Category: Revelation’s Seven Seals

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Are the souls under the altar alive? (Rev 6:9-11)

Overview

In the fifth seal, “souls underneath the altar” cry out to God for revenge. That is often used to support the popular belief that humans have immortal souls that survive death and that believers go to heaven in a bodiless state when they die. However:

1) These souls come alive when Jesus returns (Rev 20:4), meaning they are not alive today.

2) These souls are resting (Rev 6:11), and Daniel and Revelation use the term “rest” to describe Death as a sleep (Dan 12:13; Rev 14:13).

3) These souls are not literal people underneath a literal altar (Rev 6:9) but symbolize that God’s people are sacrificed ON the altar. Show More

4) This vision does not present these souls as in heaven because they are underneath the altar, which is on earth. Show More

5) These souls are not literal people crying out to God for revenge (Rev 6:9-10) because God’s people do not cry out for revenge (e.g., Luke 23:34). It is the injustice to God’s people that calls out to God to restore justice.

6) Since Revelation is a book of symbols, and since everything else in the fifth seal is symbolic, these “souls” should not be taken as literal people. Show More

7) Revelation uses the word “soul” seven times but never uses it for an immortal, conscious part of human beings. It refers twice to living animals (Rev 8:9; 16:3) and twice to living humans (Rev 12:11; 18:13).

8) The idea that humans have immortal souls comes from Greek philosophy. In the Bible, the soul refers to the entire human being (cf. Gen 2:7; 1 Cor 14:45). Show More

Purpose

In Revelation 5, God gave Jesus a book “sealed up with seven seals” (Rev 5:1, 7). In Revelation 6, Jesus breaks the first six seals one by one. When He breaks the fifth seal, John wrote:

“I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God … they cried out with a loud voice:

‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood …’

And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer ….” (Rev 6:9-11).

It is often claimed that these “souls” are disembodied but conscious souls literally crying out to God. It is then argued that a human has an immortal part that survives death. This article opposes this conclusion:

Discussion

These same souls come alive when Jesus returns, meaning they are not currently alive. 

Revelation 20:4 is part of the description of Christ’s return (Rev 19:11). It describes the same group of people as in the fifth seal because it also refers to “souls” who have been killed for their faith. However, 20:4 says that these slain souls will come alive when Christ returns, meaning that these ‘souls’ are not alive today. Show More

The souls are resting, a term used in Daniel and Revelation as equivalent to ‘sleep.’ 

The souls under the altar “were told that they should rest for a little while longer” (Rev 6:11). In other words, they were resting and must continue resting. Both Daniel and Revelation use the term “rest” to describe death as a state of inactivity (Dan 12:13; Rev 14:13).  Show More

When Christ returns:

“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake” (Dan 12:2).

Therefore, the word “rest” strongly implies that the souls under the altar are not awake.

They are not literal people under a literal altar but symbolize God’s people as sacrificed. 

John saw the souls underneath the altar (Rev 6:9). According to Revelation 16:6, the people of the world “poured out the blood of saints and prophets.” This refers to the Old Testament sacrificial rituals in which the blood of the animal sacrifices was drained into a basin and poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering. Show More

The fifth seal converts this into a metaphor. It presents God’s people as “underneath the altar,” meaning that, when God’s people are persecuted and killed, they are sacrificed ON a symbolic altar and their souls (blood or lives) are poured out at the base of the altar. Therefore, symbolically, they are “underneath the altar.” Therefore, John did not see a literal altar or literal souls under the altar. Show More

They are not literal people because God’s people do not seek revenge. 

The “souls” underneath the altar cried out for revenge (Rev 6:10), but God’s people do not seek revenge. Rather, like Jesus and Stephan, they would ask the Father to forgive their murderers (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60)!

God said that the blood of Abel cried out to Him from the ground (Gen 4:10). Similarly, it is the injustice God’s people had suffered that cries out to God, not living beings. It symbolizes God’s awareness of His people’s suffering and promise to set things right. Show More

In the vision, they are not in heaven but under the altar on earth. 

