(Read Part 32)

Last time we looked at the first of seven trumpet judgments, as illustrated by this chart:

This week we turn out attention to the next judgment that follows this first one.

Introduction

The human body contains approximately 78 percent water at birth, with adult males dropping to 65 percent water and adult females 55 percent water.[1] Fresh water and nutritional food are essential for humans to survive. The oceans, rivers and springs of the world provide a large percentage of the food supply and drinking water.

The sounding of the second and third trumpet judgments in the future seven-year tribulation period will result in a 33-percent decrease in the available seafood and fresh water supply. The trumpet’s impending results will greatly impact the ecological and economic conditions in the world, causing many deaths.[2]

One Third of Seas

The Apostle John describes an object that looks like a large burning mountain entering the sea. The object is not specifically identified, but David Levy states the object may well be a large meteor that hits the seas, with the effect of one-third of the seas turning to blood and the destruction of one-third of the ships.[3]

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. (Rev. 8:8-9)

John Walvoord warns against attempting to explain away this catastrophic judgment. God states a third of the waters will literally turn to blood, resulting in the massive loss of one-third of the sea’s marine life. In addition, with the colossal object thrown into the sea, the likely result is an enormous tidal wave, which could account for the destruction of one-third of the ships.[4]

Regardless of the specific methodology God will incorporate, the end results remain devastatingly literal.

The following chart reminds us of the placement of this second trumpet judgment:

We will begin next time by looking at the third trumpet judgment.

Here we stand; we cannot, and must not, be moved from this distinctive dispensational doctrine.

(Read Part 34)

Dr. Richard Schmidt is a church ministries representative for the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry and the founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries, having previously served as a pastor and church planter. His love for the prophetic Scriptures resulted in writing a doctoral dissertation on a dispensational perspective on the mystery church age existing between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel. Dr. Schmidt offers seminars on a variety of prophetic topics to local churches and conferences. We are very excited to involve him as a contributing author to Dispensational Publishing House.

Copyright © 2017 by Dr. Richard Schmidt. Used by permission of the author.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] Howard Pearlman, “The USGS Water Science School,” Dec. 2, 2016, <https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html> Internet; accessed 15 May 2017.

[2] David M. Levy, Revelation: Hearing the Last Word (Bellmawr, NJ.: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1999), p. 111.

[3] Ibid.

[4] John Walvoord, Every Prophecy of the Bible (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2011), p. 546.