By A lot of people now a days are in pain, suffering intensely, beaten hearts and inflicted. They don’t even know how to live and want to escape the bitterness of life. You might be in suffering because of sin and that will be your great damnation. But glory and triumph for those in ordeals because of their faith in Jesus. For in your afflictions Jesus’ heart was hugely crashed. When you don’t understand how life is knocking you, when it seems you’re alone in this battle, when you can’t see His hand for you to grab and be uplifted, He is all along besides you in control of everything. Haven’t you wonder how He orchestrated your life for you to endure till the end? See how the heaven is silent just to hear your cries and the groaning of your blood for justice!
Unleashing The 5th Seal: The Blood of the Martyrs
“And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Revelation 6:9-10 ASV
In comparison to another seal judgement this 5th seal is not really the same spirit of judgement of war, famine, disease and death as the 1st to 4th seals usher. Upon the opening of this seal Jesus reveals to John the presence of the martyrs under the altar. How they came in there? In creation account of Genesis 2 when God made man, He formed his body from the dust of the earth then He breathed on him the breath of life the spirit. When the physical body created from the dust and the breath of life directly from God connected man become a living soul. The soul comprises your mind ,will, intellect, emotion everything that define who you are as individual while the spirit is the breath from God that gives you life. When someone dies their bodies are buried in the ground because it come from the earth. The moment someone died the eternal aspect of their beings the spirit and soul are very much alive and were taken to heaven or hell based entirely on the response of that man to Jesus Christ. The spirit is originated with God so it has to return to the spirit realms.
In contrast humans were unique they are the only connected to two worlds the natural world and the spiritual world. When someone is killed and died with their testimony of Jesus Christ and obedience to His words, theres a voice in them that carry a tangible essence from earth to heaven. Their cries are literally been stored in the altar of heaven. As Gen. 4:10 described: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me”. God knows everything, He sees and hears everything thats beyond the frequency of this natural world. 2Cor. 5:8 the soul is the product of the breath of life coming in your body which remains connected in your spirit when you die. The product of the spirit of God breathed on to you. 1thess. 4:14-17 the souls and the spirits of the righteous dead are already with the Lord. Who are the souls in the altar seen as the lamb opens the fifth seals? Every single one of these martyrs whose souls are under the altar of heaven are lives that poured out through history in sacrifice to God , they were murdered put to death, even slaughtered made even for entertainment because of their righteousness and faith.
The Silence in Heaven and the White Robes:
“And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a SILENCE in heaven about the space of half an hour. And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:1, 3-4 ASV
As recorded there are almost 70 million martyrs since during the times of Jesus but Revelation declared their number is not yet complete. In the opening of this 5th seal the tribulation already begun. The focus of this passage are the martyrs. These martyrs are already in the altar of heaven but not yet recieved the full measure of justice from God. Matthew 12. Deute32. As Jesus opens the 5th seal, the souls of those martyrs ask Him; the “Great Avenger” for how long they will wait for avenging their death? The fifth seal brings forth the cry of the martyrs. These souls in heaven cried out for vengeance (until You judge and avenge our blood).
The Silence and the golden altar of Incense. In unleashing the 7th seal there’s a constant worship in heaven and suddenly a SILENCE happens. All the heaven is silent for about an hour . The silence is to allow the prayers of the tribulation saints who are now suffering of the increasing persecution will be heard throughout heaven. Without the fragrance of CHRIST’S SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS as intercession the prayers of the saints will never reach to God. As the 7seal is opened this prayers pertain to a very specific group of people. Rev. 6:9-11 The cries and prayers of those who have been slain for their testimony of Jesus Christ are mingle from the cries and prayers of the multitude of the tribulation saints who are now suffering dying under the hands of the antichrist and HEAVEN goes SILENT so that these prayers can be heard.
“And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course.” Revelation 6:11 ASV
We usually don’t think of God’s people crying out for vengeance, but here they made their cry to God, and leave the matter with Him. When God’s people are persecuted, He will set it right. It isn’t wrong for God’s people to ask Him to do what He promised to do. In this way the blood of Abel cried out from the ground for vengeance (Genesis 4:10), as did the blood of unavenged murders in the land of Israel (Numbers 35:33). A white robes were given to them, and let them rest a little longer until their numbers will be complete. Could there be a designated numbers of the martyrs? Are they waiting for the other martyrs as this tribulation on going in the last days? Wait a little longer means they should be at peace and comforted for they are clothed with righteousness “the white robes”. God knows and hears their cry, God will give them justice before this age came to an end Romans 2:5 .
Where John saw the martyrs “under the altar”; at the foot of the altar of incense, in the most holy place; he saw them in heaven, at the foot of Christ. Hence Persecutors can only kill the body, and after that there is no more that they can do; their souls live. God has provided a good place in the better world for those who are faithful to death and are not allowed a place any longer on earth. Holy martyrs are very near to Christ in heaven, they have the highest place there. It is not their own death, but the sacrifice of Christ, that gives them a reception into heaven and a reward there; they do not wash their robes in their own blood, but in the blood of the Lamb. What was the cause in which they suffered: “the word of God and the testimony which they held”. For believing the word of God, and attesting or confessing the truth of it; this profession of their faith they held fast without wavering, even though they died for it. A noble cause, the best that any man can lay down his life for-faith in God’s word and a confession of that faith.
The cries He’s hearing as the heaven pay tribute in SILENCE; it was a loud cry, and contained a humble expostulation about the long delay of avenging justice against their enemies. When in this life you’ve been persecuted, beaten, and suffered because of your faith in Jesus. He hears the very cry of your blood and He has prepared a reward for your faithfulness. Be still and see how the Lamb will avenge the devil that inflicted you! Jesus got you in His hands. Be faithful then to the end!
“For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under foot. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation.” Psalms 91:3-16 ASV
References: 1. Mikel Cary. The souls under the altar and Silence and the altar of incense in Prophecy Watchers. 2. Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Note: online Getty images.
iNSPiRATiONALKiN 