May 13, 2025 • 26 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Can people still receive Christ as their savior in the
Tribulation as God is pouring out his judgment on the earth.
Revelation holds the answer, and today on turning point, doctor
David Jeremiah unpacks it in his series Escape the Coming Night.
They're mentioned only briefly, but there's much more we can
learn from the souls under the Altar. With the conclusion
(00:28):
of that message, here's.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
David, and thank you so much for joining us today.
We're in the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation
and we're studying the souls under the Altar, the martyrs
of the Tribulation period, those who stand up for their
faith in what happens to them, and the Bible says
their souls cry out from under the altar. They cry
(00:50):
out for revenge, They cry out, what's going to happen
to those who have done this to us. We're answering
some of those questions during these particular days, and I'm
glad you've joined us to study along with us. Friends,
we're going to Alaska and New England this fall. Actually,
the fall begins for us in the month of July.
The twelfth of July is when we head out to Alaska.
(01:13):
We're going to have a wonderful crowd. We have over
five hundred people have already registered for this event, and
it will be wonderful. We'll be on Holland America's You're
A Dam, and we'll be visiting all of the great
places in Alaska. Then in October the fourth through the eleventh,
we're sailing on Holland america Zyderdam and we're going to
(01:37):
New England and Canada. We'll have Michael Sanchez, Uriel Vega
and other guests with us, but most of all, we'd
like to have you with us. So go to our website,
find out all the information about these tours and plan
to join us for one or both of them. As
we look forward this coming fault to these wonderful opportunities.
(01:58):
Right now, we need to get started with Part two.
Of the Souls under the Altar were in Revelation chapter six,
verses nine through eleven.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Do you remember back in the Old Testament when prophets
began to be known. Think of Samuel, way back in
the beginning, who prophesied to Eli that because of his
evil sons Hoffney and Phineas, judgment would fall upon his house.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
And think of.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Isaiah, the prophet who prophesied that the people of Judah
would be carried away into captivity, and that the temple
would be destroyed and Jerusalem would be destroyed. And think
of Jeremiah, whose prophecy was so hated by his contemporaries
that they put him in stocks and in chains and
throw him in prison. And think of Jonah, who finally
(02:48):
was willing to listen to God's instruction. And when he
went to Nineveh, what did he preach? The prophet of God?
Here was his message. He shouted it throughout the streets
of the city. Repent, repent for forty days, and Nineveh
will be destroyed. And when Paul wrote to Timothy, he
warned that perilous times would come. And even Jesus prophesied
(03:11):
judgment in his message in Matthew twenty four. What is
the message of the prophet? It is the message that
these martyrs are going to preach before their lives are taken.
They are going to walk up and down the land,
preaching the coming judgment of the Lord. And as they preach,
they will infuriate all.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Of those who hate the Lord and hate his children.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I am reminded as I study and read that we're
living in a day when somebody needs to be the
voice of a prophet. Doctor Chrisroll, in his commentary on
the Book of Revelation, reminds us that this is indeed
the true character of a prophet of God. He writes,
whenever there is a true prophet of God, he will
(03:55):
preach judgment. These modern so called ministers of God speak
all things nice. Modern pedagogical methods admonish never to mention
anything negative.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Ignore them, and they will not exist.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
They tell you there is not any hell, and there
is not any devil, and there is not any judgment
of God. All that is now intellectually passe. We have
evolved beyond that. We are told. Centuries ago they may
have had a hell, and years ago they may have
spoken of a devil, and way back yonder they may
have spoken of the wrath and of the judgment of God.
(04:31):
But in our new, enlightened and sophisticated day, we do
not talk about things like that. So we stand up
and we speak of the love of Jesus, and we
speak of peace, and we speak of all things pretty
and beautiful. But remember, these other things are just as real.
(04:52):
The same book that tells us about the good tells
us about the bad. The same revelation that speaks to
us about heaven speaks to us about hell. The Bible
that presents the Lord Jesus as the savior is the
same Bible that presents to us the devil as our
enemy and adversary of damnation and destruction. The two go together.
(05:12):
If there is not anything to be saved from, we
don't need a savior. And if we can evolve into angels,
just give us a little more time, and maybe it
we will be arch angels by and by end of quote,
what does he saying.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Saying?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Somebody needs to not be afraid to say the judgment
is coming. God is going to judge this world. It's
a not very popular message these days, and even among evangelicals,
we are told that if we want to hold a crowd,
we better tell nice and encouraging and comforting stories and
never warn of the judgment to come, because people will
(05:52):
not listen to that today. And of course the answer
to that is, it isn't our job to be sure
people listen. It is our job to preach the truth.
And the truth of the Word of God is a
mixture of God's love for and compassion for us, but
also his hatred of sin and his determination to someday
(06:15):
vindicate himself against the rebellious world. Now you can understand
a little bit why these martyred saints have been killed.
They've been running around like little Jonas, preaching that judgment
is coming, and they've made all of the world rulers angry.
