Translation
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw
under the altar,
Go to footnote numberthe souls of those who had been slain because of the word of GOD
and because of the testimony which they upheld.
Paraphrase
When He demonstrated His authority for the fifth time, I saw how the blood of Jesus covered the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of THE CREATOR AND OWNER OF ALL THINGS and because of the testimony which they upheld.
Footnotes
1: Why does the paraphrase mention the blood of Jesus?
The text does not say that it was the blood of Jesus that covered them; that is an assumption. However, in the post-Calvary New Testament writings, such an assumption is not only safe, it is required. Here “altar” is used as a symbol of “sacrifice,” and we know that the only efficacious sacrifice was the death of Jesus.