, no more sacrifices are needed for redemption.
o Finally, it's not completely accurate to speak of the altar of burnt offering as the most important altar.
o The word "altar" used alone often refers to the “golden altar of incense” in Revelation.
· Identifying this altar with the “golden altar of incense” is more probable because:
o Throughout the book, the heavenly altar is connected with the carrying out of judgment, which the saints are praying for.
o And the prayers of the saints for judgment are symbolized by incense.
o Also, in Revelation, heaven is sometimes spoken of in terms of a “sanctuary.”
o The “golden altar of incense” was located adjacent to that sanctuary, but the altar of burnt offering wasn’t.
o When we consider all these factors, seeing this as the heavenly “golden altar of incense” is the wiser choice.
· The Greek word for "souls" is psychas, and it refers to the total person as a rational human being.
· The question is whether or not the word “soul” implies an intermediate body for the dead:
o Some believe that the fact that each one of these “souls” is given a "white robe" implies a body, because a physical robe cannot hang on a spirit.
o But this probably pushes the symbolism too far.
o John’s vision is not designed to teach the condition of the saints between death and the coming of the Lord.
o Therefore, it's best to see these “souls" as referring to that which gave life to the bodies of these believers.
o As is often the case with the word "soul," it refers to the "lives" or “persons” who’ve been martyred.
o It was their lives that they had given up for the sake of Christ.
o John saw only the souls, because the bodies had not yet been resurrected.
o The “white robes” symbolize the purity of these believers who had given their lives for Christ.
· There’s an interesting contrast here:
o We read in Acts 7:60, that Stephen did not cry out for vengeance against his murderers.
o But it’s important to note that these martyrs are in heaven, not still upon the earth.
o We would all agree that the call of the gospel is not to pray for vengeance, but these martyrs are now beyond their mortal state and are no longer subject to its limitations.
o The prayers of these martyrs and other saints seem to be the bringing about of judgment by God during the Tribulation period.
· The reason for the murder of these souls is explained in the phrase "because of the word of God":
o After the Church is caught up, people will correctly interpret what they see going on around them in the world in light of the Scriptures still available on the earth.
o They will proclaim, from the Bible, God’s judgments and call on people to repent and believe the gospel.
o Antichrist and his followers will not tolerate their bold preaching and will persecute them and kill them.
· “because of the testimony which they maintained” refers to their loyalty to Jesus, which was demonstrated by their proclamation of the Word of God in the face of life-threatening hatred and hostility:
o In a world no longer restrained by the influence of the Holy Spirit, men will murder those who faithfully and courageously proclaim the message of judgment and salvation.
o The testimony they had received, they continued to hold on to.
o Their loyalty to Christ will be clear and preaching His Word will be the proof.
o The ultimate cause of their martyrdom will be their refusal to renounce their testimony.
v.10, “and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’”
· Notice that their plea to God is in the form of question.
· As we saw earlier, the prayer of these martyrs contrasts greatly to that of Acts 7:60:
o Stephen sought forgiveness for his killers.
o But this prayer follows the pattern of the "imprecatory," or psalm of vindication in the Old Testament.
· They cry out for vengeance rather than for forgiveness:
o A prayer for pardon is appropriate during a time of grace.
o But when grace has exhausted its patience, only judgment is left and prayers for vindication are appropriate.
o These prayers aren’t just from a thirst for revenge; they are, in part, a protest against the sinful deeds of the wicked.
· "how long" is the well known cry of the nation of Israel:
o This question has been on the lips of the righteous almost since the beginning of the human race.
o We can see it all the way back in Genesis 4:10, it’s the appeal of the Abel's blood.
· Here, the cry is addressed to "O’ Lord", but it’s not the Greek word kurios:
o The Greek word is, despotes, which means one who holds complete power or authority over another. It has the idea of master or ruler.
o This title carries the idea of majesty, power, and authority.
o It’s not the common word for "Lord" in the New Testament, but this word recognizes the absolute power of God.
· The martyrs appeal to these two qualities of God, "holiness and true":
o He is holy and apart from evil.
o He is true and faithful to His Word.
o He cannot tolerate iniquity. In His righteousness, He will avenge.
· Notice that this request isn’t telling God what He must do or when He must do it:
o It simply asks the question of “how long” is He holding back from judging the unrighteous, and avenging the blood of the righteous who have been slain.
o Their request is to carry out vengeance against those who have shed their blood, "those who dwell upon the earth":
Ø They are the opponents of the servants of God.
Ø They are an ungodly people who have no home but earth and want no home, but earth.
o It’s not just the beast from the sea, who appears later to vent his wrath against the people of God, who want to kill all the Christ-followers:
Ø At this future time, most of mankind is in rebellion and is determined to remove as many of God's servants as possible.
