REV.# 22~6:9-11 THE N.T.MARTYRS 9-12-09
We have been talking about the 4 horses and their riders for the past couple of broadcast, which came under the 1st 4 seals here in chapter 6.
The Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ is the One opening these seals as He was the only One found worthy to do so back in chapter 5.
Today we’ll read verses 9-11, which is the 5th seal, here we find the N.T.martyr’s.
Ø Listen as I read verses 9-11 here in chapter 6.
9And 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:
10And 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?
11And 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.
Lets keep in mind that the rapture of the True Church took place back in chapter 4:1-2 where we read this--1After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2And immediately I was in the spirit:** and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
1After this*[after the church age is over and has run its coarse in chapters 2-3]
Ø And so this is speaking of the rapture of the church, all who are saved, all believers in Jesus Christ.
Listen—I’m sure that some where across the vast listening area that these broadcast go because of the internet, that there are some people that don’t understand what I’m talking about, maybe their hearing this for the 1st time, and that’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of, just thank God that your listening and being informed, but please understand, that because you are being informed, you are now responsible with what you are hearing, what I mean by that is;
--When the rapture takes place, all that have heard the truth will be held responsible as to what they heard and understood, once a lost sinner has heard that he or she must receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and then reject Him they can never be saved.
Listen—as I read from 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12
3Let 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; 4Who 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. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8And 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: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. -John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
11And for this cause-[because they received not Jesus] God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:[the antichrist words]
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
I have said and read all that to tell and show us from the Word of God, that if a person has been exposed to the truth of the word, if people now know that they must be saved before the rapture takes place, and they refuse to receive Jesus as their Savior, they will be left behind at the rapture and can never be saved.
Listen as I read from our text verses again in Revelation chapter 6:9-11 to do with the O.T. Martyred saints.
9And 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:
10And 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?
11And 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.
The reason we know that these are O.T.saints is because of the Altar that we read here.
We read about an Altar here, this Altar is in the heavenly Temple there in heaven. Because we’re told of the Altar we understand that this is a Jewish scene. Old testament Martyred saints of Israel.
So Israel is in the foreveiw in these dealings with earth. In the O.T. the Altar was the appointed place of sacrifice and these martyrs had been slain as for the Word of God and their testimony. The souls are the Jewish martyrs of that period.
The Lord Jesus said in;
Luke 11:50–51 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
So because they come from the law dispensation, their cry for vengeance is in keeping with an age of law & judgment.
These departed saints must not be confused with the N.T. saints of this age, the Church, who have already been seen as seated and crowned in heaven immediately after the rapture, back in,
Chapter 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting,** clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
These souls here in 6:9-11 are not lost souls crying out for revenge on their persecutors, notice-
White robes were given to each. This indicates they are justified and accepted by God.
11And 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.
Then they are told that they are to rest a short while longer until their fellow servants also and their brethren of the last part of the Tribulation Period will have been slain.
In grace, God desires the witnesses of other martyrs to be added to these O.T. Martyred saints already given; therefore to be Included with these are those who will be slain in the Great Tribulation period.
The Tribulation saints are to be included with the Old Testament saints in the second part of the 1st resurrection that we read about in,
Rev. 20:4 (O.T.) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: )----(TRIB. MART’S) (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.
In 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Let me remind us that if a person is saved no matter what dispensation he may come from he is considered to be “part of the 1st resurrection”.
There are some folks that say there’s only one resurrection, they call it “a general resurrection”.
Listen as I read what Jesus said back in
John 5: 25-29 Verily, verily, I say unto you,** The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
These verses discuss the power of Christ to quicken **the dead now. (All that are saved right now was before dead in trespasses and sins according to
Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Because the Son hath life in himself (like the Father), the Son gives this life to those dead who hear His voice.
