WORMWOOD

Revelation 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter
Revelation tells us of a time during the tribulation that a star will appear, aptly named Wormwood. Wormwood is seen by some portion of commentators as figurative. In the time of Rome, they saw the Wormwood star representing the barbarian hordes that invaded the Roman Empire. Others have seen it as bitter calamities befalling, or the rule of a tyrannical emperor. In Revelation, if you can apply the facts and see them as real, that is, if the scripture says a star called Wormwood will appear, then we take it as literal. The star will appear, and fall upon the earth. Moreover, when it falls makes the waters on earth bitter and many will die from them.

Wormwood in Revelation is apsinthos in the Greek. In this form, it is known as Wormwood. The Hebrew has it as la anah. What it is is unclear. It means a ‘bitter substance’, associated with gall, and is never associated with the Greek apsinthos or ‘wormwood’. [ISBE p3110 Vol IV] There is a genius of plants ‘Artemisia’ or ‘wormwood’ and has 5 species. All of which will furnish a bitter taste. The wormwood described in this form in Revelation, however, brings death upon all who drink the waters it pollutes.

It is indicative of the time period we call the ‘great tribulation’, which most scholars see as occurring after chapter Six in Revelation. Many pre-rapturists will take the tribulation as occurring at the start, long before chapter six. In a time when the church would have been raptured and the rise of the beast and the antichrist is going on. The one point here is that, the star will appear, and this will be during a time of great judgment and upheaval upon the earth. The time period will be bitter, a timely point here, for the star will be bitter, make water bitter, and represent a bitter time in mans history on earth. It is timely also here that Jesus Christ is the ‘living water’ and those who reject him will not have ‘living water’, but will be forced to drink bitter ‘dead water’, representing the cost of rejecting the Son of God, Yeshua Ha Massiach.

Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Mysterious Comet Seen and Photographed by Hubble

Furthermore as we ponder this issue, NASA/ESA recently released a photo of a bright comet. The photo taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble telescope, revealed a bright core of the comet called Comet 17P/Holmes. The comet is to have said to ‘mysteriously brightened’ by nearly a million-fold in a 24 hour period beginning on October 23, 2007.

15-Nov-2007: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has probed the bright core of Comet 17P/Holmes which, to the delight of sky watchers, mysteriously brightened by nearly a million-fold in a 24-hour period beginning October 23, 2007.

Astronomers have used Hubble’s powerful resolution to study Comet Holmes’ core for clues about how the comet brightened. The orbiting observatory’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) monitored the comet for several days, snapping images on 29 Oct., 31 Oct. and 4 Nov. Hubble’s crisp “eye” can see details as small as 54 kilometers across, providing the sharpest view yet of the source of the spectacular brightening. [NASA/ESA Press Release, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory]

Wonders “Teras” in the Heavens

In the last days there will be wonders ‘teras’ in the greek, or miracle, which by implication is a sign or portent, that is wonder of something about to happen.

Acts 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.

We see and hear of many things happening in these last days. There are many frightening developments which can bring fear and instability to a person. If a person looks at these things or events and allows them to bring that fear to their life, then they have lost track of the day and age we live in. There is no doubt; the snare as Jesus called it would happen to all the earth. This snare as he called it would envelope all nations, countries, governments, and men will not be able to deliver themselves from those events that the L-rd G-d, in portent, allows to happen.

These are signs of something more wonderful that is the sign of a coming kingdom of G-d on earth. Scriptures agree on this and furnish us with something to know about these last days. The end is near when we see these things.

Matthew 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mark 13:29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
Luke 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Wormwood “bitterness” upon the Waters

Now while the above comet we have pictured is not the ‘wormwood’ star of Revelation, it gives us a glimpse into the event itself. First, scientists would of discovered it ahead of time. Second, they will name it ‘wormwood’, probably before it hits, but most definitely after it hits and brings ‘bitterness’, then men will nickname it ‘wormwood’. Third, the scientific and governmental agencies will provide an alert that their will be a collision of a star or comet upon the earth. Fourth, in all they do, they will not stop this comet from hitting the earth. Fifth, although scientists have warned the world that just such an event would more than likely occur, knowing the billions of comets and meteors out in space, this one will not be as devastating as they have predicted. Sixth, the devastation from a major meteor or comet hitting the earth is total. That is, scientists have predicted a total wintering of the earth due to the coat of dust covering the earth and blocking the sun. This however, the ‘wormwood’ star will fall in the waters. This could mean as well, it may break up into billions of particles poisoning the earth’s waters, thus escaping the mind blowing devastation predicted by a major meteor or comet colliding with earth.

G-d Centered: The Days which are coming will be totally Unique in World History!

The events coming will be totally G-d centered. This means he is the author of this coming ‘wrath or judgment’. Man in all his scientific means and know how will not stop any of it. Man will have to endure it. Man will not even be able to die at certain times in the tribulation. This illustrates the absolute sovereignty of G-d over all things he creates.

Revelation 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them

Added to this is the fact that man also, in spite of all the supernatural events that will happen during the ‘tribulation’ of those days, will not be able to understand that it is G-d that is doing this, or that if he or she does know, this knowledge will not bring them to repentance, again, showing the absolute sovereignty of G-d.

Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The days in which we live are totally unique to world history. Never before in man’s history will we welcome into the physical world the coming Kingdom of G-d. We witnessed the Son of G-d dying on the cross, and being resurrected in power. This time, the Son of G-d will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, coming in power with all the armies of heaven to bring in his kingdom on earth. Putting down all his enemies and bringing righteousness to the earth. These are the days that will go down in the history of all man, including all things relating to eternity, for the eternal will come down to man. He will be his G-d, they will be his Son.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
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Dana G Smith is the author of D-Day For America, a prophecy book of what is coming to America. Published by Xulon Press, ISBN: 1-59781-843-7. Dana is the editor of the W.I.B.R. online Web Sites.

He Hosts WARN Radio, “into the night”, airing Fridays 9 PM Pacific on The America Voice radio network. He also is The Watchman of W.A.R.N. Radio Network, www.warn-usa.com.

His articles appear on his own news sites at www.wingswatchman.org, www.ddayforamerica.com, www.warn-usa.com , and on many sites around the web.

Dana is a Watchman, “let the Watchman declare what he see’s Isaiah 21:6. He is also an investigative and research journalist who lives in the Midwest. You can contact him through his websites or email watchman at wingswatchman.org.

http://wingswatchman.org/WordPress/2007/11/20/wormwood-star-portents-of-devastation-or-hope/