Rev 8:7-13, Part 2 "The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up."
As we have shown in Part 1, the hail and fire are associated with the judgment of God. In the above verse the judgment of God results in the third part of the trees being burnt up and all the green grass being burnt up. The interesting thing about this is that the trees represent life and the green grass also represents life. In the one case (trees) the third is burnt up and in the other case (green grass) all is burnt up. Man, after that he is born of the spirit, is a three part creature: 1 Thes. 5:23 "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." When Adam transgressed in the garden of Eden he died wholly under the judgment of God and brought all of his posterity under that same judgment (Rom. 5:12-19). However, when a person is born of the Spirit of God, he is dead only in the third part (flesh) as set forth in the following scriptures:
1. Rom. 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:"
2. Rom. 8:10 "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
3. Rom. 7:25 "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."
4. Rom. 8:6 "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
Rev. 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; 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."
We have shown in Part 1 that the great mountain burning with fire is associated with God's giving of the law covenant on Mt. Sinai. When that law covenant is cast into the sea of humanity the result is death:
1. Rom. 3:19 "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
2. Gal. 3:10 "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
3. 2 Cor. 3:7 "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:"
When we see ourselves under the law we see ourselves condemned in the flesh by the law. We see ourselves condemned by the law of sin and death. Because of the sinful nature of the flesh we travel through life (ships) with a ship broken in the third part (flesh). Therefore, we must mortify the deeds of the flesh and bring our bodies into subjection if we are to worship and serve God the way that we know that we should.
Rev. 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; 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."
Before the fall, Adam dwelt in a position of innocent uprightness with God. God had given him dominion over the beast of the field and the fowl of the air and God had given him such wisdom whereby he named all the creatures that God created. God had also given him an help-meet for him and given him responsibility to dress and to keep the garden. Adam walked with God in the cool of the day. At this time Adam was a great star and was a burning lamp, but when he transgressed God's law he plunged himself into the pit of sin and was cast out of the garden and cursed with sin. Adam's transgression didn't just effect him, but he became a bitter poisonous curse that flowed (river) into all his posterity as we read:
Rom. 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
From the above we gather that through the sin of Adam death passed upon all of Adam multiplied. Thru Adam's one offense all his race was condemned and death reigned over all his race. Furthermore, all his race were made sinners because of his offense. Thus as bitter wormwood can poison a stream of water, so Adam poisoned the stream of mankind through his sin and many men died because of his sin (all of his posterity).
Rev. 8:12 "And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise."
As we have before established that the third part is referring to the flesh, we see in this verse that were a smiting in the sun, moon, and stars, so as to bring forth darkness both in the day and night. In this New Testament heaven, Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, the church is the moon, deriving its light (righteousness) from the Sun (Jesus) and the stars are the elect children of God who have been lighted by the Spirit of God in the new birth. According to 2 Cor. 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Thus the Sun (Jesus – our Righteousness) was made to be sin (darkness) for us. In becoming sin for us on the cross he redeemed us from our sins and delivered us from the poisonous polluted stream of sin and made us righteous before God: Rom. 8:3 "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." In delivering us from our sins we cannot plead our own righteousness (moon or stars) as being partly responsible for our redeemed or justified state for all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags before God. Thus redemption involved Jesus being made sin for us (Sun darkened) without any help from us (moon and stars darkened).
