Revelation 6:9-11ESV
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 witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told 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.
If the elders are the church which has been saved by the blood of Jesus, then those under the alter might reference the saints of Israel. Notice the different wording used for the reason they were slain. They were slain for "the word of God and the witness they had borne". There is no mention of Jesus and His testimony. This can remind us of the veil that covers the eyes of Israel to this day. They have yet to see Jesus, mourn for the one they pierced, and be sealed in the Holy Spirit. We will see their sealing and following Christ in the 144,000 mentioned later in this book. Then they will witness to the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 12:17
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
Israel is the woman. The offspring are the children of God who have trusted in Jesus.
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