Souls under the Altar

 Ezekiel 15-16; Psalms 70; Revelation 6 

“…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. 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?’”

Revelation 6:9, 10

The blood of the sacrifices offered on the altar of atonement in the temple was to be sprinkled on the horns of the altar, but the rest of the blood was to be poured out at the base of the altar. This blood-soaked ground speaks of the complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Christ’s sacrifice of love prompts our sacrifice and service of love, even unto death. The cries of the martyrs under the altar, like the blood poured out, remind us that it is the atoning blood of Christ alone, which makes our service acceptable to God and ultimately brings justice. We, too, overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by our testimony, and by loving not our lives unto death. We love because he first loved us.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for your atoning sacrifice for me. I offer my life as a living sacrifice to you, for your glory.”