1.3. The First Trumpet (8:7)
v7 - The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. - In 7:2-3 we saw the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and sea, they were prevented from harming the land or the sea or the trees until God's servants are sealed, here we see the first angel sound his trumpet and hail and fire mixed with blood was hurled down upon the earth. The passage does not indicate that the angel hurled the hail and fire upon the earth, but that they had the power over these elements and were its herald. Lenski points out that a mixture of fire and hail (ice) is not natural, it is beyond nature. In verse 5 we saw that as a result of the prayers of the saints fire from the altar was hurled to the earth, here we now see the results as the first angels sounds the first trumpet in a seven fold series of warnings. A third of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees because of the fire that was hurled to earth; 'a third' indicating partial destruction. The unnatural nature of this judgement is indicated in that only a third of the earth and trees were burned but all the green grass was burned up (Lenski). The blood should be understood as indicating death although there is no indication here of human death as in the fourth trumpet, but unlike the second and third trumpets in which people died. Hailey makes the point that since man had shed the blood of the saints, as indicated by the fifth seal, then God is avenging the martyrs shed blood upon their heads (see Gen 9:6, Num 35:33, Isa 26:21, Joel 3:19, Ps 79:10). Notice the similarity with the judgement on Gog, Ezek 38:22, which involved a plague and bloodshed, torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulphur on him and his troops. Notice that all the green grass was burned up but only a third of the earth and a third of the trees were burned up. First the land is devastated by disaster, mans environment was affected. The first four trumpets depict 'natural' disasters, but these are not natural they are acts of God, they warn man of his short life. Hail is used to indicate God's warnings and judgement, to make men hear, this is reminiscent of the seventh plague on Egypt (Exo 9:18). Compare the first trumpet with the first bowl which is poured out on the land, 16:2, but there it affects the people who worship the beast, the first trumpet only affects the land. Isa 30:30 indicates that the Lord speaks to men using fire, cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail, chapter 11 shows that God also speaks to the world through his church. One of the results of a third of the earth being burned up is famine, cf. the third seal. 1.4. The second trumpet (8:8)
v8 - The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea - Again fire is involved in the second trumpets as it was in the first trumpet. The mountain all ablaze should remind us of mount Sinai (Exo 19:18, Heb 12:18), Mount Sinai was covered in smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire. The mountain was God's judgement on men who broke the law, John may also have had in mind the Eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. There could also be a subtle reference to the destruction of Babylon here (Caird, Sweet), in Jer 51:63 the destruction of Babylon is likened to a stone thrown into the Euphrates and in 18:17 we find the sea captains wailing over the destruction of Babylon and their loss of trade, in Jer 51:25 Babylon is likened to a burned out mountain. v8 - A third of the sea turned into blood 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.- After the land then the sea is affected, the blood indicates death, only a third is affected because it is a warning, compare this with the first plague on Egypt in which the Nile changed into blood (Exo 7:17). The two witnesses also have the power to turn the waters into blood, 11:6. Compare the second trumpet with the second bowl (16:3) in which all the sea turned into blood and every living thing in the sea died. Compare with John's use of blood in 16:6 and 17:6. The second trumpet affects both living creatures and manmade ships at sea, this depicts natural disasters at sea. There could be a link here with the distress that will come upon mankind in the last days, Luke 21:25 refers to the fact that the 'nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea'. 1.5. The third trumpet (8:10)
v10 - The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- As with the first two trumpets fire is again involved in the great star blazing like a torch. After the land and sea the rivers are affected and the star fell from the sky. Again it is mans' environment that is affected. Sweet likens the star to the king of Babylon in Isa 14:12 who has fallen from heaven. Jesus said that he saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven (Luke 10:18), with the fifth trumpet a star has fallen to earth (9:1) who is more clearly identifiable as Satan and finally in 12:8 Satan loses his place in heaven and is cast down to the earth and sea (12:12). If this interpretation is correct then Satan has come down to poison men's minds against God and thus destroy them, compare with the river of lies coming from the mouth of the dragon (12:15) and other satanic deception (13:14, 20:8,10). However this may be to over spiritualise the symbol, John may just be depicting natural disaster such as disease caused by dirty water which may cause men to repent. v11 - the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. - In the case of the first plague, Exo 7:17, on Egypt firstly all the fish died and secondly the water became undrinkable. John has taken these two effects of the plague and divided them into the second and third trumpets (Caird). In the first plague (Exo 7:17-19) all drinking water in ponds, reservoirs and even water in wooden buckets or stone jars was affected. Wormwood is a very bitter substance (Jer 9:15, Lam 3:19) and indicates affliction and misery. John may have had in mind the water at Marah, which was bitter but which the Lord made sweet, there the Lord promised not to bring any of the diseases that he brought onto the Egyptians provided they obey the laws of God (Exo 15:22). The bitter waters from which many people died therefore probably means diseased water, it could include floods. Compare the third trumpet with the third bowl in which the rivers and springs become blood, Rev 16:4, there is no mention of death although it is implied by the use of the term blood. 1.6. The fourth trumpet (8:12)
v12 - The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. - First the earth and vegetation, then the sea, then the rivers and springs and finally the rest of the universe is affected, this is similar to the plague of darkness on the Egyptians (Exo 10:21) and the fifth bowl which is total darkness (Rev 16:10). Constant allusion to the Egyptian plagues is a way of saying that in the last days God will again bring punishment upon those hostile powers which oppress his people. They are the prelude to that greater and final Exodus in which the church is taken out of the world and enters into the eternal presence of God (Mounce). Compare the fourth trumpet with the fourth bowl in which the sun was given power to scorch people with fire, 16:8.
v13 - As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in mid-air call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" - The eagle (or vulture) calls out the three Woe's to mankind because of the next three trumpets which are more intense than the first four. He is in mid-air to be seen by all and cries out in a loud voice to be heard by all (xxxx). There is a distinction between the first four trumpets which act on the earth, sea, rivers, sun, moon and stars, i.e. the physical universe and the remaining three trumpets which affect mankind directly, hence the three Woe's. The first two woe's are clearly demonic, the locust torture mankind, the four angels kill a third of mankind, the seventh trumpet announces that the time has come for judging the dead. If the flying creature is a vulture then he is hovering over a dying beast which is a symbol of gloom (Luke 17:37). This is a warning of things to come when the birds flying in mid-air gather for the great supper of God (19:17-18, 21), but before that an angel in mid-air proclaims an eternal gospel to those who live on the earth (14:6). It should also be noted that a loud voice in 12:12 proclaims woe to the earth and sea 'because the devil has gone down to you ! He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.' The star in 9:1 that falls to the earth seems clearly Satanic. |
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