That is, made ineffectual the devices of destruction.

 Some hold that “earth” here represents areas where there was a scarcity of peoples, in contrast with “waters,” which sometimes represent “peoples,” “nations,” and “tongues” (ch. 17:15). They point out that at the time of the Reformation there were multitudes of people in Europe and the Far East, but that the North American continent was very sparsely populated. Thus they point to this land as the “earth” which here brings relief to the persecuted church of the Old World. The Protestant lands of Western Europe, which became a haven from persecution, may also be included. Others point to the Protestant Reformation itself as the major factor in breaking the spell of the apostate church.