Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch; and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. Revelation 8:10
There can be little doubt that the ‘falling star’ of the third trumpet refers in a primary sense to Satan. Yet this star cannot refer to the original fall of Satan from heaven because that happened before creation week.
Though this trumpet cannot refer primarily to the fall of Satan from heaven at the beginning or at the cross, nevertheless the language is very reminiscent of the fall of Lucifer from heaven as described in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Revelation 12:7-9.
The terminological links between the third trumpet and Isaiah 14 and Revelation 12 leave little doubt that the fall of Satan stands in the background of the third trumpet. Satan, the star of the morning, who was originally perfect, apostatized and became a fallen star. He then defiled and poisoned Adam and Eve with his specious teachings and through them, the entire human race. The result was that the entire race came under the sentence of death (Genesis 3:1-6, 19).
The fall of this star portrays the great apostasy that defiled the church from within when Papal Rome rose to power from the shambles that the barbarians left in the Roman Empire. Though this trumpet cannot refer primarily to the fall of Satan from heaven at the beginning or at the cross, nevertheless the language is very reminiscent of the fall of Lucifer from heaven as described in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Revelation 12:7-9.
The terminological links between the third trumpet and Isaiah 14 and Revelation 12 leave little doubt that the fall of Satan stands in the background of the third trumpet. Satan, the star of the morning, who was originally perfect, apostatized and became a fallen star. He then defiled and poisoned Adam and Eve with his specious teachings and through them, the entire human race. The result was that the entire race came under the sentence of death (Genesis 3:1-6, 19).
--Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 tell us that the little horn/beast persecuted the saints for 3.5 times or 42 months.
--However, Revelation 12 presents a parallel, but different picture. The text tells us that the work of persecution was the work of the dragon for 3.5 or 1260 days (Revelation 12:6, 13-14).
Thus, when we compare Daniel 7/Revelation 13 with Revelation 12 we find that Satan ruled during the 1260 years through his emissary, the Bishop of Rome.
2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4 explicitly tells us that the man of sin would exalt himself to the height of God even to the point of sitting in the temple of God claiming to be God. The language is quite similar to what Satan attempted to do at the very beginning when he was cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14).
In fact, the text tells us that Satan would energize the man of sin (2Thessalonians 2:9).
*The backdrop to the idea expressed above is that Satan does not
accomplish his work in person but rather through his seed or body.
*The backdrop to the idea expressed above is that Satan does not
*What he was not able to accomplish in heaven he does on earth through his vicegerent. As Christ works through His seed or body to accomplish His purposes on earth, so does Satan.
In all the great lines of prophecy pagan Rome is always followed by papal Rome.
In Revelation 1:20 the seven stars in the right hand of Jesus represent the seven churches -- seven consecutive eras of church history so the seven stars must represent the messengers that proclaim God’s message to the church in each of those eras. That is to say, each of the seven churches has one star.In Revelation 12:1, the twelve stars on the crown of the woman represent the twelve apostles of the lamb who taught the truth as it is in Jesus.
In Zechariah 9:16 the prophet saw the final remnant under a symbol of stars on a crown of glory.
When the stars cease preaching the gospel and preach human tradition, they become fallen stars.
--Revelation 8:10 indicates that the ministers and teachers (the angel or star of the church of this period) of the church were supposed to shine as a lamp. Instead, they fell from their post and defiled the waters.
--The fountains of waters are different from the raging waters of the sea (Isaiah 17:12, 13). The fountains of waters are life giving waters that refresh, restore and perpetuate physical and spiritual life.--Deuteronomy 29:17, 18: Gall and wormwood describe the terrible consequences that would ensue if Israel drank from the polluted waters of apostasy.
Amos 5:7: When righteousness in the earth is forsaken, the result is wormwood: You who turn justice to wormwood, and lay righteousness to rest in the earth!
--The word "wormwood" denotes bitter consequences.
*The rivers and springs of water must have been clean before the fall of the star defiled them.
--This is another indication that the third trumpet’s theme is apostasy in the church.
When the star falls, it pollutes the fountains of waters with wormwood and bitterness and many people die.