When the “souls” “were told that they should rest for a little while longer,” they were also given white robes (i.e., confirmation of salvation, or guarantee of eternal life) (Rev 6:11). In other words, they did not receive that guarantee at death, meaning that they could not have gone to ‘heaven’ immediately when they died. In the vision, they are under the altar on which they have been sacrificed, which is on earth.

Since Revelation is a book of symbols, we should assume that these are not literal people. 

Interpreting the souls under the altar as disembodied but conscious persons requires a literal reading of the text. However, Revelation is a book of symbols:

1) The first verse of the book says that the visions were given in the form of signs (Rev 1:1). Show More

2) Many things in the book cannot be literal. For example, a harlot woman rides a seven-headed dragon (Rev 17:3). Show More

3) Even things that seem literal are symbolic on further investigation. For example, the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 is really a symbolic description of God’s eternal people. Show More

Given the pervasive symbolism of the book, the safer route is to assume that everything is symbolic unless proven otherwise. The same applies to the souls under the altar. Until proven otherwise, we must assume that the souls under the altar are symbols of realities.

More specifically, since everything in the fifth seal is symbolic, these souls are not literal. 

It is not a literal lamb.

The seal begins by saying the Lamb broke the fifth seal. It is not a literal lamb but a symbol of Jesus (Rev 5:6). It is also not a literal seal of a literal book. Previous articles identified the book as the Book of Life and the seals as Satan’s accusations against God’s elect. By breaking the seals, Jesus refutes Satan’s accusations and shows that God’s election is perfect. Show More

John did not literally see anything.

John wrote that he saw “souls” (Greek: psuchas) under the altar. What did he see? What does a soul look like? How did he know that they were killed, and why? John did not literally see anything, at least not with his physical eyes. These are thoughts that the Holy Spirit gave directly to his mind (cf. Rev 1:10). Perhaps he simply knew things in vision, rather than receiving visual images. Show More

The souls were not literally killed.

In this vision, these “souls” were “slain” (killed) for their faith. In 20:4, they were “beheaded.” However, 20:4 adds that they came alive “and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Therefore, the martyrs in the fifth seal include all of God’s people of all ages, including those who have not been literally killed. Show More

They are not literal bodiless souls.

Since they receive white robes, they have bodies. But “souls,” as the term is often understood, do not have bodies. The white robes are symbols of “the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev 19:7-8) and serve as God’s guarantee that they will be resurrected to eternal life. Furthermore, since these “souls” “cried out with a loud voice” (Rev 6:10), they seem to have mouths.

They did not receive literal white robes.

The souls underneath the altar are given white robes (Rev 6:11), but these are not literally white robes. The robes symbolize salvation. White symbolizes purity. Show More

It is not a literal number.

The “souls” were told to rest “until the number of their fellow servants … who were to be killed … would be completed also.” This is not a literal number but means that God’s end-time people would be completed QUALITATIVELY in character. (Read Article)

Conclusion

Since everything else in the fifth seal is symbolic, the souls underneath the altar cannot and should not be taken more literally than the description of Jesus as a bleeding lamb (Rev 5:6).

Revelation uses the term “soul” seven times, but never for an immortal part of humans. 

The word translated as “soul” (psuché) is used seven times in Revelation:

It refers twice to animals (Rev 8:9; 16:3). In other words, if humans have “souls,” animals also have souls. Furthermore, in both these two verses, the soul dies. It refers, therefore, to animals’ natural mortal life on this earth today. Show More

It also refers twice to the normal mortal life of humans (Rev 12:11; 18:13). In 18:13, the “souls of men” (Interlinear Translation) are included in a long list of things sold by merchants (Rev 18:11-13). Therefore, it cannot be an invisible, immortal part of human beings. Show More

It is also used to refer to a person’s innermost being rather than an immortal, conscious part of a human being: “The fruit you (psuché) long for” (Rev 18:14).

