Revelation 6:9-11

Today we come to the fifth seal judgment which reveals the souls of the saved who were martyred in the tribulation. As they plead for God’s justice to cover the earth from under the altar in heaven, God clothes them in white raiments and tells them to rest for a short season. We will see in the coming verses and chapters that God makes good on His promise to these saints.

Revelation 6:1-8

The tribulation starts out with the promise of peace and security, but things quickly take a turn for the worse. This terrifying time involves widespread disease, ravaging war, economic turmoil, and violent death. But Christ offers true peace that never fades away. He is contrasted with the antichrist’s fake peace in Daniel 8:25-26 and John 10:10 (see also Isaiah 9:6-7, Colossians 3:15, Isaiah 26:3-4, Philippians 4:6-7, John 14:27, and John 16:33). He is the one we should be resting in every single day. As Isaiah 55:6 says, let us seek Him while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near.

Revelation 6:1

It is important to rightly divide doctrine so in this episode we get an overview of the definitions, denominations, and defining times in history when various interpretations of end-times events occur. The real comfort for believers is that we are promised to be kept from the hour of temptation—the tribulation—which will come upon the whole earth. This is not “escapism” or “abandonment,” it is a desire for God to take back full ownership rights to the world, promises to be fulfilled to Israel, and for the world to be made right again so we can serve God and be with Him in a way we can’t now.