The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs
9And when the Lamb 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 testimony they had upheld. 10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”
11Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.
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As it was with the first four seals, there is no event of wrath associated with the opening of the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] seal. This is a vision of the souls of those who will have been killed by the people on the earth during the first part of the tribulation period. Since they are being revealed after the events of the previous seals, it may be that these souls under the altar will be those who will have been killed as a result of the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] seal rider on the red horse who is given power to take peace from the earth so that people kill one another. These souls may have been casualties of the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] seal.
This group is protesting to the Lord regarding those who will have killed them, to have the Lord to avenge their blood that will have been shed by those on the earth. They are given white robes to wear and told to wait a little while longer i.e. until God avenges them, which is not until after their fellow servants and brothers are to be killed just as they had been.
I believe that their “fellow servants and brothers” is referring to the saints who will be killed during the last 3 ½ years known as the great tribulation perod, which are intorduced in Rev.7:9-17 and who will be killed because of their testimony for Jesus and the word of God and who will not worship the beast, his image nor receive his mark described in Rev.20:4. These are the same as those saints mentioned in Rev.13:7 of whom the beast makes war against and conquers.
On a side note, I often use these souls under the altar as proof of the conscious awarness of the spirit after death to counter those who believe in and teach soul sleep. They’re having a conversation with the Lord and are given white robes to wear i.e. conscious and aware in their spiritual state.
http://christianchat.com/blogs/ahwatukee/
9And when the Lamb 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 testimony they had upheld. 10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”
11Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As it was with the first four seals, there is no event of wrath associated with the opening of the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] seal. This is a vision of the souls of those who will have been killed by the people on the earth during the first part of the tribulation period. Since they are being revealed after the events of the previous seals, it may be that these souls under the altar will be those who will have been killed as a result of the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] seal rider on the red horse who is given power to take peace from the earth so that people kill one another. These souls may have been casualties of the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] seal.
This group is protesting to the Lord regarding those who will have killed them, to have the Lord to avenge their blood that will have been shed by those on the earth. They are given white robes to wear and told to wait a little while longer i.e. until God avenges them, which is not until after their fellow servants and brothers are to be killed just as they had been.
I believe that their “fellow servants and brothers” is referring to the saints who will be killed during the last 3 ½ years known as the great tribulation perod, which are intorduced in Rev.7:9-17 and who will be killed because of their testimony for Jesus and the word of God and who will not worship the beast, his image nor receive his mark described in Rev.20:4. These are the same as those saints mentioned in Rev.13:7 of whom the beast makes war against and conquers.
On a side note, I often use these souls under the altar as proof of the conscious awarness of the spirit after death to counter those who believe in and teach soul sleep. They’re having a conversation with the Lord and are given white robes to wear i.e. conscious and aware in their spiritual state.
http://christianchat.com/blogs/ahwatukee/