Dragon Slaying

God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. 

Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. 

Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.” (Revelation 11:19, 12:1-6, 10)

Revelation is a very tough read, and I still cannot fathom all its symbolism and meaning.  Some have tried such as scholar and writer Bart Ehrman in his 2023 book Armageddon.  He wrote: “…We are told that the beast [in Revelation 13] can be known by its number, ‘the number of a person,’ 666.  Who or what is that [Caesar Nero]?  Like the beast in the vision in Chapter 17, this beast has ten horns and seven heads.  Clearly then, it is the same beast, and anyone who has read the entire book of Revelation will have no trouble realizing the beast’s connection to Rome. The beast in Chapter 13 has features like a leopard, a bear, and a lion (again, compare this to Daniel’s beasts). And it is supported by an even more powerful beast, the ‘dragon’ who gives the beast ‘his power, and his throne and great authority.’ In 20:2 the dragon is explicitly identified as Satan.  Rome is thus empowered by the Devil.  We are told that the entire earth worships the beast, except the followers of Jesus…”

We read above: “Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.” Revelation reveals that Jesus is opposed by the Devil who shadowed and tempted Jesus throughout his life.  Rome – the Devil – killed Jesus who railed against the power of evil.  

Today the Devil is not Rome.  Ironically, it is where the Vatican resides with our popes ruling from Peter’s chair throughout the centuries.  

Even though the Dragon is always nearby, we are comforted and strengthened with the knowledge that salvation and power have come through the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.  Using that power, we must prevent the Dragon’s tail from sweeping away a third of the stars in the sky and hurling them down to the earth.  In other words, we followers of Christ must deliver ourselves from evil by slaying the Dragon whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head.  

Ugliness comes in many forms such as hate, envy, anger, violence, intolerance, and power-seeking at any cost.  Many of us, therefore, are "ugly," and we must slay the Dragon within else we will be overpowered, and our stars will fall from the sky.  Satan has a long and powerful tail.

Deacon David Pierce