We must be very careful and note exactly what is said and
what is not. It does not say that a great mountain, burning
with fire was cast into the sea. Rather, it says “Something
like a great mountain” The object that is cast into the sea
is compared to a great burning mountain. A huge
mountain-like ball of fire was cast into the sea. It is the
perfect picture of what we know today about asteroids.
Asteroids are literally mountains hurling through space.
These asteroids are masses of rock that vary in size from
just a few miles to several hundred.
What would happen if even a small asteroid struck the earth?
First, as it entered our atmosphere, as with shooting stars,
it would begin to heat up and glow white with fire by
friction. It would actually begin to burn. Then, when it hit
the sea, it would cause tidal waves and devastation for
hundreds of miles.
The Devastation
“A third of the sea became blood” refers to the open sea or
ocean. What sea we are not told, though it could very well
be the Mediterranean Sea.
“Became blood,” the sea becoming blood refers to a
tremendous loss of life. When the second bowl of Revelation
16:3 is poured out into the sea, in that part of the world,
either the sea is turned to blood, or it is chemically
changed so as to have the appearance of blood. Here there is
a change in the color of one-third of the sea. In the next
trumpet, there is an effect on the taste of one-third of the
fresh water supply.
“A third of the sea” means that one-third of the sea is
affected, whereas in the second bowl (16:3) all the sea, or
open water is affected with all its sea life. The third
appears to be in one portion of the earth, the portion near
the impact of the burning object.
Verse 9 tells us one-third of all sea life dies and
one-third of the ships are destroyed. This again means
one-third of all in the oceans, but all in that specific
area. Sea life is killed by the change in the water and the
ships are destroyed by the impact of the burning object,
probably by both the shock waves and tidal waves.
