Revelation 8:10-13 meaning

In Revelation 8:10-13, the third and fourth trumpets are sounded. Seven angels are lined up to play seven trumpets after the breaking of the seventh seal. At the sounding of each trumpet, great destruction transpires. In each case it is authorized by God:

            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. The name of the star is called                        Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter (vs. 10-11).

If we jump ahead to Revelation 12, we see another view of stars that fell from heaven, which may help to clarify this passage:

“Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and seven horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth…And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war…and the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
(Revelation 12:3-4, 7-9).

The dragon is revealed as Satan, the deceiver. And he is sweeping away a third of the stars of heaven to earth, which represents a third of the angels, which became demons. Again we see the repetition of a third. A third of the earth and of the trees were burned up with the first trumpet, a third of the sea became blood, a third of the sea creatures died, and a third of the ships were destroyed in the second trumpet. And now with the third trumpet, a third of the waters became wormwood.

The great star that fell from heaven at the third trumpet can be interpreted as Satan falling from heaven after he loses the battle with Michael. The heavens rejoiced at this victory but pronounced woe upon the earth and sea for having Satan now fallen to them (Revelation 12:12).

The great star from heaven also has a physical manifestation, since there is a physical effect. The Greek word translated Wormwood occurs only in this verse. Its effect is to make the water bitter. As with the other trumpet judgements, this effect occurs on a third of the waters. The bitterness apparently makes the water toxic, because many men died from the waters due to the bitterness.

That people are drinking bitter water would indicate desperation for water, as they are so thirsty that their last resort is to drink this toxic water. It is as though a third of the earth has become non-functioning, even a third of the fresh water is undrinkable. Now a fourth angel sounds:

The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would noא shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way (v. 12).

This again appears to be an ultimate fulfillment of Joel 2:30-31, quoted by Peter in Acts 19-20. There are additional specifics added, in that a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck. The effect is that a third of them would be darkened. This could mean that each shines a third less than it did before. That could mean that the earth’s poles have shifted dramatically.

It could mean that pollution from the cosmic disturbances are blocking the view of the sun, moon, and stars. Since this is supernatural, it could also refer to something outside of our human experience. In any case, it means that life on earth has changed dramatically, and all for the bad.

Now four trumpets have sounded, and three remain. We get an introduction to the last three trumpets, which are three woesץ

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” (v. 13).

The destruction following the first four trumpets has been focused on the physical earth and its environment: the trees, grass, seas, sun, moon, and stars. But the attacks of the final three trumpets will be aimed directly at people.

This announcement of woe in verse 13 echoes the announcement of woe in Revelation 12 after Satan is cast down from heaven:

 “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time”
 (Revelation 12:12).

Each of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound will bring judgment upon the people of the earth. Each will bring great woe. The Greek word translated woe indicates an expectation of great suffering. Things are already terrible, but the last three of the seven trumpets will make things much worse.

The announcement of the three woes is pronounced by an eagle flying in midheaven. The Greek word translated eagle is also found in Revelation 4:7 to describe the fourth of the four living creatures before God’s throne. It also shows up in Revelation 12:14 as an eagle that delivers the woman from Satan. This eagle could be a heavenly creature or it could be an earthly eagle through whom God speaks, as He did with the donkey in the story of Balaam (Numbers 22:28).

The phrase midheaven translates a word that indicates the portion of the sky where birds fly. We can see this from Revelation 19:17 which includes the phrase “all the birds which fly in midheaven.” We also see the word in Revelation 14:6 which speaks of an angel flying in “midheaven” to preach “an everlasting gospel” to the earth. The point seems to be that midheaven is a perch which all peoples of the earth can see and hear. It is a podium from which all can hear the message.

The message being given by the eagle is that the earth has three remaining judgements to complete the seven trumpet judgments, and each is worse than what has come before.