The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs
Revelation 6:9 – 11 “And when the Lamb 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 they had upheld. And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”
Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.”
The news was so horrible that it was almost unthinkable! Groups of Christians in five different churches in northern Nigeria were peacefully worshiping on a Sunday morning when heavily armed Islamic terrorists stormed the churches. Men, women, children – all were slaughtered! Nobody was spared! And then the church building was burned. Sadly, scenes such as this one have become far more frequent in the last few years. In many parts of Africa, Christian girls have been abducted and forced into sexual slavery. In the southern Sudan, some Christians have even survived hanging on crosses for several hours, although their bodies are deformed from their ordeals.
In Russia and China, new restrictions are coming out for Christians on a daily basis. Anyone caught with a Bible or with a Christian video in North Korea will die a horrible death. One father was brought into the center of town and run over by bulldozers while his family was forced to look on. His crime? He had shown a Christian video to his family in the privacy of his own home.
Across Europe and America there is a rising tide of hatred for churches and Christians. Make no mistake! Anyone promising peace at the expense of religious freedom is only promising slavery!
“Well, I’m no martyr.” First Church had just let out their morning service and one well – dressed lady was addressing another. “I told them that I simply didn’t have time to help with Children’s Church. Besides, I am already helping plan a marriage seminar and a leadership conference. And what good does it do to work with children anyway? Let them make up their minds when they get older.” While First Church exists only in my imagination, regrettably the ideas expressed by this lady are quite common among American church goers. And the question raised is this: if terrorists stormed your church and threatened to kill you for your faith, what would you do? How would you answer? If you were really a disciple of Jesus, you would have to tell them to go ahead and kill you….. BUT WOULD YOU DO IT, OR WOULD YOU RENOUNCE CHRIST?
Remember what Jesus told the Church at Smyrna earlier in Revelation 2:10 “Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” John writing to new Christians advised them “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:3-5 John was writing those words to men and women who could face martyrdom at any point! Christians were being dragged into arenas to be torn apart by wild beasts. Other horrors awaited those who refused to swear allegiance to the Caesars as gods.
Jesus told his disciples, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:21- 23
How are we to be faithful? Faith is not found in attending seminars or conferences! You can sit in meetings every day for the rest of your life and still not be a Christian.
Paul’s advice to the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31 still rings true: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” YOU must put your entire trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, study the Bible, and pray. God has promised to give guidance to anyone who asks and God does not play favorites. But don’t postpone your decision! None of us knows the day or the hour in which we will step into eternity!
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we thank you for your Word! We thank you for loving us so much that you bled and died for us at Calvary. Please help all who read this devotional to place absolute trust in you and to follow hard after you, even if it means physical death. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.
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