Earth Swallows the Flood
God's End Time Deliverance Revealed
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. Rev. 12:15
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. Rev.
12:16
In verse 15, we see that Satan attempts to drown the
woman in a flood. God's method of deliverance is
revealed in the next verse with the curious expression
"the earth opened her mouth".
Verse 17 reveals that only a remnant will survive the
flood so it is critical that we understand this verse!
Pharoah's Army Swallowed by the Earth
The Law of First Occurence
Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered
them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth
swallowed them. Ex. 15:10,12
The first occurence of the expression the "earth
swallowed" is found in Exodus 15:12. Here
the earth swallowed the Egyptian armies as
they
pursued Israel. We think of the armies having drowned
when the sea that had parted closed upon them. But
there was also an earthquake in this
judgment. The
earth opened up and many were "swallowed up" as
well as drowning.
Adam Clarke mentions that an
earthquake
was involved in his commentary and
references Psalm 77:18.
Further, the great Jewish historian Josephus
relates
that the earth quaked when the Egyptian
army
drowned. He said this was tradition handed down
through the centuries. (Spurgeon mentions this)
Korah's Rebellion
An Earthquake Swallows the Rebels Alive
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed
them up, and their houses, and all the
men that
appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Nu 16:32
Korah felt that he was as worthy as Aaron and
Moses
to be the leader of the Israelites. So he
rebelled
against their God given authority. Moses warned
him and his family but they stubbornly
ignored his warning.
Suddenly an earthquake opened the desert
floor
and
Korah and company fell screaming to their
terrible
end. Again we see this expression involving an
earthquake that swallowed people as a
direct
judgment of God. This was an earthquake in
the
wilderness. That is VERY significant!!
The Flood of Many Peoples, Nations Tongues
To be Swallowed by an Earthquake
These two historical events are types of the
end time judgment. They interpret the
expression in
Revelation 12:16. The figurative earthquake will
drown God's enemies not in water but in many
nations, peoples and tongues. (Rev. 17:15)
.
This verse (Rev. 12:16) can therefore be
understood
to signify
that the wilderness will suddenly open up and
divide
in two parts. This "earthquake" will save a
remnant of
Israel from "drowning".
References
Adam Clarke, Spurgeon and Josephus
Adam Clarkes Commentary commenting on Ex
15:12 "It is very
likely there was also an earthquake on this
occasion, and that chasms were made in the bottom
of the sea, by which many of them were swallowed
up, though multitudes were overwhelmed by the
waters, whose dead bodies were afterward thrown
ashore. The psalmist strongly intimates that there
was an earthquake on this occasion."
The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven; the
lightnings lightened the world; the EARTH
TREMBLED
and SHOOK; Ps 77:18.
Spurgeon Devotional Commentary
commenting on
Psalm 77:18
"According to Josephus there was a terrible
storm
when the Egyptians were in the midst of the sea;
there would seem from the text to have been rain,
tempest, and earthquake combined. All the elements
are the allies of Israel, and the enemies of the
ungodly."
Strong's 01104 swallow
a primitive root; to make away with (specifically by
swallowing); generally, to destroy:--cover, devour,
eat up, swallow down.
