Sermon Text: Revelation 6:9-11

Below is a sermon manuscript from August 3, 2025. Watch the sermon here.

Introduction

A famous early martyr was Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch. In AD 110, Ignatius was taken to Rome to be thrown to the beasts in the Coliseum. While passing through Asia, he wrote letters to five churches in the province—to Ephesus, Magnesia on the Meander, Tralles, Philadelphia, and Smyrna—as well as to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. Ignatius expressed his attitude toward martyrdom: “May I have the pleasure of the wild beasts that have been prepared for me.… Fire and cross and battles with wild beasts, mutilation, mangling, wrenching of bones, the hacking of limbs, the crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil—let these come upon me, only let me reach Jesus Christ!^[1]

the basic meaning of the Greek word martyr is “witness.” These souls died because of their testimony to Jesus and as a testimony to Jesus.^[2]

Suffering for the Lamb is Expected

Suffering is not “if” but “when.”

I want to read a brief section from the book of 1 Peter as we think through these concepts this morning. Remember that Revelation is a difficult book, but there is a basic Bible interpretation method of letting Scripture interpret Scripture. Listen to these words from 1 Peter 4 in light of what we just read

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”^c

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Peter says not “if” fiery trial comes but “when.” Suffering is expected. And we have already seen in the letters to the churches that suffering for the name of Christ is a mark of faithfulness. Paul said that he was being poured out like a drink offering in Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6. 

Throughout the history of the church, Christians have given their lives for Christ

 For some, they know this all too well. To follow after Jesus means sacrifice. Here we have people who, in their faithfulness, are killed for Jesus’ name sake, likely because of lives that were seeking to be faithful to Christ in word and deed. Their allegiance to the King of heaven brought difficulty and death in their lives on earth. We discussed various views of Revelation last week, and that comes into focus again this week: are these those who are killed during the tribulation period right before Jesus returns, or are they Christians who have been martyred all through the history of the church? This would depend on whether one holds to a futurist or idealist view. But regardless, we know that these are those who have endured greatly because of their faith. We also know that being killed for the name of Jesus is not just something reserved for the future, but it has happened throughout the history of the church. From the apostles themselves to Christians today, suffering for Jesus continues.

Some extend this further to all who have suffered for Christ through their life, not just those who have been killed. We have to be careful here. We should rightfully be thankful for not suffering much and not exaggerate. 

That said, there is opposition to the gospel and its witness. We do fight against principalities and powers. We can be thankful when there is no severe persecution, but if we never experience any discomfort or challenge for living for Christ in a fallen world, perhaps that is an indicator that we have fallen into the Laodicean error of being lukewarm and merely going with the currents of culture around us.

Vindication for Suffering Is Anticipated

God will vindicate his people

We are given imagery for what their deaths represent in our passage.

When sacrifices were offered in the Old Testament temple, the blood of the victims streamed down the side of the altar and pooled at its base. Leviticus 17:11 informs us that “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” so the souls beneath the altar speak of the blood they shed for Christ. This is symbolism. The martyrs did not die to make atonement for sin, but their death is so closely associated with Christ’s sacrificial death that their blood is pictured as flowing down his altar. Robert Mounce writes: “Their untimely deaths on earth are from God’s perspective a sacrifice on the altar of heaven”^[3]

Here we have people crying out for vindication. And their words have truth to them. They appeal to God’s sovereignty as the One who is Holy and True. God is a holy God, one set apart from creation and from any moral stain. He is the one who knows the intentions of our hearts and is able to truly discern. In this case, it seems clear that there is suffering and death, and there are guilty parties who remain unpunished. So there is a cry that God’s people have long expressed and one that you may have expressed yourself, “how long, O Lord.” How long do we deal with the sin and the pain and the death? How long until all wrongs are made right? How long until the blood of the martyrs is dealt with? Innocent blood cries out to God. This cry of the martyrs and the reference to their blood echoes what we see in Genesis 4:8-10

⁸ Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground^[4]

This does not mean that the blood literally starts speaking, but God is showing that he cares about Abel’s death and his justice doesn’t turn a blind eye to these kinds of actions. As we have seen from the throne room, God is ever present; the Lamb has many eyes. There is nothing escaping God’s sight. 

