1. Revelation 12:15 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What is the meaning of the “water like a river” that the serpent poured out of his mouth to sweep the woman away?

Revelation 12:15 (ESV)

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

Interpretation 1: Satan makes it difficult for the woman

Summary:

This flood indicates new oppressions, persecutions, heresies, etc., that will afflict the church in this last part of history.

The Annotations of the Dutch Dort Bible of 1619 cite as examples the persecutions against the Greek churches because they would not accept the worship of images and the invocation of saints and the honouring of relics. Reference is made to the persecutions of the followers of John Huss in Bohemia, as well as to the opposition that Martin Luther faced. This is about the last convulsions of Satan before Jesus Christ will return to earth.

Arguments in favour of this view:

  1. Streams of water that carry you away are something threatening (see Psalm 18:4b; Psalm 32:6; Psalm 124:4 and Jeremiah 46:7–8).

  2. The words to sweep away also express such a threat.

  3. Throughout church history several examples of this threat can be noted.

 Arguments against this view:

  1. This explanation does not take into account the statement in Revelation 12:14 (according to the Majority Text) that the woman (i.e., the church) is brought into the wilderness out of the serpent’s sight (this is different from the idea that the woman is out of its reach). Indeed, it is for this reason that the serpent decides to pour out a stream of water after the woman. So it does not appear to be a direct threat to the church. Then the question remains: what is the special meaning of that stream of water now that Satan cannot reach and destroy the church by direct means?

  2. In many translations the Greek word translated as to sweep away does not have in itself the strong sense of: “to sweep away by force.” It only means: to be carried away by water. The context must then determine whether the sweeping away is by force or not. In the context of Revelation 12:1–17 it is also possible to understand this as the image of a calm river.

  3. Church history does indeed give many examples of heresies and persecutions of the church, but this does not in itself prove that this is what is meant by the flood of water in Revelation 12:15.

Interpretation 2: Satan makes it pleasant for the woman

Summary:

With the water that the serpent spits after the woman, he neutralizes the difficulties in the wilderness. He causes life for the woman (church) in the wilderness to be an oasis—so pleasant that it threatens to make her forget her dependence on God alone.        

Arguments against this view:

When the serpent removes the difficulties of life in the wilderness, his flood of water is no longer a threat and very little remains of the image of a wild river sweeping along.

Arguments in favour of this view:

  1. It cannot be inferred merely from the Greek word translated as to sweep away in many translations that the serpent spews a river from its mouth that forcibly carries away everything.

  2. In the vision of Revelation 12, Satan is always described as a dragon. Only in Revelation 12:9 is there a brief reminder that he is the ancient serpent (of the temptation in paradise). In Revelation 12:15 he is suddenly referred to as the serpent again. From this it may be concluded that Satan is going to attempt a new and seductive attack on the church.

  3. In Isaiah’s prophecies, the LORD promises a few times to give streams of water in the wilderness (Isaiah 41:18–19, Isaiah 43:20). God does this in order to make the wilderness into a liveable world for his people. More than once Satan acts as an imitator (Martin Luther called him God’s monkey, cf. Exodus 7:10–12; Revelation 13:12 (the sign God gave to the prophet Elijah, 1 Kings 18:38). He also does this in the vision of Revelation 12. He makes the wilderness into a pleasant place for the woman.

  4. It is precisely this seemingly non-threatening attack of Satan against the church that is indeed full of inherent danger; in fact, it is extra dangerous. With all the pleasantness this world has to offer he attempts to lure the church away from trusting God and being obedient to God alone. It is his goal to achieve secularization.

  5. Church history to this day is replete with examples where the church grows weak more during a time when she is not subject to outright hatred, threats, and persecution and instead lives a life of prosperity, than during periods where she is faced with serious challenges.