KJV Revelation 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

John sees another wonder ( Lit: sign ) in heaven. Now he is looking at a great red dragon. This dragon is red because it has shed the blood of saints ( and of mankind ) since Abel. This dragon is none other than Satan - ( Rev 12:9; Isa 27:1 )

This dragon ( Satan ) is depicted as having seven heads with seven crowns, and TEN horns. The woman's "crown" is a "stephanas wreath" -- a "victor's wreath". The dragon's ten crowns are literally "diadems" -- kingly crowns, a band or fillet worn around the head as a sign of royalty diadem, crown, tiara (RV 12.3). The Seven Heads represent the seven world empires ( See Rev 13:2, 17:1-17)

1. Egypt 2. Assyria 3. Babylon 4. Medo-Persia 5. Greece 6. Rome 7. AntiChrist/World Gov't

Satan has been the true king and the spirit behind all these world empires. John is writing this book of Revelation while under Rome, the 6th head, or the 6th world empire, and he is looking in the future in this scene at the beginning of the 7th and final world empire of Satan just prior to the rapture, and 7 years before the 2nd coming of Christ to the earth. We see these empires in Daniel 2 & 7-12

We know that the seven heads represent seven world empires ( kingdoms) because of what we read in Rev 17:10 -- KJV Revelation 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Seven kings, five have fallen, those being Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. The "one that is" has to be Rome, because obviously John lived under Roman rule. "The other has not yet come....and when he comes he must continue a short space" -- that is to say, a short amount of time. That perfectly describes the antiChrist world govt system which shall be in power prior to the rapture and ends at the 2nd coming of Christ. So all seven heads are accounted for, and John sees this dragon which has seven heads, Rev 17:10 makes it clear that this is not a picture of John's day, nor of Jesus, but places it clearly in the future. This is a book of prophecy, not of history. Remember, John sees this sign in heaven...... and the word "sign" (semion) denotes that which happens in the future.

The dragon has ten horns. These horns stand for ten king-like men who do not yet have a kingdom at this point in time. Remember, "horns" are a symbol for power. For instance, in Daniel 8, Daniel had a vision of a ram with two horns ( one world power with two kings, the Medes and the Persians) and also

of a goat with one large horn, the goat representing Greece, the horn representing Alexander the Great. And in Daniel 7 the ten horns are horns of great power and authority, rulership, kingship.

Here in Rev 12:3 the horns are not crowned ....yet. But they represent great power in the 7th world gov't empire. I believe these are ten financial "kings", who rule the world with their money. Former President Bush alluded to the fact that it is not the president or Congress that rules this nation. We owe our national debt to these "Financiers". They own the Federal Reserve. They own the "International Marketing Fund" ( IMF), They "loan" money for wars like the Yugosloavia conflict, Persia Gulf, Viet Nam, Korea, WW1 and WW2, etc. But they ARE crowned AFTER the catching away ( the rapture) of the man-child, as seen in Rev 13:1-3.

The angel explains this to John in Rev 17:12 ; KJV Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Rev 13:1-3)

The seven heads depict the authority of Satan who has ruled the world empires from the beginning. These "heads" are on the "dragon" in

Rev 12:3 and on the "Beast" ( the anti-Christ regime) of Rev 13 & 17. The seven heads show that Satan is the true ruler behind each of the world government empires, and the power within the beast ( antichrist world govt). In fact, in Rev 13:3 we read that Satan gives his power ( authority) to the beast - the World Govt. Again, the seven crowns point to the fact that Satan is the true king hehind each world government in his attempt to take dominion over man and to set the stage to attempt to defeat Christ whom he crucified 2,000 years ago.

"Seven" is the "number of completion" This is Satan's final hour, his final attempt to usurp the dominion of God in Christ. This scene is the prelude to the "catching away" of the man-child. Satan only had "six heads" in John's day, and in Jesus day. But this man-child is caught up in the day of the "7th Head"-- some 2,000 years after John lived, and after Jesus ascended. This is the beginning of the end for "the dragon".






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