1I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!” 2Then a white horse appeared, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
3When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” 4Another came out, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword.
5When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand. 6I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!”
7When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see!” 8And behold, a pale horse, and the name of he who sat on it was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. 10They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11A long white robe was given to each of them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed even as they were, should complete their course.
12I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood. 13The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind. 14The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. 16They told the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17for the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. 10 They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
This is an odd thing to see. John sees people down under the altar who have been slain for "the Word of God and the testimony which they held." These are the souls of believers who have been killed throughout history for the cause of Christ, and they've been killed for the stand that they have taken for Him. This group includes everyone from Stephen (Acts 7:54-60) to the last person in any given place on Earth who has been killed for their faith in Christ. The fact that they are" under the altar" is perhaps a reference to the offerings made in ancient Jewish times. 7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting (Leviticus 4:7 NKJV).
There was horrific persecution of Christians at the time of the Romans. It is well documented that Christians were covered in tar and burned as torches. They were crucified, tortured, and fed to the lions. Those horrible times have waned, but in the 20th Century, persecution soared. The advent of Communism and Socialism has brought great misery to believers. Marxist-Leninist ideology presents religion as the "opiate of the people." This tenet of leftism regards anyone who believes in God as an enemy of the state. Christians are particularly targeted and persecuted. Communists advocate "scientific atheism" rather than any religious belief. This calls for eliminating faith in Almighty God as part of its fundamental doctrine.
Another factor contributing to the endangerment of Christians is the rise of Islam. Contrary to what is preached by propagandists, Islam is a religion of violence. More than even a religion, it is a political system of control. It has always been a religion of violence, and it will always be a religion of violence. Islam seeks to take over any country in which its adherents become a critical mass. As it takes over, its leaders seek to annihilate any Christianity from within a nation's borders with violence. There have been many years of freedom for Christians to practice their faith, but the windows and doors are closing. Things are heating up. Things are getting nasty for Christ-Followers. In the past year, 360 million Christians (1 in 7 believers) worldwide have suffered persecution for their faith. It is estimated that 20-30 Christians are killed daily for their faith. 2021 closed with 6,000 martyrs, a 24% increase over the prior year. The worst country for Christians is North Korea, followed by Afghanistan. What John sees are all those martyrs that have come before the tribulation and all those saints who will be killed during the tribulation, crying out for their deaths to be avenged. They cry out, asking, "How long, oh Lord, will it be until justice is done?" The answer is that it's not over till it's over, but it will be brought to an end. Justice will come. Messiah, King Jesus, will reign. He will set all things right. He will rule forever and ever. Reader, pray for those being persecuted for their faith. And if you should come under persecution, know it is just temporary. Your life and the lives of others who have suffered for Christ will be avenged.