Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Revelation Chapter 8 mean?

To this point in Revelation, John has witnessed Jesus open six of the seven seals of judgment seen on the scroll in heaven (Revelation 5:1–5). After the opening of the sixth seal and its consequences, John described the sealing of 144,000 Jewish believers, listed by their tribe. This was followed by a vision of an enormous crowd of people, of every possible race and language, worshipping God (Revelation 7).

Chapter 8 begins with the opening of the seventh seal, immediately followed by a brief period of silence. The judgments which follow are associated with seven trumpets, given to seven angels, and these seven trumpets are themselves part of the seventh seal judgment. Prior to the sounding of these trumpets, an angel is seen with a censer—a metal container used to burn incense. In Scripture, incense is used as a physical symbol of prayers, which ascend towards heaven much like smoke. This same container is then filled with fire, again symbolizing judgment, and thrown down onto the earth (Revelation 8:1–5).

The first trumpet judgment is described as a rain of hail, fire, and blood. The result is a loss of one third of earth’s trees and, it seems, all its grass. The primary effect may be a loss of crops and food supplies, including any livestock depending on those for survival. Based on the description of the other trumpet judgments, some have speculated this might be a type of meteor shower, preceding an especially devastating impact in the second trumpet (Revelation 8:6–7).

The second trumpet also results in something fiery falling from the sky, this time described “like a great mountain.” In context with the first and third trumpets, some suggest this might be an especially large meteor or comet, which lands in the ocean, destroying ships and polluting the water. Others suggest that the imagery of a “mountain of fire” may describe the effect of nuclear weapons. In any event, the impact of this judgment is on the salt waters of earth: the seas and oceans. Loss of shipping craft, food supplies, and other effects would be catastrophic and felt worldwide (Revelation 8:8–9).

The third trumpet once again involves something falling to earth from the sky. Where the second trumpet judgment affected the seas and oceans, this judgment targets fresh waters: lakes, rivers, springs and streams. These not only serve to provide food and transport, they are vital for providing drinking water. Polluted waters result in sickness and death (Revelation 8:10–11).

The fourth trumpet also involves something “above” earth, though in this case the primary effect is a loss of light. This might be a caused by after-effects of the first three trumpet judgments, or from some completely unique and unrelated event. Whether blocked by pollution, clouds, or some other means, earth loses a third of the light normally received from the sun, moon, and stars. Again, this would result in drastic changes to weather, energy use, agriculture, and animal life (Revelation 8:12).

As catastrophic as these events might seem, this era of God’s judgment can—and will—become even worse. John describes a bird calling out “woe” to those who are about to experience the other three trumpet judgments. The Greek word used for “eagle” here is aetos, which might also refer to carrion birds such as vultures. The horror of the remaining trumpet judgments, beginning in chapter 9, is somehow direr than what’s been seen so far (Revelation 8:13).

Chapter Context
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.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

In this verse the apostle John tells us there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. He must have estimated the time from an earthly perspective because such delays have little meaning in an eternal heaven. The silence is significant. Just as silence pervades a courtroom when the judge is about to render a verdict in a criminal trial, so the occupants of heaven fall silent as they anticipate what the Judge of the universe is about to do.

John tells us the Lamb opened the seventh seal. As each previous seal was opened, a specific judgment struck the earth. As we will learn later, the opening of the seventh seal includes all the horrific events described in Revelation 8:7—19:10. The trumpet and bowl judgments, that is, are themselves the result of the opening of the seventh seal. Seven trumpet judgments occur near the middle of the tribulation period, and seven bowl judgment occur in the second half of the tribulation. Each series of judgments intensifies the outpouring of God’s wrath.

Context Summary
Revelation 8:1–5 describes what happens prior to the seven angels blowing their trumpets. There is rapt suspense throughout heaven between the opening of the seventh seal and the trumpet blasts. As in previous chapters, angels play a key role in performing God’s will. So far in Revelation, angels have initiated praise to God and the Lamb, kept the symbolic winds of God’s judgment from blowing, and sealed 144,000 saved Jews to keep them safe throughout the tribulation. Now, even as angels prepare to blow seven trumpets that initiate judgment, another angel burns a censer of incense with the prayers of the saints and then fills the censer with fire and hurls it down to the earth.

Verse 2. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

According to verse 2, John saw seven angels stand before God and receive seven trumpets. These trumpets, as we learn later, signal catastrophes that occur on earth. It is significant that the seven angels do not begin the judgments without receiving the trumpets. Only God has the prerogative to judge sinners, so He gives the trumpets to the seven angels. The judgments that follow the trumpet blasts are meant to be especially significant to Israel, Jews who follow the dictates of the false prophet (Matthew 24:11–12; Revelation 13:1–18).

