The Sea Became Blood

“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.” (Rev. 8:8).

A few days ago when they were showing news clips of the oil disaster in the Gulf a news reporter was in a boat on the water and showing pictures of the devastation. She was commenting on the fact the water had turned red because of all the oil. As soon as I heard this I thought of the Bible verse that mentions the sea becoming blood (red). I was discussing this with my friend and she mentioned that this verse could also refer to the blood of all the creatures that are being killed because of this horrific disaster. The Bible also refers to this, “And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died;” (Rev. 8:9). Could this also affect the ships that use this water? The Bible says this, “…and the third part of the ships were destroyed.” (Rev. 8:9). The note in my King James study Bible says, “The second trumpet turns a third of the sea into blood, and a third of the sea creatures and ships are destroyed. This will produce a reduction of evaporation and thus a shortage of rain and fresh water on land. International commerce and distribution of food and resources will be severely hampered.”

This is already having a major economic influence on the Gulf region as the ocean is where many of them earn their income. All sorts of fishing and tourism industries are suffering and many peoples’ livelihood is gone. It is an economic disaster. I cannot help but think of James 5 when I think of what this is doing to the working man. Speaking to the unscrupulous rich James 5:5-6 says, “Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” The unscrupulous rich by their criminal neglect are causing financial hardship on the working people. They have no conscience and by their own greed are causing financial hardship, untold human and wildlife suffering as well as an environmental disaster. We are supposed to be stewards of the earth and its resources, not destroyers of the earth. My brother noted that man has again proven that we cannot rule ourselves and that we need King Jesus to rule over us.

[inset side=”left” title=””]If we refuse to humble ourselves, our own God must force it upon us. Thus the hardships must come upon us.[/inset]Another verse that refers to the sea turning to red is Rev. 16:3, “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.” The King James study Bible says of this verse, “The second vial turns the entire sea to blood, and produces the death of all sea life. The blood of a dead man is coagulated and rotting. No evaporation for rain would be possible. This judgment parallels both the first plague on Egypt (Ex. 7:20, 21) and the second trumpet Rev. 8:8, 9). There is no doubt that we are in a time of God’s judgment as we refuse to humble ourselves and rid ourselves of our prideful nature. If we refuse to humble ourselves, our own God must force it upon us. Thus the hardships must come upon us. We are a stiff necked people and don’t submit to God’s will easily. God has a controversy with His Israel people and we must deal with His judgment. “Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.” (Hos. 4:1-3). Is this not exactly what is happening today?

Rev. 16:4-6 says, “And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” The study Bible says for these verses, “The third vial turns all fresh waters to blood, so that no pure water for drinking is left on earth. This again parallels the first Egyptian plague, but also the third trumpet. That it is righteous for God to judge the earth thus is shown by the fact that the Beast and his followers have shed the blood of saints and prophets. Those who shed the blood of God’s people must now drink blood.” This last sentence references Isa. 49:26 which says, “And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”

Not only are we the Israel nations in judgment to bring us back to God, our enemies who have shed the blood of God’s people are also under God’s judgment, but their judgment is to destruction.

It is hard to know how badly this oil disaster is going to affect the United States. At the time of this writing the attempt to pump thousands of barrels of heavy drilling mud down the well has proved to be a failure. What will happen next? The hurricane season has now started and there has already been one tropical storm that has hit Central America and southern Mexico. What will happen if a hurricane hits the Gulf? Will all of the oil and gas blow onto the land killing more and more wildlife and causing more and more devastation? People are also being affected and could there be casualties? We are definitely living in uncertain times but Rev. 16:7 says, “And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments”. We must experience God’s true and righteous judgments until we return to Him.

For those of us who wait for the Lord I find that these verses from Psalm 37, verses 1-13, are very comforting, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.”