JUDGMENT AFTER WORLDWIDE MARTYDOM

 

Judgment after worldwide martyrdom

 

 

 

The opening of the fifth seal tells us many truths that are not very pleasant. Anyone that has studied the book of Revelation has knowledge that countless brothers and sisters in Christ will have to seal their new found testimony with persecution and martyrdom during the seven year tribulation period. This is one of the reasons so many Christians are reaching out to people in this age of grace because we do not desire to see this horrible thing. I realize this is happening now in certain regions of the world but in that future day it will be the norm.

 

(9) "And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter 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 fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (12) And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (13) And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (14) And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." Revelation 6: 9 - 14.

 

Those who become believers in Christ after the tribulation begins will be easily identified because the antichrist will require all people on earth to worship him as God. Anyone who refuses to profess their allegiance by receiving the identifying mark of the antichrist on their forehead or hands will not be able to buy or sell so the worldwide banking system will allow this man to do this to everybody in the whole world. Everyone will have a personal identification number but I do not jump up and down being a number. I jump up and down being a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In essence from a worldly point of view we are numbers now going to the bank or logging onto our computer but the difference is in the day of the Lord people will take the mark in allegiance to worshipping the antichrist. The two will go hand in hand --- no pun intended. Paperwork is time and labor but in that day of the future tribulation period everything will be set up and waiting for the man of sin to take over the world.

 

The Bible says all who receive the mark of the beast will suffer eternal damnation so true newly converted believers will refuse this chip and suffer the wrath of the antichrist.

 

When Revelation 6:10 says they cried with a loud voice how long O Lord holy and true dost Thou judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth these are the Christian martyrs throughout the entire age of grace. They were in white which symbolizes righteousness and holiness and told to wait a little longer. The entire will of God must be fulfilled.

 

The apostle John saw at the opening of the fifth seal and souls of the martyrs in heaven at the foot of Christ. God has provided a wonderful place in a far better world for those who are faithful until death and are no longer allowed a place on earth. They suffered for the word of God and the testimony which they held. If a person lays down his or her life for the gospel this is very special in the eyes of God.

 

Verse ten is very interesting because even the hearts of just redeemed saints retain a proper justice of the wrong they have sustained by their enemies but they commit their sense of injustice to whom vengeance belongs and His name is Jesus Christ. Notice they are not trying to avenge themselves but leave the matter to God.

 

In verse eleven they were given white robes but this does not just mean righteousness and holiness in this biblical context. These white robes also symbolized victory and honor. They were assured that the suffering of their brothers and sisters in Christ would not be to much longer. Jesus Christ will obviously recompense His judgment to those who persecute them but to this group on the receiving end who are being persecuted will ultimately be given uninterrupted rest.

 

In Revelation 5:9 when this passage talks about those that were slain for the word of God the book of Revelation even gets deeper to this unfortunate reality. "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, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Revelation 20:4. When the last phrase of verse nine says and for the testimony which they held we can also go to the book of Revelation. "Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." Revelation 1:2. The apostle John was baring record of the very same truth the tribulation believers in Christ are going to suffer and ultimately be beheaded.

 

The past tense martyrs are calling Jesus Christ Holy and True but the apostle John refers to the Son of God addressing the Philadelphia church in Revelation 3:7 as He that is Holy and He that is True. Do you see how all true Christians are on the same page? They do not necessarily know each other but they are giving honor to Jesus Christ with the same words.

 

When the phrase in Revelation 6:10 says judge and avenge our blood that will come true. "For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand." Revelation 19:2. This is something that will happen at the end of the tribulation period.

 

The opening of the sixth seal introduces a humongous earthquake and believe me this is a terrifying experience for anyone to go through. This earthquake described in the sixth seal will be of a magnitude never before known by mankind. This will be a violent catastrophic shaking. In verse twelve the sun will be black and the moon will look like blood. It is what I do not know to explain this text. I do not understand if this is an earthquake set off by nuclear explosions or if some kind of comet hits the earth or if it is something else. Humanely speaking the world is already set for something of this magnitude but we all have to remember that it is God causing this judgment.

 

In verse thirteen the stars of heaven fall to the earth. This could refer to meteors and it is true that they glow with a fiery red color. Many people say see the Bible is not true because a star can not fall from heaven. It is a scientific fact that a star can not fall out of the sky but if something hit this world other than a star the earth could be shifted off it's axis. The survivors would look up at the sky and not even see stars because the world is now tilted. It may not even be a meteor but man made technology in warfare.

 

The apostle John's description of the sun becoming black as sackcloth and the moon becoming like blood seems to be dust and debris blown into the sky for one reason or another. The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together according to verse fourteen is obviously the atmosphere rolling back on itself. The truth of the matter is I really do not know what is going to cause this but the end result will be every mountain and island will be moved from its current position. The whole world will be physically torn apart.

 

When the sixth seal is opened there are several occurrences that contribute to make that day very dreadful. It will be a judgment that will shock the whole world. Dread will seize on all sorts of people in that great and awful future day of judgment.

 

When Revelation 6:12 talks about the sun becoming black and the moon as blood we have to go back to the Old Testament. "I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering." Isaiah 50:3. This is the judgment of God. (13) "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. (14) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come." Joel 2:30 - 31.

 

 In Revelation 6:13 there is an interesting part saying the stars of heaven fell unto the earth but this also happens again in subsequent chapters in this divinely inspired book called the Bible. (10) "And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; (11) And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." Revelation 8:10 - 11. I am not exactly sure what these stars will be but progressively the judgment of God gets worse for the inhabitants of earth.

 

The second part of this verse says the fig tree is shaken of a mighty wind. Once again we have to go back to the Old Testament. "And all the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree." Isaiah 34:4. Jesus Christ spoke of this same type of judgment in the Olivet discourse. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:" Matthew 24:29. Going forward in the book of Revelation, "And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." Revelation 16:20. This types of judgment is written all over Scripture.

 

As we can see God is very angry at this future point because for the most part people become more hardened as the judgments progress. They are supposed to truly repent of their sins so the wrath of God seems very symbolic of a dark sinful heart. In the next article I will go over the response of people under an extreme judgment of God. A question may rise up in some of the minds and hearts of people in internet land, "Why is God so angry at this point." With all the chaos and confusion in the world leaders will come up with the only possible answer to the solutions of the world in their twisted logic. Martyr the newly converted believers in Christ. Wow this is a really intelligent conclusion. After all it is all their fault. Of course I am being sarcastic and I really do not think that is the most spiritual word (sarcastic) but this is the coldness of people who have not been changed from the inside to the outside through Jesus Christ.

 

If you do not know the Lamb of God now may be a good time to accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Savior and Lord by repenting of all your sins and invite the Son of God into your life. If you just made that decision and are reading this article on this side before the rapture of the church then abide in Jesus Christ by reading the Bible. Be a doer of what the word of God says for your life. Look for the basic truth of the passage you are reading and obey God as a little child by faith in Jesus Christ.

 

If you are on the other side of the rapture that time frame is the day of the Lord. Accept Jesus Christ into your heart through repentance and do not take the mark of the beast because the Bible says you will be damned for all eternity. I certainly hope you are on this side of the catching away in this age of grace but that may not be the case. In the next article I will show you the response of people after the sixth seal is finished.  God bless you  Bob D.