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Perhaps the dragon that has had the
most influence on Westernized Christian
thought is the red dragon that dominates
the last book of the New Testament.
The author of this book, who simply
identified himself as John, had been
exiled to the Isle of Patmos, a small
Greek island in the Aegean Sea, where
he received a brilliant vision in
which he was welcomed into the heavens
to witness all things which were to
come. In the vision he was shown a
book with seven sealed portions. He
was allowed to see the contents of
each sealed portion in turn and then
commanded to write what he saw. It
is at the very end of the seventh
portion that we find the story of
the red dragon.
The story begins when John sees a
beautiful woman in childbirth. This
is no ordinary woman; she is clothed
in the sun, with the moon under her
feet, and wears a crown of twelve
stars. As she struggles to give birth,
a great red dragon comes into view.
He is as terrible as the woman is
resplendent, a serpentine creature
with seven heads and ten horns, and
a crown on each head. With his mighty
tail he draws away a third of the
stars of heaven and violently throws
them down to the earth. Thus announcing
himself, he alights menacingly before
the woman, threatening to devour her
child as soon as it is born.
But the woman is able to save her
newborn son, who is mysteriously secreted
away to the throne of God, the dragon’s
arch-enemy. God has a special interest
in this baby, for it has been prophesied
that he will one day become the ruler
of all nations. The woman, thus assured
that her child is protected, flees
into the wilderness, where a refuge
has been prepared for her.
Meanwhile God sends his angels, led
by the valiant archangel Michael,
to battle against the red dragon.
The dragon is fierce, assisted by
his own legion of demons, but eventually
they are beaten and evicted from heaven.
On earth, the vengeful dragon seeks
out the woman to torment her, but
using two great eagle wings given
her, she escapes; however, the red
dragon possesses great powers, and
even controls the weather. From his
mouth he creates a flood to drown
her. But the earth opens its gaping
mouth and swallows the flood, aiding
the woman in her escape. Frustrated,
the dragon then turns his attention
to the woman’s other children, who
fill the earth. Hungry for revenge,
the red dragon seeks help.
He doesn’t have to wait long before
a hideous beast rises out of the sea.
This beast also has seven heads and
ten horns, but his body is that of
a leopard, while his feet are those
of a bear, and his mouth is that of
a lion. The dragon, finding a worthy
accomplice, grants the beast power
and authority. While the inhabitants
of the world watch, the beast reveals
a deadly wound on one of its heads.
As if by magic, the wound heals itself.
Awe-struck, many people flock to the
dragon and the beast, worshipping
them and turning against God.
With their new army behind them,
the beast and the dragon wage war
against the inhabitants of the earth
still faithful to god, overcoming
them and taking many captives. And
although the beast dies, he is replaced
by another beast with two horns like
a lamb. This second beast controls
fire, making it fall from the sky.
Like the dragon, he is also very wicked
and teaches the people to worship
the first beast. Indeed, he teaches
them that they should kill anybody
who won’t worship the first beast.
Caught in this wicked fervor, the
people began to mark their bodies,
so that they can tell who worships
the beast and who doesn’t.
Back in the heavens, the angels tell
God about all that is happening on
the earth with the dragon and the
beasts. Enraged, God vows to punish
any who has received the mark of the
beast. From a cloud, the grown son
of the woman descends, wearing a golden
crown and carrying a sharp sickle
in his hand. Calling the angels to
his side, the armies of God prepare
to visit the earth. Seven mighty angels
appear, each bearing a terrible plague
and a golden vial containing the wrath
of God. God’s army is prepared to
face the dragon in a final battle.
One by one the angels pour their
vials out upon the beast-worshipers,
inflicting them with sores, death,
heat, darkness, hunger, and drought.
Before the last angel pours the contents
of his vial out, three magical frogs
are pulled out of the mouths of the
dragon and the beast, revealing how
the evil creatures had received their
powers. When the last vial is poured
out, the ground begins to shake. Great
hailstones fall from heaven. The mountains
are flattened and the islands fall
into the sea. All those who have marked
themselves are overtaken and, along
with the beast are thrown into a lake
of fire. Finally, the son of the woman,
who now sits upon the throne, rewards
all the people who have remained faithful
to God. Even those who have been killed
are brought back to life. Beaten,
the dragon is bound and shut in a
bottomless pit where he can no longer
deceive the nations for a thousand
years.
About the Author:
Emma Snow has long been interested
in the history of dragon and lore
http://www.dragon-gifts.com
and http://www.mystical-creatures.com
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