...for He [the Lord] says, “At a favorable time I listened to you, and on a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”. - 2 Corinthians 6:2
Last Sunday we began our discussion of the 7 trumpet judgments. As you may recall, John saw 7 angels standing before the throne of God, each holding a golden trumpet. They began sounding their horns 1 at a time. When the first trumpet blared, ⅓ of the earth and its vegetation (trees, grasses, etc) was burned up. When the second blasted, ⅓ of the seas were turned into blood. This morning we will learn what happened when the 3rd and 4th trumpets were blown.
These first 4 trumpets are also known as the “⅓ Judgments”. I believe that they will occur in rapid succession during the early part of the Great Tribulation. The misery brought about by these drastic judgments make the tribulation of these days “great”.
I. THE 3RD TRUMPET: BITTER WATERS (Revelation 8:10-11)
John then heard the sound of the 3rd angel blowing his trumpet. He looked and saw a great star, burning like a torch, falling from heaven to the earth. Some commentators have suggested that this star might have been a comet or asteroid. When it struck the ground, ⅓ of the world’s rivers and springs were affected. It is reasonable to assume that this would also include lakes, ponds, streams, and other inland bodies of water. Thus, the 2nd trumpet (which we discussed last week) impacted the salt-water while the 3rd trumpet dealt with fresh water.
The name of this star was “Wormwood”. Wormwood is an herbal plant, well known for its bitterness. It is toxic and unsettling to the stomach, and in large enough amounts can be fatal. The Greek variation of this word means undrinkable. The term wormwood is used 9 times in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament. It is typically used as a metaphor to describe the bitter consequences of sin and judgment (Proverbs 5:4, Jeremiah 9:15, etc). Therefore, the most literal and obvious explanation of why this star was named Wormwood is because it made the waters bitter and non-potable.
Imagine the repercussions of such a judgment. If ⅓ of the world’s fresh water supply was suddenly lost, there would be an immediate and lasting shortage of drinkable water. This would be in addition to the reduced food supply already caused by the previous trumpets. It is estimated that people can only live about 3 days without water. Therefore, those without access to clean water would have no choice but to drink the bitter and polluted water (just as some people are forced to do even today). This would lead to widespread sickness and disease. As a result, Scripture states that “many people died”.
II. THE 4TH TRUMPET: INCREASED DARKNESS (Revelation 8:12)
When the 4th angel sounded, ⅓ of the sun, ⅓ of the moon, and ⅓ of the stars were struck. Unlike the first 3 trumpets which were precipitated by fiery hail, a burning mountain, and a blazing star respectively, this time John did not mention any type of object falling to the earth. He simply saw these celestial bodies change so that they would be darkened. Some experts argue that this judgment only affects the intensity of the light that shines. Others, based upon a closer reading of this verse, think it pertains to the duration of time that the light shines.
Jesus may have been referring to this trumpet judgment when He told the disciples that the days of the Great Tribulation would be “cut short” (Matthew 24:22, Mark 13:20). Seeing that the Bible clearly and repeatedly states that the Great Tribulation will last exactly 3 ½ years, or 1,260 days, it would be inconsistent and contradictory to believe that the number of these days could be decreased. Therefore, perhaps Jesus was referring to an actual shortening of the length of each individual day. How could that happen?
A handful of interpreters have proposed that following this trumpet the length of each day will be trimmed by ⅓ from 24 hours to 16 hours. If the amount of time that daylight shines is reduced by a third, and the nighttime is affected “in the same way” (ie, also reduced by a third) then maybe the 24 hour day would be shortened by 8 hours. Though I believe that with God anything is possible, this interpretation seems highly unlikely to me. Scientifically speaking, it would require the earth to rotate much faster on its axis which would cause all sorts of catastrophic problems. So what other alternative could explain the days being “cut short”?
Let’s consider how people use the word “day” to mean different things. Sometimes it refers to a full day consisting of 24 hours. Other times it means just the daytime, which is approximately 12 hours depending on one’s location and/or the season of the year. This is what we mean by saying, “The days are shorter in the Winter.” When Jesus said that the days would be shortened, He may have been explaining that the duration of daylight each day would be decreased. Since the night would suffer “in the same way”, the duration of nighttime light would also decline. The result would be a 24 hour day that included ⅓ daytime, ⅓ nighttime, and ⅓ utter darkness - no light at all from either the sun, moon, or stars.
