THEOSISCaesarius of Arles
By the altar standing before God one must understand the Church. During the final persecutions, She dared to despise the words and commands of the most merciless king, and to separate Herself from those who obeyed him.
Revelation 9:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And the sixth angel sounded the trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before the eyes of God,
και ο εκτος αγγελος εσαλπισεν και ηκουσα φωνην μιαν εκ των τεσσαρων κερατων του θυσιαστηριου του χρυσου του ενωπιον του θεου
The Church Fathers on this verse
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Beda Venerabilis
The sixth trumpet speaks of the beginning of the war waged by the antichrist and his followers against the Church. Then, after an insertion devoted to a repeated account of the coming of the Lord, it speaks of this enemy's defeat.
The sixth angel symbolizes those who prophesy concerning the final trials and reveal, as the Gospel foretells, the deception of the antichrist.
Without doubt, the horns of the golden altar are the Gospels, which project from the body of the Church.
Borodin P.M.
In Old Testament times, criminals who grasped one of the horns of the altar in the Temple received mercy. But if all four horns of the golden altar standing before God command with one voice that the death-dealing powers be loosed, then there is nowhere on earth to seek pardon.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Rev 8:3And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer: and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints, upon the golden altar which is before the throne of God.
- Rev 8:5And the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and cast it on the earth: and there were thunders and voices and lightnings and a great earthquake.
- Ex 30:2It shall be a cubit in length, and another in breadth, that is, four square, and two in height. Horns shall go out of the same.
- Ex 30:3And thou shalt overlay it with the purest gold, as well the grate thereof, as the walls round about, and the horns. And thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about,
- Heb 10:21And a high priest over the house of God:
- Rev 9:1And the fifth angel sounded the trumpet: and I saw a star fall from heaven upon the earth. And there was given to him the key of the bottomless pit.
- Heb 9:24For Jesus is not entered into the Holies made with hands, the patterns of the true: but into Heaven itself, that he may appear now in the presence of God for us.
The original text
Greek text, 21 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
- ΚαὶkaiandG2532 · καί
- ὁhotheG3588 · ὁ
- ἕκτοςhektossixthG1623 · ἕκτος
- ἄγγελοςangelosan angelG32 · ἄγγελος
- ἐσάλπισενesalpisenI sound a trumpetG4537 · σαλπίζω
- καὶkaiandG2532 · καί
- ἤκουσαēkousaI hearG191 · ἀκούω
- φωνὴνphōnēna soundG5456 · φωνή
- μίανmianoneG1520 · εἷς
- ἐκekfrom outG1537 · ἐκ
- τῶνtōntheG3588 · ὁ
- τεσσάρωνtessarōnfourG5064 · τέσσαρες
- κεράτωνkeratōna hornG2768 · κέρας
- τοῦtoutheG3588 · ὁ
- θυσιαστηρίουthysiastēriouan altarG2379 · θυσιαστήριον
- τοῦtoutheG3588 · ὁ
- χρυσοῦchrysougoldenG5552 · χρύσεος
- τοῦtoutheG3588 · ὁ
- ἐνώπιονenōpionbefore the face ofG1799 · ἐνώπιον
- τοῦtoutheG3588 · ὁ
- ΘεοῦtheouGodG2316 · θεός