Revelation 8:7-9 (NKJV)
First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck
7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck
8 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. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
V7 “The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” Blood is associated with crimes and guilt, with the most common crime being murder. This is punishment. The word “they” refers to the hail (Joshua 10:9-11) and fire (Genesis 19:24 and Matthew 13:40-43). The fire probably refers to a severe lightning storm. Compare Exodus 9:18-26 and Joel 2:30. This is not an ordinary storm. It is massive and destructive. It was so severe that all the trees and grass in 1/3 of the earth burned to the dirt. God is punishing sin. Sin has consequences. See Galatians 6:7-8 and Proverbs 14:12.
V8 “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.” This doesn’t mean a literal mountain. It was something like a burning mountain. Thus, it was huge and something John had never seen or heard of before. The blood is from the dead creatures. Perhaps, this is a meteor. Whatever, this judgment of God goes into the sea (oceans) and the death is so great that 1/3 of it became blood.
V9 “And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” According to Statista, there are about 60,000 ocean ships. There will be 20,000 ships destroyed. (Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/264024/number-of-merchant-ships-worldwide-by-type/). The destruction of 1/3 of all sea creatures is staggering. It should be clear to anyone living in those days that God is very angry. One would think it reasonable that everyone would be on their knees asking for forgiveness, but that is not the case.
We learn:
- God hates sin.
- God punishes sin.
- The Tribulation punishments will be the most severe.