Revelation: Hail and Fire

 Revelation: Justification by Faith

Hail and Fire

Revelation 8:6–7

“Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”

With the first trumpet, we see hail and fire mixed with blood.
Hail and fire are also seen in Exodus, when Pharaoh refused to let Israel go:

Exodus 9:22–26

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.’
Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field.
Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.”

God’s true people were spared, but the Egyptians received the judgment. Pharaoh had already seen plagues and wonders from God, but he still would not submit — his heart was hardened.
We now see something similar in Revelation.

However, since a third of the trees are burned, we must conclude that this judgment is poured out on those called by God's name — not on pagan Egyptians.
This idea also appears in the New Testament.
John the Baptist, who called Israel to repentance, said:

Matthew 3:7–12

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father,” for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

The Pharisees and Sadducees had no real repentance. As a nation, they would eventually crucify Jesus and persecute His disciples.
They presumed that because they were Abraham’s children, they would not be judged. This is spiritual arrogance.
But the trees that bear no fruit will be burned — and the same image applies to the chaff.

Later in Revelation, the language of “thrown into the fire” and “fire from heaven” is used interchangeably.
And blood also fell from heaven. They had shed blood — and now, it falls back on their own heads.
Joab serves as an example of someone who shed blood:

1 Kings 2:33

“So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the LORD forevermore.”

Thus, this trumpet sounds judgment — but it is a smaller judgment that foreshadows the final judgment:

Matthew 13:40–42

“Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Let us not harden our hearts like Pharaoh.
Let us not fall into the arrogance of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Instead, let us bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Let our minds be transformed concerning sin — by looking to the cross and realizing that He has already taken the judgment of sin upon Himself.