Articles
The Avengers
Scriptural Text: Revelation 6:9-17
The Martyrs (Revelation 6:9-11)
What is a martyr? A martyr is “a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause.” These souls were killed because they had held firm in their witness to the word of God. These souls had a petition to the Lord. “O Sovereign Lord, holy & true, how long before you will judge & avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Whenever God’s people have been wronged in any way, it appears at the time of the transgression that there is no justice for the righteous. For this reason, God has been questioned throughout the Scriptures. I believe it was Gideon in Judges 6:13 who said, “Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? But now the LORD has forsaken us & given us into the hand of Midian.” The Psalmist said in Psalms 2:1, “Why do the nations rage & people plot in vain?” Or in Psalms 10:1 “Why, O LORD, do you stand afar off? Why do you hid yourself in times of trouble?” Or in Psalms 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” Or in Psalms 42:9, “I say to God, my rock: Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Or in Psalms 74:1, “O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?” We must also acknowledge Jesus’ parable regarding prayer. Listen to your Bible! In Luke 18:1-8, the Bible reads, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray & not lose heart. He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him & saying, Give me justice against my adversary. For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day & night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Even after his death, the blood of Abel cried out to the Lord (Genesis 4:10). This cry is not a cry for revenge, but rather a cry for avengement.
What is the difference? Avenge is just punishment for wrongdoing, while revenge is retaliation in order to get even. The wicked look for revenge, but the righteous look for avenge. This is why the Lord is the perfect Avenger. In this scene, the difference between Gideon & the Psalmist is that they are still alive, while those in Revelation 6 are dead, for they have been martyred. Although these souls are in Paradise, they still expect God to be faithful & true to His promises. Hear God’s response to these souls. 1) The Lord gives each a gift. The gift is a white robe, which is a pledge of final glory. 2) The Lord gives an admonition. The admonition is “rest a little longer.” In other words, God is saying, “I hear, I know. Therefore, there is no longer a need to cry out anymore.” 3) The Lord reiterates His promise to the saved. The promise is “things will get worst before they get better. Nevertheless, Romans 12:19 is still in the Bible, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” This is the explanation of the 5th seal.
The Great Day Of The Lord (Revelation 6:12-17)
When the 6th seal is broken, we see a series of events unfolding. We must understand that these are not futuristic events, which we are to watch out for in the 21st century & beyond. Once again, the Holy Spirit is using symbolic language that is familiar to these 1st century Christians regarding God’s eternal plan for mankind. God will pass judgment on the wicked, just like He promised the martyred souls under the 5th seal. The wrath of God & the Lamb upon the enemies of righteousness is explained in great wonders, which only God can do. The 6th seal brought forth 1) a great earthquake, 2) the sun becoming black as sackcloth, 3) the stars falling from the sky, 4) the sky vanishing, & 5) every mountain & island being removed from its place. All of these things are synonymous with God’s judgment upon humanity. Hear God’s judgment toward Babylon in Isaiah 13:9-13, “Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath & fierce anger, to make the land a desolation & to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens & their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, & the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil, & the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, & lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. I will make people more rare than fine gold, & mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore, I will make the heavens tremble, & the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.”
When God executes His judgment, there will be a universal panic. The unbelievers from the greatest to the least are concerned. The things people put their security in will not be able to secure man when God avenges the saved. The kings of the earth will not be able to sign a decree fast enough to delay God. The great ones will not be able to influence subjects brisk enough to protect them from God. The generals will not be able to command an army swift enough to resist the power of God. The rich will not be able to buy insurance quick enough to persuade the Lord of host. The powerful will not be able to overcome an obstacle fast enough to avoid the judgment of God. The slave will not be able to submit swift enough to honor God in that day. The free will not be able to run quick enough to flee the wrath of the Avengers. This panic was characterized by their shame, their acknowledgement of the approaching end, & their unprepared state. For this reason, humanity will make the same cry found Isaiah 2:19, Hosea 10:8, & Luke 23:30, which is “Fall on us & hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, & from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, & who can stand?”
What Are We To Learn From The Opening Of The 5th & 6th Seal?
Nick Fury, the Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, & the Black Widow ain’t got anything on our divine Creator & our Savior. The Bible makes it abundantly clear, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes” (Psalm 118:8-9). Man may have wronged us, but we serve a God who is in the business of making our wrongs right. Therefore, we need to step aside & let God & His Son be the Avengers in our lives.
Men of all stations in life who refuse to serve the Lord shall wish to flee His wrath. Will we be among those, in the day when God executes His judgment, calling out to the mountains, “Fall on us?” Or will we speak with the apostle John in Revelation 22:20 & say “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 is still in the Bible, “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, In a favorable time I listened to you, & in a day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
