Thinking Thursday

[Rev 8:7-13 ESV] 7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

I think of Lot and his family as they were being dragged away from Sodom and Gomorrah.  These twin cities were consumed by the Lord in such a manner.  Now envision 1/3 of the land burned up.  That is mind blowing even to think about.  Assume all 7 continents are of equal land mass (I know they aren't), that would mean 2 1/3 continents would be gone just like that.

 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 were destroyed. 

This takes us back to Egypt and when God struck the Nile with blood back in Exodus 7 but on a much larger scale.

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. 

With 1/3 of the fresh water supply compromised, things will get very serious quickly.  Drinkable water is necessary to life.

12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. 

Will the heavenly bodies shine with 1/3 less power or 1/3 less of the time.  Ever been in a room with 3 light sources and one of them goes out.  It is really noticeable.  Or think of times when we have gray skies for days.  I don't know about you but I get cranky when I don't see the sun for long periods of time.  Either way, I think it will be unsettling to the earth's inhabitants.

13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!"

The first four trumpets are frightening enough but the last 3 trumpets are known as the 3 woes.  This sounds pretty ominous.