Here, again, we see this Old Testament representation of “wormwood” representing, yes, something that was distasteful, something that was bitter, but moreover, it was a symbol for the suffering for the wrong-doing, for the evil-doing, of the people of God in these two examples in Jeremiah.

Some commentators thoughts: They say wormwood mixed with water does not kill, but it says in Revelation 8 and verse 11 that “A third of the waters became wormwood,” and men died, these commentators are suggesting, because of this change, this very drastic and troubling change, which was made.

We might also point out that we see something of a reversal here. Referring back to the children of Israel when they were being led from Egypt to Mount Sinai for the first time, they came to a place called Morah. They needed water, and that water was bitter. On that occasion God made the water sweet for them. [Exodus 15:22-25: “So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.”]

Remember that we are looking at symbolic things that are taking place on the earth, representing God’s warning, God’s judgment. Vegetation will be affected; the sea will be affected; the fresh-water supply will be affected. This is not done specifically, but shows God’s control over all of these things.

The Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck (verse 12)

“Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.”

Here we see that God’s effect affects (pardon the use of the term there) the stars, the moon and the sun. There is this visitation upon the heavenly bodies, following the judgments upon the earth and all the things that we have seen.

The heavenly bodies have a great effect upon men. Yes, there’s a great effect when these things on the earth are disturbed. But, also, when the heavenly bodies are disturbed, the earth is affected as well.

There is a resemblance to one of the plagues which preceded the exodus of the Old Testament—the ninth plague, the plague of darkness. [Exodus 10:21-23: “Then the LORD said to Moses ,’Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”]

THREE-FOLD WOE ANNOUNCED (VERSE 13)

Beginning with verse 13, there’s a break, a division, between the sounding of the first four trumpets and the last three trumpets. The first four trumpets have some resemblance to the plagues in Egypt, and then come the final three, with this break in between.

An Angel (Eagle?) Flying Through Heaven (verse 13a)

In verse 13 John writes and says, “And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven….”

John sees and hears, in this translation (the New King James Version), “an angel.” Other newer translations say, “an eagle.” In fact, if you go back and look at the original language, the correct translation is “eagle.” There is some debate, some discussion, about that, but the Greek word that is used here is, indeed, “eagle.”

Pronouncing a Three-Fold Woe (verse 13b)

“…saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”

Of course, the eagle is the strongest of birds, and John hears and sees an eagle “flying through the midst of heaven,” saying, “Woe, woe, woe” to those who dwell on the earth—the rebellious world. That’s what is represented here—the rebellious, the unbelieving, the sinful world. We use this expression sometimes when we speak about “the world.” We’re not talking about the globe itself; we’re talking about the ungodly inhabitants of the earth.

These woes come because of the nature of the fifth, sixth and seventh trumpets, which the remaining three angels will sound. It’s sort of like saying, “You haven’t seen anything yet! You think the first four trumpets were significant? You think the things that were associated with those trumpets were dramatic? Wait until you see what is about to happen!”

The pronouncement of these “woes” reminds us of the Words of Jesus in Luke, chapter 6, verses 24 through 26. Jesus Himself was heard to pronounce “woes.” He says, “But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation. 25 Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

The word “woe” is a warning—warnings Jesus pronounced; warnings this eagle (or this “angel,” if you will) is pronouncing, which will come. God intends to arouse men to see their terrible condition (that being apart from, separated from, Him) and to place the responsibility for evil and the tragedy of the world upon the wickedness of men. That IS what we are about to see, beginning in Revelation, chapter 9,in the sounding of the fifth trumpet.