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Revelation 8 Symbols

From: Symbols of the Apocalypse Briefly Defined

By: Alfred Henry Burton

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Duration: 3min

Revelation 8 • 2 min. read • grade level: 8

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1. Silence in Heaven: Temporary suspension of judgment.

2. Trumpets: Loud announcements of God’s interference (Ex. 19:16¹⁶And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. (Exodus 19:16); Joel 2:1¹Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; (Joel 2:1)).

3. Another Angel: Christ.

Altar: The brazen altar; the first point of contact between God and man on earth.

Incense: The precious perfume of the graces of Christ.

Golden Altar: Effectual intercession of the great High Priest (Ex. 30).

5. Fire of the Altar: Judgment in favour of saints in reply to intercession (Ezek. 10:2²And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. (Ezekiel 10:2)).

Voices and Thunderings and Lightnings and an Earthquake: Signs of God’s power in the subversion of all established order on the earth.

7. Hail: Sudden and stormy judgment from God (Isa. 28:2²Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. (Isaiah 28:2); see Rev. 16:21²¹And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. (Revelation 16:21)).

Fire: Consuming judgment.

Blood: Death morally; apostasy.

Third Part: The Western Roman earth. [The dragon with seven heads and ten horns drew the third part of the stars.] (Rev. 12:3-4³And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. ⁴And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (Revelation 12:3‑4)).

Trees: Exalted position among men; human power and pride (Ezek. 31; Dan. 4).

Green Grass: Earthly prosperity; human weakness (Isa. 40:6, 8⁶The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: (Isaiah 40:6)
⁸The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8); 1 Pet. 1:24²⁴For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (1 Peter 1:24)).

8. Mountain Burning With Fire: A great established power replete with judgment (Jer. 51:25²⁵Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. (Jeremiah 51:25)).

Sea: (See Rev. 13:1¹And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)).

Blood: (See ver. 7).

9. Death: Public apostasy from God; the power of Satan (Rev. 2:23²³And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23)).

Ships: Lucrative commerce.

10. Star, Burning as It Were a Lamp: A fallen and apostate dignitary.

Rivers: The activity of bodies of people under certain influences.

Fountains of Waters: The source and origin of these influences.

11. Wormwood: The bitterness and misery of apostasy (Jer. 9:15-16; 23:15¹⁵Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. ¹⁶I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them. (Jeremiah 9:15‑16)
¹⁵Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. (Jeremiah 23:15); Lam. 3:5, 19⁵He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. (Lamentations 3:5)
¹⁹Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. (Lamentations 3:19)).

12. Sun: The supreme ruling power (Isa. 13:9-10⁹Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. ¹⁰For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Isaiah 13:9‑10); Ezek. 32:7⁷And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. (Ezekiel 32:7); Joel 3:15¹⁵The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. (Joel 3:15)).

Moon: Derived light; that which reflects the light of the sun in his absence.

Stars: Subordinate authorities.

Darkness: No perception of God’s will; strong delusion to believe a lie. [The four trumpets affect all parts of symbolic creation.]

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