October 15: THE SECOND TRUMPET (part 1)
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Revelation 8:8-9 KJV
The first trumpet judgement illustrates Peter’s statement that judgement must begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). Jerusalem’s fall and destruction was clearly foretold by Jesus Himself, as the consequence of rejecting the Son of God, the plan of salvation, and God’s covenant protection. His mercy and grace lingered for nearly forty years before that judgement came, and many of the Jews accepted Christ. It is worth repeating that their belief and obedience meant that every single Christian escaped the horrendous scenes of the first trumpet.
The second angel trumpets the fall of pagan Rome. Peering into Scripture, we find the meaning behind the symbolic language used: a great mountain burning with fire...
The Greek word translated great has several meanings: (1) long in stature and age, old. Of the four empires with direct bearing upon the people of God presented in Daniel, Babylon’s zenith was only 68 years (606BC-539BC), Medo-Persia’s was 208 years (539BC-331BC), Greece lasted 163 years (331BC-168BC), but the Iron Empire of Rome ruled 644 years (168BC-476AD). (2) Other meanings for great include violent, mighty, strong. Daniel’s description of Rome fits perfectly: dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly (Daniel 7:7). (3) Another facet in defining great encompasses traits which overstep the boundary of a created being: proud, presumptuous, pompous, arrogant, derogatory toward the majesty of God. These characteristics of Rome’s leadership had the top-down “trickle effect” in that even the soldiers of the lowest rank, of their own accord, mistreated Jesus by stripping Him, mocking Him, spitting on Him, hitting Him – and it was they who made the crown of thorns and pressed it onto His head (see Matthew 27:27-31). This varied list of definitions of the word translated great thoroughly permeated Rome.
We find that mountain is used to represent a large kingdom. In Daniel 2:35 this symbol is used to represent God’s kingdom that will ultimately prevail and fill the whole earth. The time of pagan Rome’s implosion, 476AD, aligns with the ankles of the statue in Daniel chapter 2. Rome’s fall was the result of multiple internal problems; it was carved up from within by ten tribes, warring factions, symbolized by the feet and toes described as partly of iron and partly of clay (2:33). These became the separate monarchy/states that formed western Europe (a.k.a. “divided Rome”) after the empire fell, hence the ten crowns (Revelation 13:1).
The phrase burning with fire speaks of pagan Rome’s dramatic self-destruction; as it fell, it was cast into the sea. This imagery illustrates the divided condition of the crumbling former empire as it falls into itself, sea signifying peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues (Revelation 17:15). It is from this sea that papal Rome soon rises (Revelation 13:1).
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. Jeremiah 51:25