Connect Revelation 8:10 with other biblical warnings about judgment and repentance. Revelation 8:10—A Bitter Star Falls “Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.” (Revelation 8:10) Echoes of Bitter Water in the Old Testament • The star in Revelation 8:10 is named “Wormwood” (v. 11), a direct link to several Old Testament warnings. • “Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.’ ” (Jeremiah 9:15) • “But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.” (Amos 6:12) • “Make sure there is no… root among you bearing such poisonous and bitter fruit.” (Deuteronomy 29:18) • Wormwood pictures divine judgment that makes life-sustaining water undrinkable—an unforgettable symbol of sin’s bitterness. Judgment on Life-Giving Water • At Marah, Israel faced bitter water until the LORD healed it (Exodus 15:23-25). • In Egypt, the Nile turned to blood, killing fish and contaminating the water supply (Exodus 7:20-21). • Revelation 16:4 repeats the pattern: “Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.” • God’s judgments often target what people rely on most, exposing false security and calling for repentance. From Bitter Water to Bitter Hearts • Physical bitterness mirrors spiritual reality: – “See to it that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Hebrews 12:15) – “They made their hearts like flint… so the LORD Almighty was very angry.” (Zechariah 7:12-13) • The Lord warns that unrepentant hearts will taste the bitterness they embrace. New Testament Calls to Turn Before It’s Too Late • “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:3) • “God overlooks the times of ignorance. Now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day when He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed.” (Acts 17:30-31) • Even after trumpet judgments, “The rest of mankind… still did not repent.” (Revelation 9:20-21) • Judgment escalates when repentance is refused, highlighting God’s patience yet firm justice. Living Water Versus Bitter Water • Jesus offers the only antidote: “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst… it will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) • “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” (John 7:37) • The final invitation of Scripture contrasts sharply with Wormwood: “Let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.” (Revelation 22:17) Key Takeaways • God’s warnings are literal, global, and unavoidable. • Bitter water judgments trace a consistent biblical theme: sin poisons what sustains life. • Every warning is also an invitation—turn from bitterness to the living water found in Christ alone. |
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