"And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems."
(Revelation 12:3)
The use of “dragon” to represent the devil probably originated from the Old Testament’s use of Leviathan, Behemoth and Rahab as creaturely embodiments of evil. It also, just like our day, gave the original audience a mental image of one who is vicious, intent on harm, and who cannot be trusted. J.R.R. Tolkien captures some of this in the Hobbit as he describes the powerful dragon Smaug, that ruined life for the men below his domain, keeping them in fear and dread. The red color reminds us of the second horseman representing war (Rev. 6:4), and rightly so, because he “went off to make war with the saints" (Rev. 12:17). The distorted “seven heads and ten horns…and…seven diadems,” indicates the devil’s completeness in conquering the world after usurping the authority given to man in the Garden.
The dragon dominates the world by governing global empires, principal authorities, political movements, and philosophical ideas. We see the evidence of his corrupt, deceitful domination throughout the globe, showing up in not only tyrannical rulers but weak and unethical politicians, immoral media figures, greedy businessmen, and a host of others.
With the background of Daniel chapter seven’s devouring beast with ten horns, the dragon opposes everything that is from God.
(Phil A. Newton)
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