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Revelation 8:8-9 "The second angel blew his trumpet and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed."

 

Chapters 8 to 9 of Revelation tell a kind of "reverse Creation" story wherein seven angels are given trumpets, the sounding of six of which in succession brings destruction to all areas of creation: the land, the seas and waters, the sun and stars, and all creatures, including mankind. But in each case, nothing is totally destroyed. Everything is destroyed by a third, as here we see one-third of the sea, its creatures, and the ships affected.

 

Destruction allowed by God serves two purposes: to cut out the rot and cancer that sin has brought into the world, and to wake people up through these terrible chastisements. Unfortunately, Revelation tells us that even after the sixth angel has sounded his trumpet and one-third of mankind is dead, "The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent". (Revelation 9:20). So the seventh angel with a trumpet will sound it, opening God's temple in heaven and bringing "lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail." (Revelation 11:19). And eventually another seven angels will be given bowls to pour out more chastisements on the earth (Revelation 16), leading finally to the end of the great harlot, Babylon. At no point in all of Revelation is the entire earth nor all of mankind destroyed. The calamities brought on by the angels are actually leading to the coming of "a new heaven and a new earth". (Revelation 21:1).

 

Revelation does not foretell the end of earth, or the end of humanity, it foretells the end of an era - the era of the dominion of the devil that began with the Fall (pointing us back to Genesis and the cyclical nature of the Bible and salvation history). God loves His Creation, He does not want to destroy any of it. Unfortunately, sin eventually will tarnish it so much that the only way forward will be to allow the destruction of a good portion of it. But a better portion will be saved, cleansed, and recreated to be a new earth, one that will be the perfect bride for the bridegroom when He comes.

 

The new heaven cannot reign on earth until earth is made ready for its kingdom. This involves a lot of suffering as sin is excised, some of which I believe we are going through now. There is never a reason, however, to lose hope. We have God's promise of a new heaven and a new earth. Even if we die while awaiting it, we will see the its culmination, and there can be nothing more joyful.

 

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"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. " St Julian of Norwich.