Revelation 9:13

Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator observes the sixth angel sounding his trumpet during the sequence of judgments, immediately following the conclusion of the first woe. A voice emerges from the four horns of the golden altar positioned before God.

The words — The Greek ἤκουσα (ēkousa) translates literally as "I heard," and φωνὴν (phōnēn) means "voice," marking the narrator's direct auditory perception of a command. ἕκτος (hektos) identifies the trumpet-bearer as the sixth in the sequence.

The thread — The golden altar with four horns mirrors the specifications of the Old Testament altar in Exodus 30:2 and the heavenly altar imagery in Revelation 8:3. The voice's location before God corresponds to the heavenly sanctuary description in Hebrews 9:24.

Why it lands — The text locates the source of the coming judgment at the altar before God, establishing that the subsequent release of bound angels proceeds from divine protocol. The reader must recognize that the unfolding judgments operate within the established framework of heavenly worship rather than arbitrary chaos.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

Cross-references

Revelation 8:3 Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.
Exodus 30:2 It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.
Hebrews 10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.