Revelation 8:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

NIV: 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--

NASB: The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.

CSB: The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water.

NLT: Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

KJV: And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

NKJV: Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

The second trumpet marked massive corruption of the seas: the salt waters of the earth (Revelation 8:8–9). This causes monumental death, destruction, and hardship. The result of the third angel's trumpet is something John describes as a great burning star, falling from heaven, affecting a third of the rivers and springs of water. This object, too, may be a meteor that burns upon entering earth's atmosphere and causes widespread pollution. Others speculate that this might be a reference to a nuclear explosion which contaminates fresh water supplies. The Great Lakes in the USA, for instance, are a series of connected bodies holding more than 1/5th of all the world's fresh water; their loss would devastate the world.

Regardless of exact details, the target of this judgment is the water supply. People get their drinkable water from rivers and reservoirs. These capture melting mountain snow and rain, but with one third of the water supply adversely affected by the burning meteor many people will perish. Undoubtedly, there will be mass drilling for water in the region affected by this third trumpet judgment, but these efforts may well fail. When God turned the Nile to blood, "all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile" (Exodus 7:24). This trumpet judgment, however, affects more than a single body of water, so it might be that attempts to access underground springs will be thwarted. As we learn from Revelation 8:11, the falling blazing star poisoned the water supply. This is another judgment that earth will experience in the tribulation.

Revelation 8:6–13 follows a lengthy hush in heaven, after which seven angels receive seven trumpets and another angel mixes the prayers of the saints with incense. After emptying the censer of incense, he fills it with fire and casts it down to the earth. Thunder, rumblings, lighting, and an earthquake ensue. Now four of the seven angels blow their trumpets with disastrous effects on earth.

Revelation 8 tells us John saw seven angels receive seven trumpets. Another angel brought incense and the prayers of the saints at the golden altar, then filled the container with fire and cast it down to the earth. Next, four angels blew their trumpets in succession. The consequences were devastating: hail and fire mixed with blood; a third of the earth and trees were burned up; all green grass was consumed; a third of the sea became blood; a third of sea life died; a third of the ships were destroyed; the water supply became bitter, and many people died. Further, a third of the sun, moon, and stars experienced some kind of blackout, and darkness extended for a third of the day and night.

In chapter 7, an interlude occurs between the opening of the sixth seal and the seventh seal. In the interlude an angel seals 144,000 saved Jews as God's servants. Chapter 8 introduces the second series of judgments, the trumpet judgments. They begin when Jesus the Lamb opens the seventh seal. The trumpet judgments seem to follow the seal judgments without overlapping them. They are more severe than the seal judgments, resulting in catastrophic damage to plant life, salt waters, fresh waters, and light. Even so, this passage warns that the remaining judgments are even worse.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''