What is “Wormwood” in the Book of Revelation?
While living in exile on the Greek island of Patmos, the disciple John had a series of revelatory visions about a future time when Jesus would return in triumph to the earth. In his book of Revelation he described in dramatic fashion a sequence of events that would unfold at that time. This book has since become one of the most enigmatic books of the Bible, and religious scholars still cannot agree on exactly what it was that John was describing.
We also have to remember that if John really did foresee events that would happen on the earth several thousands of years in the future, he would be ill-equipped to describe those events in terms that would be understandable to us today. He would also be forced to use symbols where his technical expertise was lacking.
For example, in Chapter 8 of his Book of Revelation John described seven angels to whom were given seven trumpets. As each angel sounded their trumpet, the earth was assailed by a specific disaster.
“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all the green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
“And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 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.
“And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” (Revelation 8:7-12)
For most readers of the Bible, the identity of the great mountain of fire called “Wormwood” remains cloaked in mystery. Yet if John had limited his predictions to just these verses, scholars might have had an easier time in deciphering them. But to complicate matters, he went on to describe seven more angels, each of whom were given vials of the wrath of God to pour upon the earth. As John wrote:
“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea“.
“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.”(Chapter 16:2-4)
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given to him to scorch men with fire”. (Chapter 16:8)
“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness: and they gnawed their tongues for pain“. (Chapter 16:10)
The reason why Biblical scholars have had so much difficulty in interpreting these passages is that these plagues are described in separate chapters of the Book of Revelation, and because John attributes them in one case to angels with trumpets and in another to angels with vials of the wrath of God. Because of this scholars have naturally assumed that John was referring to different events occurring at different points in time.
It is only when we recognize that all of these different plagues described by John in separate passages are related to one single event that they become understandable. Most of these plagues occur in a single day which the Bible calls “the great and terrible day of the Lord“. (Joel 2:31) And in the process the true meaning of the great star from heaven called “Wormwood” becomes clear.
The enigmatic writings of John could have held little meaning for the people who lived at the time his words were penned. Today however, their meaning stands revealed as the clear imprint of a heavenly harbinger of doom. The tribulations predicted by John are a vivid illustration of exactly those disasters that would befall the earth if it were to have a close encounter with a comet.
Suppose a large comet was to pass in orbit around the sun. As it sped away from the sun back into the dark void of space, its luminous tail of particles would travel ahead of it, blown by the force of solar radiation. If the earth should happen to lie in the path of this comet after its perihelion (or closest approach to the sun), then our world would first come into contact with the tail of the comet, which would extend ahead of it in space for many millions of miles.
If the dust particles in the tail of the comet were ferruginous (containing iron oxide or rust), then the earth would be showered by particles of fine, red dust. As this cosmic dust (or “false dust” as Nostradamus described it in his quatrains) began to fall from the sky, it would settle on the skin of people and animals causing irritation and infection.
The presence in the atmosphere of these tiny particles of dust would also spawn torrential downpours of rain, which would be characterised by a blood-red color. As the earth continued to be showered by poisonous dust this bloody rain would soon contaminate the rivers and the seas, causing them to become blood-red in appearance. Those who drank from these toxic waters would die.
As the earth drew closer to the nucleus of the comet, larger particles in the comet’s tail would fall as blazing meteorites. This torment of fiery hail would then set fire to large portions of the land. Entire forests and countrysides would be engulfed in blazing infernos that would destroy crops, which would later lead to widespread famine.
Should a part of the comet, or even the nucleus itself plunge into the sea, this flaming asteroid would create unparalleled havoc, not just to those creatures in the sea, but also to those craft which happened to be travelling upon it. Coastal cities would be ravaged by tumultuous tidal waves. Hundreds of millions of people would die in a matter of minutes.
The resulting collision would devastate the land and decimate all forms of life on the planet. A cloud of dust and debris would soon circle the earth, blotting out in places the light of the sun, moon and stars. The impact of this cometary collision would severely jolt the earth, perhaps even causing it to tilt on its axis and change the alignment of its poles.
The reference by St. John to a “great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp” is a clear reference to a comet. And when he later refers to “a stone like a great millstone that was cast into the sea“, it should be obvious that he is writing here about an asteroid that plunges into the ocean.
The interpretation of the “great millstone” as an asteroid, which St. John called “Wormwood”, is confirmed by his predictions regarding the destruction of the “mystery woman Babylon” contained in Chapter 18.
“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned by fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning.”
“Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come.” (Revelation 18:8-10)
The lamentations so vividly described by St. John clearly refer to a sudden (in a single hour) global disaster that not only devastates the land, but affects the oceans as well, leading to an immense loss of cargo and shipping. This is exactly what would occur if the ocean were to be struck by an asteroid, and this is what St. John describes:
“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.” (Revelation 18:20-21)
If such a sequence of disasters were to assail the earth, pious churchmen and women everywhere would see in these events the wrath of God, and the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy. To the scientific community however, they would simply be the predictable consequences of a rare and unfortunate astronomical encounter, which would no doubt be attributed to the random effects of chance.
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