And the word that is used to describe the death
of these tribulation martyrs is a word that is peculiar
(06:37):
to this book. It is a word which refers to
the killing of Christ or the killing of his followers.
The word is translated in your text by the word
slain the souls of them that were slain, And it
might better be translated by the word slaughtered. That's the
way it should be translated. It's the Greek word spots.
(07:00):
So and here are places where this word is used.
Let me just give you a couple of illustrations. One
John three point twelve. Cain slaughtered his brother, Revelation five six.
A lamb standing is having been slaughtered Revelation five nine.
For thou wast slaughtered speaking of Christ Revelation thirteen eight.
(07:20):
The lamb that has been slaughtered Revelation eighteen twenty four.
And in her was found the blood of prophets and
saints and all who have been slaughtered upon the earth.
Speaking of believers, this word slaughtered is a sacrificial word
that is used in keeping with the special character of
these Jewish sacrifices, and it simply says that when these
(07:43):
martyrs were killed, they weren't just summarily executed. They were murdered, slaughtered,
killed in a bloody manner. The word slaughter in the
Greek lexicon has three words slaughter, butcher, murder.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
That's how they die.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
There's no other way to describe it. The Jewish people
have felt the pain of that. And in that day,
when the rulers of this world will again be in control,
the Jews who have given their lives to Christ, will
once again know the pain of suffering and slaughter and butchering.
(08:30):
And it is not a pretty thing and not something
we like to talk about, but this is what the
scripture says. Let me talk with you briefly about the
consequence of their martyrdom. Notice in the ninth verse that
John said, I saw under the altar the souls of
them that were slain As the fifth seal is opened,
(08:52):
the scene shifts from Earth back up to heaven, and
John sees a vision of those who are going to
be martyred for their faith in Christ. They are described
as being under the altar, in keeping with the fact
that in the Old Testament the blood of the sacrifices
was poured out under the altar, or down alongside of
the altar. Let me just read a verse that will
(09:13):
explain this. You shall take some of the blood of
the bull and put it on the horns of the
altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside
the base of the altar. So in the Old Testament,
the Jews poured the sacrificial blood down at the bottom
of the altar. That was a sign that the sacrifice
had been completed and the effect of the sacrifice was
(09:34):
in place. Here in Revelation chapter six, John sees the
souls of them that were slain for the word of God,
and he sees them under the altar. As he watches,
he hears them cry with a loud voice, asking why
God has not.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Judged those who took their lives.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Doctor Barnhouse reminds us we are not to think that
John had a vision of an altar with souls peeping
out from underneath. The whole teaching of the Old Testimony
said is that the altar was the place of the
sacrifice of blood. To be under the altar is to
be covered in the sight of God by that merit
which Jesus Christ provided in dying on the cross. It
(10:15):
is a figure that speaks of justification. These martyred witnesses
are covered by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So they are saved. They are under the blood, they
are protected in heaven. And as John looks, he sees
these martyrs justified under the altar, protected in heaven, and
that brings us fourthly to the cry of their martyrdom.
(10:37):
Notice the tenth verse, and they cried with a loud voice, saying,
how long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on
the earth. Now, the first thing we note when we
hear their cry is this, we know that these martyrs
cannot possibly be martyrs from the church Age. They are
(10:58):
not church age sufferers of the church Age. Martyr is
the cry of Stephen. You remember when Stephen was martyred,
what was his cry. His cry was Lord, lay not
this sin to their charge. And the cry of these
martyrs is Lord, get even take vengeance, kill these people
who have martyred us. If these martyrs of Revelation six
(11:22):
were living in the Church age, their cry to the
Lord for vengeance would be improper. The persecuted jew of
the tribulation period will be able to call for God's judgment,
and it will be perfectly proper for him to do it.
The age of Grace has been closed, the Church is gone,
the grace period is over, and this is the day
(11:43):
of the judgment of God. When these martyrs address the Lord,
they use a name for him which you can't pick
up in your text because it's just how long o Lord?
And I didn't see it at first, but then I
saw it, and I couldn't believe it. You know what
the word lord in the text is Greek language. It's
the word despotase it's the word from which we get
(12:04):
our word despot. How long old despot? Before you take
their lives. It's the only time in the Book of
Revelation where that word is used for the Lord, and
it speaks of his absolute power and authority, his ability
and sovereign control. It is a word which shows God's
absolute control over all the affairs of the men and
(12:26):
of the world. And these martyrs are looking to him
as the vengeful God who is going to meet out
wrath against those who have denied him. And they say,
how long, oh despot, holy and true, before you go
down there and take care of the wickedness on this earth.
And there's not a believer I've ever met who's honest,
who looks out at a world of sin and suffering
(12:48):
and pain and aids and all of the rest of it,
who doesn't cry sometimes before their time, Oh God, how
long are you going to let this go on? Before
you take control and before you get things back in perspective?
