Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Revelation 8:13

"And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound." — Revelation 8:13 (ASV)

Before the last three trumpets sound, John hears a flying eagle call out “woe” (GK 4026) three times. His cry announces the especially grievous nature of the last three plagues, which kill a third part of the population of the earth (9:18). Two of the woes are identified with the fifth and sixth trumpets (9:12; 11:14). (See the comments on 8:6, which argue that the third woe should be seen as the seven bowl judgments in 16:1ff.) The “inhabitants of the earth” distinguishes the Christ rejecters of the world from the true, faithful followers of the Lamb (cf. comment on 3:10). A flying “eagle” announces these words. This must be taken symbolically. In Revelation there are two other references to eagles (4:7; 12:14). Since 4:7 relates to the description of one of the four living beings, it may be that John intends the eagle mentioned here to have the same significance.