THE BOOK OF REVELATION

INTRODUCTION - Revelation is not a book filled with prophecies for our future, rather, it is a first century book, written for the benefit of the early church as they went through persecution and waited for the judgment which would fall upon the house of Israel. The events of Revelation "must shortly take place...for the time is near" (Revelation 1:1), not several two thousand years in the future. We have seen the first four seals broken. These are the judgments which Christ spoke of in Matthew 24, signs which the disciples were to watch for which preceded the fall of Jerusalem. The judgments come as horsemen, matching the Old Testament imagery of judgment and the decree of God. Now, as the fifth seal is broken, a different image is presented, as the early church gazes upon their brethren who have given their lives for the cause of Christ.

1) THE FIFTH SEAL - VENGEANCE FOR THE MARTYRS - Revelation 6:9-11

A) THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SLAIN FOR THE WORD OF GOD - Not only would war, famine and death characterize the history of the first century, but included in Christ's warnings was the coming of a great persecution against the church. In Matthew 23:32-36, Christ told the Jews that He would send prophets to them, but the Jews would persecute these messengers. Thus, the Jews of Christ's day would be held responsible for the blood of all the martyrs from the beginning of time. The disciples of Christ would be caught in this persecution by the Jews, but they were not to be surprised by it. In Matthew 24:9 He tells His church that they will be persecuted in the first century. This certainly took place historically as the Jews afflicted the believers and the Romans put them to death in the Neronian persecution.

John writes Revelation to a persecuted church. Thus, do we not realize how uplifting the breaking of the fifth seal would be to the church still left in the world? Here they would see their loved ones, the ones who had been murdered "for the Word of God and for the testimony of Christ." The church in the world would see through the fifth broken seal that Christ had surely taken care of His people and that these brothers and sisters had not died in vain. We should note that the martyrs are seen "under the altar". In other words, as in Old Testament imagery, the blood of the sacrificed animals was poured out under the altar, so the souls of these saints, who have been sacrificed for the cause of Christ, can be seen in this place of holy sacrifice. They were living sacrifices, lives given in a sacrifice to God, and so it is a powerful image to see their souls in the place where the blood of the sacrifice is usually found.

B) THE CRY OF THE MARTYRS UNDER THE ALTAR - The martyrs are using an Old Testament expression, often used in the Psalms, to convey their desire for vengeance against their enemies. They wait for God to act in righteousness, to bring forth His wrath so that their death was not in vain. Note the same question asked in the hymnbook of the Old Testament - Psalm 6:3; Psalm 13:1,2; Psalm 35:17; Psalm 74:10; Psalm 90:13; Psalm 94:3.

Perhaps this cry sounds strange to us. Are we not to pray for our enemies? Are we not to bless those who persecute us? How is it righteous to pray for their destruction and the vengeance of God to pour forth? We should understand that this cry comes forth from a people who have a great admiration and love for the character of God. Note that the martyrs of Revelation 6 call God "holy and true." They are concerned fundamentally with the holiness and truth of God to be vindicated. We should ask if we are so obsessed with the person of God. Do we love His holiness, goodness, truth and righteousness? Do we see these things as beautiful and thus become angry when wicked men blaspheme and mock the name of our Lord and Savior? This is the righteous indignation which the martyrs are feeling. When they are persecuted and killed, it is an outright offense to the holy and pure nature of God. The cry for vengeance is not a cry for themselves, but a cry for the truth and righteousness of God to be defended and justified. In slaughtering God's people, the wicked have defied the Lord of the Universe. The righteous respond, looking for justice, for they have the glory of God in their hearts.

In the first century context, the martyrs of Revelation 6 are crying out against the Jews and Romans of their day. They are praying for the overthrow of Jerusalem and the end of Nero's persecution. In Matthew 23, Christ will hold that first century Jewish generation responsible for the deaths of the martyrs. Christ will come against Jerusalem in 70 AD and overthrow the city which kills the prophets and people of the Lord. He will avenge the righteous blood of the martyrs and will vindicate the name of God. How does God answer the cry of the martyrs?

C) THE WHITE ROBES AND THE DECREE TO WAIT - The martyrs in heaven are given white robes, the significance of which can be seen in Revelation 7:13,14. The robes symbolize the righteousness of Christ, the cleansing which comes to those who have trusted in the blood of Christ for forgiveness. It is the symbol of purity and righteousness of God's people. Then, they are told to wait, for the persecution was not over. As John writes Revelation, the church was still undergoing tribulation. Through the Lord's message to the slain martyrs in heaven, the church on earth would realize that the persecution was not finished.

What does this passage teach us about Christian martyrdom? For the Jews of Christ's day, we should realize that at this writing, their cup of iniquity was not yet full. The Christian martyrs are told to wait for more of their brethren would join them. When this number was complete, the righteous judgment of God would fall on the Jews and Jerusalem. Yet we should wonder: Why does God allow persecution and martyrdom in the church? From the outside, it looks like such deaths are a defeat to the kingdom of God, yet in reality, they serve to enlarge the kingdom throughout the world. From this passage we understand that no child of God can ever perish without God's permission. No saint goes to a martyr's death without a sovereign decree. No persecution can take place without God's approval. The world might think that they are stamping out Christianity, but in reality, tribulation will always extend the kingdom. Out of the first century persecution Christianity would eventually overwhelm the Roman empire. Judaism would be dealt a great final blow as the Temple and Jerusalem were demolished. The church would go forth as the true people of God. Thus, we see that through the shed blood of the saints, Christ is still building His church, making it strong, and keeping its focus on the Savior. When the church on earth saw the fifth seal broken, they would see that all of their persecutions and tribulations were worth it. God would be glorified and Christ would be victorious! The church would triumph