[§213] Rev 12:15-16: Flood Water Threatens the Woman in 70 AD

This podcast interprets the symbolic language found in Revelation 12:15-16, which states: “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” In these verses, the serpent is a symbol for Satan acting through the Roman Empire, which is Satan’s mouthpiece or source of the flood. The flood of water is the violence perpetrated by the Roman Empire on the ancient Christian church represented by the woman. This flood of violence occurred in the 3½ years leading up to the Abomination of Desolation in 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and Herod's Temple. This occurred during the First Jewish War that was ostensibly perpetrated by Rome against the Jews but, according to Revelation 12:15, had the woman (the ancient church of Jesus Christ) as Satan's real target. The violence of the flood in the days of Noah is remarkably descriptive of the violence perpetrated by Rome in 70 AD. To explain the violence of the flood imagery, this podcast explores the meaning of the statement in Genesis 7:11 that the fountains of the great deep were broken up on the day of the flood in Noah's day. This podcast goes back to the first and second days of the physical creation to explain the origin of the fountains of the great deep, which began as a subterranean ocean that formed through the creative processes according to natural laws that have always existed. Before his death, the Savior warned members of his ancient church that the Abomination of Desolation was coming and that they would have to flee Judea and Jerusalem to avoid the violence of the Roman flood. Faithful members of the church heeded this warning and escaped to Pella located on the east side of the Jordan river in Perea. The symbol of the earth helping the woman means that church members, by their own earthly means, were able to avoid the Roman flood. The imagery may suggest that the waters of the Jordan River were "swallowed up" so that the Christians could pass through the Jordan riverbed on dry ground. However, there is nothing in recorded history or tradition to suggest that this occurred.