[8] And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

V.8 John is told to write to the angel of the church of Smyrna. This is also a place where John had been teaching in Greece (now Turkey). Smyrna is now in ruins, but the word has the meaning 'Persecuted', a symbol that relates to the Hindu Faith. The prophet of the Hindu religion is Krishna, and is one of the stars in the right hand (Rev. 2:1) of Bahá'u'lláh, bringing all the religions together.

Krishna is 'the first and last' meaning that He is the same spirit of all the Revealers from God. Each and Every Prophet is both the First and the Last (and all in between) "always having been" as when Jesus said "Before Abraham was, I Am" and always being the last or latest as well as those to come. In the same spirit of Krishna, 'Bahá'u'lláh' has returned, as the 'last', and is again alive, giving guidance to the world.

Wert thou to consider in this station the last of them to be the first, or conversely, thou wouldst indeed be speaking the truth, as hath been ordained by Him Who is the Wellspring of Divinity and the Source of Lordship: "Say: Call upon God or call upon the All-Merciful: by whichsoever name ye will, invoke him, for He hath most excellent names."
(Bahá'u'lláh,
Gems of Divine Mysteries: Verse 45)

For they are all but one person, one soul, one spirit, one being, one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the "Beginning" and the "End," the "First" and the "Last," the "Seen" and "Hidden" -- all of which pertain to Him Who is the innermost Spirit of Spirits and eternal Essence of Essences. And were they to say: "We are the servants of God," this also is a manifest and indisputable fact. For they have been made manifest in the uttermost state of servitude, a servitude the like of which no man can possibly attain.
(Bahá'u'lláh,
The Kitáb-i-Íqán,
p. 179)

John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
(King James Bible)

We may observe the economic poverty in India, the world's largest democracy, but it is a country of rich spiritual traditions. He says that He knows their works and their tribulations. He commends Hindus for their richness in spirit because of their tribulations.

He Condemns:

Although some might on the basis of this verse be inclined to assign the Second Angel to the Jewish Church, we need not put too much emphasis on the word "Jews" in either this verse or later in Rev. 3:9, because within the context of the scripture it simply means those who claim to be religious but are hypocritical. This is blasphemous because it dishonors God in vainly appealing to His Name when the true feeling is not in the heart. Those in any of the religions who wish to appear "religious" - following the Will of God - but who are actually following their own desires are servants of Satan.

He tells them not to fear what they will have to suffer. He said they would have tribulation for ten days. (In Ezekiel 4:6 it says each day signifies a year, which may make it a period of time of ten years.) We are all aware of the troubles of India especially with their neighboring country Pakistan. He says that 'the devil' shall cast some in prison. This could be trying times, but He tells them to have faith.

The Promise:

Those who remain faithful will receive a crown of life.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: The angel is telling them to listen to what Bahá'u'lláh is telling them.

The Promise:

"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." The first death is the death of the body. The second death would be death of the spirit - or failure to recognize the Manifestation. When one discovers the new 'light of the age' a new life begins.

The first life, which pertaineth to the elemental body, will come to an end, as hath been revealed by God: "Every soul shall taste of death." But the second life, which ariseth from the knowledge of God, knoweth no death, as hath been revealed aforetime: "Him will We surely quicken to a blessed life."
(Bahá'u'lláh,
Gems of Divine Mysteries: Verse 65)

[3] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

". affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be."
Mark 13:19

a "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
Matthew 24:21

"a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:"
Daniel 12:1
(King James Bible)

[8] And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

The second angel represents what we identify as the second most ancient of the existing religions - the Hindu Religion. Mountains are symbolic of great institutions and the Hindu Religion remains very prominent in the world, being the religion of the world's second most populous country. The sea is a symbol of separation from God. Each of the old religions have become ineffectual in their ability to bring harmony and love to all of mankind.

This religion is shown as a mountain being cast into the sea and causing a third part of the sea to become blood which is a reference to spiritual death (see Rev.16:3). This also relates to the Second Seal and the second (red) horse of the Apocalypse in Rev. 6:1, in that religious intolerance can progress to war which is the greatest scourge of mankind. The great Hindu epic, the Bhagavad Gita, describes such a conflict and even today we see the great conflict between the Hindus and the Muslims as in India and Pakistan.

So blind hath become the human heart that neither the disruption of the city, nor the reduction of the mountain in dust, nor even the cleaving of the earth, can shake off its torpor. The allusions made in the Scriptures have been unfolded, and the signs recorded therein have been revealed, and the prophetic cry is continually being raised. And yet all, except such as God was pleased to guide, are bewildered in the drunkenness of their heedlessness!
(Bahá'u'lláh,
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 39)

None apprehendeth the meaning of these utterances except them whose hearts are assured, whose souls have found favour with God, and whose minds are detached from all else but Him. In such utterances, the literal meaning, as generally understood by the people, is not what hath been intended. Thus it is recorded: "Every knowledge hath seventy meanings, of which one only is known amongst the people. And when the Qá'im shall arise, He shall reveal unto men all that which remaineth." He also saith: "We speak one word, and by it we intend one and seventy meanings; each one of these meanings we can explain."
(Bahá'u'lláh,
The Kitáb-i-Íqán,
p. 255)

A third of the people died. These were the ones that were separated from God, and although they had life, they died spiritually. Aside from external events that may occur, one may see ships as representing the vessels that brought the teachings to the people. Ships and all such symbols have their intuitive meanings. One needs only think of their nature and then see how they apply to spiritual values. In a spiritual sense then, these great teachers and beneficial religious institutions were the vessels that were destroyed. Later (Rev.11:9) we see them symbolically lying dead in the street where it will mean that the spirit of their religions have been killed by the people.

The divine prophets have revealed and founded religion. They have laid down certain laws and heavenly principles for the guidance of mankind. They have taught and promulgated the knowledge of God, established praiseworthy ethical ideals and inculcated the highest standards of virtues in the human world. Gradually these heavenly teachings and foundations of reality have been beclouded by human interpretations and dogmatic imitations of ancestral beliefs. The essential realities which the prophets labored so hard to establish in human hearts and minds while undergoing ordeals and suffering tortures of persecution, have now well nigh vanished. Some of these heavenly messengers have been killed, some imprisoned; all of them despised and rejected while proclaiming the reality of divinity. Soon after their departure from this world, the essential truth of their teachings was lost sight of and dogmatic imitations adhered to.
('Abdu'l-Bahá,
Bahá'í World Faith,
p. 225)

[8] And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

For some reason, both here and in (Rev.18:2) the fall of Babylon is announced by the Angel that we identify with the Hindu Religion. It could well be that the archetype of Babylon applies equally well to New Delhi, another Great City, often identified with teaming masses of the impoverished. We can particulary see the possibility of the fate of Babylon the Great befalling cities in India considering that both India and Pakistan are antagonistic nuclear powers. These speculations about future external events may be just vain imaginings. One can never know such meanings until after they have occurred. In any case it is not the events of the physical world that are the most significant but rather those of the spiritual.

Busy not thyself with this world, for We test the gold with fire, and with gold We test Our servants.
(Bahá'u'lláh,
Arabic Hidden Words No.55)

[3] And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

[1] And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.