Beasts & Dragons in Revelation I

Today we’ll outline the beasts and the dragon (as well as other main characters) to understand what is unique about each one. (Rev. 12-17)

What’s interesting in Revelation is the amount and depth of symbolism in John’s prophecies. Each character is symbolic of someone/something. From description surrounding them, we should be able to figure out who/what they are. This is a good book for mature believers to study, since it requires knowledge from the rest of the bible to understand.

In chapter 12, there are two main characters, the Woman, and the Dragon.

Ch. 12 – The Woman

• clothed with the sun, moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head
• pregnant, in pain and ready to give birth
• she gives birth to a son who will rule the nations with an iron scepter
• child is snatched up to God before the Dragon could devour it
• woman flees into the desert to a place prepared for her  by God, where she will be taken care of for 1,260 days

Ch. 12 – The Dragon – Satan

• enormous and red
• seven heads and ten horns
• seven crowns on each head
• his tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to earth
• stood in front of the woman to devour the child after it gave birth
• also known as the devil, ancient serpent and Satan
• loses a war in heaven against Michael and his angels and is hurled to earth along with his own forces, also angels
• pursues the woman
• spews water out of his mouth to drown the woman/sweep her away
• Dragon is enraged at the woman and goes off to make war against the rest her offspring–those who obey God and believe in Jesus

Ch. 13 – The Beast

• comes out of the sea
• ten horns and seven heads with ten crowns on his horns
• each head has a blasphemous name
• looked like a leopard, but had feet of a bear, and a mouth of a lion
• dragon gives the beast his power, throne and great authority
• one of the heads seemed to have a fatal wound, but the wound seemed to have been healed
• entire world is amazed and follows the beast
• they worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast
• beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies
• exercises his authority for 42 months
• blasphemes God and slanders his name
• given power to make war against the saints and conquer them
• given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation
• inhabitants of earth will worship the beast
• the beast’s number is 666

Ch. 13 – The Second Beast

• comes out of the earth
• two horns like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon
• exercised all the authority of the first beast
• made the earth and inhabitants worship the first beast
• performed great and miraculous signs
• deceived the inhabitants of the earth
• make them set up an image of the first beast
• given power to make the image speak
• caused everyone who didn’t worship the image to be killed
• forced everyone to receive a mark on his right hand or forehead
• no one could buy or sell without the mark (which is the name or number of the name of the beast

(continued in part II)