Revelation 8 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered
A response and reply to the notes on Revelation 8 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).
King James Version
SAB comment
My comment
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
The angel threw the censer down to earth, causing thunder, lightning, and earthquakes.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7 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.
God sends his angels to destroy a third part of all the trees, grass, sea creatures, mountains, sun, moon, starts, and water.
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.
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;
In the bible, stars are just little lights that can fall to the ground from the sky.
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.
(8:10-11) "Many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter."
(8:10-11) "And the name of the star is called Wormwood."
Some believers say that the 1986 nuclear disaster at Chernobyl was the fulfillment of the third trumpet in 8:10-11.
The author of the SAB is right that there are people who claim Chernobyl means wormwood. And see the fulfilment of this trumpet in the Chernobyl disaster. In that case it has been a big fail. The number of people who died immediately at this disaster was 31. Reliable reports estimating deaths due to secondary effects vary from 64 to 4,000 (we can safely dismiss reports from Greenpeace). Quote:
Probably more people have died and will have died due to the media hysteria about this subject then ever will have died due to the effects of radiation.As of mid-2005, however, fewer than 50 deaths had been directly attributed to radiation from the disaster, almost all being highly exposed rescue workers, many who died within months of the accident but others who died as late as 2004.
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.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
An angel flies through heaven screaming, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth."
