“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
12:14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place - Eagles are the usual symbols of great potentates. So #Ezekiel 17:3|, by a great eagle', means the king of Babylon. Here the great eagle is the Roman empire; the two wings, the eastern and western branches of it. A place in the wilderness was mentioned in the sixth verse also; #Rev 12:6 but it is| not the same which is mentioned here. In the text there follow one after the other, The dragon's waiting to devour the child. The birth of the child, which is caught up to God. The fleeing of the woman into the wilderness. The war in heaven, and the casting out of the dragon. The beginning of the third woe. The persecution raised by the dragon against the woman. The woman's flying away upon the eagle's wings. In like manner there follow one after the other, The beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty days. The beginning of the little time. The beginning of the time, times, and half a time. This third period partly coincides both with the first and the second. After the beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty days, or rather of the third woe, Christianity was exceedingly propagated, in the midst of various persecutions. About the year 948 it was again settled in Denmark; in 965, in Poland and Silesia; in 980, through all Russia. In 997 it was brought into Hungary; into Sweden and Norway, both before and after. Transylvania received it about 1000; and, soon after, other parts of Dacia. Now, all the countries in which Christianity was settled between the beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty days, and the imprisonment of the dragon, may be understood by the wilderness, and by her place in particular. This place contained many countries; so that Christianity now reached, in an uninterrupted tract, from the eastern to the western empire; and both the emperors now lent their wings to the woman, and provided a safe abode for her. Where she is fed - By God rather than man; having little human help. For a time, and times, and half a time - The length of the several periods here mentioned seems to be nearly this: - Years 1 The non - chronos contains less than 1111 2 The little time 888 3 The time, times, and half a time 777 4 The time of the beast 666 1 The non - chronos extends from about 800 to 1836 2 The 1260 days of the woman from 847 - 1524 3 The little time 947 - 1836 4 The time, time, and half 1058 - 1836 5 The time of the beast between the beginning and end of the three times and a half
Re 12:16 The earth helped the woman. In some way the flood of persecution was so hindered that it failed to accomplish the object. I believe this refers to the hindrances often interposed by secular powers to stay persecution. The Hussites protected themselves under Zisca by force of arms; the German princes protected Luther; the edict of Nantes gave French Protestants a rest. These were times when "the earth" drank up the flood.
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed vp the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
- King James Version (1611) - View 1611 Bible Scan
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.
- New American Standard Version (1995)
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
- American Standard Version (1901)
And the earth gave help to the woman, and with open mouth took up the river which the dragon sent out of his mouth.
- Basic English Bible
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
- Darby Bible
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.
- Webster's Bible
But the earth came to the woman's help: it opened its mouth and drank up the river which the Dragon had poured from his mouth.
- Weymouth Bible
The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.
- World English Bible
And the erthe helpide the womman, and the erthe openyde his mouth, and soop up the flood, that the dragoun sente of his mouth.
- Wycliffe Bible
and the land did help the woman, and the land did open its mouth and did swallow up the river, that the dragon did cast forth out of his mouth;
- Youngs Literal Bible