SCRIPTURE: Revelation 6
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
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. 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?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. [Revelation 6:9-11]
This part of the vision reveals that everything that happens in history is a part of the plan, a result of Christ opening the scrolls.
Including famine, death, economic disaster, natural disasters, etc.
Including the persecution and death of His followers.
No protection is offered to believers, just the assurance that their death’s will be avenged… when the time is right.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. [Matthew 24:9-13]
Jesus predicts all of this as well, but also shows that many believers will fall away [their love will grow cold, see Revelation 2:4, 3:16].
And yet everyone that stands firm, even through death, will be saved.
From this vision, it appears that believers that die before the end will be taken to God’s heavenly temple (under the temple, covered by the sacrifice of Jesus), clothed in white, waiting for the end to come.
This is what we believe, that believers who die go to be with the Lord, until the last day.
In the meantime, the judgments of the scrolls are unleashed on earth, and the message of Jesus spreads through that time.
And not until the message reaches the ends of the earth, and all those who need to hear it, will the end come.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [Revelation 6:14]

I do not know how literal these visions are (is Jesus really a Lamb, are there really scrolls, are there really horsemen, etc.), but I do believe they represent the truth.
It is a vision, meant to communicate a deep and profound truth.
Meant to encourage believers to stand firm, even through hardship and persecution.
In light of the fact that we are still here, and the sufferings and hardships continue throughout the world, the time is obviously not right.
That means the gospel of the kingdom must still be preached as a testimony to all nations.
So whether the end is at hand (as many Christians believe), I cannot say; all I know is that we need to stand firm and testify to the nations, and leave the rest to Him!

PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for bold, inspiring examples of witnesses for You, who risk their own security and survival standing up for You. May I be like them!