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Rev 12:15 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 12:16 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 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Matt: " Heresy comes in like a flood, and takes years to purge. This flood arrives ultimately from the serpent´s mouth (Revelation 12:15-16) and is a destructive force against the church of Christ that will not ultimately prevail, but may inflict great damage on unsuspecting people. "
"In this case, [the flood] must be understood of some evil proceeding from Satan, with the design to subvert true religion, throughout the Roman Empire. It is also different from the weapons he employed during the war in heaven, in contending with the reformers [the war in heaven Rev 12:7-9 is the PROTESTANT REFORMATION] - not the anathemas of the pope, and the sword of the empire. It is more obviously of the character of a spiritual adversary, and partakes less of the nature of reasons of state for opposing the church- it proceeds directly out of the mouth of the serpent. It is of course of a more popular character, and affects the mass multitude of antixian men- A wo to the inhabiters of the earth and sea: and to complete its description, from the text before us, it is authorized by the civil polity; for the serpent is still the seven-headed ten horned dragon [being the secular Roman Empire].
This diabolical flood denotes the torrent of heresies and licentiousness in both principle and practice which suceeded in Europe the work of Reform, and which received protection and countenance from the higher powers. False doctrines were legalized by acts of toleration or otherwise authoritative decrees became part of the civil constitution... p302
We live brethren, in the age pointed out in this prophecy. Since the revival of literature in Europe, and the corresponding liberality of sentiment relative to the civil and religious rights of men, which generally prevails, persecution carried on directly against the saints became unfashionable. The dragon wages war by the flood of error which prevails over nations. He has suceeded in poisioning the fountains and the streams of literature; and thus has caused the higher ranks of life to be carried away by the flood of infidelity or indifference to all religion... p305
[the last war against the saints, "the dragon was wroth" v17] the great flood of errors with which Satan has been endeavoring to carry away the saints the Spirit of the Lord hath supported and encouraged the seed of the righteous, and they have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony which they hold.
They have met every heresy with puety and argument they have refuted every calumny against the gospel with meekness and fear: they have caused every appeal to reason and to literature, to redound to the glory of God in truth... The enemy was wroth at the disappointment. Again he changes the manner of attack. It is the dragon in all the terror of tyrannical persecuting power, the diabolical beast with seven heads and ten horns, that puts the witnesses to death. The civil sword is again unsheathed and in this last contest bathed in the blood of martyrdom. p305-305"
Alexander Mcleod, Lectures upon the principle prophecies of Revelation, the Woman and the Beast.
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*Peter Gray* Elkins Park RPCNA
"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. " Mk 9:24
"The greatest thing we can desire, next to the glory of God, is our own salvation; and the sweetest thing we can desire is the assurance of our salvation. In this life we cannot get higher than to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed. All saints shall enjoy a heaven when they leave this earth; some saints enjoy a heaven while they are here on earth." Joseph Caryl
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