Revelation 9:15
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.
So the four angels
These angels are distinct from the seven angels with trumpets and the angelic beings around God's throne. They are bound at the Euphrates, indicating a specific and significant role in God's plan. The number four often symbolizes universality or completeness in the Bible, suggesting a comprehensive impact on the earth.

who had been prepared
This preparation indicates divine foreknowledge and sovereignty. God has a specific plan and timing for these angels, emphasizing His control over the unfolding of end-time events. This preparation aligns with the biblical theme of God's meticulous planning, as seen in Ephesians 1:11.

for this hour and day and month and year
The specificity of the timing underscores the precision of God's plan. It reflects the biblical theme of appointed times, similar to the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27, where specific timeframes are given for future events. This precision assures believers of God's ultimate control over history.

were released
The release of these angels signifies a transition from restraint to action, highlighting a shift in God's judgment. This release parallels the concept of God allowing certain events to unfold, as seen in Job 1:12, where God permits Satan to test Job within set boundaries.

to kill a third of mankind
This severe judgment reflects the gravity of humanity's rebellion against God. The fraction "a third" indicates a significant but not total destruction, suggesting a warning and a call to repentance. This echoes the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 7-11), where judgments served as both punishment and a call to acknowledge God's sovereignty.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Four Angels
These are the four angels who had been bound at the great river Euphrates. Their release is a significant event in the unfolding of the end times as described in Revelation.

2. The Great River Euphrates
This is a significant geographical location in biblical history, often associated with boundaries and significant events. In Revelation, it serves as a symbolic location for the release of the four angels.

3. The Hour, Day, Month, and Year
This specific timing indicates the precision and sovereignty of God's plan. The release of the angels is not random but occurs at a divinely appointed time.

4. One-Third of Mankind
This refers to the portion of humanity that is affected by the actions of the released angels, highlighting the severity of the judgment.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Judgment
The precise timing of the angels' release underscores God's control over history and events. Believers can trust in God's perfect timing and justice.

The Reality of Divine Judgment
The release of the angels and the resulting destruction serve as a sobering reminder of the reality of God's judgment. It calls believers to live with an eternal perspective and urgency in sharing the Gospel.

The Call to Repentance
The severity of the judgment highlights the need for repentance. Believers are encouraged to examine their lives and turn away from sin, while also urging others to do the same.

The Importance of Readiness
The specific timing of the events reminds believers to be spiritually prepared at all times, living in a state of readiness for Christ's return.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the release of the four angels at the Euphrates reflect God's sovereignty and control over world events?

2. In what ways does the judgment described in Revelation 9:15 challenge you to live with an eternal perspective?

3. How can understanding the severity of divine judgment motivate us to share the Gospel with urgency?

4. What steps can you take to ensure you are spiritually prepared for Christ's return, as illustrated by the precise timing of these events?

5. How do the events in Revelation 9:15 connect with Jesus' teachings on the end times in the Gospels, and what practical applications can you draw from these connections?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Daniel 12:1
This verse speaks of a time of unprecedented distress, which connects to the catastrophic events described in Revelation.

Matthew 24:21-22
Jesus speaks of a great tribulation, which parallels the judgments and events in Revelation, including the release of the four angels.

2 Peter 3:9
This verse emphasizes God's patience and desire for repentance, providing a contrast to the judgment seen in Revelation 9:15.
The Inefficiency of Judgments to Lead All to RepentanceR. Green Revelation 9:12-21
ImpenitenceF. D. Maurice, M. A.Revelation 9:13-21
Man's Stubborn WillS. Conway, B. A.Revelation 9:13-21
The Sixth TrumpetJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Revelation 9:13-21
People
Abaddon, Apollyon, John
Places
Euphrates River, Patmos
Topics
Angels, Death, Free, Freed, Held, Hour, Kept, Kill, Liberty, Loosed, Mankind, Messengers, Month, Prepared, Readiness, Ready, Released, Slay, Third
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 9:15

     1657   numbers, fractions

Revelation 9:1-16

     4113   angels, agents of judgment

Revelation 9:13-19

     4369   sulphur

Library
Another Part of My Smoke' which You Frequently Laugh at is My Pretence
31. Another part of my smoke' which you frequently laugh at is my pretence, as you say, to know what I do not know, and the parade I make of great teachers to deceive the common and ignorant people. You, of course, are a man not of smoke but of flame, or rather of lightning; you fulminate when you speak; you cannot contain the flames which have been conceived within your mouth, and like Barchochebas, the leader of the revolt of the Jews, who used to hold in his mouth a lighted straw and blow it out
Various—Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.

The Comforts Belonging to Mourners
Having already presented to your view the dark side of the text, I shall now show you the light side, They shall be comforted'. Where observe: 1 Mourning goes before comfort as the lancing of a wound precedes the cure. The Antinomian talks of comfort, but cries down mourning for sin. He is like a foolish patient who, having a pill prescribed him, licks the sugar but throws away the pill. The libertine is all for joy and comfort. He licks the sugar but throws away the bitter pill of repentance. If
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus Heals Two Gergesene Demoniacs.
(Gergesa, Now Called Khersa.) ^A Matt. VIII. 28-34; IX. 1; ^B Mark V. 1-21; ^C Luke VIII. 26-40. ^b 1 And they came to the other side of the sea [They left in the "even," an elastic expression. If they left in the middle of the afternoon and were driven forward by the storm, they would have reached the far shore several hours before dark], ^c 26 And they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is over against Galilee. ^a 28 And when he was come into the country of the Gadarenes. ^c 27 And
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Thyatira
In the Epistle to Thyatira we have the reference to another and more intensified form of idolatry as developed and established in the days of Ahab, king of Israel; another who, like Balaam, "made Israel to sin" (1 Kings xvi. 30). Ahab was the first king who officially introduced and organised he most abominable form of heathen idolatry that the human mind ever conceived (1 Kings xvi. 33). See Revised Version, where the special significance of this abomination is conveyed and contained in the word
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

Triumph Over Death and the Grave
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. T he Christian soldier may with the greatest propriety, be said to war a good warfare (I Timothy 1:18) . He is engaged in a good cause. He fights under the eye of the Captain of his salvation. Though he be weak in himself, and though his enemies are many and mighty, he may do that which in other soldiers
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

The Eternity of God
The next attribute is, God is eternal.' Psa 90:0. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God.' The schoolmen distinguish between aevun et aeternum, to explain the notion of eternity. There is a threefold being. I. Such as had a beginning; and shall have an end; as all sensitive creatures, the beasts, fowls, fishes, which at death are destroyed and return to dust; their being ends with their life. 2. Such as had a beginning, but shall have no end, as angels and the souls of men, which are eternal
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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