Useful Bible Studies > Revelation Commentary > chapter 12
In the Book of Revelation, the dragon means Satan, in other words, the devil (12:9; 20:2). So, the description of the ‘great red dragon’ in Revelation 12:3 is a special description of Satan.
In former times, people used the word ‘dragon’ to refer to huge and terrible animals that they had never seen. Especially, people were afraid of the strange, giant animals that live in the sea (compare the references to the sea in Revelation 13:1 and Revelation 21:1). This dragon was not like the pictures of dragons that people draw for children today. It was more like a serpent (a snake), as Revelation 12:9 says. The serpent is also the Bible’s first description of Satan, in Genesis 3:1-15.
This dragon has 7 heads and 10 horns (bony points, as grow on the heads of certain animals). So does the beast (terrible wild animal) in Revelation 13:1, and the beast that carries the woman in Revelation 17:3. Heads express the idea of authority, because the head rules and guides the body as in Isaiah 7:8. Horns express the idea of strength, because animals use their horns to fight. So, the word-picture means that the devil has great authority and strength. In Revelation 13:2, he gives his authority and power to the first beast.
In Daniel 7:6-7, Daniel also saw beasts with many heads and horns. As Daniel 7:24 shows, these things had particular meanings. For example, the 10 horns in that passage meant 10 kings.
So, in the Book of Revelation, the dragon’s 7 heads and 10 horns probably have both a general and a particular meaning. The general meaning is the devil’s great power and authority. The particular meaning appears in Revelation 17:9-14, in reference to the beast that carries the woman. There, the horns and heads refer to particular kings who rule the world in the period before Christ’s return. It is by means of those evil rulers that the devil will show his power and authority.
Next part: The devil’s most important acts (Revelation 12:4)
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© 2016, Keith Simons.