The Trumpets - Part 2 Series

April 20, 2024

Last week we looked at the 1st 2 Trumpets of Revelation 8 and where those events fall from an historical perspective.

Now we will turn our attention to Trumpets 3 and 4.

Chronologically, the 3rd Trumpet occurs after the collapse of the Roman Empire.

• 3rd Trumpet (8:10-11)

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 -- the name of the star is Wormwood (Bitterness). A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

In the books of Job and Isaiah, stars are symbols of angels and the fact that this star is described as “great” gives us a clue as to the identity of this being:

o Job 38:7 - while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (God is questioning Job as to where he was when the foundations of the earth were laid)

o Isaiah 14:12-14 - How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (also see Ezekiel 28:12-19)

This is a symbolic description of Satan, who was thrown out of heaven, but not permanently excommunicated until after the enthronement of Christ as described in Revelation 12:7-10 (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; John 12:27-33).

This star’s name is Wormwood, an herb known for its bitter qualities.

All 8 Old Testament references to Wormwood are associated with bitterness (Deut. 29:18; Proverbs 5:4; Jeremiah 9:15; 23:25; Lamentations 3:15, 19; Amos 5:7; 6:12).

The Wormwood Star causes the waters to become bitter and many people die.

Springs of water symbolize the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus and Salvation bringing life to spiritually thirsty people:

o Psalm 1:2-3 - But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

o Isaiah 12:2-4 - Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

o Isaiah 44:3-4 - For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.

o John 7:37-38 - On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (also see John 4:10-14)

o Revelation 22:17 - The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

However, in Jeremiah 23:14-15, when the people turned to other gods and rejected the Covenant, they were symbolically given wormwood to eat and poison water to drink.

Here’s what that looks like in reality:

o Psalm 81:11-12 - But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So, I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

o Jeremiah 17:13 - O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.

The symbolism we see in the 3rd Trumpet points to Satan, who turned the Gospel into “wormwood” by introducing false teachings and human traditions that slowly replaced the simplicity and truth of Scripture. False religious teachers polluted the springs of living water, causing them to have a bitter and poisonous effect.

Jesus, Paul, Peter and John all warned believers about these false teachers/teachings and how to spot them. More importantly ---- they warned believers, “have nothing to do with them”: