The Souls under the Altar

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10And 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? 11And white robes were given unto every one of them; 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.

This seal marks the rise of the protestant Reformation, when folks protested against the bondage of Catholicism.  However, This reform actually began working in dissatisfied and hungry hearts some years prior to 1530.  For example;

John Wycliffe of the little group of Christians known as the Waldenses (named after Peter Waldo A.D. 1160, by those who opposed the truth he defended) translated the Bible into English, with the circulation of copies, the Word of God spread.

John Huss of Bohemia came in contact with some of the Wycliffe writings and being enlighten he began preaching judgment and declaring gospel truth.  In Bohemian “Huss means goose.  He was eventually burned at the stake in 1415 and while burning prophesied that although they could roast a goose, in 100 years God would send a swan they could neither roast nor boil.

Martin Luther was that swan, a catholic priest.  He cried out against indulgences and relics, as a means of pardoning sinners from their sins.  He preached justification by faith through Bible repentance.  He led the protestant reformation in Europe.

 

Justification was the truth that came to light during the end of the dark ages.  Luther denied the supremacy of the Pope, teaching “just shall live by faith”, that every man must have a personal contact with God.  It was 1530 when his resume’ of Protestant doctrines was presented at the Diet of Augsburg, known as the Confession of Augsburg.  This marked the closing of the dark papal night and the cloudy day of sect making begin.

When Christ opened the fifth seal which followed the 1,000 years of papal darkness, John saw souls under the altar disembodied spirits.   Those who were martyred during the apostasy of the early church.

 

Under this seal the souls of all those who had been slain under the first, second, third, and fourth seals are brought to view.  John saw them “under the altar”.  Upon the altar would signify active service and labor.  But under the altar signifies that their labors were done.  These souls were slain because they wouldn’t change their stand for what truth they knew.  They held their testimony.  They gave a full sacrifice.  The stood the test.

 

They cried with a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? These were not carnal folks, desiring their persecutors to be justly punished.  They wanted to avenge the truth.  They wanted the judgments of God to go forth. 

 

The Catholic priests failed to let the judgments of God’s Word go forward.  They decided they were right although they were waling in sin and under darkness.  They killed the saints for the testimony they held, labelizing them to be heretics and accusing them of preaching heresies when it was righteousness being preached.

 

During the protestant era there were persecutions between the Protestants and Catholics.   Following Luther souls were saved and in time Germany and England stood out for the truth, denying papal Rome as the true church.

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