“Visiting Down Under”
Rev. 6:9-11
If only we would read the book of Revelation as a message of comfort rather than a calendar of events, if only we would see Revelation as an opportunity for encouragement rather than a platform for debate, if only we would preach and teach it from a pastoral perspective rather than a prophetic slant we might just come to love not only the book but the precious Savior it presents. This is especially true for the passage we read just a moment ago where we make a brief visit down under. With comfort, encouragement, and pastoral perspective in mind, let’s take a closer look at John’s vision in Revelation 6:9-11.
It begins with showing THE REALITY OF PERSECUTION. “…I saw…the souls of those who had been slain...” John wrote Revelation while he was residing in exile on the island of Patmos – he had been banished there because he refused to stop preaching and teaching about Jesus. Such treatment of the followers of Jesus was not unusual – in fact, it was normal. Christianity was a capital offense, so MARTYRDOM WAS COMMON AMONG GOD’S PEOPLE. It had been that way for years. Listen to Hebrews 11:32-38 (NLT): “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.”
Following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus persecution intensified. As proof positive, consider the lives – or I should say the deaths – of the disciples.
James the son of Zebedee was beheaded in Jerusalem, the first of the apostles to die, during the Easter season in about the year A.D. 44.
Matthew was slain with the sword in a city in Ethiopia.
Mark was dragged through the streets of Alexandria until he expired.
Luke was hanged on an olive tree in Greece.
James the Less was thrown from a pinnacle or wing of the temple.
Philip was hanged up against a pillar in Phrygia.
Bartholomew was flayed alive.
Andrew was scourged then tied to a cross where he preached to the people for two days before dying.
Jude was shot to death with arrows.
Thomas was run through the body with a lance.
Simon Zelotes was crucified.
Peter was crucified upside down.
Matthias was stoned and beheaded.
John was exiled to the penal island of Patmos and later became the only apostle to die a natural death.
In addition, Stephen was stoned to death and Paul was killed.
The reason for their deaths is clear: “…because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.” The word for ‘testimony’ is martus from which we get our word martyr. THEY WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF THEIR VOLUNTARY MARTYRDOM OF TESTIFYING FOR JESUS rather than backing down under pressure. Jesus had even predicted this would happen. (Mt. 24:9) “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death…” (Jn. 15:20) “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (Jn. 16:2) “…a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” Paul also predicted it: (2 Tim. 3:12) “…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…”
And make no mistake about it. PERSECUTION IS STILL HAPPENING TODAY. On January 20, 1999 Roy Pontoh, age fifteen, was among one hundred fifty members of Bethel Church in Indonesia attending a retreat when a Muslim mob attacked. Roy was asked, “Are you a Christian?” Armed only with his Bible, the teenager proudly replied, “I am a soldier of Christ.” The attacker then cut Roy’s hand with a sword and asked again, “Are you a Christian?” Once again, young Roy bravely replied, “I am a soldier of Christ.” Angrily, the Muslim attacker stabbed Roy in the stomach and killed him.(1) The Gospel for Asia ministry reported that in 2008, following a murder, attacks on Christians in Orissa multiplied at a frightening rate – they, in fact, list 74 instances of persecution, from setting fires and destroying property to severely injuring and beating Christians.(2) A 17-year-old Christian was beheaded by al-Shabab extremists on Sept. 25 of this year as he prepared for school. Al-Shabab, determined to rid Somalia of Christianity and Western influence, had carefully monitored Guled Jama Muktar and his family since their arrival from Kenya in 2008, a source told Compass Direct News. “I personally know this family as Christians who used to have secret Bible meetings in their house,” the source said. The militants arrived at Muktar’s house around 6 a.m. after his parents had left for work. “The neighbors heard screaming coming from the house, and then it immediately stopped,” the source told Compass Direct News. “After a while, they saw a white car leaving the homestead.” When Muktar’s parents heard about their son’s murder, they rushed home, buried his body and fled the area, fearing the militants would kill them as well.(3) And these are not exceptions – it is commonplace. There were more martyrs in the twentieth century than in all the previous nineteen combined. The Global Evangelism Movement reports the average number of people martyred for their faith each year is 160,000. There are currently an estimated one million people in prison for religious reasons. World Evangelical Fellowship shares that more people have died in circumstances related to their faith in the last century than in all the twentieth-century wars combined.(4)
I could spend the rest of our worship time and even the Sunday School hour citing examples from around the world. But let me move on because it is important to state that PERSECUTION IS HAPPENING TODAY IN AMERICA.
(July 2009), Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo, a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, was told that she would help a doctor perform an abortion or be fired - even though the hospital knew it was against her Christian values.
In September of 2009 at Pace (Florida) High School, Principal Frank Lay and athletic director Robert Freeman went on trial in federal district court for saying grace before their meals on School property. They were charged criminally for “flagrant first amendment violations.”
Rifqa Bary (August 2009) fled her home in New Albany, Ohio because her father (a Muslim from Sri Lanka) was going to kill her in what is known as an “Islamic honor killing” because she converted to Christianity. She was spared the death. But not so for two sisters in Dallas, Texas. Amina and Sarah Said of Dallas were killed in January 2008, by their father (an Egyptian born Muslim) in an Islamic honor killing because of their faith in Christ.(5)
Anti-Christian opposition is mounting all around us. Recently the courts out West ruled that white crosses on public property, honoring the deceased soldiers and law enforcement officers, are unconstitutional because they represent or remind people of Christianity – and the government cannot do that. In Texas there was a court battle because the manager of a government owned cemetery had ruled that no words of faith could be uttered on the cemetery grounds during graveside services because it would be mixing church and state. Authorities at the Air Force Academy just a few days ago withdrew their participation in Operation Christmas Child because the each shoe box contains a Christian greeting – and one person objected! Again, there are many more illustrations – but we’ll leave it at that so I can move on.