The two remaining verses are already discussed above. One is in the fifth seal (Rev 6:9), and the other is the resurrection text (Rev 20:4). These two verses refer to the same people, namely, God’s people who were killed for their faith. However, 20:4 states that these souls are made alive when Christ returns, meaning they are not alive now. In these two verses, the “soul” survives death but is not alive. It may be understood as existence in God’s mind and the promise of resurrection, not as an immortal, conscious part of human beings. Show More

The idea of an immortal soul comes from Greek philosophy.

The idea that humans consist of two parts – a physical body and an immaterial and immortal soul – comes from Greek philosophy. In this view, when a person dies, it is the body that dies and disintegrates into nothing, but the soul lives on in a disembodied state.

In contrast, in the Bible, the human being is a unity. The soul refers to the entire human being, consisting of God’s breath (or life principle) and the material body (cf. Gen 2:7; 1 Cor 14:45). In other words, human beings do not have souls, they are souls. (See the articles on Death and Eternal Torment.) Show More

God’s people are resurrected immediately after death.

At death, the memory of the person is retained by God. However, with God, time does not exist. God exists beyond time. Therefore, although time seems to pass after the death of a loved one, from the experience of a person who dies, no time passes between death and until Resurrection Day, when the dead person receives a new body. Rather, she or he is instantly resurrected after death and are immediately with both their parents and their children. Show More

Other Articles

The Seven Seals

Other

  • I recommend Jon Paulien’s commentary on Revelation for further reading. For general theological discussions, I recommend Graham Maxwell, who you will find on the Pineknoll website.

FOOTNOTES

  • 1
    C. Yannaras, Elements of Faith (in Greek), p.55
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The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation 6)

Overview

The previous article identified the rider on the white horse in the first seal, which never stops conquering, as the gospel going out throughout the Church Age. (Read Article) Show More

An important principle is that the Four Horsemen form a unit, meaning that each one causes the next. Therefore, since the white horse represents the proclamation of the gospel, the next three horsemen symbolize the consequences thereof.

Another important principle is that the fifth seal, which shows God’s slain people calling for revenge, is part of and the result of the sequence of the Four Horsemen.

The second (red) horse, which causes men to “slay one another,” could refer to general violence. However, since it follows the preaching of the gospel and results in God’s slain people calling for revenge, it symbolizes violence to God’s people when they proclaim the gospel: Show More

The third (black) horse depicts famine conditions. Since it must be the consequence of the violence to God’s people in the second seal, and since the black horse is the opposite of the white horse, symbolizing the gospel, it is understood as a famine of the Word of God, and even opposition to God’s Word, that follows when the people who proclaim God’s truth are derided, ridiculed, and even killed. Show More

The name of the rider of the fourth (pale) horse is Death, symbolizing spiritual disease and death resulting from the famine for the Word of God. It is the permanent exclusion from mercy, the frightful consequence for people who have chosen to exclude God and His mercy from their lives.

The Four Horsemen form a Unit.

Covenant Curses

Based on strong parallels, there can be little doubt that seals 2 to 4 build on the curses in God’s covenant for Israel, should they become unfaithful. Show More

However, this does not mean that the “war, famine, and pestilence” of these seals fall on God’s unfaithful people because these “curses” also later targeted Israel’s enemies. Show More

Furthermore, later writers of the Old Testament, such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, applied these ‘curses’ to all nations. Show More

But what we do learn from this is that the Old Testament frequently refers to the sword, famine, and pestilence as a single expression of judgment (Jer 14:12; 21:7; 24:10; 44:13; Ezek 6:11, 12; 5:12). And, similar to the fourth seal, Ezekiel 14:21 adds wild beasts to the list. For that reason, this article interprets seals 2-4 as a unit. Show More

Further Indications

The following are further indications that the four horsemen form a unit:

1) All four are horsemen.