That's why the Bible says that all of creation groans
until the day of redemption. But let's don't stop there.
(13:09):
Let's look at one more thing. Let's look at the
comfort of their martyrdom. It says in verse eleven that
white robes were given unto every one of these martyrs,
and it was said unto them that they should rest
yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also,
and their brethren that should be killed as they were
should be fulfilled. That was the Lord's answer to their
(13:32):
cry how long? And the Lord said, now, just let
me explain this to you. You need to rest for a
little while, because I'm going to take care of all
of this at one time, and the cup of iniquity
is not quite full yet. I want you to notice
that even in this terrible passage of judgment and blood
and slaughter and murder and martyrs, there is a picture
(13:56):
of the compassionate heart of a loving God.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Watch what he does.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
There are three things in this passage that speak of
the refuge or the comfort of these martyrs. Notice, first
of all, the comfort of their refuge. Where are they?
We don't even have to talk about that. We already
know where are they. They're under the altar. They're in
the refuge of the protection, under the mighty refuge of
an almighty God who paid the price of their redemption
(14:25):
on the cross. Nobody can get through the blood of
Christ to get at them anymore. They are in the
refuge and protection of the Lord. Notice secondly, the refuge
or the comfort of their rest. And I heard a
voice from heaven saying, unto me, right, blessed are the dead,
which die in the Lord. For henceforth yea saith the spirit,
(14:49):
that they may rest from their labors and their works
do follow them. Revelation fourteen thirteen The Bible says that
the Lord said to the these martyrs who were asking, Lord,
how long will it be before you take vengeance on
the world.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
The Lord said, just rest for a little while. Just
take it easy, now.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Folks, if you've been through the tribulation, you wouldn't mind
hearing those words. They'd been having a hard time, and
the Lord said, you just rest. And they said, Lord,
how long will it be before we're avenged?
Speaker 4 (15:21):
And they're told that it will take a short.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Period of time, and that the fulfillment of God's program,
And still other martyrs are going to have to be
added to their number before the final restitution. And then
noticed the third thing that he did.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
In verse eleven.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
He gave them the rest of refuge, the comfort of rest,
and now notice thirdly, the comfort of their robes. I
think this is great, and white robes were given. I'll
watch this unto each individual one of them. The Lord
went around and each one of these martyrs who had
given their lives for the testimony of Christ were given
(15:57):
a robe.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Visual robe.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
This makes a stop for a moment and ask a question,
what kind of robes do souls wear? I don't know
if you ever thought about that before, but it is
an interesting question, isn't it. What kind of bodies will
saints have in heaven before their own bodies are raised
from the dead. The bodies of these Tribulation saints aren't
(16:23):
going to be raised from the dead yet. They are
the souls of those who are slain. The body of
the tribulation saint is not raised until the end of
the Tribulation period, right before the millennium. Revelation twenty verses
four and five says this, and I saw thrones, and
they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.
And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word
(16:46):
of God, who had not worshiped the beast and of
his image, and had not received His mark on their
foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned
with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the
dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. The Tribulation saints all of
those who are saved during the tribulation period, whether they
(17:06):
extend their life to the end of it, or they're
martyred in the middle of it, or at the end
of it. All of the tribulation saints, there's going to
be a special kind of rapture and resurrection for them
at the end of the tribulation. They are going to
be resurrected at the very end. So now let's stop
for a moment and see what kind of a problem
we have here. We've got martyred saints in heaven whose
(17:26):
bodies haven't been resurrected yet, and now the Lord gave
him a robe, and what are they going to do
with it? Well, scholars have been divided as to whether
saints who die received temporary bodies in heaven prior to
the resurrection body, or whether only their spiritual beings are
in heaven before the resurrection.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I've looked everywhere I.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Can find to get help on this one, and I
finally got some help from doctor Walverard, and this is
what he said. The martyred dead here pictured have not
been raised from the dead and have not received their
resurrection bodies yet. It is declared that they are given robes.
The fact that they are given robes would almost demand
that they have a body of some kind. A robe
could not hang on an immaterial soul or a spirit.
(18:12):
It is not the kind of body that Christians now
have that is the body of the earth, nor is
it the resurrection body of flesh and bones of which
Christ spoke after his own resurrection. Perhaps it is a
temporary body suited for their presence in heaven, but replaced
in turn by their everlasting resurrection body given at the
time of Christ's return. That's good enough for me. I
(18:33):
can rest now these robes are actually hanging on a body,
and I think that'll be all right. But the key
thing is this. The Lord loved these people so much
that he gave them a special robe, and he ministered
to them even advance of the closing of the tribulation
period where all the saints will be together. Just three
(18:53):
applications and we're finished. What is the first application? Number one?
Study something like this. We learn that God has a
plan that includes each detail. In one Thessalonians four fourteen
to sixteen, we are told two things about the resurrection
of the believers. Listen carefully. We are told that they
(19:13):
rise from the grave. Right, the dead in Christ shall
rise first, and we are also told that God will
bring them with Christ when he returns Now here's the question.
