Revelation 9 15

Revelation 9:15 kjv

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.

Revelation 9:15 nkjv

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

Revelation 9:15 niv

And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

Revelation 9:15 esv

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

Revelation 9:15 nlt

Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth.

Revelation 9 verses

Revelation 9 15 Meaning

Revelation 9:15 reveals a critical phase of God's judgment during the sixth trumpet. Four specific angels, previously held in constraint, are released from their bound state. Their release is precisely timed by God to the very hour, day, month, and year. Their divine mandate is clear and destructive: to bring about the death of one-third of all humanity on Earth, marking a devastating escalation in God's judgments against unrepentant mankind.

Revelation 9 15 Context

Revelation 9:15 is an integral part of the sixth trumpet judgment, described from Revelation 9:13-21. The preceding fifth trumpet brought torment but not death to unrepentant humanity. However, with the sixth trumpet, the severity escalates dramatically. The verse immediately follows a command from the golden altar to release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates (Rev 9:13-14). This unleashing signifies a divinely permitted and precisely timed act of judgment, moving from widespread suffering to outright lethal devastation. Historically and culturally, the Euphrates river was a traditional route for invading armies threatening Israel from the East, implying powerful, possibly human, forces, or influences operating in conjunction with these destructive angels. The vision's vivid imagery draws on established Old Testament prophetic themes of divine judgment, depicting God's sovereign control over even destructive forces in history.

Revelation 9 15 Word analysis

• And: Links this action directly to the preceding divine command given at the altar, emphasizing continuity in the sequence of judgments.
• the four angels:
  • Greek: hoi tessares aggeloi. "Four" often symbolizes universality or the cardinal points, indicating a widespread reach of their judgment. These are specific angelic agents, not just abstract forces.
  • Significance: These are designated divine agents, distinct from previously mentioned angels, prepared for a particular, severe task.
• were loosed:
  • Greek: eluthēsan (from lyō), meaning "to unbind, set free." The passive voice highlights that their release is an action done to them, indicating divine authority and control. They were bound, now by divine decree, they are set free.
  • Significance: Implies they were previously restrained, likely from Jude 1:6 and 2 Pet 2:4 where rebellious angels are "kept in eternal chains" for judgment, or perhaps restrained for a divine purpose (cf. Rev 7:1). Their release signals the appointed time for their mission.
• which were prepared:
  • Greek: hoi hētoimasmenoi (from hetoimazō), meaning "to make ready, to prepare." The perfect participle emphasizes that they were set apart and made ready at some point in the past and continue in a state of readiness for this exact purpose.
  • Significance: This judgment is not random or chaotic but part of a meticulous divine plan. These angels are instruments carefully crafted for God's purposes.
• for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year:
  • Greek: eis tēn hōran kai hēmeran kai mēna kai eniauton. The definite article "the" before "hour" (in Greek) stresses the extreme precision and specificity of God's timing, implying a divinely appointed moment down to the smallest detail, not just any general time.
  • Significance: Highlights God's absolute sovereignty over time and events. It shows His meticulous orchestration of judgment, emphasizing that it unfolds exactly when and how He purposes, not due to human action or happenstance.
• for to slay:
  • Greek: hina apokteinōsin, a purpose clause. Directly states the destructive objective.
  • Significance: The explicit purpose of their release is death. This is a severe, terminal judgment.
• the third part of men:
  • Greek: to triton tōn anthrōpōn. "Third part" signifies a vast and devastating, yet not complete, destruction of the global population. This echoes earlier trumpet judgments where one-third of the earth, sea, and heavens were affected (Rev 8:7-12), showing an escalating scale.
  • Significance: Represents a partial judgment that is nonetheless horrific in scale, underscoring the severity of God's wrath and His justice against persistent unrepentance. It implies two-thirds remain for potential future events, perhaps repentance or further judgment.

Revelation 9 15 Bonus section

• While the "four angels" of Rev 9:15 are agents of destruction, they are distinct from the "four angels" in Rev 7:1 who are holding back the four winds of the earth, though both sets emphasize God's command over cosmic forces and world affairs.
• The emphasis on God's pre-appointment and precise timing of the judgment (hour, day, month, year) counters any notion of fate or chance. It affirms divine omnipotence and control over all of history and every specific event.
• The phrase "the third part of men" signifies a severe but not complete decimation, suggesting that these judgments are designed to bring about repentance or reveal humanity's hard-heartedness, setting the stage for subsequent judgments in Revelation. The continuation of idolatry and evil despite such devastation (Rev 9:20-21) underscores the deep rebellion of man.

Revelation 9 15 Commentary

Revelation 9:15 marks a climactic moment within the sixth trumpet judgment, unveiling God's precise and severe hand in global affairs. The release of the "four angels" signifies the deployment of specific divine agents for a destructive task. Crucially, their being "prepared" and let loose "for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year" underscores the absolute precision and sovereignty of God's timing. This is not arbitrary destruction but an act meticulously orchestrated within His eternal plan. Their explicit purpose "to slay the third part of men" highlights the terrifying scale of divine wrath, escalating from previous judgments (which often affected a "third part" of natural elements). This act of judgment emphasizes God's perfect justice against an unrepentant world, where even widespread death does not lead those remaining to repent, as Revelation 9:20-21 details.