8:8 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;
...as it were a great mountain... As it were...are we
dealing with an imitation church? Could the great mountain be the tare church left after
the true Church goes up?
...burning with fire...=?burning with judgment?
...was cast into the sea...the masses without a covenant
with God. It is now made obvious that the worldly part of the church
has been one with the world.
...and the third part of the sea became blood;... This
sounds as though due to the influence of the tare church, 1/3 of the earth's population
will suffer (?deadly?) violence--perhaps due to some sort of "holy" war.
8:9 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.
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life,
died...Apparently all the creatures in the sea (the masses) were alive
physically, but the word translated life is psuche' and it refers to
sentient or conscious life. So perhaps this refers to those who will be aware of what is
going in the spiritual realm. Maybe some of Israel will be martyred at this time. And
perhaps many who lived under the influence of the Word--but procrastinated to receive
Christ as Lord and Savior during the time of Grace --will at this point realize what they
have done and refuse to bow to the beast. Since the "seed" of the word is in
them, and it cannot return to God void, this will explain those that reject the beast even
though it may cost them their lives to do so.
...and the third part of the ships were destroyed.... "Ships"
is used prophetically to represent local churches. Possibly a third of the churches of the
time will teach something that will be contrary to the wishes of the beast, and this will
not be tolerated. _
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8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there
fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part
of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
...there fell a great star from heaven... This identifies
the main actor in this segment: i.e., Lucifer, the fallen angel.
...burning as it were a lamp...The Word of God is a lamp unto our
feet. Lucifer will still be trying to imitate the Word: i.e., Christ.
...and it fell upon the third part of the rivers...Prophetically,
the rivers are nations.
...and upon the fountains of waters...In the spiritual language of
the Bibles, fountains are sources of existence. In the natural, rivers come from
springs or fountains in the earth. Humanity comes from the reproductive organs (Lev.
20:18; Prov. 5:18). Spiritual life springs forth from Christ (the Spring of Living Waters)
and the quickened spirit of man. Prophetically, nations (rivers) are comprised of people
(waters) which spring forth from the union of men and women (fountains).
8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of
the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made
bitter.
Wormwood=bitter. Another name for Satan, the ultimate
bitter one. He lost bitterly in his clandestine endeavors to overthrow God; and he knows
his future is one of eternal torment with no hope of reprieve.
...and the third part of the waters became wormwood... Satan is now
limited to his activities of trying the hearts of man (the waters). Those that he
successfully corrupts will share in his bitterness and they will become
"wormwood" as well.
...and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. This
illustrates the way Satan works on the earth. For the most part, he must have a willing
human with which to do his iniquity; then those who follow his prompting will either make
others bitter like themselves with their contaminates, or they will try to destroy those
who would be godly. One of the tasks of the Church has always been to act like a dam when
sin would come in like a flood. When the Church fails to hold up the standard of the Lord,
not only will she suffer, but those around her will suffer as well. We're told
that at the end of our age, the church will replace true godliness with "a form of
godliness" and be carried away by the flood waters of sin. In fact, this ungodliness
in the church and its subsequent great falling away are given in the Bible as end-time
signs for the end of the Grace age. Just how the church will fail at the end of
the Kingdom Age, only God knows, but anytime those who are chosen by God withdraw so far
from Him that they have only a form of godliness, bitterness is the fruit thereof.
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