God will not allow evil to go unpunished forever

I want to be very clear as we look at this book, regardless of your approach to this book – we discussed several last week – one thing that is abundantly clear is that although Jesus has taken the punishment for sin, there still is judgment to come for those who do not repent. The images of Revelation are both beautiful and stark, both inviting and a cause to tremble. Here we have once again both realities on display. It might remind us of C.S. Lewis’ line in the Chronicles of Narnia, he writes.

Those who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. If the children had ever thought so, they were cured of it now. For when they tried to look at Aslan’s face they just caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great, royal, solemn, overwhelming eyes; and then they found they couldn’t look at him and went all trembly.

God will deal with the guilty. The martyrs seem to be aware of this. They cry out to God, who is sovereign. The one who reigns above all. And they specifically appeal to the fact that God is holy and true. He is true to his people. This is getting at the idea of faithfulness. We see this over and over throughout the Bible; God proves himself faithful. He acts on behalf of his people, always for their good, but not necessarily according to their timeline. But he is also holy. He is set apart from sin; he is completely other. In his holiness, he cannot tolerate evil. He will deal with it and put it to an end.

Tom Schreiner puts it like this,

They voice their prayer to the sovereign one, the one powerful enough to enforce justice. They voice their prayer to the one who is holy and true. Since he is holy, he cannot ultimately tolerate evil; since he is true, he is faithful to his own.^[5]

Sometimes my kids say, “Haha, we got away with it!” When we are not paying attention or when they ask something and I respond “yes” without really knowing what they asked. But that is not the picture we have here.  Luke 12:37-40 says this,

³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! ³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” ^[6]

Is this ok to desire?

We might think, is it right for them to desire? It seems like they want wrath. This can hit our modern, Western ears in a harsh way. But this is a common theme in the Psalms. It is true that Jesus taught us to forgive our enemies and that we should leave vengeance to him. So does this contradict that? Is desiring God to judge and avenge their blood a bad thing? We need to recognize they are not asking for exact personal vengeance. They are not rejecting the possibility of repentance but asking for God’s justice.

William Hendriksen writes: “The saint in glory does not desire personal vengeance any more than did Stephen, but he yearns for the coming of that great day when the majesty and holiness, the sovereignty and righteousness of God in Christ shall be publicly revealed.”^[7]

But he doesn’t give a specific timeline for when this will be worked out. Instead, there is a reminder of God’s purposes – things need to come to completion. It is a reminder that they are not sovereign in this; God is. 

In the Already/Not Yet, The Lamb Is Worthy To Be Followed

While this is about martyrs for the faith, the question of which martyrs is one that is debated. Much of this will depend on the approach to the book as a whole. Are these martyrs who die in a tribulation period at the end of the world, or are they those who die for their faith from when Jesus rose from the dead to when he returns again? Another question is whether these are physical martyrs or if it is a general description of all Christians, since each person who follows Christ is called to take up their cross.

We see additional details in this passage that are helpful for us to ponder. And again, we are given an image.

Those who die are in God’s presence

First, what we should notice is that those who die are in God’s presence. It says that the souls of those who have been slain. We know from Scripture that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). We need to recognize that this is an unnatural state. We are created to be what has been referred to as the psychosomatic union of body and soul. The separation of body and soul happens at death, and it is unnatural. It is a result of sin and death in this world. But in this in-between, while we wait for our bodies to be made new, our souls are with God. Here we have a picture of what that will be like through the Martyrs. It’s true that we may not be able to have a 1:1 correlation, but what we do see is that they are near God and they are protected by the altar. 

