Is it your job to exact justice on others? Revelation 6-11

Revelation 6:9-10 (NASBStr)

The Fifth Seal—Martyrs

 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

In Revelation 6 we have the unfolding of the seven seals of judgment.   Although lost in our normal day-to-day speech, God's judgment is real and imminent.   In the above description of the fifth seal, those who have been and will, yet, be martyred for the sake of the Gospel will cry out to God for judgment on those who persecuted and abused them.  The phrase "underneath the alter" should be understood in the context of Old Testament worship and sacrifice.   In the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple, the sacrifice would be laid on the alter.   Once offered, however, the blood of the offering would pour out through the bottom of the alter.   Therefore, the blood under the alter represents the souls of those who's lives were taken for the sake of Christ.   Like Abel's blood in the ground that called out for God's judgment (Genesis 4:10), so, too, does the blood of saints, here, call out.   Even in death there is a deep desire in the human soul for justice.   When someone "does us wrong" we have a great desire to see and know justice has been carried out on them.   When we don't get justice and/or we think they will "get away with it" we want to exact our own justice.  We do aggressive, or, more likely, passive aggressive behaviors to make them uncomfortable, unpleasant, or, pay for their offense.   The problem arises is that we neither know real justice, lack truce grace and mercy to carry it out justly.   Our justice, is ... unjust.   Here in the above verse we see the ultimate prayer of the saints: Asking the God of justice, mercy and grace to carry out the justice we cry for in our lives.   Only God can exact perfect justice.  Only God has the perfect balance of justice, mercy and grace.   The reason I can forgive others and live at peace over injustice is that I know that God will exact perfect justice.  Those who have offended me have been judged on the cross.  If they are believers their penalty has been paid in perfect justice by what Christ suffered on the cross.   We can rest and be assured that those who don't believe will be judged.  That is God's promise to us.  This is what we see prayed in the above verses.  Even in death we need justice.   We just have to remember it is God who is to exact the justice, not us.