[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. [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. [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. Revelation 12:6 & 15-16.

I have already exposited on all the verses prior to verses 15 and 16 in Parts 1 through 6 of previous Birth Pang Updates.  The woman, Israel, has received a population decrease of two-thirds, evacuated the city of Jerusalem, and is in the act of fleeing into the Israeli land south of Beersheva, which is the Negev.  But the Scriptures indicate that this remnant will one day return, and at that time they will call God their God, and He will once again call them His people.  The “residue” (remnant) will not be “cut off” from Jerusalem forever, but will come north out of the Negev, following the battle of Armageddon, to retake the city.

[8] And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. [1] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Zechariah 13:8 to 14:2.

The confederation of 10 nations, led by antichrist, is moving like a rolling flood in hot pursuit of Israel in verses 15 and 16.  The word “flood” is used several times in the Old Testament to refer to an army advancing like a flood.  One use is in Jeremiah 46:8.

[8] Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Jeremiah 46:8.

The antichrist has been brought down by God to drive Israel into the Negev.

[3] And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: [4] And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: [14] Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? [15] And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: [16] And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. [17] Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? Ezekiel 38:3-4 & 14-17.

[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. Revelation 12:16.

After God has put hooks into antichrist’s jaws to bring him into Israel, the Devil is cast out of heaven, and immediately directs the antichrist’s armies southward from Jerusalem toward the entrance city to the Negev, namely Beersheva.  Across southern Israel, from Hebron to Beersheva, are numerous topographical folds in the rock strata oriented northeast to southwest, and in these folds are hinge faults with the same orientation.  This type of fault is capable of suddenly opening during the occurrence of earthquake activity.  An army passing through this zone in hot pursuit, if large earthquakes suddenly rippled through it from Israel’s Arabah Fault in the Jordan Valley, could suffer many casualties by being swallowed up in it.  This is probably the earthquake that begins the last 3 and ½ years of the Tribulation Period, which occurs on the opening of the 6th Seal.

[12] And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; Revelation 6:12-17.

[18]  And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. [19] For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; Ezekiel 38:18-19.

Once the series of earthquakes have depleted his army, the antichrist, who will know the strength of Israel in the Negev, will halt his advance at Beersheva, and head for Egypt.  This will leave between 1.7 and 1.9 Million Israelis trapped in the Negev for about 3 and ½ years.  

[43] But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. Daniel 11:43.

In our next update, Lord willing, we will close Chapter 12 with verse 17, discussing this “remnant” of the woman’s “seed” that exhibits what true churches teach today.

[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. Revelation 12:17