The slain are given a robe

We also notice another detail: they are each given a white robe. White robes are promised to those in the church of Sardis who remain faithful, and those in Laodicea are instructed to get white clothes from God. It is a sign of conquering. We see the great multitude from many nations in the next chapter, who are clothed in white robes. And 7:14 tells us that they are made white because of the blood of the lamb. They are the robes of Christ’s victory that are for his people. 

This makes clear that the white robes of righteousness are not earned by martyrdom as a meritorious act. This point needs to be emphasized, since history has recorded numbers of Christians who sought martyrdom as a way to earn heavenly distinction. The martyrs in heaven are dressed in white not because they died for Christ but because Christ died for them, as he did for all his people.^[8]

Here we have the slain who are given these robes. While there is not final victory they are clothed in Christ’s victory even in that moment. 

The slain are asked to wait

But there is not yet. They still await vindication. We, too, are in this already/not yet. As we witness this scene in heaven, it motivates us here on earth. So much of our lives are like this. We might think of parallels between things we have suffered and those others are suffering right now. We can slip into a couple of ways of thinking. The first is vengeance, taking matters into our own hands. This is where we need to be reminded of the idea of waiting. As Romans tells us, vengeance is God’s; he will repay. While we can work for justice in this life, we should do so within the parameters of God’s law. We need to be careful of trying to exact final or complete justice when we have been wronged. Second, we can grow complacent or even downplay suffering in our waiting. If God doesn’t care, then why should we? But this may be more culturally influenced than Biblically grounded. Scott Duvall is helpful here,

Waiting is especially difficult in a culture completely captivated by instant everything. Life happens on fast-forward in America. Trends that are “all the rage” this week are barely remembered the following week. But God often works slowly. As one old preacher put it when speaking about spiritual growth, “When God wants to produce a squash, it takes three days; when he wants to produce an oak tree, it takes thirty years.” Although we should never be content with injustice or become satisfied with something less than what God has promised, we will probably have to wait. And should we have to wait beyond our lifetime, it will be worth it. Even death cannot change God’s commitment to keep his word.^[9]

We should also recognize that God gives a specific reason for the waiting in this case. So that others may join the number. This may seem bleak. But what it tells us is that part of the waiting means more people are testifying, more people are living faithfully, more people are persevering to the end. Put more positively and simply, God’s not done saving sinners.

A commentator who believes this is all in the future is still able to say this about the matrys’ cry,

This reflects a common eschatological theme that God’s delay in bringing his judgment is due in part to his mercy in allowing more time for the gospel to be proclaimed across the world (cf. Matt 24:14) and for more individuals to “come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9)^[10]

The point of the passage is evident regardless of our approach: that the Lamb is worthy to be followed and that he is sovereign over what is taking place. This is helpful for the churches that initially heard these words, often suffering greatly under Roman persecution, but this is also helpful for us. As we follow after Jesus, it may include suffering; we are not promised that we will be vindicated in this life. We are warned against trying to take things into our own hands through vengeance. Instead, we are called to trust in the Lord. Trust in his timing. The patience of God is not to be confused with God not caring. He cares for those in our passage; they are under the altar, they are in his presence, and he responds to their cry. But he also tells them, along with us, that His timing is right, that his plan is in motion. Part of this plan means that there is time for others to turn from their sin and trust in Him. 

You see, those who give their lives for Christ point to where their hope lies. They may be innocent in the situation, but they are not completely innocent. But there was one who was free from all sin, and he came in order that he might lay down his life for us. That is what we celebrate this morning. 

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^[1] J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 111.

^[2] Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 220.

^[3] Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 220–221.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 4:8–10.

^[5] Thomas R. Schreiner, “Revelation,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. XII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 616.

^[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 12:37–40.

^[7] Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 222.

^[8] Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 223–224.

^[9] J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 110.

^[10] Buist M. Fanning, Revelation, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 248.