Wormwood

Among the plants in the Artemisia family is Artemisia herba-alba, also known as “white wormwood.” This variety is consumed by camels and goats for food. Bedouins also use it to make tea, and it is believed to be a remedy for stomach ailments. Artemisia absinthium, on the other hand, is toxic and hallucinogenic and is associated with the intoxicating drink Absinthe.

In Scripture, wormwood is generally used to represent bitterness and sorrow (Lamentations 3:19). It points to a woman whose end is “bitter as wormwood” (Proverbs 5:4). It’s also a symbol of idolatry (Deuteronomy 29:18). In this passage, it represents the apostasy of the church in Rome.

What is the meaning of “the waters were made bitter”? The passage recalls the turning of Egypt’s waters into blood, found in Exodus 7:15–24, and the bitter waters of Marah, which God purified for the Hebrews (Exodus 15:23). In both cases, the connection between water and life is evident: Water is crucial to sustaining life, but polluted, bitter water can kill.

When false teachings were introduced into the church, it caused spiritual death to all who partook of such poisonous waters. False doctrines not only led the church into apostasy; they also made the Roman Church more determined to enforce its teachings with persecution. The dogmas of the church were elevated to laws of the state, but being in contradiction to the law of God, they only brought oppression upon those who desired to be faithful to the true faith.

The temptation to compromise was intense. The observance of Sunday became law, and the keeping of the Sabbath was made anathema by the council of Laodicea in AD 364. Now that Christianity was the state religion, it appeared that the correct thing to do was comply with its doctrines, but this was a deadly deception. In all that happened, we catch a glimpse of the crisis before us today.

Lord Jesus, let us remain “sweet” in Your sight and help us be a blessing to others. Help us to serve You faithfully and to avoid the bitter end others will face.

For Further Study: Ruth 1:20; Amos 5:7; Jeremiah 23:15

Key Bible Texts

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 8:11 KJV)