However one interprets this verse and/or reconciles it with Jesus’ earlier statement in the gospels, the results will be bad. The ripple effects of having less light will be numerous and far-reaching. Its impact on plant life, the ocean tides, man’s emotional well-being, and countless other things will be extremely detrimental.
III. INTRODUCING THE 3 “WOES” (Revelation 8:13)
John then looked and heard an eagle flying in midheaven (which is the sky). Seeing that this “eagle” was able to speak, many commentators believe it was actually an angel. Some have even identified it as the 4th living creature - an angelic being with the face of an eagle who continuously flies around the throne praising God (Revelation 4:7). Or, seeing that God used a donkey to talk to Balaam during the exodus, perhaps this was an actual eagle that God miraculously allowed to speak...
This eagle said, “Woe, woe, woe to those who live on the earth”. His warning was given in anticipation of the remaining 3 trumpet blasts. They would be even more daunting. For this reason, the final 3 trumpet judgments (the 5th, 6th, and 7th) are often called “the 3 woes”. We will begin exploring them next week.
CONCLUSION
In closing, there is another interesting interpretation that seeks to tie the first 4 trumpet blasts together. Some see them collectively as a figurative description of a large-scale nuclear war. The various objects that John saw streaming down from the heavens could be nuclear missiles. The intense heat and mass destruction caused to the earth, trees, and waters could be the result of the nuclear blasts and their subsequent fall-out. The darkening of the skies could be attributed to radiation, dust, debris, and other pollutants filling the atmosphere. If so, this war would rage during the first part of the Great Tribulation, effectively ruining ⅓ of the earth, and would represent a significant escalation to the more conventional conflicts of the early tribulation period brought about by the 2nd (red) horseman.
Despite the incredible devastation brought about by these first 4 trumpet blasts, we can still see evidence of God’s longsuffering and mercy. Notice that the destruction, while certainly horrible, is limited to a fractional degree of ⅓. It is not yet complete. God is still showing restraint. For those people who survive these judgments, there is still time for redemption and hope for salvation. That said, their window of opportunity is quickly closing…
Last Sunday we began our discussion of the 7 trumpet judgments. As you may recall, John saw 7 angels standing before the throne of God, each holding a golden trumpet. They began sounding their horns 1 at a time. When the first trumpet blared, ⅓ of the earth and its vegetation (trees, grasses, etc) was burned up. When the second blasted, ⅓ of the seas were turned into blood. This morning we will learn what happened when the 3rd and 4th trumpets were blown.
These first 4 trumpets are also known as the “⅓ Judgments”. I believe that they will occur in rapid succession during the early part of the Great Tribulation. The misery brought about by these drastic judgments make the tribulation of these days “great”.
I. THE 3RD TRUMPET: BITTER WATERS (Revelation 8:10-11)
John then heard the sound of the 3rd angel blowing his trumpet. He looked and saw a great star, burning like a torch, falling from heaven to the earth. Some commentators have suggested that this star might have been a comet or asteroid. When it struck the ground, ⅓ of the world’s rivers and springs were affected. It is reasonable to assume that this would also include lakes, ponds, streams, and other inland bodies of water. Thus, the 2nd trumpet (which we discussed last week) impacted the salt-water while the 3rd trumpet dealt with fresh water.
The name of this star was “Wormwood”. Wormwood is an herbal plant, well known for its bitterness. It is toxic and unsettling to the stomach, and in large enough amounts can be fatal. The Greek variation of this word means undrinkable. The term wormwood is used 9 times in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament. It is typically used as a metaphor to describe the bitter consequences of sin and judgment (Proverbs 5:4, Jeremiah 9:15, etc). Therefore, the most literal and obvious explanation of why this star was named Wormwood is because it made the waters bitter and non-potable.
Imagine the repercussions of such a judgment. If ⅓ of the world’s fresh water supply was suddenly lost, there would be an immediate and lasting shortage of drinkable water. This would be in addition to the reduced food supply already caused by the previous trumpets. It is estimated that people can only live about 3 days without water. Therefore, those without access to clean water would have no choice but to drink the bitter and polluted water (just as some people are forced to do even today). This would lead to widespread sickness and disease. As a result, Scripture states that “many people died”.
