Revelation 12:16 Revelation 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. By earth here we are to understand those apostate churches, ministers, and professors that submitted to the Arian and Pelagian heresies, and damnable doctrines of devils, before mentioned, and thereby swallowed up the serpents flood, which he cast out of his mouth, by his false prophets and teachers. And so the rage and wrath of the old serpent was allayed for a season; but brake forth again into an open and violent persecution: As appears by the next verse.