27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming,**(future) in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;(1st resurrection) and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (2nd resurrection, these are all lost)
These resurrections are 1007 years apart.**(millennial reign of Christ, and the 7 year tribulation)
There will be multitudes of peole saved in the tribulation period that never heard the true to do with Jesus and the things of God, and if their caught they of coarse will have refused to except the mark of the beast, therefore they’ll be beheaded, these are the tribulation Martyrs, they will be resurected at the same time the O.T. Martyrs are; 20:4.
These people were left behind, but realize that they never had heard the truth before the rapture took place, these people heard the truth after the rapture because of the preaching of the 144000 Jewish Missionaries that we’ll read about in chapter 7.
Verse 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:
Notice; - the O.T. saints were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
- they held to their testimony. which they held:**-- I just wonder how many of us would be as faithful as these if we came under such persecution.
I personally believe that because the means of execution at that time will be so strictly enforced that there will be some Czar over this happening and there will be portable execution vehicles, much as the old western days of traveling hangmen.-no trials, just beheaded.
These people (tribulation saints) were caught and their belief in Christ and Gods word cost them their lives.
The means of execution in that day will be beheadment.
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,
-- I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God,-- O.T. saints.
Probably a reference to the “brazen altar” of sacrifice just in side the gate of the tabernacle, all animal sacrifices were a type of the Sacrifice of Christ on the Altar of the cross as He died for our sins, because these are seen under the altar and not on the altar is because Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, therefore we and they are “under” the BLOOD OF Christ.
And let’s be sure and notice that John here sees the “souls” of them that were slain not their bodies.
John sees these martyrs very much alive. Men may destroy the bodies, but they cannot kill the soul or the person who indwells the body, the house for the person. At death, the soul of the person goes to be with the Lord.- The body “sleeps” but the soul or the person is conscious, awake.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
The “soul” will never die.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
-- “souls” of them that were slain--
“Slain” This was a sacrificial term used for the slaughtering of the animals for sacrifice. The emphasis seems to be on the fact they were not just killed, but slaughtered. –along with beheaded.
The earth dwellers were left behind at the rapture, these have received the mark of the beast “antichrist” they have no hope.
Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Verse 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.
There were going to be many more that would be martyred in the tribulation and also martyrs for the faith in Jesus at any time, they were told just to be patient and rest a little while longer, God was going to take care of this situation in due time.
The Tribulation Martyred saints along with all OT martyred saints are not resurrected until after the Tribulation.
The robes spoken of here and portrayed to John in this vision, however, may simply be the symbol of the fact they are clothed in the righteousness of God as believers in Christ.
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These crying out for vengeance from under the altar, as well as you and I today need to under stand that God has every thing under His control, God does every thing according to His plan, we today wish the Lord would call us out this very day, we are longing for the rapture to take place, but lets remember that God has already set a year, day and hour for this to happen, it will happen when His set time rolls around, in the mean time we are to “occupy until He comes” that is let us be busy about the Fathers business.
The Lord told His disciples in
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
So we can take this to mean that the Father already knows.--
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Most of us have heard the old song, “wait a little longer please Jesus” it’s a beautiful song but we can rest assured that when that day, time and hour arrives He’ll call out His church whether our loved ones are ready are not.
--My opinion is, that because God is God, He knows the very number that will be in the Lords True Church and when that number is met that is to be in the True church, that will be when He’ll rapture us away.
And lets realize that the True church has been in the making now for over 2000 years, since the day of Pentecost, so its very possible that its nearing completion.—
Sinner friend that might be listening, you are walking on dangerous ground, what your doing is much like swinging out over hell on a shoe string that could break just any time.
Call on God right now, and ask Him to forgive you of all your sins, and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life and be your Lord and Saviour, if you’ll ask Him and mean it He will save you, He don’t want any one to go to hell, He died for one and all.
Although He died and paid for mans sins, each person must personally receive Him, no one but you can ask Him for yourself, and it is a personal salvation, the Psalmist said in
Psalms 23:1 the Lord is my Shepherd, is He your Shepherd?
