When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. (9-11)
It is not always easy to serve God. Service means you will have to pay a price, and some pay a higher price than others. When we think of martyrdom, we often picture an ancient Roman arena with lions devouring those who refuse to recant. Yet, martyrdom is not a thing of the past; it is, in fact, more common today than you think. While definitions and numbers vary depending on who is reporting, it is widely established that there were more Christian martyrs in the last century than in all the previous 19 centuries combined. People regularly die for their faith today, and things will only get worse as we get closer to the return of Jesus. You could be included in that number.
John tells us in the Revelation that those who die for their faith are comforted in heaven. God loves and cares for them, and they are highlighted in chapter 7 as occupying a special place of service. Yet, the most amazing thing to me is that statement in verse 11. Those who are already in heaven because they died for their witness are told to wait and rest until the remainder who “are to be killed” join them in heaven. In short, the text makes it clear that some have been chosen and created to face a martyr’s death. This idea flies in the face of those who preach that if you have enough faith, you will be rich and prosperous on earth. God never promises prosperity or health, but He does say that some who are faithful in all things will end up being murdered because of it. This is not just an unfortunate consequence, but it is instead the very purpose of their life; they are born to die.
Think of Lazarus in the gospel of John. Remember, Jesus intentionally waited for his sickness to become death because God had bigger plans for Lazarus than just healing. The Bible says many people believed in Jesus because of Lazarus’ death and resurrection. Sometimes, God intends for terrible things to befall us so that even greater glory can come to Christ. Our job is not to run away from that but to embrace it. God is sovereign and still seated as Lord on the throne. Like a cosmic conductor, the Lord is orchestrating all the circumstances of our lives so we can honor Him and further His kingdom. For some of us, it means paying the ultimate price. If you are one of those, this is not something to be avoided but an honor to be embraced. Our lives are in His hands; may He use them in the most effective way possible.
