Truth Matters 96 (August 23-27)

Welcome to Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis as she continues her teaching from Revelation 6, verses 9 through 11, The Cry of the Martyrs. Here's Dr. Cheryl Davis with today's lesson.

Hello, I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis, and this is Truth Matters. We continue our journey through the book of Revelation. Last time we were together, we did the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. We summarized the Olivet Discourse and really talked about the events which the church may witness prior to the rapture and the inauguration of the Antichrist. Today, we're going to get into Revelation, chapter 6, verses 9 through 11, as these are the souls underneath the altar, the cry of the martyrs.

Let's begin in chapter 6, 9 through 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 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. You know, really, from the earliest pages of the Old Testament to the book of Revelation, Satan has attacked the people of God. And we see that throughout the history in the Old Testament.

Pharaoh in Egypt, Haman in Persia, Antiochus the Great, if you remember studying him in Daniel in the Maccabean Revolt, Herod in Jesus' day, the Jewish leaders in Stephen's day, and on and on throughout the Roman Empire that we studied in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation. Particularly on God's chosen people, the Jews. Hitler in Germany killed six million Jews. But here in chapter 6, verse 9, the fifth seal, opened by Christ in heaven, is a seal which shows the result of intense persecution of those who stand for the word of God during the tribulation. We do not see the persecution itself, just the result of it. So let's look at these martyrs, and we have divided this study up first into the context of their martyrdom. Who are these martyrs? Really, the church has been raptured already. We see them in heaven in chapters 4 and 5. The church is raptured after Revelation chapter 3. So these martyrs are those saints who became believers during the tribulation.

According to verse 10, their persecutors are still alive since they call upon the Lord for vengeance on those who kill them. So they must have been killed during the tribulation by non-believers still alive on earth. It's important note at this point in our developing understanding of the tribulation period that God will deal intensely with Israel during the tribulation.

In Romans chapter 11, verses 25 through 26, it says, a partial spiritual blindness has afflicted Israel and will remain in place until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. The fullness of the Gentiles is complete when the rapture takes place. During the tribulation, many Jews will turn to God and reject the Antichrist. As a result, many will be martyred for their faith.

So therefore, we can assume that these martyred souls are Jewish Christians. But how do they become Christians during the tribulation? Revelation 11 teaches us that God sends two witnesses to earth to preach the gospel. Also, Revelation chapter 7 mentions the 144,000 Jews which will be sealed for God's service.

In addition, millions of copies of the Bible, tracts, or other literatures will be on earth after the rapture. But God will provide a witness for the gospel to those who are left behind after the rapture. His word says, I will never leave it.

I will never forsake you. He will provide a witness for the gospel. But those who plan to place their faith in Christ will pay a heavy price for doing so. And we see this evident in Revelation, but also it is foretold in the Old Testament.

Until next time, this has been Truth Matters. Thank you for joining Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis and today's lesson from Revelation 6, the persecution of the people of God from the time of Rome to the end time and their coming reward. Dr. Davis continues the study next week, beginning with Revelation 6 and verse 12, the people of God given white robes and told to wait just a little longer. This is an exciting and informative study of the church era and the prophecies of the end time. We hope you'll join us as we study God's word, the Bible, believing that the coming of Jesus is imminent and could happen at any moment of the day or night. This has been Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis, a ministry of The Truth Project.