In this article we will examine the dragon, as found in the Book of Revelation, from a fresh perspective, combining clues found in what Jesus referred to as “The law, the prophets and the writings”, the New Testament, and Archaeology.
This research has led us to understand that the dragon is a totally separate beast from the “beast of the sea” and the “beast of the earth”.
It is our view that the dragon has deep historical and modern connections with the Jewish people, which they describe as the ‘root of all evil’ and the ‘longest hatred’.
There are many questions that are raised about the dragon:
- The Dragon in Scripture
- Who is he?
- What does he represent, if he is not a creature?
- Why is he coloured red?
- Why does he have 7 heads?
- Why does he have 10 horns?
- Why does he have 7 crowns upon the heads?
- Where is he?
- Who is he prepared to attack?
The Dragon in Scripture
The word dragon occurs 19 times in the KJV English version of the Bible: 6 times in the Old Testament, (Neh. 2:13; Psa. 91:13; Isa.27:1; 51:9; Jer.51:9, 34; Eze.29:3) and 13 times in the book of Revelation (chapters 12, 13, 16:20 , and 20:2).
The Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, (LXX), includes variations of the Greek word “δράκων”, drakon, for dragon, 35 times. These Greek texts will be shown to link the Old with the New Testaments.
Symbolic Monsters
A great red dragon that has seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads is one of the major symbolic monsters in the book of Revelation. This dragon is twice described as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan” (Rev. 12:9; 20:2).
It is also described as “deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9) and “the accuser of our brethren…. which accused them before our God day and night." (v.10)
It has great wrath (Rev.12:12, 17) and makes war with Michael and his angels, and with the remnant of a particular woman’s seed. It also persecutes the woman, and sends a flood of water (not fire!) after her. The dragon needs to be identified before the woman and her child are.
The dragon is seen standing by as two more symbolic monsters emerge, one from the sea, and the other from the earth. The dragon gives the “beast out of the sea” “his power, and his seat, and great authority.” People will worship the dragon, because of this (Rev 13:2, 4).
The “Beast out of the earth” will “speak as a dragon”. (Rev. 13:11). In Revelation 16, after six of the “vials of the wrath of God” have been poured
on the earth, “three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast (i.e. the “beast out of the sea”), and out of the mouth of the false prophet" (i.e. the “beast out of the earth”). (Rev. 16:13)
All three monsters exist separately, and at the same time, for a period of time. The battle of Armageddon follows, which ends the lives of the symbolic beasts that come out of the sea and the earth. However, the dragon survives the battle.
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the
dragon , that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him
up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (Rev 20: 1-3).
The dragon is later released from prison, only to be cast into the lake of fire where the other two beasts already are:
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four
quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Rev.20:7-10)
Who is he?
The dragon is a multi-headed snake. The Greek word “δράκων”, drakon, used 13 times in Revelation, also occurs in Exodus in the LXX, and is translated as “serpent”. In Exodus 4:3, Moses’ rod becomes a snake, translated from the Greek word ὄφις, ophis. He catches it by the tail. Later, as a sign to Pharaoh, the rod would become a snake again, this time though, the Greek “drakon” is used ( Ex.7:9,10 LXX). It is interesting that the Hebrew words for snake or serpent are also different here. All English translations use “snake” or “serpent” in these passages, never “dragon”. Further on in Exodus 7:12, Pharaoh’s magicians threw down their rods, which are also described as “drakons” in the LXX. These rods were then swallowed by Moses’ rod. Moses’ rod is then described in verse 15 as the rod that was turned into a “serpent”. From this we can reason that the Greek words for dragon and “serpent” can be synonymous.
The word “serpent” that is used twice to describe the dragon in Revelation, is the Greek word “ὄφις”, ophis. This word occurs 14 times in the New Testament, and means a literal or symbolic snake. “Ophis” also occurs 13 times in the LXX.
Of special interest is the fact that ophis is the same word used for the serpent in the Garden of Eden, in the LXX. (Gen. 3:1, 4, 13). That “old” serpent (Rev 20:2) was more subtil than all the other animals in Eden. He was the only animal that was mentioned by name. He deceived Eve by
twisting what God had commanded Adam (Gen 3:1-5). The serpent pretended that he knew what God knew. This was deceitful. He also
said that they would be like gods, which was a lie. And the greatest lie of all was that they would not die!
