John was given a vision of the "Souls" that had been slain for their testimony of Christ. This vision identifies the true Christians that had been martyred by Paganism for the first three centuries.
According to unbiased historical accounts such as, "Foxed Book of Martyrs" Papal persecution followed during the "Dark Age Period." Millions of true Christians that the Catholic Church branded as heretics were burned at the stake or even worse atrocities. During what is known by "Thirty year war" of Protestantism, the various sects waged war against each other and many more lost their lives!

We see these souls more fully described in the seventh chapter of Revelation. "And one of the elders answered saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir thou knowest. and he said unto me, These are they which came out of much tribulation, and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb."(Rev.7:13-14)

Many commentators speak of a "Great Tribulation" that is to come. Some teach of the rapture of the church before and some teach that the church will go through this supposed "Great Tribulation." Jesus said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." There will not be a "Future" tribulation period! Our tribulation as believers is during our probationary journey NOW!

Revelation 20:4 gives a further glimpse of these precious souls. "And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon 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."

Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith
copyright 1992 Click on any picture to visit her "Revelation Illustrated" site

"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: 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? 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 fellow-servants also and their brethren, that they should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." (Rev.6:10-11)

It is of the utmost importance for us to notice that these were LIVING SAINTS! They were conscious people in their heavenly bodies crying out unto the Lord in His presence, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth." They were not in a dormant state of so-called "Soul Sleep" as many cults teach! It is written: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

According to Rev.20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
The first resurrection is when we are resurrected in newness of life through our salvation experience. This makes us "Blessed and holy." The second death or the physical death has no power over the believer. We have already received "Eternal Life" in Christ.

Many in the Christian community relate these scriptures into a supposed Millennial age to come. Not so! If you will read these scriptures carefully, you will notice that they are speaking of the "Saints that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus." These were those saints that had departed from this world!

The seventh chapter of Revelation gives us a glorious description of those who are now in the presence of the Lord. Multitudes! Worshipping the Lamb, crying with loud voices of praise to Him! They were reigning in HEAVEN! They were not reigning on the earth with Christ for a supposed thousand years! The term "thousand years" must be accepted as symbolic, as an indefinite period of time. Peter wrote: "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day."