9   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:

 10  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?

 11  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 fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

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     With the opening of the 5th Seal, John sees the souls of those who have been martyred and hears a statement made to them concerning more that are to be martyred at some future time.  Immediately noteworthy is how what John here sees relates to the previous seal.  This reinforces that the 4th Seal does indeed concern martyrdom.  And this, with other evidences, reinforces that these seals belong to the Church Age and are something other than judgments of God upon the wicked.  History testifies to the martyrdom that has occurred throughout the Church Age.  And, with the nature of martyrdom and its attending persecution, it is certainly not difficult to imagine such a longing for justice.

     But, there is also a clue here as to when in the Church Age this cry for justice will occur.  The wording of the martyr's question, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood" reflects that a significant period of time has transpired leading up to the opening of this seal---time that can certainly be accounted for now.  When the 5th Seal is opened and the martyrs cry out, they are assured that it will be "yet  for a little season," and this because that more are to be killed  "as they were."  From the point of view that this study sets forth, this all fits a 5th Seal opening closer to the time of the rapture, especially in light of the martyrdom that will occur during Daniel's 70th Week (a little season), which will begin not long afterwards.  This line of thinking supports the probability that as the rapture draws nearer, so will the fulfillment of what John here sees, meaning this cry for justice may have already occurred.  In other words, the 5th Seal may already be open too, and I would submit that it is.

     As far as those who will actually be martyred during the little season of Daniel's 70th Week, John is later shown concerning these also.  First, he sees the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-12.  Next, he sees the 144,000 in Revelation 12:11 and 13:7, with 14:1-5.  Finally, he sees those who refuse allegiance to the Antichrist in Revelation 14:13, with 15:1-4 and 20:4 (here included with all the rest of the saved, as part of the first resurrection/vss. 5-6).

     With the 5th Seal arguably already open, this leaves only the 6th and 7th seals.  These indeed lack any historical evidences of fulfillment.  It is only after the opening of these that the book with seven seals, the book that I believe could rightly be entitled THE DAY OF THE LORD, can actually unfold.  We can now turn our attention toward the 6th Seal.  Let's begin with a look at an Old Testament prophecy closely related to it.

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