Revelation 8:8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
A great mountain represents a kingdom, government, rulership, or power. John was seeing in the spiritual realm and saw that a great kingdom was being used for judgment. In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet inspired by the Holy Spirit conveyed these words:
4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.
A great mountain burning with fire is the Kingdom of GOD coming forth in judgment and you can be assured it will overcome any and all obstacles that would prevent its intended result. This mountain is exalted above all flesh and operates at a higher level of understanding than those dwelling in the sea of humanity, the fleshly nature.
Much has been written concerning the Book of Daniel and the various kingdoms of man rising forth. These kingdoms were great in men’s eyes and spanned centuries. They were called empires but we see how unsustainable they are in Daniel’s dream in Chapter 2:
34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
“Chaff from the summer threshing floors” refers to the harvest at the end of the age of Pentecost. In verse 44, Daniel goes on to say “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” FATHER is going to judge and remove all lesser kingdoms which have been set up in our minds. These kingdoms shall be struck down, ground into dust, be blown away and remembered no more. HIS kingdom far exceeds any interest in a lesser kingdom and men will cease their pursuits to further counterfeit alternatives to such a great and magnificent reality, dominion, and rulership. Why do you need to “nuke” the physical Jerusalem when you bring forth a new Jerusalem that removes any interest or focus of the old? Loss of interest makes the old obsolete and of no value… it will be “no more”.
The carnal nature of man is contained in the tumultuous sea and this great mountain was cast into this sea in order to kill. A third of the living are dealt with by this second trumpet. The Sons are the first of three groups to be addressed. The “church” and the rest of mankind make up the other two thirds. The nets of fish in the Gospels represented these three groups. The 153 fish caught per instruction of Jesus in John 21 represents the Sons of GOD. The second and third groups are seen in Luke 5:5-7. Many were caught and placed in the boats, but a third group remained outside the boat and left swimming in the deep sea of carnal passion.
Ships are methods or tools of transferring goods from one location to another. They are put in place as a system of transfer. We use the Internet as a “ship” to transfer ideas, concepts, and information to others. Ships are methods man has created to transfer traditions, methods, philosophies, doctrines, and rules in order to govern the lives of others. These ships govern the process and they are the systems man has put in place in lieu of submitting to Our Heavenly Father’s voice of governance. These ships are destroyed when HIS kingdom comes down and is cast into the “sea”. The systems of man cannot and will not remain when the standard of Love and Truth are raised up and presented for all to see. We see other ships referenced later in Revelation 18 as the Babylonian system falls:
17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’
19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’
20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”
The fire of judgment is bringing desolation to the current systems and methods we have trusted in. Rejoice in their destruction! Let only HIS plan, will, and purpose be established in our lives as we go forth to be a blessing to all mankind, no matter what our capacity. The second trumpet will deal specifically with the nature and systems of the Elect. Later, all of humanity’s ships will go through the same judgment. The firstfruits’ judgment is a necessary part of the fulfillment of HIS plan of restoration. Peter wrote of the necessity of judgment to begin with the called out ones:
1 Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?