‘And the first sounded and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast on the land (or earth), and the third part of the land (or earth) was burnt up, and the third part of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.'
The first wind of earth has been released, specifically affecting trees (Revelation 7:1). In Exodus 9:24 there was ‘hail, and fire mingled with hail' and plants of the earth were smitten (Exodus 9:31-32), indicating a great storm with hail and lightning and possibly thunderbolts, and the resulting fires burn up trees and vegetation. A similar thing happens here. Compare ‘hailstones and coals of fire' (Psalms 18:13-14), similarly part of such a great storm. John would seem to have Exodus 9 in mind but replaces ‘hail' with ‘blood'.
From where does John introduce such an idea? In Ezekiel 38:22 God says of Gog ‘I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood, and I will rain on him and on his hordes and upon the many peoples who are with him an overflowing shower, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone', John is thus taking these ideas and combining them with Exodus 9. This brings out that the prime significance of ‘blood' here is death through the storms. Some have seen it as connected with Joel 2:30 which speaks of ‘blood and fire' in connection with the future, ‘I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke'. But in context that more suggests devastation by pillaging armies. It may, however, be seen as also referring to extreme natural phenomena, and may thus have been in John's mind for Joel 2:30 was connected by the early church with current events (Acts 2:10).
This whole picture suggests a procession of great storms, their devastating effects resulting in pestilence and death, and the mention of fire and brimstone stresses that they are to be seen as a judgment of God. Possibly, but not necessarily (it is apocalyptic language not to be taken literally) to be seen as connected with volcanic action. The mention of blood over against pestilence in Ezekiel refers to ‘death' and includes the storm's effects as it causes death and destruction (see also Ezekiel 14:19). Pestilence and death are closely related. The word for ‘death' is regularly used in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) to translate the Hebrew word ‘deber' which means destruction, plague, pestilence (1 Kings 8:37; Jeremiah 14:12).
This whole imagery may also have in mind the phenomenon of red rain which occurred in certain parts of the Mediterranean region. It may, however, be simply apocalyptic imagery suggesting widespread death. Or more probably it is the one seen with the other. There may also be the suggestion in it that they are receiving recompense for the blood of the martyrs which they have shed, their ‘blood' being seen as poured on them in the judgments coming on them (compare Revelation 15:6).
Such great and devastating storms, and huge fires caused by lightning and thunderbolts, burning up swathes of countryside, occurred in John's time and have occurred through history, and will continue to do so, exacting death tolls sometimes of great magnitude, although not many have reached this magnitude. Here we learn that such storms should be seen in their own way as judgments of God, as the releasing of the winds of earth, a further step towards and reminder of Christ's Second Coming. There will no doubt be more. Every such severe catastrophe in nature is a pointer to the end. The whole message of Revelation is that however much things seem out of control, God is in control and working His purposes out.
‘And the third part of the earth (or land area) was burnt up, and the third part of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up'. This is apocalyptic language to bring out the severity of the situation and is a deliberate increase on ‘the fourth part' in Revelation 6:8, stressing an even greater increase in death and devastation through these great fires and storms in the areas where they occur. However, it is in merciful contrast with the ‘two thirds' of Zechariah 13:8 which applied to those who smite the shepherd and scatter the sheep, for they claimed to be God's people and were therefore liable to greater punishment. Thus here justice is seen as tempered with mercy.
God would have been justified in destroying all, but he limits it to a third. Nature and man are both seen as controlled by God. It may be seen as occurring over time, with the devastation not all occurring at once. The mention of the destruction of trees and grass stresses that there will be resulting shortages for both man and beast. The ‘third part of the earth', or it could equally be translated ‘of the land', has in mind ‘the earth' as known to John, not the whole world as we know it, and probably even means ‘of the land where the storms occur'. It indicates great devastation. But although the devastation is great, it is not necessarily worldwide. Within its sphere it is widespread and devastating. The word for ‘earth' can also equally mean ‘land area' (their concept of ‘the earth' was different from ours). The mention of the fraction reminds us that God is allowing a powerful warning but has not yet determined to destroy the whole.
There have been such apocalyptic moments in history when particularly awful natural phenomena have caused devastating consequences on a huge scale, and in a lesser way such ‘natural' phenomena as typhoons and hurricanes occur regularly. But we obtain hints of worse from ancient writings and from scientific studies. Any one of these, or all, could be in mind here. Revelation presents us with a pattern of suffering and woes which mankind must constantly face and is assuring us that they do not mean that things are out of control. They come and they go, but God's purposes go forward and His people are not forgotten.
The Second Trumpet Sounds.