The subject of martyrdom and global disasters is not one which has us rushing to find out more! Both subjects feature in our world already, and in Revelation 6:9-17, we read about the fifth and sixth seals opened by Jesus which let loose further woes in our world. Whether these correspond to things happening already or refer solely to things which have yet to happen has been hotly debated over the years, but whichever way we look at these things, we see God’s wrath and judgment as well as a longing for justice to be done on the earth as it is in heaven.
In his vision, John saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. (Rev 6:9) They cry out to God, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ (Rev 6:10) The cry, ‘How long?’, has been heard throughout the ages (see Ps 13:1-2, Ps 94:1-3). Once more, we are reminded that time is in God’s hands; only He knows the time until He puts all things right and makes all things new. It is never easy to wait for God, but we must continue to trust that at the right time, He will act (see Gal 4:4).
It would be difficult to paint any scene more moving or more terrible than that described at the opening of the sixth seal. All the elements of a great catastrophic judgment of God are here present, namely, a great earthquake, the sun becoming black, the moon becoming as blood, the stars of heaven falling like ripe figs, the heaven departing as a scroll, and every mountain and island moving. Whether these things are interpreted literally or figuratively, what is clear is that this is a time of testing and unparalleled disaster. The judgments of war, famine, and death, and the martyrdom of the saints which have been outlined earlier in the chapter have largely originated in human decision and in the evil heart of man. The judgment described here, however, originates in God as a divine punishment inflicted upon a blasphemous world. We often struggle with this aspect of God’s nature, but must hold in balance the total revelation of God as given in the Bible. The Lord is not only “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,” but He is also the One “who will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex 34:6–7). We need to hold in balance God’s love and justice, God’s mercy and punishment. They are not mutually exclusive, and God has provided – and continues to provide – time and opportunity for all men to repent (‘The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ 2 Peter 3:9) As we read this chapter, we are aware that we can only stand by the grace of God. Peter comments that a knowledge of what lies ahead should motivate us to live holy and godly lives now (2 Pet 3:11-12). It would be easy to focus only on the negatives or the unknowns in this chapter, but we must retain both a secure understanding of God’s character and a humble reverence and awareness of God’s holiness as we progress through John’s revelation.