Much more so than a modern audience, Israel was familiar with trumpets. Trumpets summoned the nation to assemble, called upon soldiers to prepare for war, and signaled the beginning of festivals. Joel 2:1 predicts that the blowing of a trumpet will alert Israel to the approaching day of the Lord. Isaiah 27:13 promises that a great trumpet will summon Jews to leave their dispersion and return to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Matthew 24:31 echoes this promise. Jesus said, “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Verse 3. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne,

In this verse John tells us he saw another angel stand at the altar with a golden censer. Although some interpreters identify this angel as Christ, there is no explicit reason to think this must be Jesus. This eighth angel received much incense to offer at the golden altar. Along with the incense were the prayers of the saints. Likely these prayers ascend to heaven from the tribulation believers. Perhaps they are praying for deliverance from their trials or for grace to enable them to withstand them.

In Old Testament times Israel’s high priest would take hot coals from the bronze altar of burnt sacrifice, add incense, and carry the burning incense to the altar of incense inside the holy place (Leviticus 16:12–18). The smoke from the burning incense would ascend heavenward, symbolizing the prayers of the people who gathered outside during this event. Luke 1:8–11 portrays the priest Zechariah offering incense at the altar of incense while the people outside prayed.

Verse 4. and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.

This verse informs us that the smoke from the burning incense that included the prayers of God’s people arose to God. God delights in the prayers of His people. Quoting from Psalm 34, 1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.” It should encourage us to know our prayers please God. Indeed, He invites us to draw near His throne with confidence, “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

The tribulation saints will avail themselves of God’s invitation to pray, and they will call upon Him for grace and mercy. Their prayers and ours ascend to heaven as sweet-smelling perfume. Even Jesus availed Himself of the opportunity to pray in time of need. Hebrews 5:7 reports: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.” His being saved from death must refer to His resurrection. Jesus died, but He conquered death by rising from the grave.

Verse 5. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

This verse reports the last thing that happens in heaven before the trumpet judgments begin. In the prior verse, the smoke rising from burnt incense represented the prayers of God’s people. The eighth angel fills the censer with fire from the altar and hurls it onto the earth. The altar represents sacrifice for sinners, and fire represents judgment.

Because Jesus, God’s Lamb, was sacrificed on the cross for our sin, God withholds His judgment from us. Romans 8:1 explains, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” However, in Revelation 8:5 judgment on sinners follows the altar of sacrifice. Those who remained unbelievers prior to the tribulation had rejected Christ’s atonement and therefore must experience God’s judgment. The tribulation judgments offer a stern warning to all today who harden their hearts against the Savior. Proverbs 29:1 cautions: “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” The Scripture urges: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

Loud thunder, rumblings, streaks of lightning, and an earthquake precede the seven trumpet judgments. These ominous occurrences must truly cause earth’s inhabitants to tremble.

Verse 6. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

This verse reports that the seven angels holding seven trumpets prepared to blow them. We do not know whether John saw this preparation in a sense as literal as witnessing the motion of angels raising the trumpets to their mouths. We do know, however, that preparation is always in order before we do God’s will. Moses’ preparation to lead the people of Israel through the Negev involved forty years of shepherding herds in that land. Joshua prepared to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land, and was commanded to meditate upon and obey God’s Word (Joshua 1:1–9). Jesus prepared for His work of redemption by praying (Matthew 26:30–46). The disciples prepared for the task of proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8) by praying (Acts 1:12–14). The apostle Paul prepared for the task of preaching the gospel by spending three years in the Arabian Desert (Galatians 1:11–24).

These upcoming judgments are part of an ever-increasing tide of trouble on earth, which is why this era is referred to as “the tribulation.”

Context Summary
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.

Verse 7. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Some interpreters speculate that “earth” refers to the land of Israel as the object of God’s judgment. Along those lines, they interpret “trees” to mean Israel’s apostate leaders and “grass” to mean Israel as a spiritual weak nation. They base these interpretations on Isaiah 2:13, which compares proud leaders to cedars and oaks, and on Isaiah 40:6–7 that compares all flesh to grass that withers.

However, these horrific results also resemble what happened literally to Egypt under the seventh plague. Exodus 9:18–26 describes thunder, fire, and hail raining down on Egypt. The hail struck down every plant and broke every tree. So, there is good reason to interpret what happens in the first trumpet judgment as literal.

What specific mechanism this judgment takes—perhaps a volcanic catastrophe or meteor strike—the effects will be horrific. The target seems to be plant life, and possibly crops in particular. This level of destruction would not only cripple world food supplies, it would also disrupt economics and destabilize society. Losing a substantial portion of “grasses” might also restrict food available for livestock, further straining earth’s ability to feed hungry people.

Verse 8. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.

This verse tells what happened when the second angel blew his trumpet. Something like a great mountain burning with fire splashes down into the sea. This colossal object may be a meteor. The first trumpet referred to a rain of hail, fire, and blood. Some suggest the first trumpet will be a kind of meteor shower, preceding an even more disastrous event as described here. The reference to “sea” is distinct from the fresh water resources of earth, such as lakes and rivers. Those will be affected in a later trumpet judgment.

