The Strait and Narrow

Posts Tagged ‘breath’

 

Abel’s blood, not Abel himself, cried out to the Lord. Clearly this did not happen in a literal sense. Abel’s shed blood cried out from the ground to the Lord symbolically, for justice to be done, for his blood to be avenged, just like in Revelation 6:10.

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

It is the Hebrew word nephesh that gives us the key:

Leviticus 17:11

Leviticus 17:11

Leviticus 17:11

Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the blood of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Now verses 9 and 10 are coherent. It is the shed blood of the martyrs that is seen “under the altar”, not immortal bodiless souls. Just as Abel’s blood cries out symbolically for justice to the Lord, so does the blood of the martyrs “under the altar”. So, just what does “under the altar” mean, and where is this altar.

Now again, we have determined that Revelation 6:9 refers to the blood of Christian martyrs as being “under the altar”. This expression “under the altar” is explained by how sacrificial blood was used in the sanctuary. And knowing that there are two altars the altar of burnt offerings in the outer court, and the altar of incense in the first apartment of the sanctuary, or holy place.

Leviticus 4:7 And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

So how then would we interpret Revelation 20:4?

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Would it not be correct to translate “souls” as blood and would read as:

“souls of the beheaded”

4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the blood of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Would that then change our view of those that were slain for their witness of Jesus that John saw their blood, that in of itself can’t refer to all christains from all generations, can it?