Eve was deceived, and in turn she caused Adam to disobey a personal command from God.
"And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every Beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen.3:13-15)
"For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (1 Tim 2:13, 14). This serpent was condemned to be earth-bound all his life.
The serpent was also made an “abomination” for the Jews:
"And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and
whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination." (Lev.11:41, 42)
Snakes, in particular vipers, are common throughout the Middle East. One snake that looks quite different from others is the Horned Viper. It has 2 horns on its head that sit behind the 2 prominent eyes, protecting them from sand. It has toxic venom.
Horned desert viper
Cerastes cerastes with"horns".
Credit: Wikipedia
Solomon described the toxic effect of wine, comparing it to the bite of a serpent. In the Septuagint the Greek word for “adder” is “keraston”, a horned serpent, as in the name of the above viper.
"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent,
and stingeth like an adder." (Prov. 23:31, 32)
The dragon has a tail
The only other monsters in the New Testament that have “tails” are the locusts in Rev. 9.
"And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." (Rev 12:4)
Moses caught his rod when it was a snake, by the tail:
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:" (Exo 4:4)
In the Old Testament a lying prophet is described as “the tail":
"Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the
prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed." (Isa 9:14-
16)
There is no mention of the tails, if they have any, of the other 2 “Beasts” in Revelation.
Who does the dragon represent?
The serpent family would become symbolic representatives of evil intent towards Almighty God and His family: the angels, and those who obey God’s commandments, righteous Jews and Gentiles. Their poisonous bites would be used against the Jews.
Fiery serpents were encountered by the Israelites in the wilderness:
"Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water;
who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;" (Deut 8:15)
Moses was commanded to make a brass (red coloured) snake which would later become a snare to the Jews. It was called Nehushtan, and was later destroyed by King Hezekiah. (Numb.21.5-9 and 2 Ki.18:4)
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."
Moses prophesied that disobedient Jews would be tormented by beasts and the poison of serpents:
"They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust." (Deu 32:24)
The Psalmist described the poisonous warfare of his enemies, comparing it to the venom of a snake:
"Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips." (Psa. 140: 1-3)
(This Psalm was quoted by Paul in his letter to the Romans:
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their
tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:" (Rom.3: 10-14))
Jeremiah also prophesied that serpents would bite the disobedient Jews:
For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not
be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD. (Jer 8:17)
The Seed of the Serpent
The “seed” are the progeny; the offspring or descendents.
The seed of the serpent if only mentioned once in the English version of the
Old Testament:
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this,
thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every Beast of the field; upon
thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel. (Gen.3:13-15)
The future work of the progeny of the original serpent, would be to attack the
heel of the seed of the woman. This was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus was
crucified.
In 1968 archaeologists at Giv'at ha-Mivtar in Israel discovered the skeleton of a
crucified man in a stone sarcophagus. He was known to have been crucified due
to the Roman nail still being embedded in his foot, where it had lodged in a knot
of wood. However, due to the position of the nail, it is thought that the nail went
through the heel of the foot, rather than the front, as is usually depicted in
illustrations of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Since 1968 at least two other skeletons, one in Italy, have been unearthed with
crucifixion nails in the heels. No other crucified remains have been found which
have nails through the front of the foot.
On the day of His resurrection, Jesus showed his hands and feet to His disciples.
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I
was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the
law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then
opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures”.(Luke
24: 39-45)
Note that it is the seed of the serpent which bruises his heel.
The Pharisee elders and chief priests were in league with the Herodians, to kill
Jesus:.
“And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the
Herodians against him, how they might destroy him” (Mark 3:6).
These adversaries, whom Jesus and John the Baptist both described as
“serpents” and “vipers” , were later responsible for the Lord Jesus’ death :
But when he (John) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to
his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matt 3:7)
O generation of vipers, how can ye (Pharisees), being evil, speak good
things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matt
12:34)
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye (scribes and Pharisees)
escape the damnation of hell? (Matt 23:33)
Ye (scribes and Pharisees) are of your father the devil, and the lusts of
your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode
not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
Paul referred to a false Jewish prophet called Barjesus or Elymas:
And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil,
thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right
ways of the Lord? (Acts 13:10)
Why is the dragon coloured red?
The Greek word for “red” is used to describe the dragon, “πυρρός”, pyrros.
