Wormwood Star: Portents of Devastation or Hope?*

Nov 21st, 2007 5:29 AM

By Dana G Smith

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.

+<>BIO+<>+

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.