Q416 : God’s Wrath and the Fifth Seal of Revelation

How do we address the idea that [pretribulationalism teaches] God is pouring out his wrath in the seals and yet the 5th seal involves martyrdom of the saints?

The pre-wrath argument goes that though the authority is “given,” that does not mean the activity is itself divine wrath. It may reflect God's permissive will rather than active judgment. As in Job 1–2, Satan is “granted” authority to harm Job, but the harm originates from Satan, not God’s wrath. The martyrs are crying in protest.

But if we say by contrast that the seals involve divine wrath aren’t we saying that God is slaying the saints in wrath?

A416 : by Tony Garland

I believe the key to answering this question is found in Romans 9.

22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction (Romans 9:22)

In regard to the fifth seal and the martyrs, my view would be that the martyrdom of these saints is an indirect form of God’s wrath. The martyrs are not the objects of God’s wrath, but their martyrdom contributes to God’s wrathful judgment upon the perpetrators. This is akin to the situation in Genesis 15 where God reveals, 16 . . . the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. (Genesis 15:16) God purposefully delays judging the Amorites to build the “ultimate case” which allows the full extent of their wickedness to manifest. This, in turn, results in a greater judgment.

We see this same idea in the instructions given to the martyrs at the fifth seal, who are told, 11 to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (Revelation 6:11)

God allows the perpetrators to continue to store up wrath. When the full number of martyrs accumulates, only then will God’s rightful and more-severe judgment intervene.

This understanding finds support in Romans 1, where the 26 . . . wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men . . . (Romans 1:18) The expression of God’s wrath involves Him “giving them up [or over]” to the ungodly activities they so desire: uncleanness (v. 24) and vile passions (v. 26). Rather than intervene to prematurely limit the flowering of their sinful desires, God allows their sin to fully manifest such that a more-wrathful judgment results. (His wrath is heightened, but justly so.)

I believe a similar situation is at work in the fifth seal. The martyrs prefer that God would intervene immediately, but God delays justice to allow the perpetrators to fully manifest their sin resulting in stronger condemnation and judgment. God is telling the martyrs, “have patience and wait until your murderers manifest the full depth of their sin” and their deserved punishment grows larger than it would have otherwise been. By delaying, the perpetrators are subjected to the wrath of God.