The Revelation to John

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 8:7-9...

The first 4 trumpets set in motion ruin's forces whose destruction's directed against natural objects, the disasters calling to mind the Egyptian plagues.

The 1st plague concerned the earth, "The first one sounded the trumpet; and there occurred hail and fire mingled with blood and it fell on the earth, and the trees' third part was consumed, and all grass was consumed."

Here we have a storm, causing death, with the horror of a blood-shower. Thus it's when works-righteousness strikes God's Church. Then God's Word's pastures are burned.

The 2nd plague struck, "The second angel sounded his trumpet, and a mountain burning with fire fell into the sea; and the sea's third part became blood, and the sea creatures' third part died, and the ships' third part were destroyed."

Here we have a disturbance which involves great havoc. Thus it's when fanaticism enters the Church, when false teachers puff themselves up in greatness before people. Too many missionaries have been led astray by such teachers, leaving the foundation of God's Word and perishing in foolishness.

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 8:10-13...

"The third angel blew his trumpet; and there fell from heaven a star upon the rivers and upon the springs; and the star's name's Wormwood; and the waters' third part turned to wormwood, and people died of the waters, because they'd been poisoned."

A star fell, filled with a poison. Thus it has often that people who thought themselves stars in the Church have been found filled with false doctrine, which they too often imparted in their sermons and books.

By such people Life's Water's made bitter, and people that drink this bitter water spiritually die. The description fits in the case of rationalistic teachers, who poison the fountains of God's Word.

Next, "The fourth angel sounded his trumpet; and the sun's third part, the moon's third part and the stars' third part were darkened, and the day had no light for its third part and the night likewise."

A sky-distress. The sky-lights were touched as to take away their power's 3rd part. This' what happens in the Church when ministers darken Scripture's lights with their own views.

It's sad that the creatures' third part were destroyed by these plagues, that the liberal Church-part is so away from the Bible.

There's still this comfort, that the third part isn't the whole. The entire Church won't give way to error; God will keep God's elect in God's Word and faith. Hell's portals won't prevail against God's Church.

An interval, "I saw, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven with a cry, 'Woe to those that live upon the earth, for the rest of the trumpet-voices of the three angels that are about to trumpet!'"

An eagle, and his cry was a warning against security, a call to remorse, before the test of the trumpets should sound and bring still greater woes to the earth's residents.

It's necessary that missionaries heed their pastor's words in this world's last days, lest they be overwhelmed by the woes which are coming upon the Church.

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 9:1-4...

"The fifth angel sounded his trumpet; and I saw a star fallen out of heaven to the earth, and to him was given the key of the abyss' pit."

John saw this star as having fallen, as ready to begin its work. He was given the key to Satan and his angels' abode; he received the power to bring people into this abode.

John now says that the fallen angel "....opened abyss' pit and smoke arose out of the pit like a furnace's smoke; and the sun was darkened, and the air, from the pit's smoke."

Vapors from hell were unloosed. It was an event which brought forth such smoke as to obscure the sun itself and to render the air murky.

"Out of the smoke there came forth locusts upon the earth, and to them was granted power as the power which scorpions wield; and it was told them that they must injure only those people that don't bear God's seal."

The vapor became a spirits-swarm in locusts' form, which was made harsher by stinging-power. The missionaries' foes are like locusts.

They were told that they mustn't injure the vegetation which God had let stand, and they weren't let harm God's elect, who bear God's seal on their foreheads.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

I think it was a scary/ strange dream he wrote down. Or a sleep deprived series of hallucinations while in prison. It would've seemed absolutely real to him, and there'd be no other explanation available. I really think something like that happened to him. It wasn't a future prediction per say, but an imaginary manifestation of concerns hopes and fears of the time.

Did you know that dreaming protects the brain from daytime psychosis? If we don't sleep we don't dream. If we go too long without sleep we will end up "dreaming" in the form of hallucinations, while awake.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

The people who included it in the Canon would've had no scientific frame of reference for it either. But, since it's a relatively rare occurrence (though, can happen to anyone) those who experienced it might've been viewed as "seers". However, the brain does filter our emotions through our dreams. And maybe John of Patmos was justifiably terrified about what was going on in his place and time.

I also suspect something similar happened to ancient theologians and philosophers, like Martin Luther and others.

Possibly, it could've happened to Mary, mother of Jesus, and to Jesus himself, in the wilderness. Dreams and hallucinations were probably treated with greater interest and respect than they are now. That's not to say that no wisdom can be gleaned by what comes out of the brain doing its subconscious work.

 

[Luce NDs]

Dreams and hallucinations can be confused as someone said activities compared to meaning of what activities were observed ... if you can see it! Someone said it was Joyce or Kafka ... but many determined people will deny that too ... thus the indeterminates beyond us! The idealism of the unknown god ...

Lets face it what we don't know is extensively denied! A vast void as schism ...