Fifth Seal   

                                                Revelation: 6:9-11

 

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne;

 

10 they cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?"

 

11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

 

·        I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain for the WORD OF GOD.

·        No mention of a beast any more.  There was none here to announce anything.  Remember – they (four beast) were watching over the Lamb and the WORD.  The mystery of the church ages has finished at this time.  The LAMB and His Bride are in glory together.  The Rapture has taken place.  Immediately John sees what is going on

·        Under the alter – souls that were slain – for the Word of God

·        These are not the Bride al all.  If the rapture has taken place under the 4th Seal then these “souls” could not be the Bride for they would be in glory with their souls at the marriage supper.  These have to be people who are still dead in the earthly sense (had not been resurrected yet).

·        This is Israel that’s to be saved as a Nation, all of them that are predestinated.   These are the Jews or Israel that God intentionally blinded so that you and I could come in.  God blinded His own children for that purpose, thus He is imparting eternal life to this group.

·        And for the testimony that they held.

 

·        Their testimony was simply, they were Jews, Jehovah’s children and proud of it.  We see the martyrs of the Dark Ages and the Apostles held to the testimony of “Jesus Christ” because they were born again believers, these are not.  They hold to “their” testimony that they were Jews.  That is why Eichman and Hitler killed them because they were Jews.  That is who these “souls under the alter” are, those 6 million Jews that Hitler and Stalin and Eichman killed during World War II.  Even some of the Jews that held to their religion down through the ages since Jesus came are there.

·        They cried with a loud voice “How long, O Lord, Holy and True, doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth:

·        Under the condition (after their death) they realize they have killed the very Messiah they were looking for.  They said let his blood be on us and our children in Matthew 27:25.  Now as they murdered their Messiah, they are being murdered to pay for what they did.

·        Avenge our blood.

·        If this had been the Bride, she would be saying “Father forgive them” like Jesus did.

·        White robes were given unto every one of them.

·        White robes were “Given” to them.  The saints already have their robes here.  The blood of Jesus Christ makes us righteous (eternal) now.  They will be given robes at the white throne of judgment.

·        This is why this Seal shows the greatest display of God’s grace.  He is giving eternal life to a group of people who hated Him, didn’t believe who He was and killed Him.

·        It was said they should rest for a little season, until their fellow servants and brethren, should be killed as they are, should be fulfilled.

·        This is being prophesied to them that others will be killed as they were.  Who is this other group?  It is the 144,000 that will be killed during the tribulation period. Revelation 12: 1-19, Revelation 7: 1-8.  This is Israel as a nation that receives Jesus Christ after we (Bride) leave.  They along with the 2 prophets will be killed at the end of the tribulation period and will join this group.