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Chapter 12:13-17, Part IV. 31 (Koshy Zachariah) THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST Vs. 13. NOW WHEN THE DRAGON SAW THAT HE HAD BEEN CAST TO THE EARTH, HE PERSECUTED THE WOMAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO THE MALE CHILD. Vs.14. BUT THE WOMAN WAS GIVEN TWO WINGS OF A GREAT EAGLE, THAT SHE MIGHT FLY INTO THE WILDERNESS TO HER PLACE, WHERE SHE IS NOURISHED FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME, FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE SERPENT. Vs. 15. 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. Vs. 16. BUT THE EARTH HELPED THE WOMAN, AND THE EARTH OPENED ITS MOUTH AND SWALLOWED UP THE FLOOD WHICH THE DRAGON HAD SPEWED OUT OF HIS MOUTH. Vs. 17. AND THE DRAGON WAS ENRAGED WITH THE WOMAN, AND HE WENT TO MAKE WAR WITH THE REST OF HER OFFSPRING, WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST. We saw in vs.7-12, the war in heaven and the victory of Michael. With the casting out of Satan, into the earth, he is in full preparation against the woman-Israel. But God has pledged Himself to preserve her through the great tribulation. We are told that the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness. The wings speak of rapid motion and guaranteed protection. In the wilderness she is nourished by God for a time and times and a half time. This period is the second three and half years of seventieth week (Dan.9:27). We note the mention “from the presence of the serpent”-another name for the dragon. Two characteristics are brought out-the dragon persecutes and the serpent ensnares. Now the serpent casts out of his mouth, water as of a great river, hoping that he might cause her to be carried away by that. H.A . Ironside holds the view that “He (Satan) would seek to ruin her (the woman), by that which comes forth from his mouth-evil teachings, I take it, in contrast to the water of life given by our Lord Jesus Christ. We may get the idea of this if we recall the fact that today myriads of Jews are being carried away by that Satanic flood from the mouth of the dragon known as Christian science. So in the days of the great tribulation Satan will try to swamp and destroy Israel as a nation by the evil teachings, he will spread through the world. But even the earth itself will help the woman, opening her mouth and swallowing up the river which the dragon casts out. That is, driven out among all nations, as I take it, Israel will be shocked and horrified by the evil results of these Satanic teachings that they will themselves be preserved from them.” We could presume that the settled governments of that day would be sources and helps, for the woman (Israel) to run into their own lands. Unable to destroy those settled governments or nations, to which Israel shall run for protection, Satan will make all his efforts to ruin the rest of her seed or the remnant who sticks to their own land, keeping the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus. Satan and his angels having cast down from heaven to earth have their full fledged activity against the mother-Israel. But his duration is for a short period of three and half years. His rage previously was directed against the child. Both the mother and her Son escapes Satan’s fury and rage. But individual God-fearing Jews become the
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