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(a)
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The normal Apocalyptic phrase: “the testimony of
Jesus” (ch. 1:9 and 12:17 and 19:10) is modified here to “the
testimony which they held.” These men died with faith set on the coming of
their Messiah, but not knowing him as Jesus.
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(b)
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“How long, O Despot!” This title for God or Jesus
is highly appropriate in the mouths of faithful witnesses of Old Testament times
cp. the aged Simeon, the last of them (Luke 2:29), who used the same mode of
address.
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(c)
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“White robes were given unto them.” These white
robes undoubtedly represent the provided righteousness of Christ. Here, then,
are saints who receive that garment of righteousness after the end of their
testifying! This would indeed be a mystery (in the modern sense of the term)
were it not for such verses as these: “And for this cause he is the
mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they
that have been called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance”
(Hebrews 9:15). “If Christ be not raised ... ye (and all others who died
with faith in him, e.g. Abraham) are yet in your sins” (1
Corinthians 15:17); “and to declare his righteousness because of the
passing over of sins done aforetime (under the Old Covenant) in the forbearance
of God” (Romans 3 :25).
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(d)
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The parallel with the prophecy of Jesus is hardly to be
missed: “Wherefore, behold, I scud unto you prophets, and wise men, and
scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify: and some of them shall ye
scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you
may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of
righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew
between the temple and the altar” (Matthew 23:34,
35).[23] The Zacharias referred to here is
doubtless the prophet whose violent death is described in 2 Chronicles 24:20,
21. Jesus cited him along with Abel because 2 Chronicles is the last book of the
Hebrew Bible and thus Abel and Zacharias would be a convenient way of referring
to all the martyrs under the Old Covenant.
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1 Thessalonians 2:15, 16 reads very similarly, but this is to
be expected because Paul was writing with Matthew 23 in mind.
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(e)
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v. 11: “To them it was said that they should rest yet
for a little season ... “ In particular, this finds a parallel in the case
of Daniel, one of the Old Testament saints: “Thou shalt rest, and stand in
thy lot at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13).
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(f)
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In view of the copious allusions to Revelation already traced
in the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is permissible to see in these words of v. 11
the origin of another idea in that Epistle: “And these all, having
obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having
provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made
perfect” (Hebrews 11:39, 40). The correspondence here is remarkable. The
Old Testament saints who died in faith answer to the “souls under the
altar.” Those to be made perfect correspond with “their
fellow-servants and their brethren that should be killed as they were”.
Both passages emphasize that the two classes are to be glorified together, as in
1 Thessalonians 4:17 also.
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(g)
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v. 10: “O despot, holy and true.” Somewhat
unexpectedly, the word “true” here is not the word which stands in
contrast to “false” but that which is set over against
“type” or “shadow” (compare John 15:1: “I am the
True Vine”). The appropriateness of this to an Old Testament context is
immediately obvious. The “despot”-ism of Christ is typified in the
Old Testament in many places and often in the experience of these very
“souls” who so cried out. David is an outstanding example, and one
of his psalms (89:33-52) reads like a commentary, written in advance, on this
Fifth Seal. The passage should be studied in detail.
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(h)
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The blood of the martyrs cries for vengeance on “them
that dwell on the earth.” Evidence has already been furnished (ch. 11) for
reading this: “Them that dwell in the Land,” i.e. the Jews.
In any case, “them that dwell on the earth” is an insipid
redundancy. Would anyone call for vengeance on “them that dwell in
heaven”7 Where else could their adversaries be except on the earth? And if
a symbolic meaning be sought, “heaven” would be more appropriate
than “earth.” Once again the relevance of Matthew 23:35, 36 is
emphasized. On the other hand, if these “slaughtered saints” under
the altar were Gentile Christians of the early centuries there would be little
point in this allusion to Jews in Palestine.
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