Revelation 6:9-11 (ESV)  – 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 witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

Have you read a passage so many times that you only see one angle or point in the passage? There are often countless insights a text can give, but sometimes we only see the one shown to us on a previous occasion. We read the passage and see what we’ve always seen. But there are many passages where there is more available to us if we would stop to consider it. 

Our passage today may be such a text for many. It is a popular passage. This text points out the reality of martyrs (those killed because of their faith). We read this in Revelation 6:9-11, “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 witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”

The focal point of the passage usually centers around several possibilities. We see these individuals are near the throne of Christ. They are “under the altar.” Each are given a white robe. They have a special designation and place in Heaven. Some theologians debate whether this text is evidence that we will all have some sort of physical form in Heaven when we die (prior to our resurrection bodies at Christ’s return). They wear robes and cry out with voices, so maybe we all have some sort of physical form. Others highlight how the martyrs know that those who killed them are still alive on earth and they are asking how much longer before justice comes to avenge them. 

But the point I’ve never paid attention to before, that caught my eye recently, was the reference to their being a number of other servants who should be killed as martyrs as they were killed. The Lord tells them that justice will come for them once the full number is complete. What does this mean? It seems to mean that there are a number of people the Lord designated for martyrdom. The number hadn’t been reached, so the time of justice had not yet come. Why should this matter to us? Because it reminds us yet again that there are no accidents in God’s world, and even the death of the saints in martyrdom are a part of His good and wise plan.

"Today's devotional reminds us that there are no accidents in God's world, and even the death of the saints in martyrdom are a part of His good and wise plan! Find the full devo here: https://tinyurl.com/3zcstv64"

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Reflection & Journal:
- Why is the particular point about a full number of martyrs significant theologically?
- How can this passage comfort and encourage the faith of believers today? 

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