Divine Devastation on Planet Earth

In my lifetime there has been an ever increasing emphasis on saving the earth. As a matter of fact, the secularist holiday called Earth Day was just celebrated this past week. This event began in 1970 led by mostly white young people college age and down kids. It has always had political overtones, as most of its original adherents were decidedly anti-Nixon.

Environmentalism is a force to be reckoned with these days.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe there is a biblical mandate to manage God’s earth well. Next Saturday, we will gather right here at RBBC to clean up the roadside. As followers of Jesus we should be concerned with conservation, while at the same time understanding that the ever increasing emphasis on taking care of mother earth is rooted in idolatry and all kinds of false religions.

Today, I will call attention to the fact that in the last days it will be God who is the mover and shaker behind earthly devastation like the world has never seen. All as part of the continued unfolding of God’s judgment on the world as we know it today, in order to eventually set all things right.

AND, I believe all the judgment we read about in Revelation is also meant to cause mankind to repent and turn toward Christ. IT seems however that the further we go into the time period of the Tribulation, that men’s hearts grow colder and more rebellious. This is why the Scripture says TODAY if you hear God’s voice.

As we have studied through the book of Revelation we are probably getting close to the 2 year mark of the Tribulation period. I believe the church has been raptured out of the world BEFORE all this begins to unfold.

We have God the Father give Jesus (the lion and the lamb) a 7 sealed scroll. As Jesus pulls of each seal a new judgment has come. At least 25% of the world’s population has died off. With the removal of the 7th seal a new set of judgments will begin. This time the judgments are Trumpet Judgments and there are 7 of them too.

Revelation 8:6–12 HCSB

6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. 7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth. So a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. So a third of the sea became blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter. 12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, 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 was without light, and the night as well.

4 Natural Catastrophes

Judgment impacting the earth and vegetation

Revelation 8:7 HCSB

7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth. So a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

Hail, Fire, and Blood- The plagues of Exodus come to mind.

Blood

Supernatural raining down of blood.

Bright red Lava being spewed on the land.

Actual blood that was somehow hurled upwards during the earthquake and perhaps volcanoes that followed.

Judgment impacting the seas

Revelation 8:8–9 HCSB

8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. So a third of the sea became blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Between the vegetation and the seas, there will be a noticeable decrease in oxygen supply since both trees and marine algae produce oxygen for us to breathe.

great mountain. Meteorite or Asteroid.

In sylacauga, Alabama there is a roadside marker commemorating the Hodges Meteorite. In 1954, while taking a nap, Ann Hodge’s was hit by the meteorite that crashed through the roof, hit her console radio, and then struck her. It was the size of a grapefruit.

This one is listed as the size of a great mountain. Imagine the devastation of one that big hitting the ocean.

Commerce, wildlife, food supply, and ecology would be devastated.

Judgment impacting fresh water

Revelation 8:10–11 HCSB

10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter.

Perhaps a comet… its blazing like a torch.

Must be split into many pieces as it blazed through the atmosphere because it impacts the riverS.

Wormwood would be bitter, or poisioned. In otherwords, 1/3 of the worlds fresh water supply will become unusable.

Judgment impacting air quality

Revelation 8:12 HCSB

12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, 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 was without light, and the night as well.

I believe the issue of air quality is implied. There is something that causes the sun, moon, and stars to be darker.

The sun is perfectly located in relationship to the earth for optimal life. If it were much closer we would burn up. It it were much further, we would freeze.

I personally believe that the first 3 trumpets contributes to the 4th trumpet. I think the darkening of the heavens is caused from all the ash, dust, and debris brought on by the first three trumpets.

Results.

Cooling temps.

Loss of Vitamin D

Multiplied health issues.

God is patient not wanting any to perish

God is holy and cannot tolerate sin

God is planning to make all things new