Wormwood and the First Four Trumpets

VIDEO: Wormwood and the First Four Trumpets

Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. (Revelation 1:3 AKJV)

The Apostle John was confined to an island by the leaders of his time and wrote the Book of Revelation during his confinement. It begins with a blessing for those who hear and “keep” the things written within this book. The Greek word tereo translated “keep” means to “attend to carefully.” By studying the Book of Revelation you are doing that. 

But that when the days come when the trumpet call of the seventh angel is about to be sounded, then God’s mystery (His secret design, His hidden purpose), as He had announced the glad tidings to His servants the prophets, should be fulfilled (accomplished, completed). (Revelation 10:7 AMPC)

The Greek word for mystery is mysterion and it means “a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding.” Only in His time, by His spirit, can we understand certain events in scripture. It isn’t necessary or even possible to understand all of what is written in Revelation until God reveals it or possibly while it is happening. 

We can examine many of the prophecies in this book and say “perhaps it means” this or that, but in many cases it will be a “theory” until God brings the truth. If our theory differs from yours, I hope you can agree to disagree until God’s truth comes. 

7th Seal 

We have looked at six of the seals that will be broken by the Lamb of God. The seventh seal contains seven trumpets. 

And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (Revelation 8:1-2  AKJV)

There will be a brief pause between the breaking of the seventh seal and the trumpets. This indicates a period of time where nothing is occurring on Earth. Since a “day is like a thousand years,” the 30 minutes could be weeks or years. We will look for more clues as to what this means as we continue studying Revelation. 

A trumpet heralds something coming, in this case, it is the wrath of God. As we look at the trumpets, we need to remember that these are “mysteries” of God. 

1st Trumpet

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood and they were cast on the Earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. (Revelation 8:7 AKJV)

The first trumpet releases something from Heaven that physically impacts the Earth. We know this because there are physical consequences. In whatever way this appears, it is the after effect that we will recognize.  

• One-third of the trees are burned
• All the grass is destroyed

For now, we can place the 1st trumpet after the seals, during the second half of the three-and-a-half year timeline. The half hour of silence in Heaven means that this will occur at least a year later. Examining the other trumpets may help us further pinpoint what this trumpet may be and when it may occur. For now, we will place it past the midpoint of the Tribulation.

2nd Trumpet

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:8-9 AKJV)

A “great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea” is most likely a meteor hitting the Earth because once again, we see the effects of these physical consequences after the blowing of this trumpet.

• One-third of the sea life dies
• One-third of all ships are destroyed 

If we re-examine the first trumpet in light of this one, the earlier trumpet could be small meteorites which hit before the large one. A temporary placement of this trumpet is after the first trumpet, but a specific location is impossible to determine within these scriptures. 

3rd Trumpet

And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from Heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell on the third part of the rivers, and on the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. (Revelation 8:10-11 AKJV)

Going back to the original language will help us understand these scriptures:

• Star: aster - the same word defined elsewhere as an angel. (Revelation 1:20) In Biblical times, stars were up in the Heavens and man didn’t understand what they were - they were unreachable. 
• Burning: kaio - the writer of this book also used this word to describe John the Baptist; a light to show the way. (John 5:35)
• Lamp: lampas - implied to mean one fed by oil. This same word is used to speak in the parable of the ten virgins where the oil was the Holy Spirit. 
• Fell: pipto - to descend from a higher place to a lower. Used with aster to describe Satan and his minions being kicked out of Heaven. (Revelation 1:20)
• Wormwood: apsinthion - at the time this was written, wormwood was a bitter, poisonous herb, a lot like hemlock.

By looking at the original language, we can see that Wormwood is used as the name and the job of an angel which carries an anointing from God to cause great harm. The effects seen are:

• One-third of all rivers and springs become “bitter” or poisonous

We may not know exactly what happens however, there are a few possibilities that come to mind.

1. If several nuclear power plants melt down like Chernobyl, the fallout may turn many waters poisonous. The radiation would have no taste and could kill many people.
2. Scientists theorize what the meteor which hit the ocean in the prior trumpet will do: The impact will vaporize ocean water creating “acid rain” which could poison rivers and springs.
3. The angel may release something from the spiritual realm which we may not see. 

Besides these three, God may do something completely unexpected. The only fact is that one-third of all rivers and springs will be poisoned. 

4th Trumpet

And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. (Revelation 8:12 AKJV) 

When the sun, moon, and stars are darkened, it indicates debris in the atmosphere from the prior trumpets. There is a definite pattern here. One-third of the oceans, fish, boats, and now much of the sky is lost or destroyed because one-third of the sun is blocked. There is a consistent area affected by these trumpets, not the entire world, but a part of it. Without sunlight on one-third of the Earth, food production will be greatly affected. There will be much hardship from this trumpet. 

Science and the Bible

Looking at all four of these trumpets together and applying science to what we have seen happen thus far, we may be able to discern what may take place:

• First Trumpet: “hail, fire, mingled with blood” hits the Earth. 
• Small meteorites hit the Earth.
• This would cause a tremendous heat wave.
• All the grass and one-third of the trees were burned up.  
• Fire creates pollution.
• Pollution impacts the ozone layer around the Earth which protects us from UV rays.
• Second Trumpet: a huge meteor the size of a mountain will strike the ocean 
• Chains of tsunamis and crustal shifting
• According to Nick Strobel from the Astronomy Department at Bakersfield College, the following will occur if a meteorite lands in the sea: heat from the shock wave of the entering asteroid and reprocessing of the air close to the impact produces nitric and nitrous acids over the next few months to one year
• N2 + O2 ‚> NO 
• (molecular nitrogen combined with molecular oxygen produces nitrogen monoxide)
• 2NO + O2 ‚> 2NO2 
• (two nitrogen monoxide molecules combined with one oxygen molecule produces two nitrogen dioxide molecules)
• NO2 is converted to nitric and nitrous acids when it is mixed with water.
• This means that acid rain is created. 
• Third Trumpet: one-third of all rivers and springs poisoned
• by the acid rain
• Fourth Trumpet: Nick’s website states: “The ozone layer will be destroyed by O3 reacting with NO… All of the dust in the air from the impact and soot from the fires will block the sun...”

Trumpets one through four must occur within one year of each other. Trumpets three and four are a chain reaction of trumpets one and two. We can now place trumpets one through four in a tight group a distance from the seventh seal. 

Is there anything that could adequately prepare us for these announcements of the coming wrath of God? If we are listening to God and know His ways, we will be able to lean on Him for protection and provision. I can think of no better way to prepare than to strengthen my relationship with my Father who is in Heaven. The last three trumpets will make these events look like a walk in the park!

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