Most modern translations have something like “until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters” (NSRV). However, the word ‘number’ does not appear in the Greek and its inclusion perversely implies that a predetermined number of Christ’s witnesses must perish before the judgments of God will be revealed. Such a belief would encourage Christians to hasten the end by provoking their own martyrdom, leading to the trivialization of this supreme act. Literally translated, the martyrs under the altar must wait “until also their fellow-servants and their brothers have been filled (πληρωθῶσιν)”. This is an allusion to priestly consecration, since ‘to fill the hand’ is the literal translation of the ancient Hebrew expression for the consecration of the priests (מלא יד: the etymology is obscure). Furthermore, this Hebrew expression is translated literally in the Greek version of the OT (the Septuagint) using the same verb or its cognate forms (πληροῦν, πίμπλημι, ἐπιπίμπλημι τὴν χεῖρα). In this context, then, the use of the Greek verb that means ‘to fill’ not only evokes the priestly consecration, but also suggests an act of consecration that involves the whole soul and not just the ‘the hand’. It is not stated in the text precisely what fills the souls of these martyrs, but it seems to be the vision of the throne itself, after their martyrdom, that entirely fills their souls and so completes their consecration (cf. Acts 7,55-56; 2,28).