I did say, didn’t I, that Revelation is a book of comfort and encouragement. It may not sound like it so far, although presenting truth is a positive thing. But in addition to pointing out the reality of persecution, John’s vision pictures THE REST OF PROTECTION. “…I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain…” With John we make a visit DOWN UNDER THE ALTAR. The souls of the saints are not in hiding; being under the altar points back to Exodus 29:12 – “Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.” The instructions are repeated several times in Leviticus as well. ‘Under the altar’ is where the blood of the sacrifices flow. So when John sees the souls of the saints down under the altar it is a picture of Jesus acknowledging that the lives of martyrs were not in vain, that Jesus has received and honored them as sacrifices to Himself. It’s the same language Paul used; (2Tim. 4:6) “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure has come.” As the Psalmist wrote (116:15) “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” The gift of the white robes of blessedness for those down under emphasizes that DOWN UNDER IS THE PLACE NEAREST TO GOD’S HEART. Jesus, in the last of His beatitudes, said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, because great is your reward in heaven…”
So when Jesus tells the souls to wait, He is informing them that down under is where THEY CAN REST IN HIM. Their battles are decided, Jesus is in control, and they can rest in His peace. We need to understand, however, that the announcement of this rest and blessedness comes because of what the souls down under asked Jesus. “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” They were concerned with THE RENDERING OF PUNISHMENT. They were not asking if God would be just; they wanted to know how long it would be until He carried out His justice. It was always a question asked by God’s people. Psalm 74:9-10 – “How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!” (79:5-7) “How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.” The whole prophecy of Habakkuk opens with a cry for divine justice.
THEY WERE NOT SEEKING PERSONAL REVENGE BUT, RATHER WERE CONCERNED ABOUT JESUS’ REPUTATION AND CHARACTER. He was the Messiah, the Living Lord, the Judge of all the earth. God had promised vindication through Jesus. The souls wanted to know when Jesus would bring that justice to bear on those who oppose Him.
It’s THE SAME PRAYER WE OFFER when we pray “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I wonder if we should not pray the prayer for justice more often. We live, after all, as Dr. Carol Bechtel points out, in a world where murder no longer merits the front page and where the eyes of innocents look out at us from the sides of milk cartons and cry out “How long?”(6)
Jesus comforts those down under as He assures them He will bring justice when the time is right, when the full number of martyrs is complete. It is a divine affirmation that God is passionate about justice. The proof is in Jesus Christ, the one seated on the throne, the faithful witness, who on the cross MINGLED HIS BLOOD WITH THAT OF THE MARTYRS.(7) Those down under are truly one with Jesus!
But what does this have to do with us? I want to challenge you to RESOLVE TO POSTURE yourself as a faithful witness for Jesus Christ. I’m suggesting three things you can do. First, GATHER AND USE RESOURCES. Resources about persecution are abundant. I’ll keep it simple – go to 2 websites: www.be-a-voice.net and www.persecution.com. The two sites point to abundant resources and provide information about current persecution around the world and a variety of ways to respond. Secondly, once you’ve done that you can be a voice for persecuted Christians by ENGAGING IN PRAYER. The prayers can be for all those suffering persecution and for God to show you how to be more involved and where you can stand up for Jesus. Then, thirdly, STAND UP BOLDLY FOR JESUS. We live in a culture where we’re told not to offend anyone, even if our not offending anyone offends God. If you were asked, while looking down the barrel of a gun, “Are you a Christian?” how would you respond? Stand up for Jesus! If saying a prayer before your meal @ school or work would get you fired or sent into court, would you pray? Stand up for Jesus? If you knew that saying anything religious @ a graveside ceremony was illegal, would you openly claim the promise of the resurrection? Stand up for Jesus! If your friends or co-workers mock you or complain because you speak about Jesus, will you continue speaking? Stand up for Jesus!
This past Monday I wanted to use the white board for our STORY TIME Bible study. But when I found it, I discovered one of our youth leaders had written on it. Here’s what it said. “The time is now!!! It’s time for us to take a stand!!! No longer will we be held down by the devil and his dirty tricks!!! We won’t listen to his lies anymore!!! We will stand as a number of generations as one and say to the enemy that we believe!!! That we believe in the ONE TRUE GOD!!! That we believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!! We believe in the ONE who holds the keys to Hades!!! To Hell itself. The ruler over heaven and earth!!! WE ARE God’s warrior generation!!! WE ARE the youth of this nation!!! WE ARE the world changers!!! WE ARE the God chasers!!! With a fire so big inside that you see it in our eyes, we will stand unafraid!!! His word is on our hearts, soul, mind, and lips!!! We are marked by the God above!!! The ONE who sends down his love!!! We will NEVER back down!!! WE ARE GOD’S WARRIOR GENERATION!!! Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do NOT be afraid; do NOT be discouraged; for the LORD your GOD will be with you wherever you go.” Indeed – the time is now! Such faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Let us pray.
(1) www.persecution.org
(2)www.gfa.org
(3)Compass Direct News, Associated Press
(4)Morgan, Robert J.: Nelsons’ Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes. Electronic ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 200. S. 700
(5)Ken Pell, The Underside of Faith, as published on www.sermoncentral.com
(6)Dr. Carol M. Bechtel, Glimpses of Glory-Daily Reflections on the Bible, © 1998 Carol M. Bechtel, Publ. by Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville Kentucky, pg. 61
(7)Ibid.
