Revelation 8:10-11
“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” (Revelation 8:10-11).
Artemisia absinthium, also known as common wormwood, is a perennial shrub native to North Africa, Canada, and the northern United States. It has grayish-green leaves and blooms with yellow flowers around July and August. It is known for its strong aroma and bitter taste. It is used for the distillation of the alcoholic spirit, absinthe, and as an herbal medicine. This shrubbery can withstand drought, and its strong, pungent scent deters deer, rabbits, and mice. Wormwood also prevents many common garden pests, such as ants, cabbage loopers, and carrot flies. It is recommended to wear gloves when handling this shrub due to its potential to cause allergic reactions.[1] It can also pose health risks due to the neurotoxic substance it contains, thujone. The United States banned absinthe in 1912 due to the belief that it was hallucinogenic. Nevertheless, in 2007, vendors were once again permitted to market it, provided its thujone level was below 10 parts per million, fundamentally making it thujone-free.[2] While this wormwood has pros and cons, the wormwood spoken of in John’s vision is far fiercer than a shrub and causes great devastation upon the earth.
The Third Trumpet
In John’s vision, he saw the third angel blow his trumpet, and a large fiery star fell from the sky and fell on a third of the water sources. Its name was Wormwood. Many people died from the bitter water in John’s vision. This is the third judgment from the trumpets’ blast. Remember, these trumpets’ judgments are a part of the seventh seal that was opened. As a quick recap, the first trumpet caused hail and fire to destroy much of the earth’s plant life—trees and grass. The second trumpet brought about what seemed to be something like an asteroid hitting the oceans, causing them to turn to blood, with 1/3 of the earth’s sea life dying. Now, we have the blowing of the third trumpet.
In biblical times, trumpets were used for various reasons. The Levites blew their trumpets to gather the community for religious celebrations and observances, to warn against enemy attacks and judgments, to announce movement and relocation, to praise and worship God, to signal for war, and more. They also have symbolic meanings, such as announcing God's divine power, the resurrection of the dead at Christ's return, and the coming judgments described in the Book of Revelation. Throughout Scripture —from the Old Testament to the New Testament —trumpets were used as instruments of God's presence and action. Yet, this trumpet was one of judgment, bitterness, death, and sorrow.
In 1986, one of Russia’s nuclear plants, Chernobyl (which means Wormwood in Russian) Unit 4, had an accident, which caused an explosion of great magnitude. Its nuclear material escaped into the air, causing thousands of people to be evacuated due to safety concerns. Unfortunately, it did not go without causing thousands of casualties and millions exposed to the radiation. The rain worsened the spread of the radiation, producing bitter water that was unfit to drink, cook with, or use on the ground. The land was ruined for miles; animal and plant life died, and the effects on those exposed lasted for years. This event was likened to the events foretold with the sounding of the third trumpet.
Another similar event occurred when the children of Israel disobeyed God during the time of Moses. He had received the Ten Commandments from the Lord, and upon His return, he witnessed the Israelites dancing in idolatry around a golden calf. In total disgust, after breaking the tablets of stone written by God’s own finger, Moses had the golden calf turned to powder, sprinkled it into the water, and made the Israelites drink it as a punishment for their bad behavior. You can probably imagine the bitterness that came from powdered gold as an addictive to the water. The Bible says: “And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” (Exodus 32:20-21). This is quite the opposite of the water that Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well. The water that Jesus gives is the living water, whereas the water from sin can cause a lifetime of bitterness and regret.
Revelation 8:12-13
“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 (angel) 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 8:12-13).
The Fourth Trumpet
John saw the fourth angel sound his trumpet, and a celestial event occurred where a third of the sun, moon, and stars turned dark. A third of the day and a third of the night were without any light. An angel (some versions say eagle) that was flying in the air cried out several woes as a warning to the earth’s inhabitants because of the trumpets’ alarm that were soon to come from the next three angels. Scholars have interpreted the meaning of this fourth trumpet in different ways. First, it has been described as spiritual darkness. As we see that this trumpet causes darkness over a third of the sun, moon, and stars, with a third of the night without any light, we can parallel it to the increasingly dark world we are seeing. Evil is overtaking the world by storm, where darkness is everywhere, yet, as we see in John’s vision, the darkness is not everywhere. Why? Jesus is the light, and even though there will be an increasing amount of darkness to come, there will still be pockets of light present until Jesus come and takes his bride.
Another interpretation is a more literal one, in which God will supernaturally darken the earth’s light as a judgment upon the world. This is a severe judgment because darkness not only affects one’s ability to see, but it can also affect plant life and food production, cause people to be in fear, and contribute to violence being more prevalent in the streets. Darkness has always been a sign of God’s judgment throughout Scripture. The Bible says: “Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light” (Amos 5:18). Interestingly, this text begins with the word Woe. Second, it shows that the Lord’s return will not be a celebratory event for everyone but will be a day of darkness. Then we have a warning given by the prophet Joel to Judah. The Bible says: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come” (Joel 2:1-2). The prophet Joel prophesied before Judah's Babylonian captivity, long before it occurred, so many scholars believe this text was a prophecy of the devastation that was to befall them, bringing much darkness upon the land.
In 1991, before the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi military set hundreds of oil wells on fire. This caused a thick cloud of smoke for days, with daytime dark and nights with little light. The sun was described as looking like a pale moon, and at night, the moon appeared to glow pale orange. This was likened to the description in John’s vision.
Darkness was one of God's plagues to come over Egypt due to Pharaoh’s hardened heart. The Bible says: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt— darkness that can be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived” (Exodus 10:21-23). Whenever there’s a judgment of darkness that covers the land, it represents the separation between God and man due to sin. As with the plagues in Egypt, the Egyptians were the only ones who suffered from the days of darkness, while the Israelites had plenty of light where they lived. God is a constant light for those who serve Him.
An (angel) eagle shouted, “Woe, woe, woe,” to the world because of the judgments to come. This meant that, even though the previous judgments were bad, those that had already taken place seemed mild compared to what was to come. The word woe in the Bible never seemed to represent anything good when used to start a sentence. On the contrary, it was a sign of something negative to follow. Jesus used it when rebuking the religious leaders. The Bible says: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. (Matthew 23:13). More trumpets were about to sound, and the woes were a prelude of what was to come.
No Bible study on Friday, October 31 due to computer upgrades. Will resume on the following Friday. God bless!
[1] Gardenia Editorial Staff, "Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood)," Gardenia.net, last modified 2025, https://www.gardenia.net/plant/artemisia-absinthium.
[2] Louisa Richards, "Wormwood: Uses, Benefits, and Risks," Medical and Health Information | MedicalNewsToday, last modified 2025, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/wormwood#benefits-and-uses.
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