Abstract
The cry of the martyrs from under the altar in Revelation is a powerful biblical symbol, not a proof-text for the soul’s innate immortality. It represents the culmination of a scriptural theme where innocent blood, from Abel onward, cries out from the earth for justice. Their symbolic position under the altar signifies that their lives were poured out as a sacrifice in witness to Christ. This cry is answered definitively in Jesus, whose own blood speaks a better word of redemption. God’s response is not merely vengeance, but the ultimate vindication and exaltation of His saints, who are given white robes of righteousness and thrones to reign with their Savior.
Introduction:
What happens to the fervent prayers of God’s people who suffer and die for their faith? Does the silence of heaven in the face of profound injustice mean God is indifferent? How does the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ reframe the meaning of martyrdom and the cry for justice?
The Cry of the Martyrs
The book of Revelation opens a window into the spiritual realm. While the vision of the souls under the altar is sometimes used to argue for the doctrine of the soul’s inherent immortality, its primary focus within the biblical narrative is symbolic. This study will concentrate on what the vision explicitly describes: the meaning of their location by the altar and the powerful nature of their cry for justice—a cry that finds its ultimate answer in Christ.
The scene is set at the very heart of heavenly worship: the altar of God.
9 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:
10 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?
11 And 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 fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
This cry for justice from under the altar echoes the very first martyrdom in history, where innocent blood cried out from the ground itself. God said to Cain:
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
The testimony of the righteous does not end at death. By faith, their witness continues to speak through the ages, demanding to be heard.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
The blood of Abel cried out for vengeance. However, the New Covenant is founded upon a greater sacrifice, whose blood speaks a far better word.
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
While the blood of martyrs cries for righteous justice, the blood of Jesus speaks of redemption, the very foundation of God’s answer to evil. This cry against injustice is so profound that even inanimate creation joins the chorus against cities built on violence.
11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
Under the Altar: A Life Poured Out
The location of these souls—“under the altar”—is deeply significant. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the blood, representing the life of the offering, was poured out at the base of the altar.
7 And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation: and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
By their position, these martyrs are identified with the sacrifices of old, their lives having been poured out as a testimony to God. Their cry for vengeance is a righteous appeal for God to uphold His own holy name.
10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
The Divine Response
The Lord Jesus Himself gives the definitive answer to their plea: God will not ignore the cries of His chosen ones.
7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
While the world sees their death as a loss, God sees it as a treasure. Their sacrifice is not in vain; it is precious in His sight.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Those who die in the Lord are not to be pitied, but are called “blessed,” finding rest from their earthly struggles.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
The white robes given to the souls are symbolic of their righteous acts, which follow them into eternity. This is the righteousness credited to the saints.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Ultimately, their cry for justice is answered not merely with vengeance, but with vindication and exaltation. The very souls who were slain for their witness of Jesus are given thrones to reign with Him.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Conclusion:
The suffering of the saints is never forgotten in the courts of heaven. Their lives, poured out as a sacrifice for the “witness of Jesus,” are precious to the Father. Their cry for justice is fully and finally answered in the person of Jesus Christ, who not only judges the world in righteousness but elevates His faithful witnesses from under the altar to a throne of glory, to reign with Him forever.