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, and the pales 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 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 if the earthly tabernacle, Jehovah's sanctuary in Israel. (Exodus25:17, 18; 40:24-27, 30--32; 1 Chronicles 23:4) Should it, then, surprise us to find a symbolic altar of sacrifice also in heaven! - EXODUS 40:29. 

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