Actually when the lamb started opening the seals, these souls under the altar of God in the Most Holy Place thought that the Judgment on the wicked had started already and did not understand that it was only a preceding sign to the coming judgment upon the wicked people of the earth (Matt 24:4-8; Rev 5:8-10). Here we see the saints declaring that they will reign on the earth with expectancy in their words. One of the reasons the martyrs became disturbed and anxious is because they were already seeing before them the bride of the lamb arrayed in fine [white] linen with their glorious bodies, because the rapture had already taken place at this point of time and the marriage of the lamb was beginning to take place at this time in heaven gloriously (1 Cor 15:40-44; Rev 19:5-9).
At this point of time, when they saw from heaven satan, anti-christ and the false-prophet prevail over the saints of God just after the rapture, they were very disturbed and asked this question to God, “How long, o Lord…..until you judge [pour out your wrath on the wicked] and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev 6:10; Matt 24:9-13; Rev 13:5, 7, 8; Dan 7:25). In other words they were asking Him, ‘When we will be resurrected and reign with you on the planet earth?’. They too were excited to be resurrected with their glorious bodies, so that they can reign with Christ. God as a gift and a bonus to appease these martyrs will start to supply a white robe because the marriage supper of the lamb would have already started or commenced in heaven with much fanfare during this time. We see that this time would be the time when the great tribulation would be going on in the earth. This is why God was telling the souls of these martyr’s that they should wait or rest a little while longer until both [O.T & N.T] the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed (Rev 6:11). The number of martyr’s would be completed once the great tribulation gets over and the time for Jesus Second Coming starts inching closer. The white robe which God begins to distribute to the martyrs will be done throughout the time of the marriage supper of the lamb after which He will start to descend to this earth as the king of kings (Rev 6:11; 7:9-17; Rev 19:7-9, 11, 14-16; Matt 22:1-14). The white robe given to the martyrs is different from the fine linen clean and bright robe which is the righteous acts of the saints given to the bride of the lamb during the marriage of the lamb (Rev 6:11; 7:9,13;19:7-8). The garments given to guests [martyr’s, friends and other saints of the O.T times] of the bridegroom is a must for attending the wedding feast of the lamb [i.e. which will take place just after the marriage will be over] (Matt 22:10-12; John 3:29).
This is why we see two categories of people when Jesus comes back to the earth to rule the earth for a thousand years. The Bible says in Rev 19:14, “And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine [white] linen [bride of Christ], white and clean [all the martyrs up to the point of time from all ages past], followed Him on white horses.” These martyr’s at the moment they step out of Heaven to come with Jesus Christ, they will be resurrected with a glorious new body in the first resurrection, for them this is the first resurrection and not the rapture which has already happened. His elect are those who have been martyred (Matt24:22), particularly during the great tribulation (Rev 20:4-6; Matt 24:29-31; 1 Cor 15:50-58; Rev 10:7; 11:15-19). The martyr’s resurrection will be a better resurrection because they will become priest of God in His temple forever (Heb 11:35; Rev 20:6; Matt 27:52-54). These martyrs’s will be with Jesus Christ as priests in the heavenly temple and the new temple which will be built by the Messiah and it will be unique privilege given only to the martyr’s (Ps 102:16). And Jesus Himself will personally shepherd them (Rev 7:15-17; Ezek 34:23-24; Heb 8:1-2; 9:11-12; Rev 20:4-6). Jesus is the High Priest of the heavenly temple and also of the temple which will be built in the millennium by Him. The martyr’s will be ministering as priests along with Him (Acts 15:16-17; Amos 9:11-12; Ezekiel 40:1-2,4,5; 43:4-7,12; 44:1-3; 48:35). Prayer will be made continually for Him and daily He shall be praised by these priests (Ps 72:15).
When Jesus [the lamb (John 1:29)] opened the sixth seal there was a great earth quake and the sun became black as sack cloth of hair and the moon became like blood and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. This is the exact time the bible describes as the days succeeding or after the great tribulation (Rev 6:12-17; Matt 24:29-31). Even up to these time people will be saved, even by calling on the name of Jesus (Acts 2:16-21). During this period of time, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven [wonders in heaven above (Acts 2:19)] (Matt 24:29-30). People who wanted to see Him appear and have waited for Him will mourn over all the earth to Him, to bring deliverance to them from the evil rule of satan and from all the cataclysmic events that will happen as an indication of His coming (Matt 24:30; Zech 12:10, 11; Rev 6:12-14; Isaiah 24:1, 5-6, 18-23). This is the day of His judgment when many of the erring angels who have acted against Him will be thrown in to prison along with satan their captain for a thousand years and those of them that have not exalted themselves against God like its companions will be left, which is also the reason for disobedience of His word in rebellion during the millennium by some nations and people, over which He will use a rod of iron to rule over them (Isaiah 24:21-22; 65:20; Rev 12:5; Ps 2:9). Those people who are still with a rebellious heart, along with the anti-christ and false prophet will gather all the nations to make war against Jesus Christ, openly declaring it and will come towards Jerusalem to destroy it completely because it is the city of God and the Messiah. These group of People when they see the Messiah coming, they will run and try to hide from Him when they see Him (Isaiah 24:21; Matt 5:35; Rev 6:15-17). Just moments after the great tribulation will be over [i.e. the appointed time will be over (Matt 24:22)], the servants of God who have not received the seal of anti-christ during the tribulation period will be delivered from the wrath of the Messiah on the day He arrives on the earth (Dan 11:31-36;12:1-3). This will happen just moments after Jesus the Lamb of God opens the seventh seal, during which there will be an half an hour silence in heaven. After which all hell will break loose step by step in heaven and on the earth which is the sign of the coming of the Son of man (Acts 2:19-21; Matt 24:29-31;Isaiah 24:17-23). Many will be protected with special protection from the wrath of God who will mourn for deliverance by expecting the Messiah to appear and deliver them (Matt 24:30; Luke 18:1-8). That is why Rev 7:3 says, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” [Note: This verse does not say seal the children of Israel but the servants of our God which indicates that there will be a universal sealing of the servants of God before the tribulation starts, of which Israel is a part of it which is indicated in the next 4th verse to 8th verse.] God has described Israel specifically by their tribes to indicate that Israel too will have servants of God who will have accepted Jesus as their Messiah and Savior because by then the Spirit of grace and supplication would have already have been poured upon the remnant and they too will mourn for Him participating in the group which Jesus called as all the tribes of the earth (Rev 7:4-8; Zech 12:10-11; Matt 24:30; 5:4). All the tribes of the earth would have some people by then who will be waiting for their Messiah Jesus Christ the deliverer out of Zion and similarly all the tribes of Israel also will a group of servants of God who will be eagerly waiting for the same Messiah Jesus Christ the deliverer to come out of Zion (Rev 7:3, 4-8; Matt 24:30; Zech 12:10-11; Ps 102:13-16). These sealed servants of God will be protected through all the cataclysmic event that will happen even after the great tribulation which is specifically targeted at those who have received the mark of the beast and kingdom of the anti-christ and his throne (Luke 18:8). This wrath of God will continue until the victorious appearing of Messiah in Zion. Praise the Lord!
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