· Keep in mind that this is happening during the period called "the beginning of birth pains."
· It’s going to get worse!
v.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, should be completed also”:
· God's immediate response to the martyrs’ question is a symbolic act and a spoken word:
o The symbolic act is the giving to each one a “white robe.”
o The word here for "robe" is a robe of glory and dignity, a long robe flowing to the feet.
o The "white" color pictures blessedness and the beauty of holiness.
o Here, the glory promised to them, is similar to the glory promised the overcomers in the messages to the seven churches.
· There is an issue of robes worn by immaterial bodies in heaven:
o Some believe that this verse tells us that believers will receive an “intermediate body” before they receive a resurrected, glorified body.
o Jewish tradition consistently used white robes to represent the body of glory, i.e., the resurrection body:
Ø Some believe that John was influenced by this tradition when he wrote.
Ø Some also believe that Paul's teaching is similar to this.
o But this belief overlooks the clear teaching that the resurrection body will not be received until Christ's return.
o If these robes represented intermediate bodies, then the martyrs would have received them at death and would not have had to wait till some later time.
· Perhaps the best way to look at this is:
o These long, brilliant white robes were a reward of grace, symbolizing God’s gift of eternal righteousness, blessedness, dignity, and honor.
o They symbolize all the glory that redeemed saints will enjoy in heaven.
o These are probably not actual robes, since what is depicted in this vision is before the resurrection of the bodies of the redeemed, which occurs for Tribulation saints, at Christ’s return.
· The phrase "they should rest” also has several interpretations:
o There’s little question that it includes the thought of ceasing from their cry of vengeance and resting from their toil and pain. A case can be made for limiting the phrase to this.
o But this limitation would make it seem like God’s words to them was an admonition to control their impatience, which would not be a positive trait for glorified beings in heaven.
o It’s better to see this phrase as a gentle reminder to stop their cry for vengeance and to simply rest in their blessedness:
Ø Ultimately, God will repay the evildoers: “but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
· The phrase "for a little while longer" expresses the extent of their rest:
o Jesus uses the identical Greek expression twice, once in John 7:33, “Jesus therefore said, ‘for a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me’”:
Ø And once in John 12:35, “Jesus therefore said to them, ‘for a little while longer the light is among you.’”
Ø Here, the “little while” is about one year.
o We see the same words used in Revelation 20:3, to tell of Satan's brief period of freedom after the Millennium:
Ø Here, it’s probably just a matter of days.
o Some believe that this “little while” points to the near future, possibly a few hundred years from the persecution of Christianity under the Roman emperors until around the 1200’s. But this makes it a matter of history rather than future prophecy.
o Another idea is to equate this “little while” with the time of Satan's wrath mentioned in Revelation 12:12.
o This makes some sense because Satan will take out his wrath on those who choose Christ in the tribulation time:
Ø But, Satan’s “little while” comes to an end when he is defeated and bound.
o The “little while” of the saints also ends at that time:
Ø When Satan is bound for 1000 years, that’s when all the saints begin to rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
· The remainder of v.11 explains the need for the delay in God's final avenging of the martyrs blood. Notice, "until the number of their fellow servants, and their brethren who were to be killed [future event] even as they had been, should be completed also":
o Others were yet to give their lives for Christ.
o The number of martyrs set in God's predetermined plan had not been reached at this point.
o This roughly parallels the concepts that Jesus taught in Matthew 23:29-32.
o The phrase "should be completed" is usually used to speak of completing a specified period of time:
Ø But only here does it specify the reaching of a predetermined number of people.
o Some people object to the idea that God has decreed a certain number of martyrs. But an understanding of His omniscience and sovereignty help us to deal with the objection.
· God’s words to the souls under the altar gives them assurance that He will eventually avenge their blood, but the time for the completion of that vengeance hasn’t arrived yet.
· One aspect of the end-times that must happen first, is the increase of the number of additional martyrs:
- The non-believers left on the earth, under the leadership of the antichrist, will take an even greater number of human lives before Christ finally intervenes through His personal arrival back on the earth.
- Until then, those already martyred are told to “rest” and enjoy the state of blessedness they’ve already attained.
· Here are some great lessons from these few passages:
o God’s timing is always perfect.
o He’s aware of all that’s happening throughout His universe.
o His plan for future history will be carried out exactly has He has it foreordained, and they will be carried out in His time.
So rest, dear Christian, rest in your faith. Enjoy your relationship with Father, the Son, Jesus, our Messiah, and continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our God through the diligent study of His Word.
By His Grace,
Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.
