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Wings, in this
context, probably comes from Exodus 19:4, referring to God’s care of Israel
during the exodus from Egypt. Lindsey
speculates (does not state so specifically) that this might be an American
airlift, as the eagle is the symbol of the United States. This would then be the Jews fleeing the
Antichrist at mid-Tribulation.
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The historicists
hold that this is the “true church” (refer to the woman as “true Israel”) in
hiding.
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What does Satan do
about it? This passage is very
difficult for the futurists: Smith
sees it as an army pursuing -- and does not explain how the earth swallows it
up. It can also be seen (of course) as
a literal flood -- I have pictured it here as someone opening a
floodgate. The historicist sees it as
Satan flooding the world with false doctrine, in an effort to drown the true
church in it.
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This last is the
only explanation which has a corresponding explanation in the “earth”
“swallowing” the flood. The true
church is in hiding; hiding in plain
sight. To hide a leaf, do it in a
forest. A man in a city!
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There is one other
spiritual point here: the universe is
a place of order. There are natural
laws; there are moral laws. The man who obeys the latter will be helped
by the former!
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