THE FIFTH SEAL continued.

Revelation Chapter 6

VERSE 11 “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.”

THEN A WHITE ROBE WAS GIVEN TO EACH OF THEM:

This is a repeated (and thus important) symbol in Sardis. These white robes were promised to the over-comers of Sardis and are here shown on these dead “souls” in fulfillment of this promise. These are the victors, the “souls” of Rev 20:4 who have a throne to sit upon even before they “come to life.”

THEY WERE TOLD: The brethren of Sardis were told this in a subtle way. When Jesus introduced Himself as the One with the SEVEN stars and spirits, the saints were thus told that two stages of the Church remained. When their expectations regarding the ending of the 1335 days failed, they were thus told (through failure) that their chronology was incorrect.

AND IT WAS SAID TO THEM THAT THEY SHOULD REST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER:

The Greek possibly reads, “It was said to them IN ORDER THAT they should rest . . .” This puts a slightly different meaning to the verse. It suggests that the information was given SO THAT they could rest (mentally). But the reading in most translations seems perfectly adequate.

This rest is for a little while — *A MICROCHRONOS. Some manuscripts omit “little,” but its validity does not seem to be questioned seriously. Were the term CHRONOS used, interpretation would be easier. To the best of our knowledge, the MICRO (little) part of the word has not been explained. (Perhaps the Lord is simply indicating that, because of lack of consciousness of those dead, the time will SEEM “little” – or short.)

In symbolic time a CHRONOS is 360 years. Perhaps MICRO is to suggest that this IS NOT a chronological word. But IT FITS SO WELL that the temptation to make it chronological is irresistible. Reasoning on it, we come to the following conclusions:

How long must those “souls” under the altar rest (stay under the altar?)

The answer to most Bible Students is until A.D. 1878 — the beginning of the first resurrection.

That seems clear enough. Therefore, if we subtract ONE CHRONOS (360 years) from 1878, we should arrive at the date when this seal was opened: 1518 would be the year — about as late in Sardis as we can get.

Philadelphia probably begins with Luther’s excommunication at the Diet of Worms (A.D. 1521).

1518 is, of course, very significant. At its beginning (Hebrew time — the preceding autumn), Luther nailed his famous objections on the church door (Oct. 31, 1517). How appropriate is this date for this statement from the grave!

The WORST persecutions were ending; more truths were being propagated; there seems to be an opportunity to get back at Jezebel. BUT, says the Lord, HOLD ON; it’s NOT yet over. I will not cast-off Babylon until another 360 years have gone by.

DON’T settle into one of the new Protestant denominations as they arise. (These are as we have learned the daughters of the great harlot, the “image of the beast”).

If you COMFORTABLY do so (join with one of these), it will be a sign to you that something is WRONG.

The saints must continue TO BE KILLED EVEN AS their predecessors. (It should be recalled that the Protestant denominations for the most part retained their mother’s spirit and as such continued to persecute [kill] the Lord’s true people in the same way that she did).

UNTIL BOTH THE NUMBER OF THEIR FELLOW SERVANTS AND THEIR BRETHREN, WHO WOULD BE KILLED AS THEY WERE, WAS COMPLETED:

This phrase COULD cause problems for the chronological explanation above. But it need not do so. This COULD imply that the 1878 date is incorrect because BY THAT TIME all of the sacrificing WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED. The thought, however, seems to be that at that date the PERIOD of JUDGING AND AVENGING would begin AND would NOT END until BOTH their fellow servants AND their brethren (the Church and Great Company) were completed.

The key words in this last statement are “both” and “and”.

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*A MICROCHRONOS: We will address this subject in our next post.