Revelation 6:9-17 (NKJV) 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 testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
V9 “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 testimony which they held.” Why would this be a seal judgment/punishment? Views differ. My view is that this is a judgment because the murdered believers are one of the motives and reasons for God’s wrath (2 Thessalonians 3:1-10).
Smith (Smith, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Rev. 6:11 as found on this verse at Precept Austin): “The futurist interpretation takes these as the first martyrs of the tribulation of Daniel’s 70th Week. The fifth seal corresponds to Mat. 24:8-28, martyrdoms.”
What altar is this? In the earthly Temple, there were 2 altars: 1) the altar of incense (Golden Altar) in the Holy Place just in front of another curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place) and 2) the Bronze Altar in the court. See: http://thebiblein365.blogspot.com/2012/04/day-120-2-chronicles-1-2-and-3.html. (Note I do not know anything about the website or author. I believe this image to have originated in the ESV study Bible.) It is the Bronze Altar where the blood of the sacrifice was poured (Exodus 29:12 and Leviticus 8:15). Nevertheless, this altar is in the Heavenly Temple, not the Earthly Temple. The Earthly Temple had animal sacrifices, but the heavenly one does not.
These believers were killed because they believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, confessed Jesus Christ, and told others (testifying).
Because of the horrible persecution and murder of believers, God seeks and delivers their vengeance on the unbelievers who did this.
These “souls” (the real person of any human. The body is merely the container or tent of the soul) have not been resurrected yet, because this is the Tribulation period. Their resurrection is at the end of the Tribulation.
I believe these souls were the believers martyred from the beginning of the Tribulation to the time of this seal, yet, there are many more as verse 11 indicates.
V10 “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” A good and reasonable question. They are not complaining or murmuring against the Lord.
V11 “Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” The vengeance due those who ordered and oversaw the martyrdoms will come later. Meanwhile, these believers are to rest. The Greek word for “rest” is (G0373) ἀναπαύω anapauō, which means to rest as opposed to work or put forth effort. These people were anxious and restless because of what they had experienced, and Jesus wants them to rest. Even after death, we must believe. We are saved by faith, live by faith, and throughout eternity continue in faith.
We learn:
- God judges
- God has a perfect time for everything He does