Revelation Now :
Daily Devotional Bible Studies in Revelation
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An Asteroid Blazing like a Torch : Day 35 
"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. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. 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. 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!'" (Revelation 8:10-13)
A Blazing Asteroid
The third angel sounded a blast on his trumpet, and "a great star blazing like a torch" fell from heaven. It fell on a third part of the rivers, and on the springs of water. The meteor is called, "Wormwood" and a third part of the waters became wormwood; and many people died because of the embitterment of the waters.
Further, he speaks of a flaming mass falling into the sea. This sounds very like an asteroid. Asteroids are now being tracked by astronomers and it is possible that one of great magnitude could strike the earth with devastating effects. In this picture of terror, John has the vision of God using the elemental forces of nature to warn us of the final destruction to come.
Sun Moon and Stars Struck
The angel sounded a blast on his trumpet, and "a third of the sun" was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of their light was darkened, and so that a third part of the day did not shine, and so with the night.
We have further to note where John found his imagery. For the most part the pictures find their origin in the descriptions in Exodus of the plagues which fell on Egypt when Pharaoh refused to allow the people to go.
In John's picture, hail and fire and blood fall upon the dry land. In Exodus 9:24 we read how there came upon Egypt fire mixed with a hail of unparalleled destructiveness. John to increase the terror adds blood, remembering Joel's picture of the day when the sun would be turned into darkness and the moon into blood (1). A third part of the sea becomes blood and the fish in it die. In Exodus, when Moses lifted up his rod and smote the waters, the waters of the Nile turned to blood and the fish in the river died (2). In Zephaniah's picture of the Day of the Lord, the threat of God is, "I will sweep away man and beast, I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea" (3). There is no parallel for the picture of the fall of the flaming star, but there are many to the ideas of waters turning to "wormwood."
The Star Called Wormwood
"Wormwood" is a general name for the class of plants known as "Artemisia" whose characteristic is "bitterness of taste." They are not really poisonous in the sense of being fatal, although they are noxious, but the Israelites dreaded their bitterness. It was the threat of God through Jeremiah that God would give his people wormwood to eat and the waters of gall to drink (5). "Wormwood" was the fruit of idolatry (4).Wormwood always stood for the bitterness of the judgment of God on the disobedient.
In John's picture, there came a darkening of "a third of the day was without light" In Exodus one of the plagues was a darkness that could be felt over the whole land (6).In this picture of terror, John sees God using the elemental forces of nature to warn us of the final destruction to come.
Meditation
Imagine the impact of a long silence after the loud praise of the heavenly chorus!
Prayer
"Yesterday, Today, Forever, Jesus is the same, All may change but Jesus never, Glory to his name" (7)
Notes
(1) Joel 2:10 (2) Exodus 7:20, 21 (3) Zephaniah 1:3 (4) Deuteronomy 29:17, 18 (5) Jeremiah 9:14, 15; 23:15 (6) Exodus 10:21-23 (7)
"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place."