2) In the Synoptic Apocalypse (the Olivet Discourse – Matt 24), where Jesus predicted the nature of the Church Age, He mentions the same things that we find in the four horsemen (wars, plagues, and famines – Matt 24:6-14; Mark 13:7-8; Luke 21:11) and describes them as characteristics of the entire Church Age; rather than as specific events.

3) The grammar of the white horse is extremely continuous and ongoing (Rev 6:2), implying that it covers the entire Church Age. By implication, the same applies to the other three horses.

4) The fourth seal (Rev 6:7-8) includes the bloodshed and famine of seals 2 and 3. Show More

The Fifth Seal

Actually, the fifth seal is also part of this unit because the first and sixth seals begin with the phrase, “And I saw,” indicating the beginning of new sections of the vision. This implies that the souls under the altar in the fifth seal are the people who died during seals 2 to 4. 

Conclusion

Since the white horse represents the proclamation of the gospel over the church age, and since the four horsemen form a unit, symbolizing different aspects of one thing, the next three horsemen symbolize the consequences of gospel preaching.

Second Seal – Red Horse

“When He broke the second seal …
a red horse went out;
and to him who sat on it,
it was granted to take peace from the earth,
and that men would slay one another;
and a great sword was given to him” (Rev 6:3-4).

He broke the Second Seal –The word for “broke” is in the past tense because the prophet experienced these in the past. It does not necessarily mean that the symbolized events are literally in the prophet’s past.

Second Living Creature – The second living creature was the “calf” (Rev 4:7).

Red Horse – The Greek word translated as “red” is purros, meaning the color of fire.

To him who sat on it, it was granted – This implies that God gave this rider his power. However, that does not mean that the rider on the red horse is Christ. Satan and the forces of evil can do nothing unless God allows it (e.g., Job 1:11-12; 2:5-6).

Killing of God’s people

One option is that the sword that causes men to “slay one another” refers to general violence. That view is supported by the Synoptic Apocalypse, where Jesus distinguished between wars and persecution as different aspects of the Church Age. Show More

However, for the following reasons, the slaying in the second seal is likely the slaying of God’s people by people who have rejected the gospel, following divisions and strife resulting from the preaching of the gospel: Show More

Following the gospel – Since the four horsemen form a unit, the bloodshed of the second must be the consequence of the first, which is the gospel going out. Divisions arise as the gospel is preached. God’s true people will not slander, hurt, and even kill others, but their opponents will.

Resulted in the Fifth – Since the first five seals form a unit, the people of God who have been slain for their faith in the fifth (Rev 6:9) have been killed in the first four. Show More

The Sword – The Greek word translated as “sword” refers to a smaller weapon used for close-in combat OR SACRIFICE. Show More

Slay – The fifth seal, which explicitly states that God’s people are slain, uses the same Greek word translated in the second seal as “slay.” Furthermore, this word is also used for animal sacrifice in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) (Lev 1:5, 11; 3:8, 13; 4:4, 24, 33, etc.) and for Christ’s death (Rev 5:6, 9, 12; 13:8). Show More

Third Seal – Black Horse

“When He broke the third seal … behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. … a voice … saying,

‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’” (Rev 6:5-6)

A pair of scales in his hand – In times of scarcity, prices rise. The more an item is worth, the more precisely you will want to measure the quantity being bought or sold. For that purpose, you would require a scale. This seal focuses on food. The scale, in combination with food, indicates a shortage of food. In other words – famine conditions. Show More

A voice in the center of the four living creatures – This voice is not identified. However, since the sound comes from the midst of the four living creatures, it must come from the throne (Rev 4:6). Show More

Wheat … Barley … Oil … Wine – The three main crops of Palestine in ancient times were grains (including wheat and barley), grapes (from which wine was made), and olives, which were processed into oil.

