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The Revelation of Jesus Christ
THE THIRDTRUMPET 8:10, 11
"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." "The third part" mentioned in the book of Revelation, in connection with the trumpet judgments, represents the Roman Empire. In the preceding verses we are told that "hail and fire mingled with blood" were cast upon the earth; but here, when the third trumpet sounds, we see that a star falls. As we have already intimated, the stars represent the ecclesias tical leaders of the people, those leaders in -Romanism and Protestantism that will be left behind when the true church is translated, as portrayed in the opening verse of chapter four. John says a "great star" fell from heaven; and in the fall ing of that star, multitudes of people will be affected. Whom does this star represent? Undoubtedly some person who has great authority in a religious way and who becomes an avowed apostate. Since there is to be a union of the authority of the revived Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church, it is likely that the great leader referred to will be the ecclesiastical head of the empire. We know what a powerful influence is wielded by the head of the Roman Catholic sys tem; and it is reasonable to suppose that in the last days, when men have only an intellectual belief, which is not based on regeneration, the head of that empire will get an even greater hold upon his followers. Think of the confusion that will exist among those followers when the millions, who shall have followed blindly his teachings and leadership, find that he becomes an apostate. We are not dogmatic in the assertion that the "star" will be the pope of Rome, but without question it represents some great apostate who exercises influence over millions of people. We know no other ecclesiastical leader who does this. "The third part of the waters became wormwood"; that is, bitter. Water, in the Scriptures, represents the truth of God.
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