4/03/18 Revelation 6:9-17 “Martyrs die and the earth is judged”
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:
It’s clear that this
fifth seal is the consequence of at least some of the previous 4 seals. God’s
people (it doesn’t say Christians and is most likely Israel) will be martyred
for their faith in the word of God and because of their testimony (obviously of
their salvation. See Revelation 12:17 – And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.)
These people will
not back down from what they believe; consequently, they, like many martyrs of
previous centuries, have been put to death for their faith.
John 12:25-26 – 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life
eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let
him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve
me, him will [my] Father honour.
Many of God’s
people will certainly die in the tribulation, but at least they’ll go to
heaven! They are under the altar, a fitting place, where the blood of
sacrificed animals was poured out according to the Old Testament covenant law
which was but a figure of that which was to come.
Exodus 29:12 – And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar with
thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
Leviticus 4:7 – And the priest shall put [some]
of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord,
which [is] in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the
blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which [is
at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
These martyrs have
been poured out as an acceptable blood offering to God.
Note the sword of
Revelation 6:4 – a large knife of sacrifice, indicating that these martyrs may
have been the sacrifices. However, the “sword” of Revelation 6:8 is a long
Thracian javelin, or a large sword worn at the right shoulder; each was a
strong weapon of war.
Revelation 6:10 – 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?
Lord – despotes
(Master; Lord) Cf despot, or absolute ruler
loud – megas
(great) megas is a Greek word often used in
Revelation! So many occurrences are megas!
“And they (the martyrs of God) cried out (or prayed aloud) with a loud (megas) voice, saying “How long (When will You) O Lord, holy and true (sincere) before You judge and avenge (vindicate) our blood on them that dwell on the earth
(who have done
this)?”
Psalm 94:3-4 – 3 Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the
wicked triumph? 4 [How long] shall they utter [and]
speak hard things? [and] all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
This martyrdom may
mean beheading, such as with a guillotine, or a large sharp sword (note
sacrificial beheading)!
Revelation 20:4 – And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark
upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ
a thousand years.
Revelation 6:11 – And white
robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest (be patient) yet for a little season, until
their fellowservants (syndoulos) also and their brethren (in Christ), that
should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled (pleroo).
fellowservants – syndoulos
(serving together as one; a fellow servant, one who serves the same master with
another)
season – chronos
(time) That is, for a short time. The devil has only a short time.
Revelation 12:11-12 – 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and
by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12
Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!
for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
White robes
signified cleanliness and holiness, after filthy clothes were removed.
Note Joshua the
high priest in Zechariah 3:3-4 – 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And
he answered and spake unto those that stood before
him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said,
Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee
with change of raiment.
Also note the lack
of the garment on the man at the wedding feast in Matthew 22:11-13 – 11 And when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest
thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then
said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot,
and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The garment
represented spiritual cleanliness; lack of it represented spiritual
uncleanliness.
The martyrs were to
be patient until the full number of martyrs should be fulfilled (pleroo). Whether this fulfillment was according to a
pre-designated amount, or according to God’s foreknowledge of all that would be
martyred, we are not told.
It is also clear that
their souls in heaven have a definite form which could speak and also wear
robes.
Revelation 6:12 – And I
beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great (megas) earthquake; and the sun
became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Joel 2:31 – The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
Matthew 24:7 says
that earthquakes will follow the famines and pestilences. This may refer to the
tribulation, although its context might also suggest an earthquake before the
tribulation. I don’t think the meaning is clear yet.
black as
sackcloth of hair – like a
blindfold that cannot admit any light at all. The sun will be darkened (it will
not shine) and the moon will turn red (as it did recently when there was a
total eclipse – called a blood moon), as a consequence of this massive (mega)
earthquake. A volcanic eruption can push so much ash and debris into the
atmosphere and block so much light that the world can be darkened for months,
even years (Eg Krakatoa in 1883). This earthquake
will apparently cause so much dust and debris to enter the upper atmosphere
that the sun will not give any light and the moon will be eclipsed.
Jesus spoke about
such signs in the heavens.
Luke 21:25-27 – 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the
moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with
perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts
failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on
the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And
then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great
glory.
Revelation 6:13 – And the
stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth
her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Isaiah 34:4 – And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and
the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall
down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a
falling [fig] from the fig tree.
Similar events
appear to happen also to announce the imminent second coming of Christ the
Messiah.
Matthew 24:29-30 – 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Some teach that the
stars falling from heaven signifies something like satan and his demons being
cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:9); others say this means earthly rulers
being cast out of their positions of authority. Both of these are unlikely,
though. It could also mean hundreds of satellites in space falling from orbit
before their use-by date has been reached; thus the
picture of figs falling before they are ripe. Some such as Hal Lindsay suggest
that this may be the atomic missiles coming down from the upper atmosphere,
causing all the “earthquake” symptoms. However, the earthquake appears to occur
before the stars fall; thus this earthquake is
not likely to be a consequence of the “stars” falling. But, something falls
from heaven, either in reality or symbolically, possibly before their proper or
planned time of use is reached.
The picture of the
unripe figs falling in a violent wind can suggest things that are shaken or
used before their intended time, but they could simply mean that many things
fall like so many figs in a wind storm. Vs 14 could suggest an atomic
interchange, though, and perhaps the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 are also
depicting a massive exchange of great weaponry, possibly even atomic warheads,
even from space as suggested by Revelation 6:13. Earthquake > stars fall
> Vs 14.
Revelation 6:14 – And the
heaven departed (parted asunder) as a scroll when it is rolled
together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
See Isaiah 34:4 – And all the host of heaven
shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and
all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth
off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree.
