150    The Bible and the Future of the World 

God Sends These Scourges 

    It is God who sends these sufferings and afflictions upon the earth. This is 

clear because each horseman is only released after the Lamb, Jesus Christ, 

opens a seal. No one else can open the seals (Rev 5:3 5); therefore, no one 

else can bring these sufferings upon humanity. 

    Holy Scripture clearly presents these sufferings to us as a good thing. For 

when at first no one is found who can open the seals, John weeps:  ... and I 

wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into 

it.  (Rev 5:4). And after the Lamb is found worthy to open the seals and He 

takes the scroll, the elders and myriads of angels praise Him (Rev 5:8 14). 

     Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent.  

(Rev 3:19). 

The Fifth Seal (Rev 6:9 11) 

     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.... Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little 

longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be 

complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.  (Rev 6:9.11). 

    When the fifth seal is opened, the martyrs in Heaven ask God how much 

longer they will have to wait for justice upon the earth. God tells them to 

wait until the number of their fellow martyrs is complete. Thus, the fifth seal 

means that there will be a Great Martyrdom of Christians. This great 

persecution and massacre of Christians will occur after the events of the first 

four seals are completed. It will occur during the Arab occupation of Europe 

and after the unification of all Christians into one Church. 

    Christians will be hunted, jailed, tortured, and killed. Churches will be 

desecrated or destroyed. The Holy Mass and the Holy Eucharist will be 

mostly taken away, as will occur again during the Church's Crucifixion (in 

the 25th century). The Arab leaders will try to put an end to Christianity in 

the occupied countries. As the Holocaust was to the Jewish people, so this 

persecution will be to Christians. Millions of Christians in the occupied 

lands will be killed. 

    The Great Martyrdom marks the beginning of the last part of the Forty 

Years, a period of time which resembles the nearly seven years of the 

Church's great suffering (which will occur about 400 years later). This 

persecution will be greater than any previous persecution of Christians in the 

history of the Church. But it will not be as great as in the time of the