“Revelation 6:9-11”

Sunday, December 10, 2017

“When the Lamb 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; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ 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, would be completed also.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The “souls who had been slain because of the word of God” are depicted as being “underneath the altar” (verse 9) of sacrifice. These are the “slain” saints who gave their lifeblood for their faith in and love for Christ. Jesus said, “He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39) These were our brothers and sisters in Christ who overcame that slanderer, Satan and his vicious assaults “because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Revelation 12:11) The very word of God testifies of such individuals that they will forever wear the victory crown of righteousness because such unfaltering faith in the face of fierce persecution pleases God, and He pledges that their “reward in heaven is great” (Matthew 5:11-12).

These martyred brethren cried, “How long, O Lord holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood?” (verse 10), but the query was not given a direct answer by God. Matters of vengeance, justice and judgment are always the Lord’s business, and will be taken care of in His own perfect timing according to His own perfect knowledge and righteousness determination. “Unavenged blood cries from the ground (Gen. 4:10), for expiation must be made and covering provided by the blood of murderers (Num. 35:33…). These saints cry for justice because when God called to the heathen nations He promised His own people saying, ‘Praise his people, ye nations…for He will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will make expiation for his land, for his people’ (Deut. 32:43). The sacrificed souls are crying to God to fulfill His promise.” (Hailey)

These beleaguered saints had stayed the course, kept the faith and won the victory, even though they had not yet reached the eternal state of glory ultimately to be enjoyed when Christ returns to reclaim His own. Just the same, they had been given “a white robe” and provided “rest” from the toils and struggles and pain of earthy life. John is not describing a state of “unconscious slumber” that some in the denomination world teach is experienced by the faithfully deceased until the Lord returns. While it is true that these saints were “resting,” they were spiritually alive, mentally alert and perceptive of their situation. While “a little while longer” (verse 11) is a relative term, Homer Hailey suggests that this “short time” parallels the time of Satan’s “great wrath” because he “knows that he only has short time” (Revelation 12:12). “The ‘short time’ of Satan terminates when he is defeated and bound (20:1-3…), at which time the saints’ ‘little time’ ends and they are raised victoriously to sit on thrones and reign for a thousand years.”

Please read Revelation 6:12-17 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

-Louie Taylor

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