Revelation 6: God’s Timeline

“⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.” -Revelation 6:9-11

During the time of the future seven-year tribulation discussed in Revelation, we are given a special insight into God’s timeline. In John’s writing regarding the fifth seal, souls cried out, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” These are apparently people with God who had been killed for their faith in Jesus. They knew Jesus was perfect and would make all things right. Their question was not a matter of if, but when.

In this case, these souls were simply told to “wait a little longer.” God’s plan had not quite come to full brew.

While this account is regarding souls speaking with God in the future, there are many parallels. Do you ever feel God is moving far too slowly for our tastes?

I know I do. I wonder why God allows ongoing poverty, people to die from cancer, or why bills seem to outpace the income. Where’s the answer to that prayer I just made? Why would a loving God let these things take place? In reading these verses, I realize God not only knows about the issues that concern me, but already has an answer in the making. The difference is that God operates from a different timeline. His schedule is far greater than mine. I see the problems in front of me, not all of eternity. In contrast, our Creator knows the end from the beginning and has each step prepared in the process.

We may not like his schedule at times, but that’s because we don’t see the whole story. His story is best, and one we do well to follow even when we don’t fully understand it.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.