A Great Fiery-Colored Dragon

What does John next observe? "And another sign was seen in heaven, and, look! A great fiery-colored dragon, with seven heads and ten horns and upon its heads seven diadems; and its tail drags a third of the stars of heaven, and it hurled them down to the earth. And the dragon kept standing before the woman who was about to give birth, that, when she did give birth, it might devour her child." - Revelation 12:3, 4.

This dragon is Satan, "the original serpent." ( Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:15) He is a ferocious destroyer -a seven-headed dragon, or devourer, that can completely swallow his prey. How strange he looks! Those seven heads and ten horns indicate that he is the architect of the political wild beast soon to be described in Revelation chapter 13. This beast also has seven heads and ten horns. Since Satan has a diadem on each head-seven in all-we can be sure that the world powers represented in that wild beast have been under his rulership. (John 16:11) The ten horns are a fitting symbol of the completeness of the power that he has exercised in this world.

The dragon has authority also in the spirit realm. With his tail, he "drags a third of the stars of heaven." Stars can represent angels. (Job 38:7) Mention of "a third" would emphasize that a considerable number of angels have been misled by Satan. Once these came under his control, there was no escape for them. They could not return to God's holy organization. They became demons, dragged along, as it were, by Satan their king, or ruler. (Matthew 12:24) Satan also cast them down to the earth. This no doubt refers to Noah's day before the flood. When Satan induced the disobedient sons of God to go down to earth and cohabit with the daughters of men. As a punishment, these "angels that sinned" have been thrown by God into the prisonlike condition called Tartarus. -Genesis 6:4; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.

Thus, two opposing organizations have come clearly into view-Jehovah's heavenly organization as pictured by the woman and Satan's demonic organization that challenges God's sovereignty. The great issue of sovereignty must be settled. But how? Satan, still dragging the demons along with him, is like a vicious beast of prey eyeing a potential victim. He is waiting fro the woman to give birth. He wants to devour this expected infant because he knows that it poses and ominous threat to his continued existence and that of the world over which he exercises rulership. -John 14:30.

Next time: A Son,m A Male.