There is only one way to explain how we can
both rise from the earth and be brought from heaven
(19:34):
at the same time. That's what the text says. The
soul and the body you see aren't together anymore. The
soul and the body are separated at death. So Paul
says in his writings, to be absent from the body
is to be present with the Lord. And I've had
people ask me this pastor, what happens when a Christian dies?
(19:56):
While we take the house he lived in out and
put it in the graveyard. His body goes in the grave,
but his soul goes to be with God immediately. So
on the day of resurrection, what's got to happen is
you got to get the soul and the body back together.
Christ will bring the souls with him. The bodies will
be resurrected out of the grave, and all those who
are alive and remain will be caught up together. And
(20:16):
it's going to be more of a reunion than you
ever thought it was. Now watch carefully sleep is only
applied to the body of the believer, which goes in
the grave and awaits the resurrection. Sleep is never, never,
never applied to the soul of the believer, and the
(20:39):
passage we have studied settles the issue of soul sleep
forever there is no such thing. The soul does not sleep,
the body sleeps, the soul never dies. Let me suggest
a second thought. God has a purpose that explains each delay.
Notice these martyrs are told that their way for judgment
(21:01):
upon their enemies is only until the number of their
fellow bond slaves and their brethren that are about to
be killed, even as they also had been killed, should
be complete.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Do you hear what I say? Their question is, Lord,
how long? How long are you gonna wait? The Lord said,
I just calm down. This is all under control.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I have a plan that explains every delay. And you see,
I can't do that yet because there's some more martyrs
who are gonna die in the second half of the tribulation,
and their blood and their vengeance has to be taken
care of it at the same time as yours. So
when that's all done, we'll go into operation, and believe me,
(21:45):
it will be thorough, complete and exactly what you're crying
out for.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
But you see, there's just.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Some of the things that have to happen before this
judgment is executed. Surely this proves that God ordains the details.
He numbers the hairs on our head, and he numbers
the martyrs of the tribulation period. God has a plan
(22:11):
that includes each detail, and God has a purpose that
explains each delay. And then finally, God has a program
that extends to each dispensation. Do you know what thrills
me about this? We talk about this being the day
of grace. It's the time when people are being saved.
(22:33):
Remember studying the churches and we looked at the Philadelphian Church. Behold,
I've set before you an open door, and no man
can shut the great opportunity God has given us. Some
people being saved all over the earth. Some folks say
we're in the beginning of a revival. I don't see it,
but maybe they do. I know people are being saved
through media, through all kinds of witnessing, hundreds of people.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
We're in the day of grace.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
And I hear people say, well, the day of salvation
is just about over. But it isn't is it? God's
program extends to each day. I remember as a student
in seminary when I first was exposed to quote unquote dispensationalism.
You know, the seven dispensations, And I remember Charles Rory
reminding us over and over again as we study that doctrine. Gentlemen,
(23:15):
one thing that is constant in every dispensation is this
God has a plan, and apart from the last one,
when the dispensation of the Kingdom is where it is,
God has a plan. And that plan includes the salvation
of lost people. And even during the tribulation period, there
will be one hundred ya eight thousands of people multitudes,
(23:38):
says Revelation, who will give their hearts to Christ and
will spend eternity with the Lord.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Amen. The plan of God is without any need to
be edited. He knows what he's doing, and He's laid
it out for us in many respects here in this
last book of Bible. We'll have more about it when
we meet together tomorrow, as we talk about a period
of time on this earth when the whole world will tremble.
(24:10):
If you haven't already done so, I hope you will
order a copy of the book Sixty Days of Prophecies,
which is our resource for the month of May. The
resource works like this. When you send a gift of
any size to help us with the cost of broadcasting
these messages on the radio, airtime and production, we will
send to you a copy of this brand new book,
(24:32):
one hundred and forty four pages of discussion of prophecies
on a sixty day basis, one each day for sixty days,
to help you wrap your arms around these prophetic truths.
This book is yours for the asking. When you send
your gift today and thank you for listening, we'll see
you right here tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
The message you just heard originated from Shadow Mountain Community
Church and David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. Your words of
encouragement are so appreciated. Right now, please write us at
Turning Point PO Box thirty eight thirty eight, San Diego, California,
nine two one sixty three, visit our website at David
Jeremiah dot org, Slash Radio, or call eight hundred nine
(25:18):
four seven nineteen ninety three ask for your copy of
David's timely new book, Sixty Days of Prophecies, The Truth
behind Endtime Warnings. It's yours for a gift of any amount.
You can also download the free Turning Point mobile app
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store for the keywords Turning Point ministries. Visit David Jeremiah
(25:42):
dot org slash radio for details. This is David Michael Jeremiah.
Join us tomorrow as we continue the series Escape the
Coming Night on Turning Point with Doctor David Jeremiah.
