Smoodock's Blog

When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third part of the sun, moon and stars were darkened, so that the heavenly lights didn’t shine for a third part of the day and a third part of the night (Revelation 8:12). By way of being prophetic an event such as this literally occurred during the time Jesus hung on the cross. Many interpret it to be an eclipse, but this would have been impossible during the Passover season. The moon would have been full during the Passover, meaning it was in the opposite end of the sky as the sun. Just about the time the sun was setting in the west, the moon would have been rising in the east, so an eclipse would have been impossible.

Therefore, the darkening of the heavenly luminaries must be accounted for by some other means. Moreover, since the moon’s light varies throughout each month due to its always facing the sun, as it orbits the earth, it seems to me that the language we find in Revelation 8:12 points to a phenomena (spiritual or physical) that cannot be readily explained by known natural laws.

The fact that one-third of the light from the heavenly bodies was removed could be interpreted in one of three ways. It could mean that the sun was completely dark for about four hours of the day (12 hours of sunlight normally – cf. John 11:9), and so it would be for the other heavenly bodies, as their lights pertain to the night. On the other hand it could mean that the heavenly luminaries lost one-third of their brightness for a period of four hours during the day and four hours during the night. Finally, the matter could refer metaphorically to the spiritual condition of the Jewish nation.

The darkening of the heavenly bodies was a sign or the language thereof was a sign of the Lord’s judgment against the nations, just as centuries earlier it had been a sign against Babylon (Isaiah 13:1, 10, 19), against Egypt (Ezekiel 32:2, 7-8), and against Jerusalem (Isaiah 24:23). And, speaking of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 15:5), the Lord said, when her judgment came, she would give up the ghost, and her sun would go down, while it is yet day (Jeremiah 15:9), even at noon (Amos 8:9; cf. Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). Thus, there is a metaphorical understanding about this darkness. It doesn’t have to be literal, for it can indicate that the life of the Jewish nation was in jeopardy. The Jews had taken steps during the times of the Apostles’ preaching that intensified in the ten years preceding their war with Rome. Consequently, the Lord’s judgment against her also intensified viz. one-fourth in the seals (Revelation 6:8) versus one-third in the judgment of the trumpets (Revelation 8:7-12). Thus, their wisdom, heavenly wisdom, was darkened in that they walked in the way that seemed right to them (Proverbs 12:15; 14:12), but those ways would bring destruction.

The next thing John saw and heard was an angel flying in the midst of heaven. Nearly all of the manuscripts have eagle instead of angel, and probably it should be eagle, because it fits the context better. The eagle was saying: “Woe, woe, woe, to them that dwell upon the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” (Revelation 8:13). In other words, the first four trumpeters were referred to has Winds (Revelation 7:1), while the final three were called Woes (cf. Revelation 9:12; 11:14).

The eagle is often used in Scripture to indicate judgment or the wrath of God (Deuteronomy 28:49; Hosea 8:1; Habakkuk 1:8). It comes swiftly upon its prey (Job 9:26), and this had been the way of Roman justice against her enemies, swift and decisive. Moreover, the image of the eagle was atop of all the Roman standards, which, no doubt, indicated they would be the agents that the Lord would bring to fulfill his judgment upon Jerusalem and its Temple (cp. Daniel 9:26-27). Furthermore, Jesus, himself, predicted Rome (symbolized by the eagle) would be the means by which he would judge his people (Matthew 24:28; cf. Luke 17:37). The word carcass in Matthew 24:28 probably should be translated as “downfall” or “calamitous downfall” as it is often translated in the Septuagint (cp. Job 16:14; 18:12; 31:29; Proverbs 16:18; Isaiah 30:13-14; 51:19). So, Matthew 24:28 should read: “For wheresoever the calamitous downfall is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” Thus, the Lord predicted a time when Jerusalem would be engaged in a war with Rome, which war could end only in disaster for the Jews. In the context of Revelation 8:13, this disaster was forthcoming in the next three woes.