5. OF THE THIRD TRUMPET Revelation 8:10-11 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters; --Surely there must be some significance in the change of place where the events occurred. Under the first trumpet it was on the earth, under the second on the sea, and this on the rivers and fountains of waters. This difference could not be a matter of chance. The thing John saw in the vision was a great burning star falling upon the third part of rivers and fountains. It is generally understood, and correctly, that the star refers to a ruler, prince, or person of rank. (Revelation 1:20; Numbers 24:17.) Whoever is here represented by this star, he was to bring a destructive power against the Roman Empire. One-third of the rivers and fountains in the western part of that empire were to become bitter and cause many to die. Coming like a flaming meteor would indicate the suddenness with which his work would begin or be accomplished. Since earth, sea, and rivers were three different parts or places in the empire, there is no special reason why they should not be used in their natural sense, for we have already seen that symbolic scenes may have in them both figurative and literal language. Even if these words should be applied symbolically to the people rather than the literal places, it would still be true that these places were the theaters where these events were to occur. They had to occur somewhere. 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.--We should not forget that the "third part" does not have to mean that exact amount, but may stand for a considerable part of the population that might suffer from an invasion coming by way of the rivers. The term "wormwood" is defined by the text itself as meaning "bitter," and indicates an extreme kind of suffering. The meteoric leader would become as destructive in his work as the wormwood would be deadly to those who drank it. If the two preceding trumpets have been correctly interpreted, then the third trumpet should find its fulfillment in the attacks made against Rome by Attila, whose career extended from A.D. 433 to A.D. 453. The history shows that Genseric and Attila were contemporary part of the time. Genseric, however, began about five years earlier than Attila; hence, takes the lead in point of time, although Attila's invasion of Italy came about three years before the sack of the city by Genseric in A.D. 455. Gibbon says that "in the reign of Attila, the Huns again became the terror of the world," and that Attila "alternately insulted and invaded the East and the West, and urged the rapid downfall of the Roman Empire." The facts here gleaned from Gibbon are found in the Decline and Fall of the Empire, chapters 34 and 35. Attila was marvelously successful in gaining ascendancy over neighboring peoples and is said to have been able to bring into the field an army of some five to seven hundred thousand soldiers. As a military leader he was a star of the first magnitude. Gibbon further says that Attila considered himself the recipient of "celestial favor" and serted his divine and indefensible claim to the dominion of the earth." Quite an appropriate view to harmonize with a burning star falling "from heaven." The last few years his operations were upon the river--frontiers leading to Italy; conflagrations and enormous bloodshed followed in his path. In the spring of 452 he is said to have set forth to conquer Italy. Before reaching Rome the emperor and senate sent a commission to meet him to obtain a treaty of peace. The deliverance of Italy was purchased at an immense ransom, and Attila departed, recrossed the Danube, and soon died. Thus ended the career of one who was considered the "scourge of God." If his work was not what was intended by the third trumpet vision, nothing else seems more probable. It is certain, at least, that something was intended. No harm can be done to the text or the plan of salvation by pointing out the similarity between his work and the vision.