(Greek word for fire is “πῦρ” pyr). This is a fiery red, not a scarlet, dark pink
colour.
This fiery red colour differentiates the dragon in Revelation from the “beast out
of the sea” which is described as being scarlet (Greek:”κόκκινος”, kokkinos) –
think of the food dye cochineal or fuchsia pink. ( Rev. 17:3).
A related word “πυρράκης”, purrakees, occurs in Genesis 25:25 where Esau is
described as “red.”
“And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they
called his name Esau.”
Esau dwelt in Mt. Seir. “Esau is Edom”. (Gen 36:8) .The Idumeans were
descended from the Edomites, who were in turn descended from the “red” Esau.
King Herod the Great’s father was an Idumaean.
The brass serpent that Moses made was near Mt Hor, (Numbers 20:23 and
33:37) which is at the edge of Edom.
The Edomites had a large copper mine in the Timna Valley, from which they
also produced red dye. Archaeologists have found red dyed fabric from the time
of King Solomon, in this area.
The Herodians in Jesus’ time were those who supported King Herod, of the
Idumean, or Edomite, dynasty.
Why does the dragon have 7 heads?
There are only two symbolic monsters in the whole Bible that have 7 heads.
These are both in Revelation 12 and 13: The dragon and the “beast out of the
sea.”
The seven heads on the “beast out of the sea” are the combined heads of the
four beasts that represent empires in Daniel chapter 7:
The Babylonian lion, Medo-Persian bear, Greek leopard with 4 heads and
Roman boar head with 10 horns and a subsequent little horn.
The heads of those beasts were emperors, kings over other kings.(Ezr.7:12;
Eze.26:7; Dan.2:37). Ultimately they will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus when
He is King of kings and Lord of lords. (Rev. 17:14; 19:16).
The whole beast, described in Revelation, has the body of a leopard, which
combines other characteristics of Daniel’s four beasts. These successive empires
conquered the Jews in their land, and scattered them throughout their territories.
The head of that Beast was “slain” by a sword, but the whole Beast survived.
The heads of the dragon are not associated with the body of a leopard. The
dragon does not have a head that has been slain, and then revived.
Seven Nations
As the dragon is “old”, from the beginning of human history, we searched for a
group of ancient nations that were involved with the land of Israel, and the
Jews. The most prominent collection of 7 nations in the Bible is provided by
Moses:
When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou
goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the
Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and
the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater
and mightier than thou; (Deu 7:1)
These nations were by then in possession of the land that had been promised to
Abraham hundreds of years earlier:
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the
plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. Gen 12:6
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto
thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great
river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the
Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And
the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
(Genesis 15:18-21)
The apostle Paul confirmed this to the Jews in Antioch in Pisidia:
The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people
when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm
brought he them out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered he
their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven
nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. (Acts
13:17-19)
This history was also summarised in a psalm of Asaph:
Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O
God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have
lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people,
and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us
cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more
in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent:
they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the
Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and
Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined
with them: they have holpen the children of Lot.. (Psa 83:1-8}
We think that the dragon of Revelation includes these nations. His seat and his
power are based in the Middle East, approximately from Egypt to Syria, and
eastward.
The Ras Shamra Tablets
In 1929 archaeologists unearthed a huge treasure-trove of cuneiform tablets in
the ruins of Ras Shamra, at Latakia, Syria. They were written around the 14th
century BC by the Ugarit, an ancient Canaanite people. One of the tablets
depicted a seven headed serpent monster, whose name was Lotan.
Lotan is mentioned several times in the Hebrew Scriptures, as a duke or prince
of Edom, and the uncle of Amalek (Gen 36:20,22):
And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz
Amalek: (Gen 36:12)
Here is one of the Canaanite tribes’ gods, a seven headed serpent, which they
named Lotan, which just happens to be the name of Amalek’s uncle, duke of
Edom, which is symbolised by the colour red.
Amalek – the perpetual war
The archetypal enemy of the Jews is Amalek, Esau’s grandson, through his son
Eliphaz, by a concubine, Timna. Amalek would have grown up with two of
Esau’s wives who were daughters of Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son.
These women were such a grief to Isaac and Rebekah that Rebekah sent Esau’s
brother Jacob away so that he could marry a woman who was related to her, not
Esau. Gen 26:34-35, 27:42-46.
