- The Martyrs’ Place
I doubt that the souls of these martyrs are in some segregated part of the heavenly realm. John hears their appeal at his time because of the judgments about to take place. Further, I do not interpret their call as blood-thirsty. My mind goes out to the great roll call of the faithful, holy men and women slain in every century for their testimony of love for Jesus Christ. I think, for example, of Stephen, stoned to death by infuriated Jews whom he had charged with the betrayal and murder of God’s Righteous One. But as he died, Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). The breaking of that fifth seal seems to indicate that the martyrs had been told earlier that God would never forget their love, loyalty and obedience to Jesus Christ. Vengeance, the Bible admonishes us, does not belong to us (Romans 12:19). As Christians, we willingly live for God in a hostile world because God has already whispered to us, “Be patient; be kind! Any vengeance that is necessary will be My holy vengeance. I will repay!”
Surely we do not think often enough of this great company of overcomers who have told their tormentors on this earth: “Do what you want with us. We will love and honor our Savior, Jesus Christ—to the death if necessary!” When our godless society martyrs a saint of God, it is a frightful act of injustice—an unspeakable act of fallen man’s deepest depravity.
History has a way of mixing up the accounts and coloring the tales men tell, but God in heaven keeps faithful records. He alone knows every detail about the faith and courage of every person who has laid down his or her human life for the Savior, Jesus Christ. So this cry as the martyrs wait is not a cry for blood. It is a cry for the day and hour when God’s judgment upon all of mankind’s sin and unholiness will come.
We are right in believing that God has a plan and that it is both fixed and eternal. I do not dismiss the Revelation. I do not dismiss the fact that God is going to deal with Satan—that deadly, cunning usurper of God’s created earth. I do not try to explain away these coming judgments. I trust the prediction of the Scriptures that these four horsemen of judgment and death will ride out over the nations of this earth. I take this view because I know that men and women once created in the image of God, now continue to violate His holy laws, hour after hour, year after year.