And when it 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 fifth seal breaks the pattern of the four riders. No horseman rides out over the earth. Instead John sees the dead — people killed for holding to God's word — beneath an altar in heaven. Who are they, why does the vision call them "souls," and what does it mean that they are under an altar?
The first four seals sent riders across the earth. This one turns the reader's eyes upward instead.
The Fifth Seal differs from what came before it and what follows: all its action stays in heaven. The Lamb on the throne in heaven opened the seal, and John was there too. But in this one he sees no horses going out to earth, and none of the scenes on earth found in the sixth and seventh. His vision here is entirely of heaven.
The altar in view is the altar for burnt offerings. Their place beneath it says how God regards their deaths.
The "souls under the altar" (the altar of burnt offering) plainly speak of them as a sacrifice given to God. The blood of such sacrifices was poured out at the base of the altar. In the life-blood, the soul — which is also the life — is said to be poured out. So Isaiah 53 says of Christ that He "poured out His soul to death." Here we have at once the implication that God accepts this offering of His people.
John does not see risen people, and he does not see them still alive on earth. The wording is deliberate.
Their souls appear in vision "underneath the altar." On the altar would express the whole burnt offering being offered. But underneath it — where the blood of the sin offering was poured out (Lev. 4:7) — signifies that the sacrifice is complete. The martyrdom of the saints was not taking place. The scene was over… The martyrs are not seen here in life, nor as risen, but in the separate state, "the souls of them that had been slain."
That wording also settles something about death itself:
Clearly their bodies were beheaded, for men cannot kill the soul. Their souls survived: they cried out with a loud voice, and they were told to wait for God's time to judge their enemies.
The verse names two reasons: the word of God, and the testimony they held. One writer explains why that message draws such hatred:
Here the true and real reason for their martyrdom is named, "slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held." The word of God, faithfully declared with its sharp claims on a person's conscience, always stirs up the hostility of the world. Those who set it out most faithfully in life and public testimony must seal that witness with their blood… "The testimony which they held" is not to the grace of God as it is now, but to the righteous claims of God in setting up His kingdom on earth… The sacrificial word "slain" fits the special character of these witnesses, who are probably Jewish.
Commentators differ over who these sufferers are. Many take them to be Christians. One writer answers from the character of their prayer:
Many people think that those in question are Christians. But if we look more closely at the passage, we may learn that this again confirms that the church has already been removed to heaven. Is their prayer or desire in keeping with the grace of the gospel?… Take Stephen's prayer, following our blessed Lord, the pattern of all that is perfect. On the other hand we have similar language elsewhere: but where? In the Psalms and the Prophets.
Their cry gets an answer: a white robe, and a wait.
Their cry, "How long," shows that they know there is a limit to the persecution of God's people… Others are still to follow before the time of judgment is over. So they are told to wait a while longer, until the martyrdom of their brothers is complete. The white robes witness to their practical righteousness and so to God's approval. They witnessed for God as the Holy and the True, and men opposed and killed them, but God approved them and will avenge their blood.
- Seen — the fifth seal shows no rider and no disaster on earth. The whole scene is in heaven.
- Sacrificed — "under the altar" marks their lives as an offering God accepts, and the sacrifice as finished.
- Surviving — "souls" is exact: men killed their bodies, not them. They cry out, they are heard, and they are not yet risen.
- Silenced — they died for the word of God and the testimony they held. Faithful witness is what the world will not tolerate.
- Still waiting — the answer to "how long" is a white robe of approval now, and a wait until their brothers' martyrdom is complete.
and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O sovereign Ruler, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth?
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And there was given to them, to each one a white robe; and it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while, until both their fellow-bondmen and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they, should be fulfilled.
Under the fifth seal, martyrs cry out for justice. This verse is God's answer — but not the answer they asked for. He gives them two things: a robe, and a word about waiting. Both raise the same question. Why does judgment on their killers wait at all?
Does the white robe mean these martyrs have already been raised? One writer says no, and explains what it does mean.
Their being under the altar means simply that they had offered their bodies to God as sacrifices for the truth. The white robes are the witness of their righteousness — God's declared approval of them; but the time for their being avenged was not yet. I do not think that giving white robes is resurrection. The first resurrection is sovereign grace. It gives us the same place with Christ — "forever with the Lord." It follows on His work, and on His being our righteousness, which is the same for all of us. White robes given in this way are the recognition of the righteousness (righteousnesses) of the saints. So they are seen in Revelation 19:8, at His appearing. "They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy."
The robe is not handed to the group as a crowd. Each sufferer receives one.
God hears the cry for vengeance, but delays the answer. In the meantime the Lord gives a token of special approval. He singles out each one of the martyred band for honour and vindication. "Then they were each given a white robe."
God tells them to rest, but they stay where the vision found them. Their state is set against that of the elders, who are already raised.
White robes are given them as tokens of Christ's approval. But they are still left as souls under the altar; not raised like the elders, who are already perfected by the redemption of their bodies. There are other martyrs yet to die, and they must remain until these also have suffered.
The robe is not a throne either. Their reign is still ahead of them.
God has vindicated them, though they do not take their place on thrones until Revelation 20. Spirits without bodies are never said to sit there. When they enter the blessedness meant for them above, we do not read of glorified spirits, but of bodies. They will reign with Christ.
The delay is not indifference. Kelly gives two reasons for it. God has more witnesses still to gather, and evil must first run its full course.
Another class of martyrs must yet be made up… No account of the killing of these saints appears here: we must look for it in other and later parts of the book. Meanwhile the earlier sufferers enjoy the result of righteousness, and God owns them. But they must wait. A new and distinct band of martyred brothers has still to be filled up, and these are to suffer right up to the close. Then retribution will come. Wickedness must reach its height and do its worst before the hour of full divine judgment. Another and final outburst of persecution must come first. But notice here too: not one of them is offered the hope that the Lord will take them away without passing through death.
The "fellow servants" and "brothers" are not the same group as those already killed.
The time of vengeance was measured by "a little while." Another company would swell the ranks of the noble army of martyrs. Here they are called "fellow servants" and "brothers." These verses point to two separate companies of martyred saints. The earlier company was killed under the fifth seal. The later company is killed at a following period, here called "a little while." The cry from "under the altar" can have no full answer until this second group of the martyred band is complete.
The short rest has an end. It comes when the last of these witnesses has suffered and the company is complete.
Here we have the complete company of God's faithful witnesses. They lived in the time between the coming of Christ for the church and His appearing. They did not count their lives dear to them, but sealed their testimony with their blood. They are now seen to have the blessed reward of a part in the first resurrection. The witnesses of our chapter belong to this company. Meanwhile God gives them white robes as a token of His approval and recognition of their faithfulness.
- Approved — the white robe is God's declared approval of their righteousness — His public verdict on them.
- Personal — each one receives a robe. No sufferer is lost in the crowd.
- Unfinished — the robe is not resurrection. They are still souls under the altar, and their thrones come later.
- Delayed — vengeance waits. A second company must still be killed, and wickedness must reach its height.
- Completed — when the last martyr falls, the whole company shares in the first resurrection and reigns. Then the cry from under the altar is answered.