Revelation 6:9-11
Everyone either has lost a loved one, or will lose one; it is a brutal fact of life. The hope of an afterlife is what pushes many people forward through those horrible moments of loss, with the assurance that they will meet that person again. Paul confirmed this with, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19).
In Revelation 6, John is shown the opening of the seven seals in heaven. With the opening of the fifth seal, he sees the martyred remnant, under the altar of god, slain for the testimony which they held (Revelation 6:9). He hears them crying out to God to judge and avenge their blood, even asking the Lord how long He is going to wait to do so. In our endless quest to learn something from the prophetic, sometimes we overlook the most obvious things. This story teaches us something about the souls in heaven.
How do these martyrs know that the Lord has not already avenged their deaths? They must have the ability to see what is transpiring on the earth, and they are still concerned about it. When I was younger, I remember hearing it preached that heaven is so much better than earth that no one in heaven could possibly be concerned about what is happening here. I even remember asking a preacher if saints in heaven were watching us to see what happens, and he said, “It is so good over there, they don’t care what we are doing here”. That makes heaven sound good, but it doesn’t say much for how my dead loved ones feel about me!
It makes no sense that God would make heaven so much different than what we are accustomed to. Consider that God created both the heavens and earth and that prior to the fall of man in the Garden, the earth was a perfect place with no curse on it of any kind. This earth that we live on is often a very beautiful place; so beautiful in fact that it can nearly take your breath away. Imagine the scenery with the curse and the death lifted away, and you are envisioning God’s ultimate design. Heaven will be wonderful, but it most certainly will not be isolated.
The martyrs of Revelation 6 retained a very earthly interest. They were watching the events on earth with great attention, and they still possessed emotions about the world that they had left behind. These saints even petitioned God for what was happening on the earth. This does not sound like a group of people who could not care less about what happens to their loved ones.
Jesus told us that when a sinner repents, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God” (Luke 15:10). Notice that the joy is “in the presence of the angels”, not necessarily coming from the angels themselves. Who in heaven would be so excited about a sinner coming home? Angels have no investment in the salvation of souls, for they can neither share the gospel nor understand the feeling of being born-again. Only those who have gone on before us can understand the joy of sins forgiven. Those who left this life, still believing for that lost son or wayward grandson, would have joy, “in the presence of angels” when they look to the earth and see that child repent.
Take heart in the knowledge that if your loved one knew Jesus Christ and they have slipped the bonds of this earth, they are not gone forever. You will be reunited someday around the throne of God, so live in a way today that will make those in the presence of angels rejoice.
Everyone either has lost a loved one, or will lose one; it is a brutal fact of life. The hope of an afterlife is what pushes many people forward through those horrible moments of loss, with the assurance that they will meet that person again. Paul confirmed this with, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19).
In Revelation 6, John is shown the opening of the seven seals in heaven. With the opening of the fifth seal, he sees the martyred remnant, under the altar of god, slain for the testimony which they held (Revelation 6:9). He hears them crying out to God to judge and avenge their blood, even asking the Lord how long He is going to wait to do so. In our endless quest to learn something from the prophetic, sometimes we overlook the most obvious things. This story teaches us something about the souls in heaven.
How do these martyrs know that the Lord has not already avenged their deaths? They must have the ability to see what is transpiring on the earth, and they are still concerned about it. When I was younger, I remember hearing it preached that heaven is so much better than earth that no one in heaven could possibly be concerned about what is happening here. I even remember asking a preacher if saints in heaven were watching us to see what happens, and he said, “It is so good over there, they don’t care what we are doing here”. That makes heaven sound good, but it doesn’t say much for how my dead loved ones feel about me!
It makes no sense that God would make heaven so much different than what we are accustomed to. Consider that God created both the heavens and earth and that prior to the fall of man in the Garden, the earth was a perfect place with no curse on it of any kind. This earth that we live on is often a very beautiful place; so beautiful in fact that it can nearly take your breath away. Imagine the scenery with the curse and the death lifted away, and you are envisioning God’s ultimate design. Heaven will be wonderful, but it most certainly will not be isolated.
The martyrs of Revelation 6 retained a very earthly interest. They were watching the events on earth with great attention, and they still possessed emotions about the world that they had left behind. These saints even petitioned God for what was happening on the earth. This does not sound like a group of people who could not care less about what happens to their loved ones.
Jesus told us that when a sinner repents, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God” (Luke 15:10). Notice that the joy is “in the presence of the angels”, not necessarily coming from the angels themselves. Who in heaven would be so excited about a sinner coming home? Angels have no investment in the salvation of souls, for they can neither share the gospel nor understand the feeling of being born-again. Only those who have gone on before us can understand the joy of sins forgiven. Those who left this life, still believing for that lost son or wayward grandson, would have joy, “in the presence of angels” when they look to the earth and see that child repent.
Take heart in the knowledge that if your loved one knew Jesus Christ and they have slipped the bonds of this earth, they are not gone forever. You will be reunited someday around the throne of God, so live in a way today that will make those in the presence of angels rejoice.
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