Keep in mind that these seals are happening with space between each event… they aren’t happening in rapid succession….and while the events are sequenced, they overlap some of the trumpets. The tribulation begins with the tearing of the first 4 seals that send out the four horsemen. Time goes by between the sending of each horsemen… pretty much all the tribulation models have the 4th seal and horseman event after the midway point, so 3.5 years into the tribulation. The last 3.5 years then contain 4 seal events, 7 trumpet events and 7 bowl events in the pre-wrath model and post tribulation model. The hybrid models have events taking place a month after the 7 years, with the pouring of the bowls of wrath out on the earth in the bowl judgments. There is a good argument that supports these models, but let’s not get into that right now… right now we are about to read about the 5th seal… and the time for this event is after the first 3.5 years. By this point in time, Christians are routinely being put to death for their testimony…. evil has taken over …. the antichrist has been rising into power for about 4 years. To put that into perspective… look at history and how fast things change once a dictator or evil person takes over. It happens almost over-night… so imagine the MOST evil dictator ever being at his plan for over 4 years. Things on the earth will be horrific… and we are only at the 5th seal.

Revelation 6: 9-11

⁹ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

These were the ones slain just since the beginning of the tribulation, there are more that will eventually be slain… God knows the number of these martyred saints.

¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

¹¹ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

They likely got the robes as soon as they were put to death. It seems to me that the martyred saints are a select group of special saints because later the word says in Revelation 7:14-17
¹⁴ And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.¹⁵ Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.¹⁶ They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.¹⁷ For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The wording in the verse… tells about the saints and where they come from…what they endured… then the word THEREFORE… which means the fate of these saints is because of what they endured and how they endured it. Of course, this is just what it says to me.