Perhaps this judgment falls upon the Mediterranean Sea, which is under control of the beast described in Revelation 13:11–18. Though only described later, at this point in the tribulation this end-times figure will already have arrived. The beast, who controls commerce in the tribulation period, will experience a great financial loss under this second trumpet judgment, because a third of the sea becomes blood. Once again, this judgment recalls what happened when Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews leave Egypt. Exodus 7:14–22 reports that the Lord commanded Moses to tell Aaron to take his staff and stretch his hand over the waters of Egypt so they would become blood. Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord and the Nile turned to blood. Just as God punished Pharaoh in this way for his suppression of the people of Israel, even so he will punish the beast for suppressing those who refuse to worship the Head of the Revived Roman Empire.

Verse 9. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Even without reading the terrible events of Revelation, we can understand the danger of polluting earth’s waters. Environmentalists and marine biologists often warn about pollution and its hazards to aquatic life. It is estimated that every year, billions of pounds of plastic end up in the ocean. Seals are caught in discarded fishing gear and die trying to free themselves. Dolphins mistake plastic bags for their next meal and die eating them. Fish ingest deflated balloons and choke to death. What’s described in Revelation is something worse—something beyond man’s ability or capacity.

Given such clear, current examples, it is not hard to imagine the devasting consequences that result from the second trumpet judgment. When the object like a burning mountain crashes into the sea, a third of the sea’s marine life dies. Perhaps the phenomenon of the water turning to blood—which may be a poetic description of some chemical or mineral effect—destroys the oxygen that the fish need. Further, the event destroys a third of the ships. This suggests a physical or weather-related consequence. Perhaps the weight of the falling object the size of a mountain sucks many ships into the water’s depth or the object causes tidal waves to capsize the ships. At any rate, the impact of the fishing and shipping industries will be catastrophic.

Verse 10. 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.

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.

Verse 11. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

This passage describes one of the trumpet judgments, in this case a burning star that falls from heaven onto a third of the rivers and springs of water. Here, John names this “star,” which is called Wormwood. Wormwood is a bitter desert plant found in the regions surrounding the Middle East, in Syria, and in Palestine. It is related to the plant from which the alcoholic drink absinthe is made. Added to alcohol, absinthe can cause complete deterioration of the brain. As seen by John in this Revelation, when the star Wormwood fell into the waters, it poisoned those who drank the water, killing many.

While the judgment described here is literal, Wormwood also symbolizes the bitterness of the consequences of sin. We see something similar in the Old Testament. When the Hebrews journeyed through the Negev, they came upon bitter water at Marah (Exodus 15:23). When the people complained to Moses (Exodus 15:24), he called upon the Lord (Exodus 15:25). In response, the Lord showed him a log. When Moses threw the log into the water, the water became sweet. Similarly, because of Jesus’ death on a wooden cross, God can remove the bitter sins of life and make life sweet.

Verse 12. The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

To this point, three angels have sounded their trumpets, each resulting in horrible calamity on earth. Most of these seem to be focused on environmental issues: raining hail and fire, destruction of the sea, and poisoning of fresh waters. When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, stellar catastrophes occurred. A darkness covered a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars. A third of the naturally-occurring light was plunged into darkness.

As was the case during the Exodus, these phenomena show God is in control of nature. The events described here would drastically affect crop growth, solar power, global climate, and energy use. Jesus predicted in Luke 21:25–26 that “there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Even earth’s most renowned scientists will not be able to explain, and panic will seize earth’s population.

However, this darkness might also provide a covering for righteous Jews to escape to the mountains when the false prophet sets up an image in the holy place, as described in other prophetic passages (Daniel 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15–16; Revelation 13:1–15).

Verse 13. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

After four trumpet judgments, the earth has been subjected to raining fire and hail, ruin of the oceans, poisoning of fresh waters, and a disruption of natural light (Revelation 8:7–12). Can conditions on earth get any worse in the tribulation? According to this verse, they can and will.

The apostle John reports that he heard an eagle cry loudly as it flew above him. It cried, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!.” The word “woe” indicates a condition of severe suffering or distress. In this verse, the eagle announces a threefold woe that awaits the dwellers on earth when the final three angels blow their trumpets.

As we learn later in Revelation, the first woe is an invasion of demonic locusts that torment unbelievers for five months (Revelation 9:1–11). The second woe involves the release of four fallen angels that kill one third of mankind. It also involves an invasion by 200 million demonic horsemen that kill a third of mankind (Revelation 9:12–18). The third woe involves the rise of Satan’s two henchmen: the beast that emerges from the Mediterranean region and the false prophet in Jerusalem (Revelation 13:1–18).

The KJV translation uses the English word “angel” in the verse, though the actual Greek word is aetou. This refers to an eagle or similar bird, perhaps a vulture. This same Greek root word is used in Revelation 4:7 and 12:14, where the KJV also renders it as “eagle.” The Greek term typically translated “angel” is aggelos, as seen in most of the other verses in this chapter.

End of Chapter 8.

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