Let us now move on to the fifth seal in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 6:9-11
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been 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, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.“
The fifth seal reveals the cries of Jesus’ martyrs. They are the souls killed because of the words of God and they are asking God to avenge their blood. Who is responsible for their death?
Revelation 17:3-6
“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.“
We have discussed that the seven-headed beast with ten horns represents the Roman Empire. The harlot sitting on it is the Roman Catholic Church. This religion is the result of the widespread apostasy that happened in the first century Church of Christ. The Roman pontiff, head of this apostate religion, massacred those who opposed and refused the apostate church’s doctrines with the help of the secular government.
In the fourth seal, many people were awakened and separated from the Catholic Church due to Martin Luther’s exposure of its erroneous teachings. Their act of ‘protests’ eventually gave rise to Protestantism. Our Lord Jesus Christ proved that even if one has yet to receive his gospel or was unbaptized, if they were deemed worthy of God’s kingdom, they will be saved. A concrete example was the fortunate thief whom Jesus promised that would be with him in Paradise (Luke 23:43).
Apostle Paul clarified the irrefutable righteousness of God concerning His Judgment.
Romans 2:12, 11, 6, & 15 NIV
“All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.“
“For God does not show favoritism.“
“God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”
“since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.“
At this point, it is worth mentioning the centurion, Cornelius. A pious man who feared God, was diligent with good works, who gave alms generously to those in need, and always prayed to God. God sent His angel in order for Cornelius to receive the gospel from Apostle Peter. When brother Felix Y. Manalo was still alive, he declared that Dr. Jose Rizal was also a ‘holy’ man. The martyrs of Jesus referred to in the fifth seal lived at a time after the true church was gone and the Catholic Church, the fruit of apostasy, was at the height of its power.
Many people were awakened by Luther’s exposure and came out of the Catholic Church. Therefore, those people stood by God’s words and held strong conviction, not allowing themselves to be swayed by the false doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church. And by choosing to stand by the pristine gospel of Christ, what happened to them? They became victims of the church’s Counter Reformation in the 16th century, which was the Catholic Church’s extreme reaction to the shame they suffered due to Luther’s exposé.
Let us quote from several books attesting how the Catholic Church put so many people to death.
“The history of the Catholic Church is said to be stained with tears and blood on account of the murderous criminals who are also their leaders. In Spain alone, within a period of 5 years, according to a book written by Father J. Donneley titled “Fifteen Years Behind the Curtains’, pp 154-155; those burned alive were: ‘Under Torquemada 8,800; Under Deza 1,564; Under Cardinal Ximenez 2,536; Total number of people burned alive 31,912; Executed in different ways and tortured 17,659; Tortured and penalized 291,556. The number of people persecuted, imprisoned, tortured to death, and thrown alive to the blazing and scorching fires in Spain alone, reached a grand total of 354,027 souls in just five years. This number does not include the countless lives you have been subjected to various tortures, poisoned, thrown into fire, and the vast numbers who committed suicide or fled the country in France, Italy, Portugal, and so on….”
Let us see the record given by Lloreate and other impartial historians.
“In another book called “Roman Catholicism Investigated and Exposed,“ written by Mr. F. H. Sills, in p. 16, this is stated: “There are more than Fifty million human families brought to death by the Catholic Church of Romanists in the world, and the blood of the heroes and martyrs, who they have succeeded in bringing about will compensate to a large excavation on the ground, ten feet deep, ten feet wide, and twenty miles long.”
A solid evidence that a big number of people were put to death by the Catholic Church was written in the book “How The Great Religions Began” by Joseph Gaer. This is stated in p. 214.
Then, about the 13th Century, the Church of Rome set up what is known in the history as “The Inquisition.” The Inquisition was a new way of converting people to Christianity. If men or women or children refused to accept Christianity, they were tortured until they died.”
“The Inquisition lasted over two hundred years, and thousands of people were killed by its orders in the most barbarous manner. People were burned alive on a slow fire, or they were crushed to death by heavy weights, or they were torn to pieces by cruel instruments.”
These heinous and horrific crimes committed by the Papacy and the Catholic Church began in the 12th Century. But the massacres through Inquisition increased in magnitude from the 15th to the 19th century. The carnage nearly reached the beginning of the 20th century, due to the shame and humiliation brought about when Luther shed light on their rotten teachings and false doctrines, foremost of which is who the real and true foundation of the church is.
It is important to mention that the Catholic Inquisitions happened at different times and places. And among the victims of the inquisitions were people who were deemed worthy of God’s kingdom. They refused to follow false doctrines. Their patient endurance and faithfulness were not in vain for God saw their good deeds and firm standing for the pristine gospel of Christ. Together with the fruit of Apostle Paul’s ministry, the Gentiles, they will enter God’s kingdom.