Amalek, Esau’s grandson, would become infamous. He and his army attacked
the newly formed Hebrew nation soon after they escaped from Egypt. They
targeted the weak:
And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book,
and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar,
and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the LORD
hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation
to generation (Exo 17: 14-16)
The book that Moses was commanded to write about the war with Amalek
became part of the Bible we treasure today. Moses later told Joshua to put a
copy of the book in the Ark of the Covenant. (Deut 31:26)
Balaam prophesied that Amalek, the first nation to fight against Israel, would
perish:
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said,
Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he
perish for ever. (Num 24:20)
When the Jews were preparing to enter the Promised Land, Moses warned:
Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come
forth out of Egypt; How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost
of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and
weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy
God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land
which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that
thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven;
thou shalt not forget it. (Deu 25:17-19)
But they were not blotted out by the invading Israelites. They continued to
attack them, so the prophet Samuel warned the first king Saul:
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to
Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from
Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have,
and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling,
ox and sheep, camel and ass. (1 Sam 15:2,3)
And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy
the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed
(1Sa 15:18)
King Saul did not obey God’s personal command to destroy the Amalekites.
Saul even allowed his soldiers to bring King Agag back with them. Samuel slew
Agag, and the monarchy was taken from Saul because of his disobedience.(1
Sam 15: 28.)
David succeeded Saul, but he too suffered at the hands of the Amalekites. Two
of his wives were captured when the Amalekites conquered the city of Ziklag.
David and his men later slaughtered most of the Amalekites, but 400 young
men, who rode upon camels, escaped. (1Sa 30:17)
Centuries later, when the Jews were captives in Persia, a wicked man, Haman,
the Agagite (i.e. an Amalekite), who was second only to the king, attempted to
wipe out the Jews, because he personally hated Mordecai, the cousin of Queen
Esther, The book of Esther relates how Haman’s plot was exposed and
defeated. The feast of Purim, which is held by the Jews every year,
commemorates their rescue from genocide at Haman’s hands.
Jews today regard Haman and Amalek as the representatives of their eternal
enemies. Modern men whom the Jews regard as “Amalek” include Hitler and
Stalin.
Why does the dragon have 10 horns?
The word for “horn” in Revelation is the Greek word “κέρας” keras. In the
books of Daniel and Revelation symbolic “horns” represent “kings”:
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and
another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he
shall subdue three kings. (Dan 7:24)
The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and
Persia and the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is
between his eyes is the first king. (Dan.8:20,21)
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received
no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the Beast.
(Rev 17:12)
We conclude that the dragon, which gives his throne to the “beast out of the
sea”, when it comes out of the sea, will have 10 kings at that time. The
original territory promised to Abraham had approximately 10 nations. (Genesis
14).
Why does the dragon have 7 crowns?
Crowns indicate that the heads are monarchs. The Greek word “διάδημα”
diadema ,is used, indicating a wreath. These are not presidents, nor other heads
of state, who never wear crowns.
“Kings of the earth”
Throughout the Bible there are 24 references to the “kings of the earth”,
beginning with those who came to visit Solomon. (1 Ki 4:34; 2 Chr.9:23).
These kings existed centuries before the imperial kings that comprised Daniel’s
“Beastly” kingdoms. They will continue until after the Millennial Kingdom.
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us
break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. (Psa 2:2, 3)
Jesus referred to these kings when Simon Peter asked about paying tax:
And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying,
What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take
custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Mat 17:25
Peter was later to lead the disciples in praise after he and John were released
from prison: They quoted David’s second Psalm:
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
(Acts 4: 23-30)
The kings in the region at that time were of the Herodian dynasty. These
were Idumeans who were supposed converts to Judaism. The Idumeans were
descended from the Edomites, who were in turn descended from the “red”
Esau.
Today, (April 2020) there are eight Islamic monarchies in the world, 6 of which
are in the Middle East. Many of these claim descent from Muhammad,
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Sultanate of Oman.
State of Kuwait.
Kingdom of Morocco.
Kingdom of Bahrain.
This situation could change. There are royal families that are hoping for
restoration of their monarchy in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Libya.
The Mouth of the dragon
Unlike traditional dragons the dragon does not spit out fire.
