“Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts. The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned.” Revelation 8:6-7
One of the characteristics of these trumpet judgements is that the number 1/3rd keeps coming up. 1/3rd means that it is judgement that is partial – not God’s consuming wrath. These judgements are partial for the purpose of producing repentance. If there was another way that God could act, to bring about a greater number of people returning to Him, He would have done it. We have seen that when God judged Israel (exile) she was brought to repentance and to a spiritual change that was pleasing to Him. God does not show favoritism. He will not treat the nations differently to the way He dealt with Israel. Israel was set apart to be an example to the nations. God is releasing these judgments and they are coming from heaven. They are supernatural and cannot be explained by science. These things have never happened before. This has never happened in the history of the world before. It is yet future. The combination of fire mixed with blood is reminiscent of Joel, “And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and columns of smoke.” (Joel 2:30). The effects of such catastrophic fires would be widespread and devastating, including destruction of crops, death of animals on a massive scale, loss of wood for construction, and the destruction of watersheds.
“Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” (Romans 1:28) If we make the choice to continue to reject God, He will allow us that choice. We even know better. “They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” (Romans 1:32) We know the outcome of God’s judgment, but we feel that it will not happen to us, but the time is coming when all that is in Revelation will happen and the end will come.