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Revelation Chapter 8: Verse 7
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HE first angel sounded, and there followed hail and
fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part
of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a
great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of
the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in
the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great
star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of
the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and
the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters,
because they were made bitter. 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of
the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the
stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a
third part of it, and the night likewise. 13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the
midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of
the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,
which are yet to sound! (Rev 8:7-13)
There
is a wide diversity of opinion among conservative biblical commentators
concerning the meaning of the events described in this passage from Revelation
8:7-13. Any specific explanation on my part would seem presumptuous to say the
least when so many accomplished scholars over the past centuries do not agree
in each particular of meaning. However, there are some salient points that can
be discovered that are not subject to speculation. I will attempt to point
these out in this brief study.
For
one thing, there is a common feature that describes the first four soundings of
the trumpet are related to the physical Creation and life on the planet – “there
followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth:
and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up ~
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire
was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; ~ And the
third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the
third part of the ships were destroyed ~ And the third angel sounded, and there
fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the
third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; ~ And the
name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became
wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. ~
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten,
and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the
third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it,
and the night likewise.” All of these are manifestations in the
material Universe.
We
know from the writings of John in his Epistles that the spirit of anti-Christ
was active from the very moment of the Gospels beginning in our Lord’s
ministry. Certainly the Jewish rulers were complicit with that spirit, followed
by the Roman emperors, and, sad to say, many who claimed authority to preach
but falsely. Let us examine the following passages:
18 Little
children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come,
even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18) The biblical historicists are right in declaring this to be a relevant
aspect of the early Church age because, John himself tells us that “even now”
that spirit was active. The age in which John wrote was the “last time”,
so the reality of those anti-Christs was prevalent in the time of John and it
was, indeed, the last time (but before what?) There were great and horrifying
events about to occur both in the Church and in the Jewish world. Jerusalem was
about to be destroyed with the utmost cruelty being served upon her
inhabitants. But those converts to Christ had fled the city prior to its
destruction. But the spirit of antichrist did not cease with the onslaught of
those terrors of Jerusalem and the martyrdom of Christians in the Roman Empire
– it has continued through all centuries down to our own day, In fact, that
spirit has accelerated in our day.
22 Who is
a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that
denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but)
he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. (1 John
2:22-23) We know the
Pharisees denied Christ to His face. But these are not the only ones. What of
the Muslims today who worship another god called allah. He has no son, no Holy
Spirit, and no mercy or grace. They not only deny Christ, but the Father as
well.
2 Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the
world. (1 John
4:2-3) Sad to say, there are even so-called
Christian clergy of our day who are guilty of this great heresy. They
spiritualize Christ out of physical existence. The new Bible versions attempt
to demean both our Lord as only Begotten Son of the Father, but the reverence
due the Holy Ghost as well.
7 For
many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7) This verse applies to John’s day, but also to our own.
The spirit
of antichrist does not belong, in my view, to a single individual but to many
who deny those truths of the Gospel. We have had political leaders of our own
day do the same.
Perhaps the
this first trumpet signals the early heresies related to antichrist that began
to flourish in the early Church of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries, and beyond. One such
damnable heresy was the Arian heresy which claimed that our Lord was created by
God at a point in time, making Him not much greater than sinful man. But there
also arose many others which hit the Church like hail, fire, and brimstone. It
also resulted in internecine bloodshed in the early Church. But this heresy
still rears its shaggy head from time to time, and even in our own day.
And
the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was
cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood. The mountain referenced here is not a mountain of
stone and earth, but a great and ungodly power. Some have averred this to be
the apostate Church of Rome. Such a mountain is made reference to in Jeremiah: 25 Behold, I am against thee, O
destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I
will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and
will make thee a burnt mountain. (Jer 51:25) Perhaps this power has proselytes by way of early sea exploration in
spreading its deceitful and false doctrine. In many prophetic cases in the
Bible, the sea refers to populations or political entities. And the third
part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third
part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a
great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third
part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and
the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters,
because they were made bitter. Wormwood is known to be bitter. The falling star, burning as it were a
lamp, may mean the false philosophy that elevates a love for the earth above
the value of human and animal life. The so-called ‘Green Movement’ does just
that. Though I am not an apostle of this false philosophy, I do understand
man’s role as caretakers of the earth and protectors of all life forms –
including, and especially, that of the animal kingdom. But we do not protect
the idea of the sovereignty of the earth above our responsibilities of
caretakers.
Our
streams, rivers, and seas are polluted today to a greater extent ever before in
history. Sealife and fish in our rivers are dying. Drinking water is often
poison. But that does not mean that life should be forfeited for the benefit of
the sea. It means that we should exercise greater care in minimizing pollution.
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third
part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part
of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not
for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” The darkening of the lights of heaven means a
time when grave consequences are met due to those martyrs of God (under the
fifth seal) and the coming of the Lord in the sixth.
The
interim period is described before the great woes and judgments of Heaven about
to occur. “And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of
heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth
by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet
to sound!”