Revelation 7:9
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,“
Did the Catholic Church admit that they put people to death as attested by history? Let us quote from the book “The Truth About The Inquisition” written by John A. O’Brien, pp. 49 & 47-48.
“…the first law of history‘, declared Pope Leo XIII, ‘as we have mentioned previously, is to assert nothing false and to have no fear of telling the truth.‘ In conformity with that wise principle, we frankly acknowledge the responsibility of the popes in the use of torture and in burning of thousands of heretics at the stake. Their sanctioning of such cruel and brutal measures is unquestionably one of the blackest stains on the record of the Holy Office and will remain to the end of time a cause of obloquy and shame upon the papacy. Even when it is frankly conceded, as it must be, that their intentions were good and their solicitude was for the welfare of the victim’s soul, let it still be affirmed that the cruel and inhuman methods used are beyond all defense.”
CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITY
“The Church cannot escape responsibility for the use of torture nor for the burning of victims at the stake. The church in the person of her pontiffs was responsible for the use of torture; this cruel practice was introduce by Innocent IV in 1252 …The pontiff tries to defend the use of torture by classifying heretics with thieves and murderers, a mere comparison is his only argument. This law of Innocent IV was renewed and confirmed by Alexander IV on November 30, 1259, and by Clement IV on November 3, 1265.“
“Neither can the Church escape responsibility for sending heretics to be burnt to death at the stake. The mere subterfuge of having the victim turned over to the secular arm cannot hide the fact that the popes repeatedly insisted under pain of excommunication and interdict upon rulers enforcing the death penalty against heretics.”
“‘It is therefore proved beyond question’, says Vacandard, ‘that the Church, in the person of the Popes; used every means at her disposal, especially excommunication, to compel the State to enforce the infliction of the death penalty upon heretics. This excommunication, moreover, was all the more dreaded, because according to the canons, the ones excommunicated, unless absolved from the censure, was regarded as a heretic himself within a year’s time, and was liable therefore to the death penalty. The princes of the day, therefore, had no other way of escaping this penalty, except by faithfully carrying out the sentence of the Church.”
“Inquisition – Predominantly Ecclesiastical“
Despite these well established fact, Count De Maistre tries to whitewash the Church and the popes even of complicity in the execution of heretics, saying: “All that is terrible and cruel about this tribunal, especially the death penalty, was due to the State …”
How could the dead souls cry out? How could their blood ask God to avenge them? To what is it likened, according to the Bible?
Genesis 4:9-10
“Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.“
When Cain slayed his brother Abel, Abel’s blood cried and asked for vengeance from God. Will the Father listen to the cries of Christ’s martyrs’ blood?
Hebrews 12:24
“to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.“
If the cry of Abel’s blood was heard by God, He would all the more listen to the blood of Jesus’ martyrs in consideration of our Lord Jesus Christ. What was the proof? God answered them, ‘rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.’ And a white robe was given to each of them.
According to Jesus, what is this white robe and what is its relevance?
Revelation 3:5
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.“
The white robe therefore is the white garment that shall be worn by those who succeeded. Their names will not be blotted out from the Book of Life. Our Lord Jesus Christ will proudly confess their names before our Lord God and His angels! Let us clarify, what is this white garment worn by the martyrs of Jesus who were triumphant?
Revelation 19:8 RSV
“it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.“
The white robes worn by those who succeed when they stand before God were their righteous deeds. How important are the righteous deeds and why is there a need to cleanse one’s garment?
Revelation 22:14
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.“
They will be given the right to the tree of life and will be permitted to enter the Holy City. Let us learn more about the salvation of those who are clothed in white garments and are triumphant.
Revelation 20:4-6
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.“
The meaning of God’s words, ‘rest a little longer’ to these souls begging for His justice, is now clear. When the time comes, they will all be resurrected by the Lord God. They were blessed for they will be the first to rise from the grave! What fortune awaits those who will be resurrected first? The second death has no power over them. The meaning of ‘second death’ is clarified in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 20:14
“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.“
It is the eternal punishment in the lake of fire! And when will be the resurrection of those who will inherit the true eternal life and the Holy City?
I Thessalonians 4:16-17
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.“
It is clear that on the second advent of Christ, those who died in the name of Christ will rise again. Our Lord God and our Lord Jesus assured them that they are safe from eternal punishment, all of them whose names are written in the Book of Life. What did our Lord God do to avenge the souls of those killed by the harlot (Roman Catholic Church)?
Revelation 19:2
“For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
What is God’s punishment for Satan, along with his religion and its leaders, who massacred the disciples of Christ?
Revelation 20:10,15
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.“
“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.“
What is the description of the Holy City according to Apostle John?
Revelation 21:1-4
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Those who will pass the test are blessed indeed. They will gain salvation from the eternal punishment which is the lake of fire. They will also be permitted to enter the Holy City to receive everlasting joy and the true eternal life. These truths are the message of the fifth seal.
The Last Chronicles 