Revelation 6:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.

NIV: 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.

NASB: When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;

CSB: When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given.

NLT: When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.

KJV: 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:

NKJV: When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.

In this verse we learn that, when the fifth seal was opened, John saw the souls of martyrs under the altar. The most common interpretation of this passage holds that these are the martyrs who believe on Christ as Savior during the first half of the tribulation. These, then, would be people who come to faith in Christ after the rapture of the church. These souls are likely connected to, or the same as, the believers "sealed" in Revelation chapter 7.

John saw the martyrs' souls "under the altar" in heaven. Their bodies awaited resurrection at the return of Jesus to the earth (Daniel 12:1–2). The martyrs' place under the altar indicates that they had sacrificed their lives as an act of worship to God. Exodus 29:12 instructed the Old Testament priests to pour out most of the blood of a sacrificial bull at the base of the altar of sacrifice, so it is not surprising to find the martyrs under the altar.

These believers were martyred because they held fast to the Scriptures and shared the gospel with others. Marshaled under Satan, hostile unbelievers have always aggressively opposed believers. History includes many accounts of evil cultures taking the lives of God's people. Such hatred of believers will reach a boiling point in the tribulation.

Revelation 6:9–11 continues a description of what will happen when Jesus—the Lamb—opens the seven seals. This section relates specifically what happens when the fifth seal is opened. The four horsemen of the first four seals inflict severe pain and turmoil on the earth; verse 9 introduces a group that experience martyrdom for their faith and witness. Although their bodies succumb to death, their souls live on. The apostle John saw their souls under the altar in heaven, and he heard them cry out to God for vengeance. He also heard God's response to their prayer and saw Him give each soul a white robe.

This chapter typifies the dramatic, heavily symbolic description of end-times events for which Revelation is famous. John sees a series of visions corresponding to Jesus opening the first six seals of the scroll He received in chapter 5. The first four seals unleash four horsemen, respectively symbolizing a world leader, war, famine, and death. The fifth seal reveals the prayers of martyrs pleading with God to avenge their deaths. The sixth seal unleashes massive natural disasters. In response, the people of the world cower in fear, admitting that they are suffering under the wrath of God.

The largest section of Revelation extends from chapter 4 to the end and describes events ''that are to take place after this'' (Revelation 1:19). Chapter 5 focused on a scroll containing God's judgment on sin and a search for someone to open it. Only Jesus is worthy to open it. When Jesus took the scroll from God, He received praise from every creature in heaven and on earth. Now, in chapter 6 our attention focuses on the events that transpire when Jesus opens six of the seven seals, one at a time. This process will continue through chapter 8.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''