Whatever Vs 13
means, this verse does clearly demonstrate that there is massive displacement
of the atmosphere, something like a mega-mega clap of thunder that shakes the
whole world. A lightning strike cuts through and burns the atmosphere, causing
a sudden expansion of the air, so sudden, in fact, that it creates a thunderous
sonic boom which can be quite destructive to things nearby. The shock wave of a
sonic boom can break windows of houses if close enough. A lightning strike
sonic boom can cause injury to people nearby.
However, an atomic
bomb creates a far more dangerous shock wave than even the most powerful
thunderstorm. An atomic bomb first releases radiation, then a heat wave which
can burn the skin off your body and even flesh off your skeleton. But the most
damaging effect is the blast wave which can flatten everything within a certain
radius of the explosion. For example, the Hiroshima bomb levelled an 8 square
km area, and it was tiny compared with today’s bomb capabilities. If a person
is close enough, the shock wave can literally rupture your body organs causing
you to rapidly bleed to death. Further away, you can still be killed by debris
flying outward at massive speeds. And if big enough the shock wave can
literally displace mountains or even small islands. In this verse, every
mountain and island is set in motion (kineo – we get “kinetic” from this word) and they do
not return to their original positions.
Note that as part
of the final vial or bowl of wrath, every island and mountain is removed.
Revelation 16:20 – And every island fled away, and the mountains were
not found.
A world-wide atomic
exchange could produce such a result as noted in Revelation 6:14, but it cannot
exclude God simply using His infinite power to just move things around and
destroy other things. God Himself could simply shake the heavens and the earth
if He so desires.
Haggai 2:6-7 – 6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it [is]
a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea,
and the dry [land]; 7 And I will shake all nations,
and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with
glory, saith the Lord of hosts.
Revelation 6:15 – And the
kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief
captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
And every person,
from the highest (kings) to the lowest (bondmen – doulos)
hid themselves in dens (caves) and in the rocks (or cliffs) of the mountains. Rocky mountains signify security from attack, which is why
most towns and cities (such as Jerusalem) in ancient times were built on hills
or mountains.
Revelation 6:16 – And said
to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us
from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb:
“Fall on us and
conceal us from the face of God and from the wrath of the Lamb (who is sending these judgments
upon us).” The word “Fall” can
signify judgment falling upon them; thus they could be
saying that they prefer the judgment of the mountains and rocks to the judgment
of God. But not even death will permit them to escape this divine judgment!
Such people clearly know that it is God they are hiding from, which
demonstrates that they are wilfully opposing God at this stage; ignorance of
God’s sovereignty does not appear to be a factor here.
See Hosea 10:8 (not
necessarily end-times) – The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and
the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains,
Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
Also see Luke 23:29-30 – 29 For, behold, the days are
coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed [are] the
barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30
Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall
on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Revelation 6:17 – For the
great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (See
Malachi 3:2)
stand – cause or make to stand; be established;
stand firm, immovable; be steadfast;
Who will be able to
stand firm before the wrath of the Lamb when He sits in judgment? Christ is the
final and absolute Judge; His word will be final with no avenue for appeal,
ever!
These people,
clearly opposed to God, are afraid of God’s judgment, yet cannot bring
themselves to repent. They know the consequences, yet
cannot turn aside from their evil. Like Pharaoh their hearts have been
hardened; they cannot turn from the course upon which they have embarked.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 – 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that
day shall not come], except there come a falling
away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who
opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is
God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told
you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth
that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of
iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will
let], until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall
that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 [Even
him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the
truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Revelation 9:21 – Neither repented they of their murders, nor of
their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Revelation 16:10-11 – 10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the
seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their
tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because
of their pains and their sores, and repented not of
their deeds.
So, is there a
timeline here in the seals; and, if so, where do they fit in? The 7th
seal becomes the 7 trumpet judgments of God, with the last 3 trumpets being
renamed as the 3 woes. The 3rd and last woe then becomes the 7 vials
or bowls of wrath, culminating in Armageddon and the pressing of the wine-press
of the wrath of God.
It is difficult to
see these seals, and then the 7 trumpets, and finally the 7 bowls or vials, as
being anything else but in some sort of chronological order, which means that
the seals come first, then the trumpets, and then finally the bowls of wrath. I
think the seals commence at or near the start of the 7-year tribulation period,
and that at some stage these plagues and judgments cross over into the 2nd
half of the tribulation. It is possible that the first 6 seals occur in the
first half, then more severe judgments come in the second and more severe half,
a 3½ year period during which Israel fless into the
wilderness.
Matthew 24:15-16 – 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let
them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
It is also possible that the first 5 seals occur more or less
concurrently throughout the first half of the 7-year tribulation. The second
half starts with the abomination in the temple, Israel escaping to safety for 3½
years and ends with the 2 witnesses in the streets of Jerusalem being killed
and then rising back to life again, and the setting in action of the last “woe”
(= the 7 bowls of the wrath of God).
Much of Daniel, especially the conflicts between the kings of the north
and the south in Ch.11, is difficult to understand. Yet the following is quite
clear:
Daniel 12:11-12 – 11 And from the time [that] the
daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand
two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed [is] he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five
and thirty days.
When the abomination occurs, Israel is to be hidden in the wilderness
for 3½ years (Revelation 12:14) = 1260 days. The 2 witnesses in the streets of
Jerusalem will be there for 1260 days (Revelation 11:3), and Daniel says it
will be 30 days longer until the end, with a further 45 days to a time of
blessing. The real spiritual warfare of the tribulation will be in that second
3½ years after which there will be a 30-day period during which the bowls of
wrath are poured out, ending with the gathering of the armies of Armageddon and
a final massive destructive judgment.
Revelation 16:16-21 – 16 And he gathered them together
into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17 And
the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great
voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It
is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were
upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great. 19 And
the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before
God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every stone] about
the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the
hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
And most of mankind just doesn’t want to know the truth!
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