Revelation 6:10 These martyrs will cry out for justice. They address God as the Lord, holy and true. The Word used here for “Lord” means Master or Sovereign.
They acknowledge his sovereignty over them in all the events of their lives including their martyrdom. They also refer to Him as holy, which speak of Him being completely set apart from all other beings in the universe. They are confessing that He deserves to look upon nothing but righteousness, purity and holiness. These martyrs want all sin and evil erased so that God will not be disobeyed any more by unholy living.
Furthermore they acknowledge that God is true to His Word and promises. Therefore, He is the One who is to execute justice and bring all things to a climax in the end time. If justice is to be executed upon earth, He is the One who has to do it. Therefore, martyrs address God as the Sovereign Lord, holy and true. Here we see their cry out for justice and for vengeance against their persecutors. Again this is shocking, that believers in heaven would seek vengeance against men on earth instead of loving them and longing for them to be saved. Is this an accurate picture? No, it is not. This is not what the martyrs are doing.
Their cry is a cry for vindication of the Word of God and of Messiah, not for vengeance. Note exactly what they are saying: they are crying out for God to avenge their blood. Why was their blood spilt? Why were they killed? Because the persecutors rebelled against the Word of God and against Jesus as the Son of God. This is that for which the martyrs are crying, for vindication, not vengeance. They are crying out for God to stop the injustice against His Word and against His Son, the Lord Yeshua; to stop the injustice against His glory and the injustice of sin and evil against Him and to end unrighteousness and to bring in ever lasting righteousness to the universe. They were, in essence, praying for God’s kingdom to come upon earth.
Few people suffer the hell and wrath of sin any more than a martyr it is that fire and wrath of sin that kills him. Therefore, he knows above all others the consequences of sin and rebellion against God and His Word and will (Psalm 74:10; 79:5-6; Psalm 94:3-4). The fifth seal is not martyrdom, as some suggest, because martyrdom could not be judgment from God.
The seals depict God’s wrath and judgment on the evil and ungodly, not His children. The force of the fifth seal is the prayers of the Tribulation martyrs. Prayer is the harbinger of the outpouring of God’s judgments on the earth. Many Believers act as if prayer is a mere formality and has little effect; yet it is their prayers that move God’s hand of judgment. Jesus illustrated that same principle in the parable of the persistent widow and the unrighteous judge (Luke 18:7-8).
Revelation 6:11 We see that the slain martyrs are assured of justice. We need to see also that while they wait for God’s justice, they are at rest in heaven (Hebrews 4:9). They are resting from all their exhausting labor on earth (Revelation 14:13). They are resting from the wicked of the earth (Job 3:17). They are resting from all the trials and temptations of life; they are to be freed from all tears, sorrow, crying, pain, and death (Revelation 21:4). Yet, the Lord tells them that it will still be a little while before the end of the world comes.
The question is not whether or not the end will ever come. It is coming. It is just that it is not yet time. The name of Jesus has not been proclaimed enough to the world yet. And some believers are still to be martyred for the name of Jesus. The place for martyrs in heaven is not yet filled. More believers must die for His testimony before the end comes. They are given the gift of a white robe, which is a symbol of God’s gift of eternal righteousness, blessedness, dignity, and honor. The robes symbolize all the glory that redeemed saints will enjoy in heaven.
Revelation 6:12-17 – The sixth seal is now broken and the great day of God’s wrath begins. Unlike the first five seals, each of which involved humans in one way or another (the four horsemen and the saints under the altar), in the sixth seal God acts alone.
This begins the second half of the seven-year tribulation known as the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The Lord described the events associated with the sixth seal in Matthew 24:29 and Luke 21:25-26. Heaven and earth feel the judgment of natural catastrophes but this is still not the end of the world nor the final judgment.
The seal judgments are events that are to happen right before the end begins. This is the beginning of God’s wrath against the violence, hatred, and rebellion of a corrupt and evil world. In Revelation 6:12-14 we see the effects of God’s wrath on the universe, in v 15-16 we see the effects of God’s wrath on people, and in Revelation 6:16-17 we learn the reason for the catastrophes and the panic.
Revelation 6:12-14 Here is described the effects of God’s judgment on the universe. There will be a great earthquake. This will be no ordinary earthquake. The idea is that it will be beyond anything ever known to man. Jesus predicted there would be more earthquakes in the latter days than ever before (Matthew 24:7). Revelation mentions three great earthquakes (Revelation 6:12; 11:13; 16:17-19) The Old Testament predicted earthquakes in the end time as well (Ezekiel 38:19; Jeremiah 4:24; Amos 8:8; Joel 2:10; Haggai 2:6). The sun and moon will be eclipsed and blackened and stars or meteorites will shower the earth.
There are times when such astronomical happenings occur now. Is this what is meant by these passages or is there to be something out of the ordinary that will affect the stars above causing massive explosions hurling meteorites throughout space that will affects the universe? There is no way to know. All we know is that there is going to be a severe intensification of happenings in the heavens and they will begin right before the end time comes. The heavens will disappear and the mountains and the hills will be moved out of their place whatever this means the result is that men are so frightened that they cry for the mountains and rocks to fall upon them. To the Jewish people this idea was especially terrible, for the order of the heavens was the very guarantee of the unchanging promises of God (Jeremiah 31:31 ff)
Revelation 6:15-17 The effects of God’s judgment on people includes two significant things.
1) Great fear will grip all unbelievers on earth. Those who are noted as being filled with fear include The kings and rulers of the earth, the great and powerful, the rich and strong, the military commanders of the earth will fear, the slaves and common people of the earth will fear. Every unbeliever on earth will be stricken with terror, they will be so frightened that panic will sweep the earth.
2) No one is going to escape the judgment of God, and they all know it. There will be a sense, an awareness, a consciousness that the judgment of God is looming right over the horizon (Isaiah 13:6, 8; Zephaniah 1:14; Joel 2:1). They will cry for death because the terror and fright will be so great that people will rush to hide in the caves and rocks of the earth, begging to die and to be annihilated in order to keep from having to face God’s judgment (Luke 23:30; Isaiah 2:19; Hosea 10:8).
The reason for the catastrophes panic of men is because of the great day of God’s wrath. The day when all unbelievers must stand before the face of God who sits upon the throne of the universe when all will face the wrath of the Lamb whom they have rejected, denied, cursed, disobeyed, disbelieved, and neglected. The day when all unbelievers shall be face the humiliation of eternal guilt, condemnation, and punishment.
The message to all people everywhere is twofold:
1) All unbelievers will stand face to face with God on the great day of His wrath, it is coming to all men who have not come to the only savior, Yeshua.
2) We must trust Jesus in order to escape the great day of God’s wrath (John 12:48; Romans 2:5;Isaiah 2:11-12; Isaiah 13:9-11; Zephaniah 1:14-16; Malachi 4:1).
