The fifth seal Jesus opened in Revelation 5 transported John to Paradise, where Jesus rules and protects his people. What he saw there is the cost paid by God's people as they serve him in a culture at WAR with God: including Christ's own religious culture and western culture's secular, materialistic, diversity-driven societies.
To silence the clamor of skeptics, it's important to know what the souls under the altar didn't ask. First, they didn't ask WHERE GOD IS! A favorite charge unbelievers make against God. The holy and true Despot—used in Luke 2:29 and Acts 4:24—the all-knowing, all-truthful, all-wise, all-merciful and ALWAYS-eternal God IS on his throne—forever. Second, what they didn't ask: Why Are We Suffering? Again, a favorite response of many, even good, people. Although the souls are the ones HURT and KILLED, they saw it as a necessity, not a surprise; as a blessing from God, not a curse from God. It meant they had been faithful to Jesus. That teaches Christians, when we wonder WHY we have to be opposed, STOP wondering and understand it's essential to the righteous life. Indeed, not only do we experience the pain resulting from our sins, but from our obedience to Jesus. In Genesis 2:15 God warned Satan that Jesus would crush his head and he would bruise Christ's heel. A not particularly important of his anatomy, or ours. But essential if we want to walk, run or stay on our feet all day. That's an illustration, but here's its truth: God's people must learn to accept cultural opposition because we live within God's will and culture lives outside it. We accept as the price of our spiritual enfranchisement that Satan will hurt as many of us as he can in as many ways as he can in the time God allots him. In summary, then, Christians are sighted spiritually in a company of the spiritually blind; Biblically educated in the company of the Biblically illiterate; solid in our spiritual commitment in the company of fluctuating values and behaviors. Our life and belief come from the Living God and his Christ. Culture's from their vain hope in human-based illusions. And never shall the twain meet. And never can Christians compromise Christ's standards to make peace with those who hate Christ and his eternal TRUTH.
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