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Wormwood, A bitter herb
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Carolyn Roth
Bible References: Deuteronomy 29.18; Jeremiah
9.15, 23.15; Lamentations 3.15, 19; Amos 5.7; Revelation 8.1-11.
When Old Testament authors referred to
wormwood, they wrote about bitterness and poison.
Most illustrated punishment from God because
of Israelites’ behaviors.
Old Testament events are presented as lessons
for those of us living today.
The prophecy described a future sign which
would occur near the end of the age.
In Revelation chapter eight, John described a
vision in which seven angels, each with a trumpet, stood before God.
The angels were ready to sound trumpets, initiating
judgments on the earth.
The third trumpet signaled a blazing star to
fall on the earth. This blazing star was called Wormwood (absinthŏs
in Greek).
My conjecture is that Wormwood will be a
meteor from outer space.
When meteors enter the earth’s atmosphere and
start to burn, they are called meteorites.
In the United States, children call them
“shooting stars.”
Most meteorites disintegrate by burning
before they hit the earth’s surface.
A huge cloud rises. Dust and particulates in
the cloud spread around the globe moved by winds and the rotation of the earth.
According to Revelation, the meteorite
Wormwood will contain a contaminate that turns one-third of the earth’s fresh
water bitter; or somehow release pollutants from the earth’s crust that
contaminates one-third of fresh water sources.
Many people will die from the contaminated
water. John’s description in Revelation sounds like a nail-biting
science-fiction movie.
The plant wormwood is one of over 300 species
of artemisia; appearance varies from plant-to-plant.
The artemisia that grew in Bible Israel is Artemisia
arborescens, called the tree wormwood.
Erect branches can reach ten-feet tall.
Leaves have fine hairs on their surface.
These hairs are thought to cool and defend
the plant.
Many artemisia produce cinole which gives
them a camphor-like aroma; however, don’t be surprised to find some artemisia
smell acrid and unpleasant.
Artemisia are grown for foliage.
With the exception of rue, artemisia is the
bitterest herb.
The bitter taste is due to thujone content in
artemisia.
Artemisia leaves flavors stew and sauces;
only small quantities of dried or fresh herb is needed.
Artemisia leaves are used in tarragon
vinegar.
A. absinthium is a flavoring in
alcoholic liquors, i.e., absinthe, campari, and vermouth.
Ancient medicine used artemisia in scores of
concoctions.
In the Old Testament, often wormwood was used
as a metaphor for
a) idolatry of Northern Kingdom (Israel),
b) calamity and sorrow, and
c) false judgments.
Idolatry is blind or excessive devotion to
something or someone, i.e., money, prestige and degrees, charismatic
individuals, and political parties and ideologies.
The calamity and sorrow associated with
contamination of one-third of the world’s freshwater supply will be a
consequence of mankind turning from God to idol worship.
It is so easy for me to look at others and
identify their idols.
It is less easy for me to identify my own.
Yet, God expects me to continually assess
myself and to make adjustments in my thinking and behavior so they are more in
line with his.
Reflection: Several times previously in this
book, you read how harmful plants were symbols of idolatry.
Given the number of times that idolatry
appears in the Bible, God takes it seriously. Do you?
When did you last assess your thoughts and
behaviors to identify man-made idols in your life?
Carolyn Roth Ministry (CarolynRothMinistry.com)
offers research,
education, and consultation to individuals and organizations who want to deepen
their understanding of the Bible.
As the site editor,
participants should know I am a spiritual woman with a deep belief in God. Many
friends would describe my Christian perspective as orthodox. I believe in the
inspired, written word of God. I live in Roanoke, Virginia. I am a
Virginia Master Gardener and a Tree Steward.
This website/blog
glorifies God within the context of earth as His garden, describes Bible
and other growing plants, and applies them to our Christian walk in the 21st
century. On Creation day 3, God created vegetation, e.g., trees, herbs,
flowers. On this site, the word plant will be used to encompass all
types of vegetation. God created plants right after He created the
heavens (Day 2) and before He created the sun, moon, and stars (Day 4). This
creative order demonstrates that God valued and had a purpose for the varied
flora in our world. Our response to this creative process should first be love
for the Creator and second a reverence for this earthly garden.
If you would like to
see a full-size picture of the plant in the story, click on it and it will
expand to fill the page. The contents of this website including pictures are
copyright. You may use the materials after getting permission from the editor.
If you use the materials in your writings or presentations, properly cite the
website.
I am looking forward
to your responses to my blogs. I will try to initiate a new discussion about every
other week.
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