What is the meaning of Revelation 12:15? Then from his mouth • Revelation 12:9 identifies the serpent as “the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan.” • His “mouth” signals the source of deception and accusation (John 8:44; Revelation 12:10). • Scripture repeatedly portrays Satan’s assaults as verbal or ideological: “fiery arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16), “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). • What proceeds from his mouth is therefore a calculated attack meant to distort truth and intimidate God’s people. the serpent spewed water • “Spewed” suggests sudden, forceful hostility—much like Pharaoh’s murderous decree against Israelite infants (Exodus 1:22). • Water often pictures masses of opposing people or nations (Revelation 17:15; Isaiah 8:7-8). • It can also symbolize false teaching that drowns out truth (Jeremiah 2:13; 2 Peter 2:1). • Whether persecution, propaganda, or both, the intent is to unleash something overwhelming. like a river • Isaiah 59:19 says, “When the enemy comes like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.” • Rivers sweep everything in their path (Psalm 124:4-5). • The imagery conveys scale and momentum: an unrelenting surge designed to engulf the faithful. to overtake the woman • The woman, introduced in Revelation 12:1-5, gave birth to “a male child, who will rule all the nations.” She represents the covenant people through whom Messiah came—ultimately the faithful remnant of Israel, joined by all who keep “the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17). • Satan’s purpose is to catch and crush her, just as he sought to destroy the messianic line in the Old Testament (2 Kings 11; Esther 3) and the infant Christ through Herod (Matthew 2:16-18). and sweep her away in the torrent • The picture recalls Egypt’s chariots pursuing Israel to the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10-17). The enemy expects the flood to erase God’s people entirely. • Yet the next verse foretells divine intervention: “But the earth helped the woman” (Revelation 12:16). God’s protection frustrates Satan’s plan, echoing Psalm 18:16-17—“He reached down from on high and took hold of me… He rescued me from my powerful enemy.” • This pattern—attack followed by supernatural rescue—reassures believers facing present or future onslaughts (2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Peter 5:8-10). summary Revelation 12:15 depicts Satan launching a vast, swift, and violent assault—whether persecution, deception, or both—aimed at obliterating God’s covenant people. While the enemy uses overwhelming force, the broader passage affirms that the Lord sovereignly intervenes, preserves His faithful, and ultimately turns every flood into a testimony of His deliverance. |
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