Scripture reading: Revelation 6:9-11
“The fifth seal” in Revelation 6:9 was the fifth stage or the fifth station in the Tabernacle, where the offering was made for the soul. At the fifth seal, Paul would be there. At the fifth seal, the souls of the apostles and the different brethren who have gone on before would be saying, “How long?”
In verse 10 they were asking the question, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Then it says in verse 11a that “white robes were given unto every one of them.” That means that they had received THEIR BODIES. They had received their spiritual bodies. “WHITE ROBES,” a covering, means righteousness, holiness, TOTAL COVERING OF GOD. They had received their “white robes.”
Verse 11b, “…and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a LITTLE SEASON, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
This is a very, very deep saying. Thank God for the understanding which He has given to us pertaining to this particular Word. There are some brethren who are designated by God to be slain. Revelation 11:7 tells us about it. “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.” A group of people will be killed as the martyrs under the altar were. These are the greatest batch of God’s people. They are called “The Elect.” They shall have gained the fullness of Christ and immortality, just as Jesus Christ did. They are the firstfruits.
Jesus said, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again…” John 10:17-18. A set of people will come to that same place. They are called the two witnesses. These two witnesses will be dead for three and a half days, and then they will RESURRECT. Jesus Christ resurrected on the third day. These people will resurrect on the fourth day. They shall be resurrected, stand on their feet, and the judgment will begin.
Verse 11c, “their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” It is ORDAINED OF GOD that these people “should be killed.” This Word must be fulfilled to finish up the whole cycle of God’s operation. The Revelation is the end or the fulfillment of the things which God has been doing. Therefore, a lot of things that are happening in The Revelation are things that you have seen happening on a smaller scale, coming to their fullness.
Now we will speak about the killing of the saints and the RESURRECTION OF THE SAINTS. The killing of the saints will specifically be ordained of God because He wants them to be resurrected. When Jesus Christ resurrected, He did not show Himself to anybody but the brethren. These people, when they are resurrected, will show themselves to the world.
Jesus learned that Lazarus was sick and He deliberately waited until Lazarus died. Jesus raised him on the fourth day. It was a fourth day resurrection. John 11:4 records, “When Jesus heard that (Lazarus was sick), He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Jesus had to manifest the very thing that we are looking at now, the resurrection of the sons of God after three days. This is why Lazarus was not raised until the fourth day. We find this fact in John 11:39. “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead FOUR days.” Therefore there will be a fourth day resurrection of the sons of God.
(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 1, pages 123-125)
Thought for today: Let us press for the mark of attaining acceptance at the Golden Altar of Incense (the fifth station in the Tabernacle) in order to become part of the First Fruits Company.
Sonlight Devotional 