Denarius – The Denarius was a small Roman coin made of silver. It was considered the equivalent of a day’s wage. The very high prices confirm famine conditions. Based on these prices, it would cost a person his whole day’s pay to buy enough wheat for one day for only one person. Show More

Famine for God’s Word

For the following reasons, this famine can be understood symbolically as a famine of the Word of God, a time when the Word of God may be hard to find or poorly understood, even as opposition to God’s Word: Show More

Following Death – Since the four horsemen form a unit, this famine must be the consequence of the second seal, namely of the persecution of the people who proclaim God’s word.

Black – Since the sun may symbolize the gospel (John 3:18-21), the black of the third horse might be understood as darkness, the absence of the light of the sun, and as the opposite of the white horse, and, therefore, the absence of the gospel or even opposition to the gospel. Show More

Food – The Bible often uses food in a spiritual sense. For example, Jesus is “the bread of life” (John 6:35). Show More

Fourth Seal – Ashen Horse

“When the Lamb broke the fourth seal …
behold, an ashen horse;
and he who sat on it had the name Death;
and Hades was following with him.
Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth,
to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence
and by the wild beasts of the earth.” (Rev 6:7-8)

Ashen – The adjective “pale” or “ashen” (NASB) translates the Greek word that was used in ancient times to describe the appearance of a very sick person on the verge of death. 

Death … Hades – The name of the fourth horseman is Death. He is death personified. Hades, the place where the dead is, followed after him. As in human experience, after death comes the grave. Show More

Authority was given to them – God gave Death and Hades permission to do their work. God is not the author of death or suffering. He does not desire the human race to suffer. But out of respect for human freedom, He allows human beings both the freedom to choose and the consequences of their choices.

To kill with Sword … Famine and … Pestilence … Wild Beasts. – The fourth rider has both the sword of the second seal and the famine of the third but intensifies them by adding pestilence and the beasts of the earth. The judgments become more and more severe.

Spiritual Death

Since the four horsemen form a unit, the death in the fourth seal must be the consequence of the spiritual famine of the previous seal. It is, therefore, interpreted as spiritual death, permanent exclusion from mercy, and the frightful result for people who have chosen to exclude God and His mercy from their lives.

Zechariah’s horses

Zechariah’s visions also have colored horses and sound similar to the four horsemen of Revelation 6. However, they are substantially different. While Zechariah’s horses serve as scouts and signify God’s awareness of what is happening on earth, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse actively bring the gospel and then major calamities. (Zech 1:8; 10-12; 14-16; 6:1-8) Therefore, Zechariah’s horses do explain the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Show More

  • Purpose of the Seals

    In Revelation 5, God has in His hand a book that is “sealed up with seven seals,” and nobody is able to break the seals and open the book (Rev 5:1-3). Previous articles interpreted this as follows:

    The book is the Book of Life, listing the people God elected to eternal life.

    The seals are Satan’s informed and well-motivated accusations against God’s elect, preventing the heavenly beings from being able to explain why God saves only those sinners.

    But then, the Son of God became a human being. Although He was tempted to the utmost, He “has overcome so as to open the book” (Rev 5:5-6). His entire life, but particularly the hours of His death, has demonstrated Him to be “the faithful and true Witness” (Rev 3:14), “worthy” to take the book and break its seals (Rev 5:9). In other words, He is “worthy” to show that God’s judgments, as contained in the Book of Life, are perfect. (Read Article)

    In Revelation 6, Jesus breaks the seals one by one, causing catastrophes on Earth. By breaking the seals, He refutes Satan’s accusations and shows that God judges perfectly. Like Jesus’s life and death showed that He is worthy, these seal events on Earth show that God’s people are worthy. (Read Article)

Other Articles

The Seven Seals

Other

  • I recommend Jon Paulien’s commentary on Revelation for further reading. For general theological discussions, I recommend Graham Maxwell, who you will find on the Pineknoll website.
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