Can people still receive Christ as their savior in the
Tribulation as God is pouring out his judgment on the earth.
Revelation holds the answer, and today on turning point, doctor
David Jeremiah unpacks it in his series Escape the Coming Night.
They're mentioned only briefly, but there's much more we can
learn from the souls under the Altar. With the conclusion
(00:28):
of that message, here's.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
David, and thank you so much for joining us today.
We're in the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation
and we're studying the souls under the Altar, the martyrs
of the Tribulation period, those who stand up for their
faith in what happens to them, and the Bible says
their souls cry out from under the altar. They cry
(00:50):
out for revenge, They cry out, what's going to happen
to those who have done this to us. We're answering
some of those questions during these particular days, and I'm
glad you've joined us to study along with us. Friends,
we're going to Alaska and New England this fall. Actually,
the fall begins for us in the month of July.
The twelfth of July is when we head out to Alaska.
(01:13):
We're going to have a wonderful crowd. We have over
five hundred people have already registered for this event, and
it will be wonderful. We'll be on Holland America's You're
A Dam, and we'll be visiting all of the great
places in Alaska. Then in October the fourth through the eleventh,
we're sailing on Holland america Zyderdam and we're going to
(01:37):
New England and Canada. We'll have Michael Sanchez, Uriel Vega
and other guests with us, but most of all, we'd
like to have you with us. So go to our website,
find out all the information about these tours and plan
to join us for one or both of them. As
we look forward this coming fault to these wonderful opportunities.
(01:58):
Right now, we need to get started with Part two.
Of the Souls under the Altar were in Revelation chapter six,
verses nine through eleven.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Do you remember back in the Old Testament when prophets
began to be known. Think of Samuel, way back in
the beginning, who prophesied to Eli that because of his
evil sons Hoffney and Phineas, judgment would fall upon his house.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
And think of.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Isaiah, the prophet who prophesied that the people of Judah
would be carried away into captivity, and that the temple
would be destroyed and Jerusalem would be destroyed. And think
of Jeremiah, whose prophecy was so hated by his contemporaries
that they put him in stocks and in chains and
throw him in prison. And think of Jonah, who finally
(02:48):
was willing to listen to God's instruction. And when he
went to Nineveh, what did he preach? The prophet of God?
Here was his message. He shouted it throughout the streets
of the city. Repent, repent for forty days, and Nineveh
will be destroyed. And when Paul wrote to Timothy, he
warned that perilous times would come. And even Jesus prophesied
(03:11):
judgment in his message in Matthew twenty four. What is
the message of the prophet? It is the message that
these martyrs are going to preach before their lives are taken.
They are going to walk up and down the land,
preaching the coming judgment of the Lord. And as they preach,
they will infuriate all.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Of those who hate the Lord and hate his children.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I am reminded as I study and read that we're
living in a day when somebody needs to be the
voice of a prophet. Doctor Chrisroll, in his commentary on
the Book of Revelation, reminds us that this is indeed
the true character of a prophet of God. He writes,
whenever there is a true prophet of God, he will
(03:55):
preach judgment. These modern so called ministers of God speak
all things nice. Modern pedagogical methods admonish never to mention
anything negative.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Ignore them, and they will not exist.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
They tell you there is not any hell, and there
is not any devil, and there is not any judgment
of God. All that is now intellectually passe. We have
evolved beyond that. We are told. Centuries ago they may
have had a hell, and years ago they may have
spoken of a devil, and way back yonder they may
have spoken of the wrath and of the judgment of God.
(04:31):
But in our new, enlightened and sophisticated day, we do
not talk about things like that. So we stand up
and we speak of the love of Jesus, and we
speak of peace, and we speak of all things pretty
and beautiful. But remember, these other things are just as real.
(04:52):
The same book that tells us about the good tells
us about the bad. The same revelation that speaks to
us about heaven speaks to us about hell. The Bible
that presents the Lord Jesus as the savior is the
same Bible that presents to us the devil as our
enemy and adversary of damnation and destruction. The two go together.
(05:12):
If there is not anything to be saved from, we
don't need a savior. And if we can evolve into angels,
just give us a little more time, and maybe it
we will be arch angels by and by end of quote,
what does he saying.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Saying?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Somebody needs to not be afraid to say the judgment
is coming. God is going to judge this world. It's
a not very popular message these days, and even among evangelicals,
we are told that if we want to hold a crowd,
we better tell nice and encouraging and comforting stories and
never warn of the judgment to come, because people will
(05:52):
not listen to that today. And of course the answer
to that is, it isn't our job to be sure
people listen. It is our job to preach the truth.
And the truth of the Word of God is a
mixture of God's love for and compassion for us, but
also his hatred of sin and his determination to someday
(06:15):
vindicate himself against the rebellious world. Now you can understand
a little bit why these martyred saints have been killed.
They've been running around like little Jonas, preaching that judgment
is coming, and they've made all of the world rulers angry.
