Read & explore together
The Sixth Trumpet
This vision shows the sixth trumpet bringing a severe judgement. The passage describes what John heard and saw, then ends by showing how the survivors responded.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
In this part of Revelation, the sixth angel sounds a trumpet. John reports a voice from the golden altar before God, a command about four bound angels at the Euphrates, the vast horsemen he saw in the vision, and the refusal of the remaining people to repent.
Revelation 9:13–21Main takeaway
This passage presents a fearful vision of judgement and shows that even after devastating plagues, many people still refused to turn from idolatry and wrongdoing.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01The sixth trumpet and the commandThe scene begins when the sixth angel sounds. John hears a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar before God.
Explanation
The scene begins when the sixth angel sounds. John hears a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar before God. The voice tells the angel to free four angels bound at the great river Euphrates. The passage reports this as part of the vision John heard and saw.
02Four angels prepared for a set timeThe four angels are freed, and the text says they had been prepared for a precise hour, day, month, and year.
Explanation
The four angels are freed, and the text says they had been prepared for a precise hour, day, month, and year. Their purpose here is to kill one third of mankind. The wording stresses that this judgement is measured and appointed within the vision.
03The immense army and the horses’ powerJohn states the number of the mounted armies as two hundred million and says, “I heard the number of them.”
Explanation
John states the number of the mounted armies as two hundred million and says, “I heard the number of them.” He then describes the riders’ breastplates and the horses’ strange features: heads like lions, with fire, smoke, and sulfur coming from their mouths. Their tails are also dangerous, like serpents with heads.
04Plagues, death, and stubborn refusalThe fire, smoke, and sulfur are called three plagues, and by them one third of mankind is killed.
Explanation
The fire, smoke, and sulfur are called three plagues, and by them one third of mankind is killed. Yet the rest do not repent. They continue worshipping demons and lifeless idols of metal, stone, and wood, and they do not turn from murders, sorceries, sexual immorality, or thefts.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What details show that John is reporting a vision rather than ordinary events?
Notice phrases such as “I heard”, “Thus I saw”, and the unusual description of the horses and their power.
02What does the passage say about the timing and purpose of the four angels being freed?
Look carefully at the exact wording about the hour, day, month, and year, and at what they were freed to do.
03How does the final response of the survivors deepen the seriousness of this passage?
Compare the severe plagues with the repeated statement that the rest of mankind “didn’t repent”.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Revelation 9:13–21
13The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”
15The 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.
16The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them.
17Thus I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.
18By these three plagues, one third of mankind was killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths.
19For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads; and with them they harm.
20The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can’t see, hear, or walk.
21They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.