Revelation 15:4
What does Revelation 15:4 mean?
A plain-English look at Revelation 15:4 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Revelation 15:4 means
The worshipers confess that God alone is holy in an absolute sense, worthy of reverent fear and universal glory. They foresee a day when all nations will come and bow before Him, because His righteous acts have been openly displayed. Judgment does not hide God; it reveals Him. When His holiness and justice are manifest, no rival remains credible, and worship becomes the only fitting response. This anticipates the final gathering of the nations to acknowledge God’s rule. It also assures believers that their present minority stance will give way to a universal recognition of God’s righteousness.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949What man is there who will not have fear before you, O Lord, and give glory to your name? because you only are holy; for all the nations will come and give worship before you; for your righteousness has been made clear.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862who may not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? because Thou alone <FI>art<Fi> kind, because all the nations shall come and bow before Thee, because Thy righteous acts were manifested.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy. For all nations shall come and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Who shall not fear [thee], O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [thou] only [art] holy; for all nations shall come and do homage before thee; for thy righteousnesses have been made manifest.
Context
This verse completes the song begun in verses 2–3, moving from God’s character to the world’s response. It sets a global horizon: the judgments are not mere punishments but disclosures that lead to the acknowledgment of God’s holiness. With the worship concluded, the narrative returns in verse 5 to the heavenly temple, the source from which the seven angels proceed. That transition marks a shift from interpretation (through song) back to action, as preparations intensify for the bowls to be delivered.
v.3And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages.
v.4This passage
v.5And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Habakkuk 1:12
Art not thou from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, my Holy One? we shall not die. O Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast established him for correction.
- Psalms 105:7
He is Jehovah our God: His judgments are in all the earth.
- Psalms 22:23
Ye that fear Jehovah, praise him; All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; And stand in awe of him, all ye the seed of Israel.
- Psalms 99:9
Exalt ye Jehovah our God, And worship at his holy hill; For Jehovah our God is holy.
- Psalms 99:5
Exalt ye Jehovah our God, And worship at his footstool: Holy is he.
- Isaiah 24:15
Wherefore glorify ye Jehovah in the east, even the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.
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