September 14: CARRIED AWAY
So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. Revelation 12:15
There are dual revelations in this statement: a double strategy, both of which are directed toward the faithful woman. The first strategy, which we have seen earlier, is sheer force. In the early centuries of the New Testament church, pagan Rome’s bloody persecution of Christians was followed closely by compromise inside the church (compare the second and third letters of Jesus in 2:8-17, and the second and third horses in 6:3-6). By 538 the papal seat was secured in Rome (Daniel 7:8,24) and the “established church” seized power through the use of secular armies combined with propagation of multiple deceptive church dogmas. These two strategies were intertwined throughout the Dark Ages to either eliminate or derail followers of Christ. Those who stood by the Bible were labeled enemies of the church. The pope sent his emissaries to convince the monarchies throughout Europe (divided Rome per Daniel 2:41; 7:24) that these people were enemies of the state. This union of church and state mirrored a previous similar union on the day of the cross: That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other… (Luke 23:12)
So, the flood-like river of water from the serpent’s mouth represents Satan’s effort to destroy the church by physical force and open persecution. The Old Testament often refers to flooding waters as a symbol for those nations that came against Israel (see Psalm 69:1-2; 124:2-5; Isaiah 8:7-8; Jeremiah 46:7-8; 47:2).
Also proceeding from the mouth of the serpent is a flood-like river of false teachings and deceptions, all of which misrepresent the character of God and alter or distort the meaning of His word. Those who believed them were easily controlled and manipulated. Many teach that He is a merciless tyrant who tortures His condemned ones through the endless ages of eternity, while others speak of His love as though He is a half-blind grandfatherly type who winks at sin. Both teachings yield tragic results. Many reject God and His book altogether, while others feel no need of repentance.
Later in Revelation, we will find that the great river Euphrates symbolizes all of those who support the harlot called BABYLON THE GREAT (17:5) along with her false teachings (16:12; 17:15). In the last days, most will turn on her and withdraw their support (17:16) but it will be too late. This diverting of the symbolic great river is foreshadowed in the literal diverting of the Euphrates, allowing the Persian King Cyrus to overthrow Babylon without resistance in a single night in 539BC (see Isaiah 44:27; 45:1; Daniel 5:30).
The mouth is a mighty weapon in the war between good and evil. The two-edged sword (Revelation 1:16) that proceeds from the mouth of Christ is the only effective weapon against the multiplicity of falsehoods streaming from the serpent’s mouth. In recent centuries, as various truths have been rediscovered and highlighted by those desiring to repair the breach, to love and serve God according to His word, Satan has succeeded in fracturing the followers of various reformers into thousands of groups claiming the name of Christ. And herein lies the problem: following men instead of The Man Christ Jesus, for He Himself is The Word of God (Revelation 19:13). Do not be carried away by the flood of false teachings that hitchhiked into Protestantism from Catholicism. May each of us learn to look only to Him, and instead be “carried away” on eagles’ wings that we might fly above the storm of confusion wrought by Satan in this world.
Those from among you shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. Isaiah 58:12