Devine Scripture

Revelation 9:15

What does Revelation 9:15 mean?

A plain-English look at Revelation 9:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Revelation 9:15 means

The four angels are loosed, having been prepared for a specific hour, day, month, and year to kill a third of humanity. The precision underscores God’s sovereignty: this is neither early nor late. Unlike the fifth trumpet’s torment, the sixth brings mass death. The scale is staggering, but so is the control—prepared, appointed, and limited to a fraction. Judgment here is not random wrath but timed justice. That God had them “prepared” reminds us that even malign powers cannot move an inch apart from His plan. The verse confronts us with the sobering reality that life and death lie in God’s hands.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

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.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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.

ASV

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.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

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.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

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;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

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.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And the four angels were loosed, who are prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they might slay the third part of men;

Context

Building on verse 14, this verse announces the purpose and exact timing for the released angels. It marks a stark escalation from the nonlethal five-month torment of the fifth trumpet. The following verses (16–19) will describe the instrument by which this killing occurs—a vast army of horsemen and their terrifying horses—before verses 20–21 assess the moral response (or lack thereof) of the survivors.

v.14one saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates.

v.15This passage

v.16And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Revelation 9:18

    By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.

  • Revelation 8:9

    and there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed.

  • Revelation 9:10

    And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months.

  • Revelation 8:11

    and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

  • Revelation 8:7

    And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

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