II. THE 4TH TRUMPET: INCREASED DARKNESS (Revelation 8:12)
When the 4th angel sounded, ⅓ of the sun, ⅓ of the moon, and ⅓ of the stars were struck. Unlike the first 3 trumpets which were precipitated by fiery hail, a burning mountain, and a blazing star respectively, this time John did not mention any type of object falling to the earth. He simply saw these celestial bodies change so that they would be darkened. Some experts argue that this judgment only affects the intensity of the light that shines. Others, based upon a closer reading of this verse, think it pertains to the duration of time that the light shines.
Jesus may have been referring to this trumpet judgment when He told the disciples that the days of the Great Tribulation would be “cut short” (Matthew 24:22, Mark 13:20). Seeing that the Bible clearly and repeatedly states that the Great Tribulation will last exactly 3 ½ years, or 1,260 days, it would be inconsistent and contradictory to believe that the number of these days could be decreased. Therefore, perhaps Jesus was referring to an actual shortening of the length of each individual day. How could that happen?
A handful of interpreters have proposed that following this trumpet the length of each day will be trimmed by ⅓ from 24 hours to 16 hours. If the amount of time that daylight shines is reduced by a third, and the nighttime is affected “in the same way” (ie, also reduced by a third) then maybe the 24 hour day would be shortened by 8 hours. Though I believe that with God anything is possible, this interpretation seems highly unlikely to me. Scientifically speaking, it would require the earth to rotate much faster on its axis which would cause all sorts of catastrophic problems. So what other alternative could explain the days being “cut short”?
Let’s consider how people use the word “day” to mean different things. Sometimes it refers to a full day consisting of 24 hours. Other times it means just the daytime, which is approximately 12 hours depending on one’s location and/or the season of the year. This is what we mean by saying, “The days are shorter in the Winter.” When Jesus said that the days would be shortened, He may have been explaining that the duration of daylight each day would be decreased. Since the night would suffer “in the same way”, the duration of nighttime light would also decline. The result would be a 24 hour day that included ⅓ daytime, ⅓ nighttime, and ⅓ utter darkness - no light at all from either the sun, moon, or stars.
However one interprets this verse and/or reconciles it with Jesus’ earlier statement in the gospels, the results will be bad. The ripple effects of having less light will be numerous and far-reaching. Its impact on plant life, the ocean tides, man’s emotional well-being, and countless other things will be extremely detrimental.
III. INTRODUCING THE 3 “WOES” (Revelation 8:13)
John then looked and heard an eagle flying in midheaven (which is the sky). Seeing that this “eagle” was able to speak, many commentators believe it was actually an angel. Some have even identified it as the 4th living creature - an angelic being with the face of an eagle who continuously flies around the throne praising God (Revelation 4:7). Or, seeing that God used a donkey to talk to Balaam during the exodus, perhaps this was an actual eagle that God miraculously allowed to speak...
This eagle said, “Woe, woe, woe to those who live on the earth”. His warning was given in anticipation of the remaining 3 trumpet blasts. They would be even more daunting. For this reason, the final 3 trumpet judgments (the 5th, 6th, and 7th) are often called “the 3 woes”. We will begin exploring them next week.
CONCLUSION
In closing, there is another interesting interpretation that seeks to tie the first 4 trumpet blasts together. Some see them collectively as a figurative description of a large-scale nuclear war. The various objects that John saw streaming down from the heavens could be nuclear missiles. The intense heat and mass destruction caused to the earth, trees, and waters could be the result of the nuclear blasts and their subsequent fall-out. The darkening of the skies could be attributed to radiation, dust, debris, and other pollutants filling the atmosphere. If so, this war would rage during the first part of the Great Tribulation, effectively ruining ⅓ of the earth, and would represent a significant escalation to the more conventional conflicts of the early tribulation period brought about by the 2nd (red) horseman.
Despite the incredible devastation brought about by these first 4 trumpet blasts, we can still see evidence of God’s longsuffering and mercy. Notice that the destruction, while certainly horrible, is limited to a fractional degree of ⅓. It is not yet complete. God is still showing restraint. For those people who survive these judgments, there is still time for redemption and hope for salvation. That said, their window of opportunity is quickly closing…