Wormwood: The Immaculate Despotism

"Then the second angel sounded; And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter." (Revelation Chapter eight versus, 8 -11. Taken from The Word of God - Alive & Active, The American Bible Society).

In the above passages, what in the hell on earth is the prophet John seeing as he describes these two separate catastrophic events? Is it possible that the prophet had a little too much wormwood spiced liquid to drink and thusly saw alcoholic induced illusions, or, perhaps the prophet was truly given a heavenly message as he contests? If this is indeed a heavenly message sent to inform and instruct mortals, then why has it been given so vaguely and left so open to any type of interpretation, and for what people, and what generation of those people was this massage transmitted to John so that he may broadcast it to teach enlightenment?

As a first step in seeking to understand what the prophet is conveying one must define a few of the terms that John has used in these descriptive passages. Using the American Heritage Dictionary as our source, we see that the term Wormwood is defined as being "(1). Any of several aromatic plants native to Europe, yielding a bitter extract used in making absinthe and in flavoring certain wines. (2). Something harsh or embittering." Also from the same source we find that the term Absinthe is defined as being "(1). A green liqueur having a bitter licorice flavor and a high alcoholic content. It is prepared from wormwood and other herbs." And also from our source Licorice is defined as being "(1). A plant of the Mediterranean region, having blue flowers and a sweet, distinctively flavored root."

Putting these terms together what do we get? It seems that all that we get is alcoholic use that may, or may not, extend itself to drunkenness leading to death by intoxication, and if this is the case, why does this state of being come from heaven and in the form of a burning star? A third of the waters became wormwood (Revelation Chapter eight, 8), simply means that a third of the water of the earth became very bitter. And many died from drinking of this bitter water, which can either mean a physical death, or the death of all conscious feelings as a result of drinking wormwood. A great burning star can mean heavenly judgment or an asteroid, among other suppositions and presumptions. It should be noted that the bible refers to angels as stars, and the greatest of all the stars, when it is used in this context, is that angelic being known as Satan.

So then, what we have is the prophet John looked into the sky and seeing a great star falling to earth burning with fire, and fire is associated with fury, and anger, and destruction. It should also be noted that the host of humankind is sometimes referred to in the bible as the sea, and we know that many rivers and springs of water branches off from or flows into the sea. Therefore a third of humanity will drink of the bitter liquid of wormwood and will become enraged and consumed by a torch like drunkenness that will result in very many people dying. The great star that is named Wormwood will come from the herbs of the earth and its bittersweet flavor will defile a third of the rivers and springs of water that is a branch of the sea, and in this torch-like drunkenness many will be brought to death because wormwood will have made them very bitter.

"Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures of the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." (Revelation Chapter eight, verse 8 & 9). A great mountain burning with fire could be a reference to the Mount of Olives where the one who was sent departed and is foretold will return again upon that same spot. Again fire is fury, and anger, and destruction, but it can also be purification, and healing, and cleansing. "And a third of the living creatures of the sea died," (Revelation Chapter eight, 8), meaning that another third of the Earth's human population is escorted to the grave. "And a third of the ships were destroyed," (Revelation Chapter eight, 8), meaning that a third of the Earth's present landmass that is now above the oceans will return to the deep. Being thrown into the sea (Revelation Chapter eight, 8), means that the sea does not invite or welcome this burning intrusion, and thus it is flung or forced into its midst.

"A third of the sea became blood." (Revelation Chapter eight, 8) Blood from ancient times have been used as a special offering of atonement. "And a third of the living creatures of the sea died". (Revelation Chapter eight, 9) The death of another third of the human family is the blood sacrifice that is used to atone for disbelief, rebellion, and disobedience. "Something like a great mountain." (Revelation Chapter eight, 8). This depiction can also be describing a comet hitting the earth however suspect that this assumption is, because, the great mountain is not being said as coming from beyond the planet Earth. "A third of the living creatures." (Revelation Chapter eight, 8). Means a third of the living creatures of the sea.

So then, what we have is that two thirds of the human population of the planet Earth will be taken away unto violent death and multitudes more will succumb to the grave out of fear, panic, despair, and hopelessness, and then there are those many upon many others who will be vanquished by war and the prevailing atmosphere of all-out lawlessness that will engulf the sea and turn it red. When famine, disease, and natural disasters are added to this the human population on the planet Earth will be reduced to less than one percent of its current mass. In his mind or in a heavenly induced vision, John saw this as a message that he was ordered to convey to mortals, and this he did by writing it down on parchment, and this is perceived as being the cosmic wisdom concerning future events. But, is this heavenly message given to John a forecast of the future, or is it something that was already happening in his own day and time?

The fact is that John was tactfully concealed on the island of Patmos away from other human influences and shown visions of the past, the present, and the future in the singular instance of a series of events, therefore, the message that John was ordered to convey is for the generations of people who lived before him, the generation of people who were alive during his time, and the generation of people who were to come after him. To the finite mind this declaration of timelessness may seem as foolishness but in the cosmos there is but one consciousness and one instance of being, therefore even now, John is on the island of Patmos writing down his message on parchment, even as we who are alive today cannot see or sense his presence, and even those who lived long before his physical time, he is there writing the same message to them as he is writing it for those of his time.

What in the hell on earth is the prophet John seeing as a message given to him from heaven that he is instructed to share with others? "Then the second angel sounded; And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter." (Revelation Chapter eight versus, 8 -11. Taken from The Word of God - Alive & Active, The American Bible Society). Perhaps this is what John's message is, "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, also there was no more sea." (Revelation Chapter twenty-one, 1). The End.