The Third Angel

2005-5-21 06:28:00

The next scripture reads:

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; 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.  Revelation 8:10-11

Some read this and believe it means an asteroid will hit the earth before the end of times while others have made the connection that "Chernobyl" is a Russian word for the wormwood plant. Many Bible believers think the third angel sounded when the nuclear disaster occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear plant.

Fortunately, an asteroid is not likely in the near future and the correspondence between the Chernobyl disaster and Revelation does not match up. For one thing, a third part of the rivers did not become polluted and there is little literal connection between drinking radioactive waters and death.

The scripture makes much more sense when spiritual symbology is used.

With the second angel a great mountain (kingdom of God - higher consciousness) fell upon the seas (masses of people).

This time a great star burning like a lamp falls upon the rivers and fountains (springs) of waters. This sounds like a great falling star that lights up the whole sky.

So, what does a star mean in this context?

Earlier we said that stars represent fixed beliefs and the stars falling to the earth represents shattered belief systems that were thought to never change, like a fixed star.

This time instead of stars plural we have one great star falling. To understand this fully we have to add another element of meaning.

A star can also refer to an avatar, a great teacher or leader who will shatter belief systems. This meaning is indicated in the Book of Revelation itself:

The seven stars are the angels (messengers) of the seven churches (belief systems): and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.  Revelation 1:20

"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars." Rev 3:1

Here we see that a star is a messenger representing a spiritual philosophy (church) and also one of the seven spirits before the throne of God. By extension this would also represent the seven chakras as they manifest internally.

A great and fiery star fell from heaven. What does this mean? The meaning has several levels but the same principle manifests throughout.

The disciple recently opened the seventh seal and peered into heaven and beheld a strange silence for half an hour. In the silence he perceived the will of God as never before and became on fire about bringing that which is in heaven to the earth.

From the seventh chakra (a great star) descended the fiery will of God to the streams of the earth.

If we correspond the star to a spiritual teacher then we have a great messenger (star) ablaze with the light of knowledge concerning the will of God falling upon a third of the rivers and springs.

What does the rivers and springs represent? These give life to the trees (aspiring teachers) and the grass (religious followers). The rivers and the streams thus represent the knowledge of God which feeds the people and stimulates their spiritual life.

When the next manifestation of the will of God falls from heaven (source of revelation) to add to the sources of knowledge on the earth a great disturbance happens. When the new knowledge is presented many do not like what they hear. The new doctrine is as bitter as wormwood to them. They are like the people in Jesus' home town. When he tried to teach them they rushed upon him, grabbed him and tried to throw him over a cliff.

What he said was a bitter pill (wormwood) for them to swallow, for the star (Jesus) that fell into their fountain of knowledge shook their belief system (fixed star).

"... and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Many refuse to be nourished by the new and living waters and without this nourishment they dry up and die spiritually.

The next verses read:

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. 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 Rev the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! Revelation  8:12-13

How little do they see what really is, who frame their hasty judgments upon that which seems. Robert Southey (1774 - 1843)