Chapter Seventeen - 'Slaughtered Souls' Rewarded

GOD'S Kingdom rules!  The Rider of the white horse is about to complete his conquest!  The red horse, the black horse, the pale horse are galloping through the earth!   Indisputably, Jesus' own prophecies concerning his royal presence are being fulfilled.  (Matthew, chapters, 24, 25; Mark, chapter 13; Luke, chapter 21) Yes, we are living in the last days of this system of things.  (2 Timothy 3:1-5)  That being so, let us pay close attention as the Lamb, Jesus Christ,  breaks open the fifth seal of that scroll. In what further revelation are we now to share? 

John describes a moving scene:  "And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness work that they used to have."  (Revelation 6:9)  What is that?  A sacrificial altar up in heaven? Yes! It is the first time that John mentions an altar. Already, though, he has described Jehovah on his throne, the surrounding cherubs, the glassy sea, the lamps, and the  24 elders carrying incense-all of these  resembling features of the earthly  tabernacle, Jehovah's sanctuary in Israel.  (Exodus 25:17,  18; 40:24-27; 1 Chronicles 23:4) Should it, then, surprise us to find a symbolic altar of sacrifice also in heaven? -Exodus 40:29.  

Underneath this altar are "the souls of those slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness work that they used to have."  What does this mean?  These could not be disembodied souls-like those believed in by the pagan Greeks.  (Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 19:4)  Rather, John knows that the soul, or life, is symbolized by the blood, and when the priests at the ancient  Jewish tabernacle slaughtered  a sacrificial animal, they sprinkled the blood  "round about upon the altar" or poured it "at the base of the altar of burnt offering."  (Leviticus 3:2, 8, 13; 4:7; 17:6, 11, 12)  Hence, the animal's  soul was closely  identified with the altar of sacrifice.  But why would the souls, or blood, of these particular  servants of God be seen underneath a symbolic altar in heaven?  Because their deaths are viewed as sacrificial.

Indeed, all those who are begotten as spirit sons of God  die a sacrificial death.  because of the role  they are to play in Jehovah's heavenly Kingdom, it is God's will that they  renounce and sacrifice any hope of life everlasting on earth.  In this respect, they submit to  a sacrificial death in behalf of Jehovah's Sovereignty.  (Philippians 3:8-11; compare 2:17)  This is true in a very real sense of those  whom John saw under the altar.  They are anointed ones who in their day were martyred for their zealous ministry in upholding Jehovah's Word and sovereignty.  Their "souls [were]slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness work [mar-ty-ri'an] that they used to have."  

The scenario continues to unfold:  "And the cried with a loud voice, saying: 'Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?' " (Revelation 6:10)  How can their souls, or blood, cry out for vengeance, since the Bible shows that the dead are unconscious?  (Ecclesiastes 9:5) Well, did not the righteous Abel's blood cry out after Cain murdered him?  Jehovah then said to Cain:  "what have you done?  Listen! your brother's blood is crying out  to me from the ground."  (Genesis 4:10, 11; Hebrews 12:24)  It was not like Abel's blood  was literally uttering words. Rather, Abel had died as an innocent victim, and justice called out for his murderer to be punished.  Similarly, those Christian martyrs are innocent, and  in justice they must  be avenged.  (Luke 18:7, 8) They cry for vengeance is loud because many thousands have thus died. -Compare Jeremiah 15:15, 16. 

Next time: Chapter Seventeen - 'Slaughtered Souls' Rewarded

 From the book of Revelation