The Fifth Seal
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters were killed just as they had been” (Revelation 6:9-11).
The word "martyr" (μάρτυς) originates from the Greek, meaning "witness" or "someone who testifies."[1] It is further defined as someone who voluntarily sacrifices their life for a cause or religious belief.[2] Throughout history, people have died for their witness of Jesus and for various causes in which they believed. In the New Testament, the first martyr mentioned was the deacon, Stephen. The early church had begun to spread the gospel of Jesus around the world, but some Jews and Romans did not welcome this message. They were unable to match wits against the Holy Spirit, who spoke through Stephen, so they falsely accused him of blasphemy to stir up a crowd to condemn him and place him on trial. The Bible says: “They produced false witnesses, who testified, ‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us’ ” (Acts 6:13-14). Sadly, those who were taught about God did not know Him, so they plotted and bore false witness against Stephen. They could not take anyone who spoke the truth, like in present times, and they killed Stephen because of the truth he spoke concerning their sins and his witness regarding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
John witnessed the opening of the fifth seal, and he saw the souls of the martyrs under the altar. This altar in John’s vision symbolizes the Altar of Sacrifice, also known as the Altar of Burnt Offerings in the Old Testament, where animals were sacrificed. The blood from the animal sacrifices was poured out at the base of the altar. The martyrs had willingly given their lives as a sacrifice to the Lord. This is how we should all present ourselves unto Christ. The Bible says: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). Our lives are not our own, but we belong to the Lord even if that means sacrificing our physical bodies. The Bible says: “ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it”(Mathew 10:39). Are you willing to give up your physical life for Christ? You may know the answer to this question if you can boldly stand for Jesus right now, regardless of who comes against you or how unpopular your beliefs are, in a world where right is wrong, and wrong is right. There is a special place in the heart of Jesus regarding those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for Him. While Stephen was being stoned, the Bible tells us that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55-56). Isn’t it something that Jesus will stand for us during our time of persecution to receive us unto Himself? Many have given their lives for the Lord because they knew that their reward would not be given to them on earth, but something greater awaited them in Heaven. The Bible says: “Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawn in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground” (Hebrews 11:36-38). Unfortunately, the only piece of Heaven many self-professed believers will see is what they have idolized on earth because they failed to submit themselves to Christ fully and traded Heaven for temporary gain. Yet, in the end, they will see that earthly possessions, fame, popularity, or wealth were not worth trading eternity for.
The martyrs in John’s vision inquired about the timing until their deaths were avenged, but they were told that more would be martyred just as they had been. Many prophets of Israel and Judah had been killed for speaking words given to them from the Lord. Once Christianity began, the early church was heavily persecuted because of the Jewish leaders’ disdain for their beliefs in the divinity of Jesus, Him being the promised Messiah, His resurrection, amongst other things, which they felt went against Judaism.[3] On the other hand, Rome was antagonistic and persecuted Christians because the Romans thought that Christianity was a threat to their civil and prosperous society due to Christians’ rejection of Emperor worship, pagan sacrifices to various gods, and their monotheistic views.[4] Between persecution from the Jews and Romans, early Christians had a challenging time expressing their faith to others. Yet, they did not allow such challenges to prevent them from following the Lord’s commands.
Sadly, hatred for Christ is all around us. All one has to do is turn on the news, radio, or internet and view the reports about thousands of Christians dying in various parts of the world because of their faith. Numerous terrorist organizations, who are trying to promote their demonic agenda of an Islamic Caliphate, are using religion's disguise to kill, torture, rape, and swindle funds of those who stand for Christ. There have been countless beheadings, shootings, Christians buried and burned alive in the name of Allah and his false prophet Mohammad. Many Christians have died for the sake of Christ, and many more will die before Jesus’ return because the whole world will turn against those who profess His name. Nevertheless, we must not bow a knee to the enemy and his workers. The Bible says: “ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Jesus gave His word that whoever remains faithful and endures to the end will receive their reward in Heaven. All who died for the sake of Christ will not have been killed in vain but will receive a white robe, which represents the purity and righteousness of God Almighty. The Bible says: “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).
[1] Bible Hub Editorial Staff, "Strong's Greek: 3144. μάρτυς (martus) -- Witness, Martyr," Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages, last modified 2025, https://biblehub.com/greek/3144.htm.
[2] Rebecca Denova, "Martyr," World History Encyclopedia, last modified February 15, 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/martyr/.
[3] B. A. Johnson, "Tension Between Jews and Early Christians," Owlcation.com, last modified October 28, 2023, https://owlcation.com/humanities/why-did-the-jews-persecute-the-first-christians-jewish-persecution-of-the-early-church.
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