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman,
that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. (Rev 12:15)
Water is used symbolically in the Bible as people:
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men
made me afraid. (Psa 18:4)
Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the
tumult of the people. (Psa 65:7)
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Rev 17:15)
The dragon would send hordes of people to attack the woman.
He could also speak, as we are told that the “beast out of the earth” “spake as a
dragon”. (Rev.13:11). That beast is also called the “false prophet”. It had been
taught to lie by the great deceiver:
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil,
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12:9)
Jesus recognised who was the father of lies:
Ye (the unbelieving Jews) are of your father the devil, and the lusts of
your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode
not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.( Jhn 8:44)
The Apostle John also recognised where lies and sin started:
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.....In this the children of God are manifest,
and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of
God, neither he that loveth not his brother.... Not as Cain, who was of that
wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because
his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.(1Jo 3:8,10,12)
Anti-Semitic Venom
For many centuries after the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and Judea in the first
century the surviving people in the land were a mixture of Jews and Christians.
The Jews built synagogues and the Christians built churches, the remains of
which are being excavated by archaeologists today. There are few written
records of life in the land at that time.
Mohammed, another descendent of Abraham, possibly from Ishmael, changed
this balance in the 7th century. He initially tried to convert the inhabitants of the
region to his new religion, Islam, by peaceful means, but then began to make
war on them.
Although he regarded the Jews as the ‘people of the Book’, he thought they had
corrupted the true word of God, which he now had in the form of the Quran. His
followers were taught that the promises to Abraham were made only to Ishmael,
not Isaac. Ishmael was the first born promised son who was to be sacrificed, not
Isaac. Thus they made the promise by God of the land, to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, of none effect. The Jews had no right to the promised land, there was no
‘hope of Israel’. This was a lie and is at the heart of modern anti-Semitism.
The Muslims carried on violently after his death, until they too were conquered.
The Crusades bought soldiers in from Europe to regain the Holy Land for the
Roman Catholic church in the 12th century A.D. The crusaders were violently
overthrown a century later, and Islam has remained the dominant religion
throughout the Middle East until now.
The Ottoman Turks controlled Palestine from the 15th century, but their empire
began to wane. They were allied with the Germans in World War I, and this is
possibly where their virulent Anti-Semitism took hold. With their defeat, the
British and French divided the Middle East under Protectorates from the newly
formed League of Nations.
Several significant things happened at the end of World War I:
Oil was discovered in the Middle East. This immediately changed the
interest of Western nations in trade with the Arab tribes which had
found oil.
The British had become sympathetic to the need for the Jews to have a
country of their own, in the Middle East, because of their persecution
in Eurasia. The Balfour Declaration was a formal statement of the
recognition of this.
Arab nations became nationalistic. Formerly isolated tribal groups
began to collaborate together to negotiate terms for trade. Some tribes
became monarchies, like the Saudis, Jordan and Egypt.
The inflammatory book “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, which
alleged that there was a worldwide Jewish conspiracy to dominate the
world, was translated and published in Arabic.
The poison of anti-Semitism which particularly developed in Medieval Europe,
and culminated with the pogroms in Russia, and the Holocaust under the
Germans, had now spread to the Arabs.
During World War II many of the Arabs were allied with the Germans again.
After the war, when Jews started migrating to the British controlled mandate,
the Arabs opposed their entry. Once the State of Israel was proclaimed by the
United Nations, outright persecution of Jews by Arabs throughout the Middle
East began. Nine hundred thousand were expelled from their long-established
homes, from Morocco in the west to Pakistan and Afghanistan and Yemen in
the east.
Since the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, the Muslim nations
surrounding it have opposed the nation. They have fought several wars, and
there are continuing battles today.
Where is the dragon today?
In the Middle East, where he has always been.
Who is the dragon prepared to attack?
The dragon has been opposed to the righteous Jews for millennia. From when
the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, mainly in distant Eurasia, until
the 20th century A.D. the opposition was limited.
Once the State of Israel was established, everything changed. The old serpent
began to make war with Eve’s seed. These were the people who had held the
Jewish faith, in the Diaspora, for 2,000 years. They had preserved the Hebrew
Scriptures, against many odds.
Some were also Christians who had been persecuted. Anyone who lived in an
Islamic dominated region was offered the opportunity to convert to Islam, or
pay a special religious tax, Jizya, or be killed.
What next for the great red dragon ?
