Posted by Elana Janson on November 14, 2010 at 14:26:58:
Because they were Christians
The report in the media lately of hostage taking and the death of Christians while at evening prayers requires at this point in time a closer look at the opening of the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9-11.
“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: (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? (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 fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
Because I believe we are living the end time, these verses of Revelation are extremely informative at the present time.
First four seals
As I mentioned in my previous post the opening of the first four seals relate to four specific times in the history of Western Civilization. The first four seals have to do with the history of the Christian Church within the change of the rule of the nations. As we know through history, wars (symbol for war is the “horse”; four horses of the apocalypse) would be fought that would bring about radical change in how the nations would be governed. First wars that would bring about the rule of Christian kings, then wars between Christian kings; then followed wars to bring about rule by the majority of the citizens of the nations and finally wars to bring about global rule by the majority. The opening of the first four seals concern specifically how God knew, how He would direct the ruling of the nations. How did he know this? He knew this because He knows man and he knows how man will react. The words of Revelation that reveal this direction by God, of the rule of the nations that would accompany the development and spread of Christianity through the centuries of the past two millennia is: Rev.12:5 “And she brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron”. In the understanding of Revelation, chapter 12 “she” is the symbol of Mary the mother of Christ, but also the entire congregation of Christians through the centuries (“brought forth”) who would follow the teachings of the ‘man’ Christ that after resurrection from death would rule the nations (“was to rule all nations”).
Fifth, sixth and seventh seals
The opening of the fifth, sixth and seventh seals are different in that they focus more on the very end time and Judgment. They give a ‘heavenly’ perspective on what has happened in history and how that history and the outcome and consequences of that history are revealed at the end time.
Therefore I understand the opening of the fifth seal to convey the following. It is a heavenly perspective on martyrdom through the ages as well as a heavenly insight as to what is happening in heaven in the end time.
“I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and the testimony which they held”. These words reveal that throughout the time of the spread of Christianity there would be those who would be slain for their belief. Before the final short season, that is the end time the martyrs will cry out.
The martyrs cry out in a loud voice “How long O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” These are interesting words for they say that God has taken time (“how long”) to judge and avenge their death.
The words “And white robes were given unto everyone of them; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season” make known that before the final season the martyrs will receive white robes. The “white robes” convey resurrection and entry into the kingdom of heaven. This is interesting for also in the opening of the sixth seal, Rev 7:3, it is said that the four angels holding the four winds of the earth should not hurt the earth, the sea and the trees, “till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads”. It seems that Revelation reveals that before and during (?) the final time God knows who are going to be martyrs and who are going to be ‘sealed’.
The opening of the fifth seal gives a perspective of what is happening in heaven at what seems to be the end time before Judgment.
Little season
The words “And it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” have a very significant function in Revelation.
Firstly they indicate that there will be martyrs right up to the time of Judgment. The words also reveal that the words of Revelation indicate a final “little season” before Judgment”. According to my understanding of Revelation this is a time that man cannot measure and is only known to man through “signs” of the end. The time of the Return and Judgment is only known to God. Because I believe we are seeing signs of the end we are actually living the final short season.
Repetition of words
We know more of this final season through the repetition of the words “little season” and “short time” elsewhere in Revelation. Readers should bear in mind that the repetition of words in Revelation has the function of revealing greater meaning and also linking aspects of history and faith. Much of my analysis of Revelation is based on these phenomena.
The words “short time” and “little season” and also appear in Rev 12:12 and Rev 20:3. Because of the repetition of the words “little season” in Rev 20:3 I believe these words apply to the same period as Rev 6:11.
The devil connected with the short season.
The words “short time” in Rev 12:12 refer to the time that the devil comes down to the “inhabiters” of the earth and the sea. It is interesting how Revelation indicates the time of the “short time and “little season” in order to connect the symbols representing evil. Revelation, chapter 12 deals with the ‘dragon’, but in verse 12 Revelation says that the ‘devil’ comes down in the “short time”. In Rev 20:2 Revelation refers to “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan. In Rev 20:3 Revelation also refers to the “little season” that the devil is finally loosed after a period of ‘a thousand years’ that he was “shut up”. Therefore Revelation seems to reveal that the time of the final “little season” is the coming together (of all the aspects or forms of deceit that Satan ‘used’ through history to influence man) in a final onslaught on mankind in the end time.
I have pondered as to why, if martyrs have suffered for their faith in various countries since the beginnings of the spread of the Christian faith two thousand years ago why does the opening of the fifth seal make the distinction of those that will die as martyrs in the final season – could their be another reason for the distinction. Are we going to see exceptionally more martyrs in the end time? Or is Revelation revealing that martyrdom is going to take place despite global laws for religious toleration? Readers will recall that I believe the whole movement of the ruling of the nations from the rule of kings to the rule of the majority over a period of two thousand years is revealed in the understanding of the symbolism and words of Revelation.
Eliminating wars of religion
Believing that we are living the end time, and with the knowledge of the history of the past two thousand years and the whole movement to the rule of man or democracy in the last millennium that had as one of its main goals to eliminate wars of religion, and the martyrdom of Christians, it seems that Revelation may be revealing that there would be a time of fewer martyrs, before and possibly in the final time. If one considers when the western nations began to fight for greater say for the ordinary citizens in the rule of the country because of the atrocities of religious wars, the quest for freedom actually started centuries ago. Majority rule brought about toleration for different religious views and an end to religious wars - even though the same rule of the nations was accompanied by greater materialism. With evidence of the death of Christians at the present time, which is more the exception than the rule it seems that this may be what the opening of the fifth seal is also revealing.
Because of the repetition of the words “little season” and “short time” I believe Revelation is also linking the death of Christians to a short period of time in the end time when the ‘dragon’ (Rev 12:12) and the beast (Rev 20:3) are finally let ‘loose’ on the earth to deceive the nations. In my understanding of Revelation the “dragon” is the symbol of the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10) that is the evil force that brings about hatred and enmity between fellow-Christians or believers. The “beast” is according to my analysis of the “beast out of the sea” and the “beast out of the earth” that evil force that through the centuries subtly influences man - through man’s vices and weaknesses - to undermine Christianity in the ruling of the nations and society.
Significance of the placing of words in Revelation
Taking all of the above into account one can understand why Revelation uses the same words “little season” and “short time” in specific verses in Revelation. It accentuates the significance of the placing of words in Revelation (see also Rev 22:18-19). The understanding of the opening of the fifth seal and the revelation of the “little season”, I believe, make sense with the knowledge that we are in the end time. The verses make even greater sense in the total understanding of Revelation and when related to history as well as the present time.
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