And the word that is used to describe the death
of these tribulation martyrs is a word that is peculiar
(06:37):
to this book. It is a word which refers to
the killing of Christ or the killing of his followers.
The word is translated in your text by the word
slain the souls of them that were slain, And it
might better be translated by the word slaughtered. That's the
way it should be translated. It's the Greek word spots.
(07:00):
So and here are places where this word is used.
Let me just give you a couple of illustrations. One
John three point twelve. Cain slaughtered his brother, Revelation five six.
A lamb standing is having been slaughtered Revelation five nine.
For thou wast slaughtered speaking of Christ Revelation thirteen eight.
(07:20):
The lamb that has been slaughtered Revelation eighteen twenty four.
And in her was found the blood of prophets and
saints and all who have been slaughtered upon the earth.
Speaking of believers, this word slaughtered is a sacrificial word
that is used in keeping with the special character of
these Jewish sacrifices, and it simply says that when these
(07:43):
martyrs were killed, they weren't just summarily executed. They were murdered, slaughtered,
killed in a bloody manner. The word slaughter in the
Greek lexicon has three words slaughter, butcher, murder.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
That's how they die.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
There's no other way to describe it. The Jewish people
have felt the pain of that. And in that day,
when the rulers of this world will again be in control,
the Jews who have given their lives to Christ, will
once again know the pain of suffering and slaughter and butchering.
(08:30):
And it is not a pretty thing and not something
we like to talk about, but this is what the
scripture says. Let me talk with you briefly about the
consequence of their martyrdom. Notice in the ninth verse that
John said, I saw under the altar the souls of
them that were slain As the fifth seal is opened,
(08:52):
the scene shifts from Earth back up to heaven, and
John sees a vision of those who are going to
be martyred for their faith in Christ. They are described
as being under the altar, in keeping with the fact
that in the Old Testament the blood of the sacrifices
was poured out under the altar, or down alongside of
the altar. Let me just read a verse that will
(09:13):
explain this. You shall take some of the blood of
the bull and put it on the horns of the
altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside
the base of the altar. So in the Old Testament,
the Jews poured the sacrificial blood down at the bottom
of the altar. That was a sign that the sacrifice
had been completed and the effect of the sacrifice was
(09:34):
in place. Here in Revelation chapter six, John sees the
souls of them that were slain for the word of God,
and he sees them under the altar. As he watches,
he hears them cry with a loud voice, asking why
God has not.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Judged those who took their lives.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Doctor Barnhouse reminds us we are not to think that
John had a vision of an altar with souls peeping
out from underneath. The whole teaching of the Old Testimony
said is that the altar was the place of the
sacrifice of blood. To be under the altar is to
be covered in the sight of God by that merit
which Jesus Christ provided in dying on the cross. It
(10:15):
is a figure that speaks of justification. These martyred witnesses
are covered by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So they are saved. They are under the blood, they
are protected in heaven. And as John looks, he sees
these martyrs justified under the altar, protected in heaven, and
that brings us fourthly to the cry of their martyrdom.
(10:37):
Notice the tenth verse, and they cried with a loud voice, saying,
how long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on
the earth. Now, the first thing we note when we
hear their cry is this, we know that these martyrs
cannot possibly be martyrs from the church Age. They are
(10:58):
not church age sufferers of the church Age. Martyr is
the cry of Stephen. You remember when Stephen was martyred,
what was his cry. His cry was Lord, lay not
this sin to their charge. And the cry of these
martyrs is Lord, get even take vengeance, kill these people
who have martyred us. If these martyrs of Revelation six
(11:22):
were living in the Church age, their cry to the
Lord for vengeance would be improper. The persecuted jew of
the tribulation period will be able to call for God's judgment,
and it will be perfectly proper for him to do it.
The age of Grace has been closed, the Church is gone,
the grace period is over, and this is the day
(11:43):
of the judgment of God. When these martyrs address the Lord,
they use a name for him which you can't pick
up in your text because it's just how long o Lord?
And I didn't see it at first, but then I
saw it, and I couldn't believe it. You know what
the word lord in the text is Greek language. It's
the word despotase it's the word from which we get
(12:04):
our word despot. How long old despot? Before you take
their lives. It's the only time in the Book of
Revelation where that word is used for the Lord, and
it speaks of his absolute power and authority, his ability
and sovereign control. It is a word which shows God's
absolute control over all the affairs of the men and
(12:26):
of the world. And these martyrs are looking to him
as the vengeful God who is going to meet out
wrath against those who have denied him. And they say,
how long, oh despot, holy and true, before you go
down there and take care of the wickedness on this earth.
And there's not a believer I've ever met who's honest,
who looks out at a world of sin and suffering
(12:48):
and pain and aids and all of the rest of it,
who doesn't cry sometimes before their time, Oh God, how
long are you going to let this go on? Before
you take control and before you get things back in perspective?
