And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
The three last seals relate to the invisible, as the first four to the visible world; the fifth, to the martyrs who died as believers; the sixth, to those who died, or shall be found at Christ's coming, unbelievers-namely, "the kings ... great men ... bond man ... free man;" the seventh, to the silence in heaven. The scene changes from earth to heaven; so that interpretations which make these three last consecutive to the first four are doubtful.
I saw - in spirit. Souls are not naturally visible.
Under the altar. As the blood of sacrificial victims on the altar was poured at the bottom of the altar, so the souls of those sacrificed for Christ's testimony are symbolically represented under the altar in heaven; for 'the life (animal soul) is in the blood,' and blood is often represented as crying for vengeance (Genesis 4:10). The altar in heaven, antitypical to the altar of sacrifice, is Christ crucified (Hebrews 13:10). As 'the altar sanctifies the gift,' so Christ alone makes our obedience, and even our sacrifice of life for the truth, acceptable to God. The sacrificial altar was not in the sanctuary, but outside; so Christ's literal sacrifice, and the figurative sacrifice of the martyrs, took place, not in the heavenly sanctuary, but outside, here on earth. The only altar in heaven is that antitypical to the temple-altar of incense. The blood of the martyrs cries from the earth under Christ's cross, whereon they may be considered virtually to have been sacrificed: their souls cry from under the altar of incense, which is Christ in heaven, by whom alone the incense of praise is accepted before God. They are under Christ, in His immediate presence; shut up unto Him in joyful expectancy, until He come to raise the sleeping dead. Compare the language, 2Ma 7:36 , as indicating Jewish opinion. 'Our brethren who have now suffered a short pain are dead under God's covenant х hupo (G5259) diatheekeen (G1242) Theou (G2316)] of everlasting life.'
Testimony which they held - i:e., bore, as committed to them. Compare Revelation 12:17, "have (hold) the testimony of Jesus."