Sunday School Notes: Revelation 8:10-11

¹⁰ And the third angel trumpeted, and a large star fell from heaven, burning like a lamp. And it fell upon a third of the rivers and upon the springs of waters, ¹¹ and the name of the star was called Apsinthos, and a third of the waters became unto apsinthos, and many of the people died from the waters for they had become bitter.

The third trumpet blast introduces a star falling from heaven. A literal star? Of course, that’s always possible, but if we recall Revelation 1:20, John tells us that the seven stars in Jesus’s right hand are the angels of the seven churches. So we have precedent for stars being symbolic of angels. It’s more likely that the large star falling from heaven here is some kind of angel. Another important reference to stars that is in the background of this and other passages in Revelation is Isaiah 14:12-15. In their contemporary context, these verses are speaking of the inevitable fall of the king of Babylon, a tyrant who had exalted himself above the heavens, and even above God Himself. There is a long-standing interpretation that also sees in these verses the fall of Satan from heaven. Certainly, the language used of the king of Babylon, calling him “Morning Star,” and referencing his fall, reflects a deeper understanding of what’s happening. And within the context of Revelation, “Babylon” is more than just an ancient city. As we’ll see, it symbolizes the ultimate in urban degeneracy–what happens to prosperous cities who turn their backs on God and worship the things that make them rich. But we’ll turn to these concepts again later in Revelation. For now, we’ll go with what 1:20 tells us, and see this fallen star as symbolic of an angel.

We shouldn’t overlook the fact this angel is falling, not simply descending. Again, we’ll see that falling angels are generally not good angels, as opposed to angels that descend, or simply “come down.”

The star is “burning like a lamp.” This points to either a literal star, or some kind of angelic understanding of “star,” since a person would not be described as “burning like a lamp.” With the second trumpet we saw a burning mountain, so there’s our judgment theme once more. Judgment is further emphasized by the effect of the star, making the water supply undrinkable. That’s what happened in Exodus 7:15-24, when the Lord, through Moses, turned the Nile to blood. This would have been devastating to the Egyptians, and it seems a similar kind of thing is happening here only on a much larger scale. It’s not just one river affected, but rivers, waters, and springs of water–one third of the earth’s water supply is rendered undrinkable. And while the Nile plague made the water distasteful, this Revelation judgment makes the water lethal. People actually die drinking it.

This star is given a name in the passage: Apsinthos, or “Wormwood.” As far as we can tell, there is no star in ancient times (or modern) that goes by this name, so clearly the star’s name has more to do with its effect rather than what people call it. The wormwood plant apparently belongs to the daisy family, and tarragon and sagebrush are of the same genus (artemisia). There are ancient records that indicate wormwood’s medicinal qualities, but by far its most notorious characteristic is its bitterness. It’s said that 1 ounce of wormwood in 524 gallons of water could still be tasted.

As a side note, “wormwood” comes from the word “wormwort.” It seems wormwood was used to expel worms from the intestines, and it’s still used that way in Central and South America. Also, the German rendering wermut is related to Vermouth, a wine with wormwood extract. There is a toxic agent in wormwood that can cause intoxication, hallucinations, and can do damage to the nervous system. In sufficient quantity, imbibed over a period of time, wormwood can be fatal.

So, why wormwood? Why not turn the water to blood as in the Egyptian plague? What does wormwood signify that lends itself to this particular trumpet judgment? From the foregoing discussion, we can see that wormwood’s primary characteristic is its bitterness. Biblically, bitterness is connected with extreme suffering. In the Passover seder, bitter herbs are used to represent the suffering of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 12:8; Numbers 9:11). See also Amos 8:10 and Zechariah 12:10 for examples of bitterness associated with deep suffering. The intention of this falling star is, therefore, not just to disrupt the water supply, but to bring suffering, like the suffering brought against God’s people by the Egyptians, and throughout history. Only this suffering comes as a judgment from God, and it’s one that is lethal.

Not all the waters throughout the world are affected, however. John tells us that only one third of the water supply is made bitter. We remind ourselves that “one third” signifies a couple of things. First, it shows us God’s sovereignty in that He has apportioned a specific amount to be afflicted. Also, it points us back to Old Testament judgment prophecies that use the same “one third” designation, underscoring that this is happening by way of God’s judgment against the unsaved (e.g., Ezekiel 5:2-12). It also suggests that this is not the final consummation of God’s judgment, but is building up to it.

We ended up going into a discussion about the timing of these events, and whether there is a sense of chronology to the visions in the seals and the trumpets. We’ve spent a lot of time among the trees of Revelation, so this was a good opportunity to reflect on the forest–the big picture. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could really get into that discussion, so hopefully we’ll pick that up next time, along with the fourth trumpet.