The aim of the dragon is to possess the land of Israel and push the Jews into the
sea. Outright warfare has not succeeded in the past 70 years, so the various
monarchs may decide to try peace as a tactic. Several peace treaties have been
negotiated, most of which have failed. The followers of Muhammad do not have
to tell the truth to people they regard as infidels, non believers. There is a
Islamic doctrine of deceit called “taqiyya”.
The situation in the Middle East is very unstable. The Covid-19 virus has
changed the financial situation of many nations. Allegiances between nations
have changed in the past year, with Israel developing trade with many Islamic
nations. The nations that grew wealthy on oil are seeing a turn away from oilfuelled
power sources, with “climate change” concerns. Some are looking to
expand tourism to their countries, and are relaxing their opposition to the state
of Israel.
After 70 years of opposition to the state of Israel, pouring out their venom and
hatred towards the Jews, a state of peace and safety may be about to develop.
The dragon and the beasts
According to some Greek texts, and hence English translations like the NASB,
the dragon stood on the sand of the sea shore (Mediterranean) as John watched.
“And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore” (Rev 13:1 NASB).
The dragon gave the “beast that came out of the sea” “his power, and his seat,
and great authority”. (Rev. 12:18/ 13:1,2)
We can only speculate about this, but it possibly means that the dragon nations
in the Middle East support the “beast out of the sea” when it attacks Israel.
The angel Gabriel told Daniel (Daniel 11:41) that when the King of the North
invades the ‘glorious land’ at the time of the end, that “Edom and Moab, and the
chief of the children of Ammon” shall “escape out of his hand”.
The frog-like spirits in Revelation 16: 13 will come out of the mouths of the two
“Beasts” and out of the mouth of the dragon. These invasive evil spirits will
work miracles (G4592 – signs), and will “go forth unto the kings of the earth
and of the whole world (οἰκουμένη, the oikoumenē) , to gather them to the battle
of that great day of God Almighty.” (Rev. 16:14).
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great
signs (G4592) and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect. Mat 24:24
In Revelation 16 the phrase “kings of the earth” (βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς basileus gē)
only occurs in the Textus Receptus Greek New Testament. It is omitted in older
texts like Codex Sinaiticus. The KJV Bible includes the phrase, but new
versions omit it.
The NASB reads: “for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go
out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the
great day of God, the Almighty.”
The phrase “the whole world” is misleading in today’s world. It does not mean
the whole globe. The Greek word “οἰκουμένη”, oikoumenee, is a historic name
for a region, which in Biblical times represented the “civilised” world, and not
the barbarian, “uncivilised” world. It extended around the Mediterranean Sea,
and particularly meant the Greco-Roman world.
The dragon deceived the whole “οἰκουμένη”, oikoumenee, in Revelation (12:9).
In this theory, then, the dragon has deceived the area around the Mediterranean
Sea for many centuries. The Islamic religion conquered from Portugal to
Pakistan.
The dragon will not occupy the land for eternity. That land was promised to
Abraham and his “seed”: Those people who believe in the God of Abraham, El
Shaddai, Almighty God, Yahweh.
The “beast out of the sea” and the “beast out of the earth”, and their armies, will
be defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ at Armageddon. They will be cast into the
lake of fire.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather
yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and
the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies,
gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and
against his army.
And the Beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the
mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were
cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Rev 19:17-20)
The End of the dragon
The dragon has a totally different future for the following 1000 years, and then
it will join the 2 beasts in the lake of fire.
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil,
and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon
him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years
should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Rev
20:1-3)
After the Millenium, the dragon will be released. It will not have reformed from
its evil ways, and will once again try to deceive the nations. It will have one last
attack on the saints and Jerusalem. However, it will join the beasts in the lake of
fire, to be tormented for ever.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of
his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four
quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle:
the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out
of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast
into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Rev 20:7-10
This will fulfil the final prophecy in Zechariah:
Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the
LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them,
and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite
in the house of the LORD of hosts. (Zec 14:21)
In the beginning, sin and death entered into the world through the deceit and lies
of the serpent. It struck at the heel of the Messiah. At the very end, the Lord
Jesus Christ will crush the heads of the serpent-dragon, with its sting of death,
underfoot.
“For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet…
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.” (1Cor 15:25,55-57)
Ellen and Jean Reid