Revelation 12:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.

NIV: Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.

NASB: And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.

CSB: From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.

NLT: Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

Depictions in the book of Revelation are extremely dramatic, often meant to be entirely symbolic. Others seem more literal, or a blend of poetry and plain speech. The serpent's action in this verse might be taken literally or symbolically. It's not entirely impossible that someone might attempt to use flooding as a weapon. It is doubtful, though, that the serpent sent a river of water to sweep escaping Jews away in a flood.

More likely, the flood represents the invading forces of the King of the North—typically identified as Russia. Ezekiel chapter 38 identifies this northern aggressor and predicts it will "go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel" (Ezekiel 38:8). Addressing the northern aggressor, the Lord says, "You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you" (Ezekiel 38:9). Verse 15 identifies the northern aggressor clearly: "You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many people with you." The next verse identifies the people targeted by the northern aggressor: "You will come up against my people Israel" (Ezekiel 38:16).

Revelation 12:13–17 depicts the dragon pursuing Israel in an attempt to destroy her. He sends an army to devour her, but to no avail. God protects members of Israel who flee into the wilderness, where He sustains them for the second half of the tribulation. Then, the Devil focuses on the believing remnant of Israel. This passage of Scripture relates to Ezekiel and Joel's description of an invading army from the north that troubles Israel (Ezekiel 38; Joel 1—2). It also relates to Revelation 9 that describes an invading army of demonic inspired forces. Revelation 13 reveals the two evil figures the Devil uses to persecute the believing remnant of Israel.

This chapter relates several highly symbolic visions, which introduce figures critical to the end times. First is a woman, representative of Israel. Second is a red dragon, identified with Satan. Third is a male child, who is Jesus Christ. The red dragon seeks to devour the woman's male child, but God caught the child to His throne, referring to the ascension of Jesus after His resurrection. The passage then continues to describe a war in heaven between Michael and Satan—here Satan becomes the fourth key figure—which results in Satan's complete and total eviction from heaven. Satan attempts to destroy Israel, most likely through an armed invasion, which is supernaturally defeated by God through an earthquake. The fifth main figure is the collective ''offspring'' of the woman. These events are given further details in passages such as Ezekiel chapter 38.

Preceding verses have brought us to the middle of the tribulation, after the seal judgments and very near the end of the trumpet judgments. Now, the focus shifts to symbolically introduce a series of important figures. These are mentioned in various eras, not as part of the earlier chronology of Revelation. This passage relates to Matthew 24:15–26 and Isaiah 16:1–4. Ezekiel 38 and Joel 1 describe an invasion into Israel from the north, and Revelation 9 identifies the invading army as demon inspired. Revelation 13 continues to describe major end-times figures, focusing on ''the beast,'' also known as the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''