Dead? not dead? sleeping? praising??

[Helen]

@Rollo Tamasi and myself were talking this morning about the above topic questions.

He said to me, half in jest..."let's ask Breadman because he will probably have something to add."
@BreadOfLife

So we were talking about returning to dust, being in the grave. The body dead.
Those who have passed on...where are they?
I am sure we all have an opinion.
Personally I believe in Paradise or a Beautiful Place with the presence of God.
I do not believe that anyone but Jesus The Son Of Man has entered the Heaven of Heavens yet. ( the place of God's throne)
By scripture we see there are many heavens..between here and there.

But the question I am coming to is...if what I believe here is correct ( and obviously we each believe what 'we' believe to be correct. :)

Then, what is all this about "souls under the altar in Revelation crying out for their blood to be avenged.. " ?
If they have been there since their death...goodness what a miserable thousand years or MORE.. Wow!!
So it can't be literal ...they are not sleeping...they are not praising, they are not unaware or "dead" to everything...they are continually cry out...that's horrid!!
So @Rollo Tamasi and I welcome any comments , be they opinions, wisdom, by direct revelation from the Lord...or whatever.
I am sure some of you have some interesting things to add here and clear up a few of the questions.

Every blessing....Helen.

 

[lforrest]

It reminds me of Abel's blood crying out from the ground.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

I was told once they are the dead of the 7 year tribulation crying out for revenge, but are told they must wait til the right time comes
Some people like to think it is everyone saved awaiting a new body
for all we know they are aliens from another planet that were killed by some renegade angels and are seeking their revenge and God is just saying, calm down and wait your turn
don't forget, John saw some wild stuff up there

 

[pia]

souls under the altar in Revelation crying out for their blood to be avenged..

I remember the last time I read this, it occurred to me, that no wonder God says they must wait a bit longer, because they're still crying out for revenge..."Oh God, we did all this for you, we even lost our lives...Now you kill for us, or punish for us, on our behalf". lol...After all that time with God and they're still after more blood ???

 

[Harvest 1874]

“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? 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.” Rev 6:9-11

On the opening of the fifth seal, John beheld (in vision) an altar, probably not in heaven, but on earth, for as he looked beneath it, it was as though he were peering into the tombs of those who had been slain (actually or figuratively) for their witness and testimony for the truth and the Word of God. These, “… the martyrs of the past, the `souls under the altar,’ are represented symbolically as crying out (See Heb 11:4) for the vindication of justice, saying, `How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood upon them that dwell on the earth!’ They were bidden to wait until others of their brethren should be similarly killed, when the guilt of all will be avenged.

The “souls” being located under the alter represents those who have faithfully completed their sacrifice, their lives consumed in the service of the Lord and the brethren. You might picture it as the ashes beneath an altar. These having entered into covenant relationship with the Father, a “covenant by sacrifice” Psa 50:5, have been found faithful even unto death, but nevertheless they must await their reward until the last members of the body of Christ should likewise finish their sacrifice.

This avenging of the blood will take place during the great time of trouble, in the Day of Vengeance. Just as at the end of the Jewish age there was an accounting for all the righteous blood spelt prior to that time, so too here at the end of the Gospel age God requires an accounting.