Apocalypse 9:13-21

13 Et le sixième ange sonna de la trompette; et j'entendis une voix, qui venait des quatre cornes de l'autel d'or, qui est devant Dieu,

14 Disant au sixième ange qui avait la trompette: Délie les quatre anges qui sont liés sur le grand fleuve de l'Euphrate.

15 Aussitôt furent déliés les quatre anges qui étaient prêts pour l'heure, le jour, le mois, et l'année, afin de tuer la troisième partie des hommes.

16 Et le nombre des cavaliers de cette armée s'élevait à deux cent millions; car j'en entendis le nombre.

17 Or je vis ainsi les chevaux dans la vision; ceux qui étaient assis dessus, avaient des cuirasses de couleur de feu, et d'hyacinthe, et de soufre; les têtes des chevaux étaient comme des têtes de lions, et de leurs bouches il sortait du feu, de la fumée, et du soufre.

18 La troisième partie des hommes fut tuée par ces trois choses, par le feu, par la fumée, et par le soufre, qui sortaient de leur bouche.

19 Car leur pouvoir était dans leurs bouches et dans leurs queues, et leurs queues, semblables à des serpents, avaient des têtes; et par celles-ci elles faisaient du mal.

20 Et le reste des hommes qui ne furent pas tués par ces plaies, ne se repentirent point des œuvres de leurs mains, pour cesser d'adorer les démons, et les idoles d'or, d'argent, d'airain, de pierre, et de bois, qui ne peuvent ni voir, ni entendre, ni marcher.

21 Ils ne se repentirent pas de leurs meurtres, ni de leurs enchantements, ni de leurs impudicités, ni de leurs rapines.

Apocalypse 9:13-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 9

This chapter gives an account of the blowing of the fifth and sixth trumpets, and of the effects following upon them. The fifth angel blows his trumpet, and a star falls; the key of the bottomless pit is given to him, which being opened by it, out of it comes smoke to the darkening of the sun and air, and out of the smoke locusts, who have power like scorpions, Re 9:1-3; whose power is restrained from using it to the hurt of the grass, or any green thing or tree, only of those who had not the seal of God in their foreheads; but are permitted, though not to kill men, yet to torment them five months, which is worse than death unto them, Re 9:4-6. The shapes of these locusts, which are said to be like horses, are described by their heads, faces, hair, teeth, breastplates, wings, and tails, and are said to have a king over them, whose name is mentioned, Re 9:7-11. The blowing of this trumpet brings on one of the woes mentioned in Re 8:13, and the two other follow, Re 9:12. The sixth angel blows his trumpet, and a voice is heard from the horns of the altar, directed to the said angel, ordering him to loose four angels bound in the great river Euphrates, where they were prepared, for a determinate time, to slay the third part of men, and they were loosed accordingly, Re 9:13-15. The number of the army, under these angels, is given, Re 9:16, and the horses and horsemen are described; the riders by their breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone; their horses' heads as heads of lions, fire, smoke, and brimstone, issuing out of their mouths, by which the third part of men are killed, Re 9:17,18. The reason of this slaughter is, because they had power both in their mouth and tails, which latter were like serpents, and had heads, with which they did mischief, Re 9:19; and yet such who were not killed by these plagues, but escaped, did not repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, fornication, and theft, Re 9:20,21.