Revelation 8:7-9 - There came hail and fire

8:7

The first four trumpets are related to things happening upon the earth. Many have drawn parallels between the things that happen here and the plagues of Egypt. While there are many similarities, there is not an exact correspondence. The first trumpet concerns “hail and fire, mixed with blood”. The result was that a third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and a third of the grass. The “third” indicates that this was highly significant, but neither was it complete. There was still an even more significant portion of the earth left. The judgement was a warning, albeit a severe one, but not a final judgement.

8:8,9

The second angel blew his trumpet and “something like a great mountain, burning with fire” was thrown into the sea. The description is light on detail, but is clear that this is a dramatic event. All the events in this sequence are greater than those in the seven seals. The first trumpet was directed at the land, this one is directed at the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. So this trumpet affected nature and man’s activity. Again, it is one third, highly significant, but not complete devastation.