Free Bible Commentary
“Revelation 8:7-13”
Categories: Revelation“The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
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“The three series of sevens follow a uniform pattern with the first four being alike, followed by two, and then the final one. The first four trumpets affect areas of nature whereas the next two pronounce woes upon mankind. This same pattern is followed with the seven bowls of wrath (16:1-21). (Harkrider) Trumpets were used throughout the Old Testament to call God’s people to a wide variety of different purposes and gatherings (Numbers 10:1-10). Even in the New Testament the sound of the trumpet is used to symbolize the advent of the Great Resurrection and gathering together of the Lord with His people that will occur on the Final Day of Judgment (1 Corinthians 15:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). It seems obvious that the trumpet blasts recorded in Revelation chapters 8-9 serve to warn the wicked to repent of their evil ways, and to rouse the righteous to greater faithfulness and a closer walk with Gog.
The supernatural calamities depicted in today’s verses are not literal, but they are used symbolically for natural disasters on the earth that should serve to remind mankind of their weakness and vulnerability, and total dependence upon their Creator. The sounding of the first trumpet sent forth “hail and fire, mixed with blood” upon the earth (verse 7). God has used fiery hail and brimstone as instruments of His divine judgment against the wickedness and rebellion of man (Genesis 19:24; Exodus 9:23-24), and the blood mixture of verse 7 was the penalty demanded for those who shed the innocent blood of mankind upon the earth (Genesis 9:6). Only “a third part of the earth was” affected, so the destruction depicted is not total annihilation. “The judgment is against the wicked and upon the realm in which the unregenerate find their life and objects of worship. Living only for the material and physical, theirs is a life spent in rebellion against God and the spiritual. With the destruction of that for which man lives, his pride is humbled.” (Hailey) Or should be, anyway.
“The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood” (verse 8). “This symbolizes the fall of an eminent unidentified power cast down as Babylon of old” (Jeremiah 51:25, 42). “The sea, which signifies the mass of humanity or society…is greatly affected… Men are not specifically mentioned, but they are probably included in the suffering. The vision indicates judgment upon a worldly society when its center of power is cast down and its economy falls with it.” (Hailey) The sea that “became blood” is reminiscent of one the Egyptian plagues, as many of these “trumpet disasters” are. So far we see the earth, the trees, the grass, and the sea greatly affected by the righteous wrath of the great God of heaven. Next comes the “rivers and springs of waters” (verse 10).
When the angel sounded the third trumpet, “a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters” (verse 10). As Rome is depicted to be “Babylon the great” (Revelation 17:5; 18:2), we are reminded of the prophecy against Babylon in Isaiah 14:12: “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!” “Wormwood” (verse 11) is a bitter plant used to symbolize God’s censure and condemnation, and usually against the practice of idolatry (Deuteronomy 29:18). All things good and fresh turn harmful and bitter when we arrogantly elevate anyone or anything to the place of preeminence in our hearts that is only suitable for God. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18)!
“The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened” (verse 12). As the ninth plague plunged Egypt into blackness of night, the fourth trumpet darkened the light of the sun, moon and stars for “a third” of the time. First century Christians familiar with Old Testament symbolism would have understood that this was the terminology of God’s judgment against peoples and nations who practiced unrighteousness and refused to honor and serve the Lord in reverence and fear (Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 3:15; Amos 8:9).
The “eagle” is frequently used as a symbol for imminent disaster (verse 13). As this eagle flew about in “midheaven,” it screeched with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” The worst is yet to come for those who do not know the Lord and refuse to obey His righteous laws!!!
Please read Revelation 9:1-6 for tomorrow.
Have a blessed day!
-Louie Taylor