That's why the Bible says that all of creation groans
until the day of redemption. But let's don't stop there.
(13:09):
Let's look at one more thing. Let's look at the
comfort of their martyrdom. It says in verse eleven that
white robes were given unto every one of these martyrs,
and it was said unto them that they should rest
yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also,
and their brethren that should be killed as they were
should be fulfilled. That was the Lord's answer to their
(13:32):
cry how long? And the Lord said, now, just let
me explain this to you. You need to rest for a
little while, because I'm going to take care of all
of this at one time, and the cup of iniquity
is not quite full yet. I want you to notice
that even in this terrible passage of judgment and blood
and slaughter and murder and martyrs, there is a picture
(13:56):
of the compassionate heart of a loving God.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Watch what he does.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
There are three things in this passage that speak of
the refuge or the comfort of these martyrs. Notice, first
of all, the comfort of their refuge. Where are they?
We don't even have to talk about that. We already
know where are they. They're under the altar. They're in
the refuge of the protection, under the mighty refuge of
an almighty God who paid the price of their redemption
(14:25):
on the cross. Nobody can get through the blood of
Christ to get at them anymore. They are in the
refuge and protection of the Lord. Notice secondly, the refuge
or the comfort of their rest. And I heard a
voice from heaven saying, unto me, right, blessed are the dead,
which die in the Lord. For henceforth yea saith the spirit,
(14:49):
that they may rest from their labors and their works
do follow them. Revelation fourteen thirteen The Bible says that
the Lord said to the these martyrs who were asking, Lord,
how long will it be before you take vengeance on
the world.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
The Lord said, just rest for a little while. Just
take it easy, now.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Folks, if you've been through the tribulation, you wouldn't mind
hearing those words. They'd been having a hard time, and
the Lord said, you just rest. And they said, Lord,
how long will it be before we're avenged?
Speaker 4 (15:21):
And they're told that it will take a short.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Period of time, and that the fulfillment of God's program,
And still other martyrs are going to have to be
added to their number before the final restitution. And then
noticed the third thing that he did.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
In verse eleven.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
He gave them the rest of refuge, the comfort of rest,
and now notice thirdly, the comfort of their robes. I
think this is great, and white robes were given. I'll
watch this unto each individual one of them. The Lord
went around and each one of these martyrs who had
given their lives for the testimony of Christ were given
(15:57):
a robe.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Visual robe.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
This makes a stop for a moment and ask a question,
what kind of robes do souls wear? I don't know
if you ever thought about that before, but it is
an interesting question, isn't it. What kind of bodies will
saints have in heaven before their own bodies are raised
from the dead. The bodies of these Tribulation saints aren't
(16:23):
going to be raised from the dead yet. They are
the souls of those who are slain. The body of
the tribulation saint is not raised until the end of
the Tribulation period, right before the millennium. Revelation twenty verses
four and five says this, and I saw thrones, and
they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.
And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word
(16:46):
of God, who had not worshiped the beast and of
his image, and had not received His mark on their
foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned
with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the
dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. The Tribulation saints all of
those who are saved during the tribulation period, whether they
(17:06):
extend their life to the end of it, or they're
martyred in the middle of it, or at the end
of it. All of the tribulation saints, there's going to
be a special kind of rapture and resurrection for them
at the end of the tribulation. They are going to
be resurrected at the very end. So now let's stop
for a moment and see what kind of a problem
we have here. We've got martyred saints in heaven whose
(17:26):
bodies haven't been resurrected yet, and now the Lord gave
him a robe, and what are they going to do
with it? Well, scholars have been divided as to whether
saints who die received temporary bodies in heaven prior to
the resurrection body, or whether only their spiritual beings are
in heaven before the resurrection.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I've looked everywhere I.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Can find to get help on this one, and I
finally got some help from doctor Walverard, and this is
what he said. The martyred dead here pictured have not
been raised from the dead and have not received their
resurrection bodies yet. It is declared that they are given robes.
The fact that they are given robes would almost demand
that they have a body of some kind. A robe
could not hang on an immaterial soul or a spirit.
(18:12):
It is not the kind of body that Christians now
have that is the body of the earth, nor is
it the resurrection body of flesh and bones of which
Christ spoke after his own resurrection. Perhaps it is a
temporary body suited for their presence in heaven, but replaced
in turn by their everlasting resurrection body given at the
time of Christ's return. That's good enough for me. I
(18:33):
can rest now these robes are actually hanging on a body,
and I think that'll be all right. But the key
thing is this. The Lord loved these people so much
that he gave them a special robe, and he ministered
to them even advance of the closing of the tribulation
period where all the saints will be together. Just three
(18:53):
applications and we're finished. What is the first application? Number one?
Study something like this. We learn that God has a
plan that includes each detail. In one Thessalonians four fourteen
to sixteen, we are told two things about the resurrection
of the believers. Listen carefully. We are told that they
(19:13):
rise from the grave. Right, the dead in Christ shall
rise first, and we are also told that God will
bring them with Christ when he returns Now here's the question.
