Revelation 9:15

Verse

So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men.

Bible in Basic English

And the four angels were made free, who were ready for the hour and day and month and year, that they might put to death a third part of men.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year: for to kill the third part of men.

Free Bible Version

The four angels who had been kept ready for this particular hour, day, month and year were released to kill one third of humanity.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the foure Angels were loosed, which were prepared at an houre, at a day, at a moneth, and at a yeere, to slay the thirde part of men.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

Translation for Translators

The four angels were released, those who had been {He released the four angels, whom God had} kept ready for that exact hour of that day, of that month, of that year. They were released {He released them} in order that they might enable their soldiers to kill a third of the rebellious people.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The four angels who had been prepared for that hour, that day, that month, and that year, were released to kill a third of mankind.

Noah Webster Bible

And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men.

World English Bible

The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind.

Young's Literal Translation

and loosed were the four messengers, who have been made ready for the hour, and day, and month, and year, that they may kill the third of men;

Context

The Sixth Trumpet

¹⁴saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”¹⁵So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.¹⁶And the number of mounted troops was two hundred million; I heard their number.

Sermons

(Revelation - Part 1): John Saw Further in All Directions

A.W. Tozer

8.2K

Summary

In Revelation 9:15, we see a vivid description of an army of horsemen with breastplates of fire, sapphire, and sulfur, symbolizing destruction and judgment. This verse portrays a scene of immense power and devastation, indicating the consequences of sin and rebellion against God. The imagery serves as a warning of the ultimate judgment that will come upon those who reject God's mercy and continue in wickedness. It underscores the importance of repentance and turning to God before facing the righteous judgment depicted in the book of Revelation.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

For an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year - We have in this place a year resolved into its component parts. Twenty-four hours constitute a day, seven days make a week, four weeks make a month, and twelve months make a year. Probably no more is meant than that these four angels were at all times prepared and permitted to inflict evil on the people against whom they had received their commission. There are some who understand these divisions of time as prophetical periods, and to these I must refer, not professing to discuss such uncertainties.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And the four angels were loosed,.... The time being come, fixed by the decrees of God, making use of the Turks for the destruction of the eastern empire, the restraints of divine Providence were taken off from them, and they were suffered to pass the river Euphrates; they were let loose like so many furies, and in a little time overran and destroyed the whole empire, and settled their own, now called the Turkish or Ottoman empire; and which was done about the year 1301. Which were prepared for an hour and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men; which may in general denote their readiness, vigilance, and quick dispatch: they lay for a good while hovering over the banks of the river Euphrates, as if they were waiting for an order, or a commission to go over it: they were ready not only at a year's, a month's, a day's, but at an hour's warning, and all of them together; and as soon as ever they had the divine permission, they lost no time; they improved every opportunity, every year, every month, every day, every hour, to settle and enlarge their dominions to the ruin of others; and in a very short time did they accomplish what they desired: though others think this refers to a certain time fixed by God, in which they should be employed in killing men; and the sense is, that these people were prepared in the purposes and decrees of God, or were appointed for such a length of time here signified, by several dates, in which they should destroy a large multitude of men, by way of punishment for their idolatries, murders, sorceries, fornication, and thefts, Rev 9:20. An hour, which is the twenty fourth of a day or year, in the prophetic style, is fifteen days, and a day is a year, and a month is thirty years, and a year is three hundred sixty five years and a quarter, or ninety one days; in all, three hundred and ninety six years, and a hundred and six days; which is the precise time between A. D. 1057, when the Turkish empire begun, the empire of the Saracens being entirely demolished by Togrul Beg, or Tangrolipix, and A. D. 1453, in which year Constantinople was taken by the Turks, and an end put to the eastern Roman empire, signified by the third part of men; or else this space of time may be reckoned from the date of Ottoman's reign, May 19, 1301, which, to September 1, 1697, is just this term of time, when Prince Eugene obtained a remarkable victory over the Turks, the effect of which was the peace at Carlowitz the next year, since which time the Turks have done but little in Europe: and by this it should seem that their time of killing men here is over, and that their own destruction is hastening on. Mr. Daubuz rejects these computations, since a prophetic year consists of 360 days or years, and not 365, as those suppose; and thinks there is no mystery in these dates, and only signify the angels' unanimous execution of their commission at once.

Revelation 9:15

The Sixth Trumpet

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men.

Bible in Basic English

And the four angels were made free, who were ready for the hour and day and month and year, that they might put to death a third part of men.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year: for to kill the third part of men.

Free Bible Version

The four angels who had been kept ready for this particular hour, day, month and year were released to kill one third of humanity.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the foure Angels were loosed, which were prepared at an houre, at a day, at a moneth, and at a yeere, to slay the thirde part of men.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

The four angels who had been prepared for that hour, that day, that month, and that year, were released to kill a third of mankind.

Noah Webster Bible

And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men.

World English Bible

The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind.

Young's Literal Translation

and loosed were the four messengers, who have been made ready for the hour, and day, and month, and year, that they may kill the third of men;

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Revelation 9:15

Verse

Context

The Sixth Trumpet

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Revelation 9:15

The Sixth Trumpet

(Revelation - Part 1): John Saw Further in All Directions

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes