Verse 9
And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
The opening of this seal intimately concerns the fortunes of God's church, showing that, "God is not unmindful of the death of the martyrs."[34] "John is still in heaven, therefore the altar represents the altar of incense in heaven";[35] but, to be sure, there is no actual altar in heaven; the thing being symbolized is that of the saints being, in some sense, in the presence of God, despite their having been slain on earth. Here is a powerful intimation of life after death.
Who are these deceased martyrs? We cannot agree that only the ancient saints of Judaism[36] are meant, nor that those alone who "perished in the persecution under Nero,"[37] are intended. This is a dispensational picture, and all of the saints who ever perished for the word of God are they of whom John spoke; especially those who are Christians were meant. Stephen, the first martyr, was surely among them, and James the apostle, and all who had suffered for the testimony which they held.
[34] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1079.
[35] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 644.
[36] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 43.
[37] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 524.
Be the first to react on this!
