Holy Bible - Obsidian Study Guide

The Dragon

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The Dragon

Overview

  • Testament: New
  • Book: Revelation
  • Chapters: Revelation 12-13; 20
  • Summary: The great red dragon in Revelation represents Satan — the ancient serpent — who wages war against the woman and her child, is cast down from heaven, gives his authority to the beast, and is ultimately bound and destroyed.

Details

In Revelation 12, a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars, about to give birth. Before her stood a great red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven diadems; his tail swept down a third of the stars. He waited to devour the woman’s child when it was born. The woman bore a male child “who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron” — the child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman fled to the wilderness for 1,260 days.

Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon was cast out — “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” — with his angels, thrown down to the earth. A loud voice in heaven proclaimed that the accuser of the brethren had been cast down, overcome “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” The dragon, enraged, made war against the rest of the woman’s offspring “which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In chapter 13 the dragon gave his power, throne, and great authority to the beast from the sea.

In Revelation 20, at the end of the thousand years, the dragon is seized, bound for a thousand years, released briefly, leads a final rebellion, and is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone forever.

Key People Involved

  • Satan (the Accuser) — The great red dragon; the accuser and deceiver
  • Michael — The archangel who led the war against the dragon
  • The Beast — Who received the dragon’s authority (Revelation 13)

Key Places

  • Heaven — Site of the dragon’s original position and the war
  • Earth — Where the dragon was cast and makes war

Important Verses

“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.” — Revelation 12:9

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” — Revelation 12:11

Cross-References

Notes

The dragon narrative in Revelation pulls together multiple strands: the Genesis serpent (3:1), Isaiah’s taunt against the king of Babylon/Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15), and Job’s Satan who accuses the brethren before God. John names the dragon explicitly as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan” — removing all ambiguity. The war in heaven narrative answers a question implicit in the Genesis account: how did evil enter the cosmos? The dragon’s expulsion from heaven is presented in Revelation as both past event and ongoing reality experienced by the church. The key to victory is not military power but the blood of the Lamb and faithful testimony.

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