Rev 12:1-17.
  Satan's Losing Battle.

American Journal of Biblical Theology
Copyright © 2007, J.W. Carter     Scripture quotes from KJV

Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.

The second of the seven personages is introduced to us here. The seven-headed dragon is also familiar in Babylonian mythology, and is referred to as the chaos monster. From the references in Daniel 7:7-8,24 and Revelation 13:1 we see that this dragon represents satan’s control over the world empires. Daniel, in chapters 7 and 8 gives us a lot of help as he presents the same apocalyptic images that are recorded in John’s Revelation, but Daniel specifically describes the powers that these images represent. The heads of the red dragon refer to satans’ complete dominion over the world’s authorities that are firmly seated in his evil camp. The crowns on each of those heads defends his authority over the people of the world. Dan 7:7 and Revelation 13:1 use the number ten to refer to a group of ten world government leaders who, like horns, exercise satan’s power in this world. Finally, the color red is usually used to represent blood. In the context of Jesus it refers to His redemptive act on the cross that brings people to God for eternity. In reference to satan, it refers to his power to kill and destroy, separating people from God for eternity.

How, then, do these verses describe satan? He is a created being, traditionally a rebellious angel, who God has granted authority to exercise his rebellion in the world. This is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that we have a moral choice to follow God or rebel against Him. The curse is that, though satan only has the power to give us moral options, to follow satan is to spend eternity separated from God, making him the most devastating and insidiously evil power on earth.