October 16: THE SECOND TRUMPET (part 2)

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

After Jesus cursed the fig tree for having no fruit – symbolic of the Jewish nation – His disciples marveled over how quickly it withered away (Matthew 21:20). They did not catch the symbolism right away, but Jesus encouraged their faith (and ours!) when He addressed the enormous “elephant in the room”: the withering oppression of pagan Rome. “Verily I say unto you, “If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which was done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say to this mountain, ‘Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea,’ it shall be done.” (v.21)

A brief review: During the Apostolic Era, the gospel message went out to all the world (Colossians 1:23). This coincides with the infant church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) and the opening of the first seal, the white horse riding forth in purity and power (6:1-2). In the prelude to the trumpets, we see answered prayers and the Holy Spirit’s power falling upon the Christians at Pentecost (8:3-5; Acts 2). The gospel exploded onto the world stage… and bloody persecution of the church followed. See Christ’s letter to the church at Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) and His opening of the second seal, the red horse riding out to shed the blood of Christians (6:3-4). Nevertheless, the gospel message spread over the world like seismic waves. The church was growing rapidly!  

The second trumpet judgement announces the fall of Rome. After it was cast into the sea, the rest of passage shifts to the faith of individuals, as a deadly trend sets in. The same message is stated thrice as a cautionary tale. The benefit is immeasurable if we are alert to the great deceiver’s tactics against our faith. Round 1: and the third part of the sea became blood. Recall that the sea refers to the vast array of peoples (13:1; 17:15). Blood symbolizes death; the third part points to those people who, like the deceived angels, subject themselves to deception. It may also be an actual fraction, but the symbolism springs from the angels who allowed themselves to be deceived by the dragon (12:4). Round 2: And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died. Now we are shown that people who had been grounded (Colossians 1:23) in the pure gospel – meaning they had life – lost it because they allowed themselves to be moved away from the truth. They died, spiritually. Round 3: and the third part of the ships were destroyed. The faith of these deceivable ones was shipwrecked. Paul points out that such individuals also cause others to go astray (2 Timothy 2:17-18). Why was this happening? Paganism was creeping unnoticed into the Christian church. Christ’s letter of warning to the church at Pergamos (Revelation 2:12-17) went largely unheeded and Satan began to wage war against the church as an insider!

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might wage the good warfare, Having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck. 1 Timothy 1:18-19 NKJV