“Trumpet number 2, sound off”
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. 9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships destroyed. (Revelation 8:8-9–ESV)
Verse 8 sure sounds like a meteorite or asteroid burning up while passing through our atmosphere. Odds are that such a object would land in an ocean (70% of our planet is water covered). You don’t have to be a scientist to be aware of this type of event popular media love to write about these things. Humanity’s tendency to wallow in fear over what-if scenarios draws us to these things.
Blood again raises its specter with trumpet number two. Just as there are reports of “blood rain” there are many reports of red ocean events. Periodically the beaches in Florida are closed for “red tide.” Typically this is an algal bloom of Karenia brevis. Dinoflagellates are other uni-cellular organisms that can cause wide sections of the ocean to turn red.
One does not have to look hard to see the scientific basis for these blood red oceans. On a page at National Geographic this type of phenomenon is mentioned. It also describes how as the organisms die en masse they deplete the body of water of oxygen. A percentage of the vulnerable sea life needing oxygen die would die.
The impact of such an impact on shipping would relate to where such an event happened. It seems that the notion of asteroids inducing tsunamis is a thing of the movies. Look at this link if you want to delve more into that.
Does a natural phenomenon evict God?
Just because a scientist can describe and event does not mean that God did not act in it, but that is the way it comes across when vociferous preachers and evangelists presume an event is miraculous.
I do not doubt the reality of God and his role in the world, however, it is unwise to conclude John’s proclamation of “blood” is God injecting hemoglobin into earth’s bodies of water.
It is wiser to presume God orchestrates natural events so that asteroids arrive at the right time in human history. Something about this asteroid hit will result in a natural phenomenon that will cause large tracts of the ocean to go red, fish to die, and ships to sink. It could be a localized phenomenon or a worldwide one.
So, God is not “evicted” because man can describe the way this world works.
Are asteroid hits, red rain and red oceans signs of the end of times?
If you look online for blood oceans and such you will find a whole raft of videos of the end times. The ones that disconcert me the most are those where the highly opinionated evangelist/preacher types are proclaiming the red ocean is a “sign of the end of time.”
The algae, dinoflagellates and other organisms as part of their natural life cycle change some things to red. These things did not just start recently as if they are a sign of the end of times, but have been going on. Asteroids did not just start hitting the earth, but have been part of how the universe works. When a person presumes to be a mouthpiece of the scriptures suggests that natural events are God’s miraculous interventions they hijack natural events. They do this in an effort to cajole people into thinking we are in the midst of trumpet sounding.
The well reasoned Christian should read Revelation to understand it as best as possible. Such a person must be very careful to not draw apocalyptic explanations from natural phenomena.
“Trumpet #3, sound off!”
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. 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. (Revelation 8:10-11–ESV)
Let me tell you a story before be get into this trumpet. During college I worked as a tech in Dr. Johnny Gayton’s ophthalmic practice. My dad was employed there as an ophthalmologist and I frequently would be assigned to him. Periodically I would hear this phrase, “My uncle said that unless something stings like fire or tastes like wormwood it isn’t worth anything.” Aha! Here is the backstory to that 20th Century phrase. Wormwood is a bitter thing.
What is going on with trumpet 3? Could this be a comet? If you’ve been around a while you probably can remember seeing comets in the sky. They look like stars with trails, and as they are so far away they look stationary. Perhaps a comet strikes the earth and John records it here.
The symbolism though is freshwater destruction.
Ashley Cozart says
I have taken care of and subdued my small portion of earth! And…I do not litter! ?
lulrich says
Awesome! I don’t either (on purpose, that is…a pickup truck will sometimes have a mind of its own). I used to pick up a lot of litter till I developed a repetitive motion thing in my right shoulder.