Revelation 9:18
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
While it's easy to focus on the sheer destruction, notice how the text emphasizes the source of the devastation: "coming out of their mouths." This highlights that the very means of destruction are directly tied to the essence of these figures, a potent symbol of how destructive words and ideologies spewed forth can bring ruin.
By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The sixth trumpet has sounded, releasing fearsome, otherworldly horsemen from the Euphrates. These powerful beings, described as having lion-like heads and serpent-like tails, are now unleashed with devastating power. The immediate aftermath of their destructive force is depicted here, as fire, smoke, and sulfur erupt from their mouths, killing a third of the human population.
Why does Revelation specify 'a third part' of mankind? Is this a literal fraction, or something more profound?
The phrase 'a third part' appears multiple times in Revelation's trumpet judgments (8:7-12, 9:15, 9:18). It signifies a substantial, devastating portion, but not the entirety. This isn't about precise mathematical calculation, but about God's calibrated judgment. It shows God's restraint even in wrath, allowing a portion to survive and potentially repent.
Think of it this way: a judgment that wipes out everyone leaves no room for repentance or a future. By striking 'a third,' God sends a terrifying, undeniable message while still preserving a remnant, a stark warning to those who remain.
Fire, smoke, and sulfur spewing from mouths – what's the imagery here, and who or what does it represent?
The imagery of fire, smoke, and sulfur issuing from the mouths of demonic horses is intensely symbolic. This isn't a literal description of cavalry units. Instead, it paints a picture of devastating, destructive power unleashed.
Scholars suggest this imagery could allude to early gunpowder weapons, which produced fire, smoke, and brimstone-like residues. More broadly, it represents forces that bring death and destruction through their 'utterances' or actions. These could be military might, deceptive ideologies, or even spiritual attacks that corrupt and destroy.
The key is that the destructive force comes from their mouths, suggesting the power of words, commands, or pronouncements that lead to ruin.
Ask a follow-up
Why are these devastating plagues poured out? Is it random destruction, or is there a divine purpose behind it?
This judgment doesn't happen in a vacuum. Revelation repeatedly connects these catastrophic events to the unrepented sins of humanity. The commentary highlights that these forces are often unleashed 'against mankind for their sins of worldliness' and that those who experience these judgments often 'repent not of their murders, nor of their sorceries.'
God's judgment is a response to persistent rebellion and sin. The plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur serve as a terrifying consequence, revealing the latent destructive power that sin holds. It's a stark reminder that ignoring God's warnings and continuing in wickedness invites His righteous, though fearsome, retribution. The ultimate purpose is often to call people to repentance, even if many refuse.
Understand the original words
plēgē · Greek Noun
A term for a divine judgment or a disaster sent by God. In the context of Revelation, they represent severe divine visitations intended to call humanity to repentance, though here they result in death.
This vision describes devastating warfare, reflecting the historical impact of the Ottoman Turks and their innovative use of gunpowder weapons, which brought immense destruction to vast populations.
c. 1071 AD
Battle of Manzikert
The Seljuk Turks decisively defeated the Byzantine army, opening Asia Minor to Turkish settlement and marking a major shift in power.
c. 1300 AD
Emergence of the Ottoman Beylik
Osman I founded a principality in northwestern Anatolia, which would grow into the vast Ottoman Empire.
c. 1450-1500 AD— this verse
Ottoman Expansion and Use of Gunpowder
The Ottoman Empire expanded rapidly, effectively utilizing gunpowder weapons like cannons and muskets in their conquests.
1453 AD
Fall of Constantinople
The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, using massive cannons.
This passage describes the Nile turning to blood, an early instance of God using a natural element in a devastating plague against Egypt, mirroring the destructive force unleashed in Revelation.
Jeremiah 51:25The prophet describes God using Babylon as a 'crushing instrument' and a 'destroying stone' against nations, similar to how these horsemen are instruments of divine judgment.
Ezekiel 14:21This verse lists God's 'four severe judgments' – sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague – as means of punishment, echoing the severe, multifaceted destruction described in Revelation.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10This passage speaks of destructive signs and wonders done by the 'lawless one' through the deceitful working of Satan, highlighting the theme of powerful, deceptive forces bringing destruction.
ellicottRevelation 9:18: "By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths."
(18) By these three . . .—Better, From these three plagues were the third part of mankind slain, by the tire and the smoke and the brimstone which goeth forth out of their mouths. For the power of the horse is in their mouth, and in their tails, for their tails were like serpents, having heads, and with them they hurt (or, injure). The destru…
cambridgeRevelation 9:18: "By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths."
18 . By these three ] Read, by (lit. from ) these three plagues were the third part of men killed, by the fire, and the smoke, and the brimstone , &c.
While it's easy to focus on the sheer destruction, notice how the text emphasizes the source of the devastation: "coming out of their mouths." This highlights that the very means of destruction are directly tied to the essence of these figures, a potent symbol of how destructive words and ideologies spewed forth can bring ruin.
The sixth trumpet has sounded, releasing fearsome, otherworldly horsemen from the Euphrates. These powerful beings, described as having lion-like heads and serpent-like tails, are now unleashed with devastating power. The immediate aftermath of their destructive force is depicted here, as fire, smoke, and sulfur erupt from their mouths, killing a third of the human population.
The sixth trumpet has sounded, releasing fearsome, otherworldly horsemen from the Euphrates. These powerful beings, described as having lion-like heads and serpent-like tails, are now unleashed with devastating power. The immediate aftermath of their destructive force is depicted here, as fire, smoke, and sulfur erupt from their mouths, killing a third of the human population.
"By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths." — While it's easy to focus on the sheer destruction, notice how the text emphasizes the source of the devastation: "coming out of their mouths." This highlights that the very means of destruction are…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
