Revelation 6:9

The altar John saw was evidently in heaven (cf. Revelation 8:3; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 14:18). Earlier John had seen a throne-room in heaven (chs. 4-5), but now he saw a temple. Probably the concepts of palace and temple communicate aspects of God’s magnificent dwelling-place in heaven (cf. Psalms 11:4; Psalms 18:6; Psalms 29:9-10; Isaiah 6:1: Habakkuk 2:20). This altar was evidently an altar of sacrifice rather than an incense altar (cf. Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-5; Revelation 14:17-18). Under this altar were the souls (Gr. psyche, lives) of people who had died for their faith in God and their faithfulness to Him during the period just described (Revelation 6:3-8; i.e., in the Tribulation so far). Some amillennialists believe these martyrs are all Christians who die for their faith during the entire church age, which according to their view, is all believers who die from Christ’s ascension to His second coming. [Note: E.g., ibid., p. 396.] Preterists view these people as Christians who died in the first century of the church’s history. [Note: E.g., Swete, p. 92.] Perhaps the idea is that the lives of these martyrs were sacrifices to God (cf. Philippians 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:6). The "and" (Gr. kai) is again probably ascensive (cf. Revelation 1:2; Revelation 1:9) meaning the word of God "even" the testimony they maintained.

These people must be those who died after the Rapture since all Christians living at the time of the Rapture will experience bodily resurrection and go directly into Jesus Christ’s presence then (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Consequently the people John described in this verse are evidently those who come to faith in Christ after the Rapture (cf. Matthew 24:9; Luke 21:12). They became believers during the first half of the Tribulation and then suffered martyrdom for their faith. John did not see their resurrected bodies because God had not resurrected them yet. The resurrection of Tribulation saints will not occur until the end of that seven-year period (cf. Revelation 20:4).