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2. The Seven Trumpet Judgments (Revelation 8:7 - 9:21)
The Fourth Trumpet Sounds - The Sun and Stars Lose Their Bright Glow
REVELATION 8:12
12 The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars; so that one third of them would be darkened, and the day wouldn’t shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way.
The first three trumpets of judgment announced the partial damage of the continents, the seas, and to the drinking water, causing a constriction of man's living space. Now, the visionary, John, raised his eyes to heaven, in hope that from there, salvation and help would come for his churches and for all of humanity.
But as John heard the fourth archangel sound, sun, moon and stars lost their bright glow. There occurred no total darkness, such as did at the Tohu-wa-Bohu before the creation. Nevertheless, the energy source of our sun system darkened considerably. A curtain was laid over the blinking of the stars, so that only two-thirds of the light shone through. The blessing of God departed from one living area of mankind after another, as if He were conceding more and more power to the prince of this world.
This fourth judgment upon an ungodly society reminds us at first of the next to the last (ninth) plague in Egypt, when the Lord commanded Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven, so that a three day total darkness might fall over Egypt (Exodus 10:21-29). But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Pharaoh reacted as though he were unimpressed by this plague, for he had hardened his heart to the will of God. These events show us, that for those that follow Christ there is still light, even amidst the greatest darkness. At the same time, ungodly forces fall ever more into the hand of darkness. In the midst of all oppression and need Christians can still sing: The Sun that laughs to me, is Jesus Christ my Lord. That which makes me sing, is that which is present in heaven! (Hymnbook of the Lutheran Church in Germany, page 250, 13b)
Even amidst increasing darkness the thanksgiving of those sanctified by grace does not cease: Another possible explanation for the fourth wave of judgment is the previously mentioned comet invasion, which would throw up such amounts of dirt, dust and stone into the atmosphere that for days, even for years, a curtain of dust would hang over the atmosphere, filtering out 30 percent of all the light of the sun, moon and stars. In earlier times, sudden appearing ice ages or the extinction of the dinosaurs might have been brought about by these cosmic catastrophes.
Living space for man and animal will come under massive attack when the trumpets are sounded. Rank or title will be of no help. As stated in the Bible many times, in those days both kings and servants will flee into the caves and clefts of the mountains, yet the anger of the Lamb's judgment remains unavoidable (Isaiah 24:21-23; Joel 2:1-13; 3:1-4; Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12-17). But the prophecies of the Old and New Testament should not, above all else, direct our eyes to the destruction. Much more, they should direct us to the coming of the Lord Jesus in glory. The book of Revelation should first and foremost be understood and read as the goal and victory of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: O Lord, if the sun lost third of its beauty, the moon a third of its light, and the stars some of their twinkling because of the sins and injustice of men; do not leave us, and do not extinguish the fire of Your love in us, but let Your gospel be a shining beacon in our dark world that the unjust may recognize that the Lamb of God is the only light of life.
QUESTION:
- What are the possible disasters that can cause a third of the stars to darken?