seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 8:10 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— 11 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.
12 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.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair 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!”
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Here's a link to the Commentary I read.
A great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch: We may easily associate this with a comet or meteor crashing into the earth and bringing ecological disaster. But God may have something else in mind also.
“Some say the star means Attila and his Huns; others, Genseric with his Vandals falling on the city of Rome; others, Eleazer, the son of Annus, spurning the emperor’s victims, and exciting the fury of the Zealots; others, Arius, infecting the pure Christian doctrine with his heresy, [and so on and so on]. It certainly cannot mean all these; and probably none of them. Let the reader judge.” (Clarke)
The name of the star is Wormwood: Wormwood is a very bitter substance, and proverbial for bitterness and sadness.
A third of the rivers… a third of the waters: The proportion of ecological disaster stays the same. In each one of the trumpets, a third of an ecological system is destroyed in judgment.
A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night: This does not describe a one-third lessening of light, but one-third of the day and night are plunged into absolute darkness. As Jesus said: the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light (Matthew 24:29).
Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet: The angel’s woes are well founded, because one-third of the earth’s population will die in the next three trumpets.
The ancient Greek words for angel and eagle are very close in spelling. Some ancient versions say that it is an eagle flying through the midst of heaven, making this cry.
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In the same commentary, Bible Study Author David Guzik, share some of his observations.
Observations on the first four trumpets.
These first four trumpets reveal the severity of God’s judgment. He attacks all the ordinary means of subsistence, such as food and water; and He attacks all the ordinary means of comfort, and knowledge, such as light and the regular rhythm of days.
Man has come to see these aspects of the created order as impersonal, perpetual forces. During the great tribulation, God proclaims His Lordship through their agonizing disruption.
We know the great humility that comes upon men in the midst of something like an earthquake, because they know that “nature” is not as reliable as they had thought. With these four trumpets, that effect will be multiplied greatly.
The first four trumpets also reveal the mercy of God’s judgment; these are partial judgments striking only one-third, and are meant to warn and lead a rebellious world to repentance before the final curtain. For now, God spares more than He smites.
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Well, the horns are still blowing. Nature is taking its course. After massive earthquakes and volcanic action, I'm sure there are huge noxious clouds covering the earth letting little light in. There's probably metallic snow made of pumice and rare earth metals. The rain is probably acidic. I'm pretty sure the air stinks of "precious metals" that have been brought to the surface. Dead bodies would be everywhere after the devastation of these first four trumpet sounds. They had to add to the stink as well. By this time, scavengers would be armed. I wonder how many humans would still be brushing their hair anymore.
In his comments, David Guzik says "they know that 'nature' is not as reliable'.
I have a different take on that. IMHO... Nature will remain reliable. God has used "nature" before. Remember Sodom? Remember the waters rolling back so the Israelites could walk across on dry land? Remember the talking donkey? What about the gnats and flies and boils?
God created nature. God controls nature. Nature is extremely reliable. God makes it reliable.
We can rely on the fact man does not control nature... period!
Consider, if you will, a flea. That flea has been traveling along... really happy... riding that dog everywhere the dog went. That flea has been taking a munch and running before the dog can get his paw up to scratch the flea away. The flea thinks he's the center of the Universe. He thinks the sun rises and sets just for him and his flea family and his flea buddies. That dog's paw is just nature, like a storm to be avoided after lunching on the dog. That flea thinks he, his family, and his buddies are the only life in the Universe. To the flea, that dog is their Earth. There are no dogs like their dog and they are the only fleas in the Universe. And then out of nowhere there's a huge cloud of bubbles... and the bubbles cut off the fresh air the flea loves so. Then the flea experiences the worst flood of all floods of the flea's time on the dog. The flea's world, along with the flea, is washed away. Is it possible the flea thought that nature had grown less reliable? Of course, the flea has met his end... as will the inhabitants of earth when God gives the signal to sound the horns and dump the bowls. But nature is still "natural".
Are we really more valuable to God than that flea? We think we are. Humans think the sun and the moon revolve around them! Humans think God has to answer to them.
God created everything. He has intimate knowledge of everything and everyone, everywhere, forever.
It's natural that God would use nature to His advantage.
Nature responds to God.
Some humans... Still think God should respond to them.
Nature "naturally" responds to God.
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