Season 5 Podcast 111 Book of Revelation Ch 6:9-17, “Opening of the Seven Seals, B, The Great Earthquake.”

In the previous podcast entitled ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,’ the four beasts opened the first four seals. This podcast begins with the angel opening the fifth seal. It reveals to us the tremendous blessings giving to the martyrs of Christ.

Revelation 6:9

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:”

They were true to the end with their testimonies. They call upon the Lord for vengeance against those who killed them.

Revelation 5:10

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”

We must separate the martyred saints who have gone to glory from their blood that was spilled. It is not the voice of the saints in heaven that is crying out for vengeance. They live in eternal joy. They are not seeking revenge. They have forgiven their enemies. It is the blood that was spilled on the ground unjustly that is crying out for vengeance. In other words, it is the law of justice that demands that retribution be made. Some mistakenly assume that God is arbitrary in his judgment. God cannot be arbitrary and still be God. God is a God of justice. The law of justice is the premier law. Without the law of justice there would be no creation, no order, and no God. It was the atonement of Christ that allowed God to be both just and merciful. Christ, by shedding his innocent blood satisfied the demands of the law of justice, allowing God to forgive sins for those who meet the conditions placed upon the law of mercy by the law of justice, thus overpowering justice.

For precedence let’s consider what the Lord said to Cain.

Genesis 4:9-10

“And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

4 RON

The role of the law of justice is further reinforced in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 19:2

“For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”

Justice is the governing law and must always be satisfied. Only the law of mercy can overpower justice; however, the law of justice places conditions on the law of mercy, and where those conditions are not met, justice must exercise its power or God cannot be God.

Revelation 6:11

“11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

It appears that there will always be a time of martyrs, even until the coming of Christ, which suggests that more violence is yet to come. Remember that John is speaking not only of his day but of the time just prior to the second coming of Christ. A martyr is an honored position, and their reward is exaltation in the kingdom of God. The just who die in the Lord are always described as dressed in white robes symbolizing their purity and sanctification. Not just martyrs but all those who are valiant and endure to the end will be dressed in white. Only those dressed in white can live in the presence of God. In 1 John 3 we read: