Scripture Queries and Answers: The Saints in Revelation 6:9

Revelation 6:9  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
Listen from:
Q—Rev. 6:9. Who were these saints, and by what means brought to God?
A CONSTANT READER OF THE B.T.
A.—It is certain and clear that these saints in question were not of Christian standing, but apparently believing Jews, called after the translation on high of the heavenly saints (of the O. T. as well as of the N. T.), and seen around the throne under the symbol of the twenty-four crowned elders. They on the other hand were seen underneath the altar, as victims offered up to God, “the souls of those that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice,” not at all as Stephen did in Acts 7, but like the godly Jewish remnant in the Psalms and the Prophets, “saying, How long, and [or, sovereign Master], holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell on the earth? And there was given to them each a white robe; and it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while, until both their fellow-bondmen and their brethren who were about to be killed as they, should be fulfilled.” Their resurrection to reign with Christ was to come; and Rev. 20:4 describes it for them in Rev. 6 and those to follow them in Rev. 13
We are not told, as far as I know, by what means they were brought to God; but there is no difficulty in conceiving that He may have wrought immediately by His grace through the word in some, who were used to act on others, as He has often done even in our day where the more ordinary means failed.