This Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible study focuses on the fifth seal of Revelation 6.
Here’s a short summary of the fulfillment of the 5th seal of Revelation 6, then a video will give more details, followed by a verse by verse explanation.
It represents the millions of martyrs who were killed by the Roman Empire, especially the Smyrna church martyrs who Emperor Diocletian persecuted for 10 years, from 303-312 A.D. Their blood is crying out for the Lord to avenge their deaths.
The vision under the fifth seal of the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar, was interpreted by the Church of the first three centuries as representing the continuous persecutions and martyrdoms of Christ’s saints; while the sixth was regarded as a vision of the judgments attending the consummation, or close of the age. (History Unveiling Prophecy, Henry Grattan Guinness)
Revelation 6:9-10, “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. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
The reason that Messiah opened the first four seals was to avenge the blood of the millions of martyrs who had been killed by the Roman Empire.
There are two groups of martyrs spoken of in Revelation. The first was those who were killed by the Roman Empire.
The second group were killed during the Dark Ages and the Inquisition, when tens of millions of martyrs were slain by Papal Rome and the countries that they controlled.
The first four seals of Revelation were symbolic, which means that the fifth one is too. So these saints aren’t continually under the altar crying out to God to avenge them.
When they receive their reward, they won’t have tears. How can they be in heaven, gazing on the glory of Jesus, and literally be crying day and night?
Genesis 4:10 says that Abel’s blood cries out to God from the ground. Since Abel was dead, it’s obviously symbolic.
And our Lord was faithful in avenging their deaths from His sake, as He poured out His wrath on the Roman Empire.
The Pagan Roman persecutions ended when Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., which gave liberty to the Christians.
David Nikao Wilcoxson
Next Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible Study: Revelation 6 – 6th Seal Earthquake
you said above that Jesus opened the first four seals to avenge the blood of the 10 million Christian during 303 – 313 ad, but you also said that the first seal was opened long before 303ad
if Jesus opened the seals to avenge their deaths the first seal would have been opened after 313ad
please expand on this please
The seal judgments were poured out on the Roman Empire while the persecution of the saints was taking place, not afterwards. The trumpet judgments took place after the persecution ended.
The fifth seal points to the martyrs of the Smyrna church who were relentlessly persecuted as Emperor Diocletian sought to wipe out the Early Church during the 10 years from 303-312 A.D. http://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/the-fifth-seal-of-revelation-6/
None of those seals are open yet. The first seal is the rider on the white horse (Antichrist), he kicks off the fireworks of tribulation.
Messiah proclaimed in the first verse of Revelation that the things that He described would begin to take place shortly. Seek truth, not to defend a belief. Here’s a video series which may help you see the big picture. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY8Cq8enpfGfD_9b9cfcgCWhdYWUNNZq7
You are so right!
How then do you interpret Jesus telling the thief on the cross that today you shall be with me in paradise? Or Paul talking about that it is better for him to leave the body and be with Christ. I know the early church fathers believed in a place that in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world and that the later Jews looked at it as a place where the pious went in hades until the day of resurection. I know also it can be considered a garden or a pleasure ground. So i guess my question is where then if it is not in the presence of God did Jesus and the thief go?
Kevin, regarding Messiah’s word to the thief on the cross; some Bibles, including the King James, put the comma in the wrong place, which changes the meaning.
The KJV reads, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
But it should read “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee To day, shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
So He wasn’t saying that the thief would be with Him in paradise that day. And besides that, Messiah was not in paradise that day, He was in the grave until the third day.
The thief went into the grave, to stay there until Messiah returns, and then He will be raised to life and enter into paradise.
To the thief, it is as if it’s the next instant, because he died, and when we awakes he will be with Messiah. It will be as if no time had passed.
I hope that helps!
David
I dont believe this is the “Church of the first three centuries ” as the souls did not have the garments washed in the blood of Christ, but they were given them by the Lord. This indicates that the souls are saints that were killed under the old covenant by their own people.
That is why the wrath of God/the judgment started with the house of God first, with Israel.
Because they had turned their backs against the Lord and followed strange gods and killed the prophets He had sent.
The great tribulation which already happened, was the start of the judgment against the house of God (Israel)
I am currently exploring this on my YouTube channel
I think that you’re making a false association. I prove out that Revelation 2-3 describe seven church eras which span from the first century until Messiah’s return.
Revelation 12-13 is another chronological layer which describes the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom; pagan Emperors > antichrist beast popes > false prophet Jesuit Superior Generals; who make war with Messiah and His saints. I cover the four chronological layers of Revelation on this study: https://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/the-revelation-timeline-is-a-layered-war-manual/