The Dragon (Rev. 12:1-17; 13:1-4; 16:13-16; 20:1-10)

[BanjoPicker]

The word "dragon" is used thirteen times and only in Revelation. It is a symbol of Satan, the chief adversary of God Rev. 12:9. This is the first time Satan is mentioned in Revelation. We must distinguish between the symbol and the thing symbolized, as in dealing with all other symbols. The "great red dragon" is a fit symbol of Satan in the role as the relentless persecutor and murderer of multitudes of unfortunate people Jn. 8:44. In Job 41 and Isa. 27:1 he is portrayed as " Leviathan" the piercing serpent. . . . That crooked serpent . . . the dragon that is in the sea."

The seven heads and ten horns symbolize the same seven world kingdoms as the seven heads and ten horns of the beast in Rev. 13:1-4; 17:1-18. The heads being crowned shows that Satan has reigned and will reign over these seven kingdoms until he gives his power to the Antichrist Rev. 13:1-7. He has tried to destroy Israel under the first six kingdoms and will try to do so under the seventh and eighth kingdoms of the future, but he will meet defeat by God as he has met in on all previous occasions.
The beast out of the sea will have his ten horns crowned, but not his seven heads. This shows that he has not existed through the length of the seven kingdoms symbolized by these seven heads. The beast will come out of the seventh head made up of the ten kingdoms and he will become the eight kingdom which will fight against Christ at Armageddon.

This symbol, the dragon, is also seen in Heaven and is represented as drawing one-third of the stars from Heaven and casting them to the Earth. The stars have reference to the angels of God, and the casting down refers to one-third of God's angels who fell with Satan as recorded in Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:11-17; Lk. 10:18. These "stars" are called "his angels" in Rev. 12:7-12. In the New Testament both men and angels are called stars Rev. 1:20; 9:1; 20:1-3.
The reference cannot be to literal stars, for they are generally larger than our Earth, hence the stars seen in the universe could not fall to the Earth. The tail of the dragon pictures Lucifer's power and influence in causing the angelic rebellion.
"The dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered [ literally, "is about to bring forth," showing that the manchild is delivered in the middle of the Week, and therefore, cannot possibly refer to the historical ascension of Christ], for to devour [same word as in Rev. 20:9 and "eat up" in Rev. 10:9, 10] her child as soon as it was born." The dragon will try first to destroy the manchild before he turns on the woman. The following outlines briefly the actions of the dragon in Revelation after he is cast to the Earth at the rapture of the manchild in the next post to follow.

 

[BanjoPicker]

The first thing he does is join forces with the Antichrist and give him his power, throne, and great authority Rev. 13:1-4, and then they both will turn on the woman which brings forth the man hold. By this action Satan will continue his age-long animosity toward Israel. He will make war on her and she will flee into Edom and Moab with the armies of the dragon and the Antichrist pursuing her. God will intervene and the pursuing armies will be swallowed up by the Earth. This will aggravate the dragon and he will come back to war with the Remnant of her seed, or the remaining Jews who do not flee into the wilderness. But God will intervene again and stir up the enemies in the north and east of the kingdoms of the old Roman Empire. Who will keep Antichrist occupied in war for the last three and one-half years. However, he will finally conquer them about the end of the Week and lead them against Jerusalem as he intended to do in the middle of the Week. Then he will suffer defeat at the hands of Christ who will come at the end of the Week to deliver Israel and set up His earthly kingdom. Satan will be in full corporation with the Antichrist and back his every move in destruction of men throughout the last three and one-half years and, at the end, will inspire the nations to fight against Christ Rev. 16:13-16. At Armageddon he will be taken and thrown into the bottomless pit for one thousand years to deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are fulfilled. Then he is to be loosed for a little season to deceive the nation’s again, leading them in rebellion against God. He will try again to destroy the Holy City and the saints, but fire will come down out of Heaven and will devour his armies. He will then be taken and cast into the lake of fire where he will be tormented for ever and ever Rev. 20:1-10. This will end Satan’s career on Earth as the enemy of God and man.