There is only one way to explain how we can
both rise from the earth and be brought from heaven
(19:34):
at the same time. That's what the text says. The
soul and the body you see aren't together anymore. The
soul and the body are separated at death. So Paul
says in his writings, to be absent from the body
is to be present with the Lord. And I've had
people ask me this pastor, what happens when a Christian dies?
(19:56):
While we take the house he lived in out and
put it in the graveyard. His body goes in the grave,
but his soul goes to be with God immediately. So
on the day of resurrection, what's got to happen is
you got to get the soul and the body back together.
Christ will bring the souls with him. The bodies will
be resurrected out of the grave, and all those who
are alive and remain will be caught up together. And
(20:16):
it's going to be more of a reunion than you
ever thought it was. Now watch carefully sleep is only
applied to the body of the believer, which goes in
the grave and awaits the resurrection. Sleep is never, never,
never applied to the soul of the believer, and the
(20:39):
passage we have studied settles the issue of soul sleep
forever there is no such thing. The soul does not sleep,
the body sleeps, the soul never dies. Let me suggest
a second thought. God has a purpose that explains each delay.
Notice these martyrs are told that their way for judgment
(21:01):
upon their enemies is only until the number of their
fellow bond slaves and their brethren that are about to
be killed, even as they also had been killed, should
be complete.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Do you hear what I say? Their question is, Lord,
how long? How long are you gonna wait? The Lord said,
I just calm down. This is all under control.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I have a plan that explains every delay. And you see,
I can't do that yet because there's some more martyrs
who are gonna die in the second half of the tribulation,
and their blood and their vengeance has to be taken
care of it at the same time as yours. So
when that's all done, we'll go into operation, and believe me,
(21:45):
it will be thorough, complete and exactly what you're crying
out for.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
But you see, there's just.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Some of the things that have to happen before this
judgment is executed. Surely this proves that God ordains the details.
He numbers the hairs on our head, and he numbers
the martyrs of the tribulation period. God has a plan
(22:11):
that includes each detail, and God has a purpose that
explains each delay. And then finally, God has a program
that extends to each dispensation. Do you know what thrills
me about this? We talk about this being the day
of grace. It's the time when people are being saved.
(22:33):
Remember studying the churches and we looked at the Philadelphian Church. Behold,
I've set before you an open door, and no man
can shut the great opportunity God has given us. Some
people being saved all over the earth. Some folks say
we're in the beginning of a revival. I don't see it,
but maybe they do. I know people are being saved
through media, through all kinds of witnessing, hundreds of people.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
We're in the day of grace.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
And I hear people say, well, the day of salvation
is just about over. But it isn't is it? God's
program extends to each day. I remember as a student
in seminary when I first was exposed to quote unquote dispensationalism.
You know, the seven dispensations, And I remember Charles Rory
reminding us over and over again as we study that doctrine. Gentlemen,
(23:15):
one thing that is constant in every dispensation is this
God has a plan, and apart from the last one,
when the dispensation of the Kingdom is where it is,
God has a plan. And that plan includes the salvation
of lost people. And even during the tribulation period, there
will be one hundred ya eight thousands of people multitudes,
(23:38):
says Revelation, who will give their hearts to Christ and
will spend eternity with the Lord.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Amen. The plan of God is without any need to
be edited. He knows what he's doing, and He's laid
it out for us in many respects here in this
last book of Bible. We'll have more about it when
we meet together tomorrow, as we talk about a period
of time on this earth when the whole world will tremble.
(24:10):
If you haven't already done so, I hope you will
order a copy of the book Sixty Days of Prophecies,
which is our resource for the month of May. The
resource works like this. When you send a gift of
any size to help us with the cost of broadcasting
these messages on the radio, airtime and production, we will
send to you a copy of this brand new book,
(24:32):
one hundred and forty four pages of discussion of prophecies
on a sixty day basis, one each day for sixty days,
to help you wrap your arms around these prophetic truths.
This book is yours for the asking. When you send
your gift today and thank you for listening, we'll see
you right here tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
The message you just heard originated from Shadow Mountain Community
Church and David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. Your words of
encouragement are so appreciated. Right now, please write us at
Turning Point PO Box thirty eight thirty eight, San Diego, California,
nine two one sixty three, visit our website at David
Jeremiah dot org, Slash Radio, or call eight hundred nine
(25:18):
four seven nineteen ninety three ask for your copy of
David's timely new book, Sixty Days of Prophecies, The Truth
behind Endtime Warnings. It's yours for a gift of any amount.
You can also download the free Turning Point mobile app
to instantly access our content, or search in your app
store for the keywords Turning Point ministries. Visit David Jeremiah
(25:42):
dot org slash radio for details. This is David Michael Jeremiah.
Join us tomorrow as we continue the series Escape the
Coming Night on Turning Point with Doctor David Jeremiah.
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