IV.       Analysis of Revelation 13:11-18

D.        Speaks Like a Dragon

            καὶ ἐλάλει ὡς δράκων (13:11d)

1.         Textual and Exegetical Issues

a.         δράκων is used 13x in Revelation (12:3–4, 7, 9, 13, 16–17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13; 20:2).

b.         The dragon is God’s archenemy in Revelation.

1)         He has seven heads, ten horns, and crowns on each head (12:3).

2)         He takes a third of the stars from the heavens (12:4).

3)         He stands before the woman giving birth in order to eat the child (12:4).

4)         He is called the ancient serpent, the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the world (12:9).

5)         He is thrown out of heaven down to the earth with his angels (12:9, 13).

6)         He pursues the woman who gave birth to the child and spews out a river to drown her (12:13).

7)         He goes off to make war with the rest of the woman’s children (12:17).

8)         He is standing on the edge of the sea watching the first beast arise (12:17).

9)         He gives his power, authority, and throne to the first beast (13:2).

10)       He empowers the second beast to speak with great deception (13:11).

11)       He spews out unclean spirits like frogs to deceive the whole world (16:13).

12)       He is bound and thrown into the pit for a thousand years (20:2) and ultimately cast into the Lake of Fire (20:10).

c.         This implies the second beast derives his authority and ability to deceive from the dragon.

2.         Literary Background

a.         OT and STJ

1)         Refers back to the dragon in OT and STJ (LXX: Ex 7:9–10, 12; Deut 32:33; Esth 11:6; 10:7; Psa 73:13–14; 90:13; 103:26; 148:7; Ode 2:33; Job 4:10; 7:12; 20:16; 26:13; 38:39; 40:25; Wis 16:10; Sir 25:16; Sol 2:25; Amos 9:3; Mic 1:8; Is 27:1; Jer 9:10; 27:8; 28:34; Lam 4:3; Ezek 29:3; 32:2; Dan 14:23, 25, 27–28).

2)         LXX: translates תַּנִּין as δράκων [BDB: serpent, dragon, sea-monster — (erron. תַּנִּים) n.m. serpent, dragon, sea-monster —1. serpent (venomous). 2. dragon, as devourer (sim.); ’עֶין הַתּ, near Jerus. 3. sea- (or river-) monster; fig. (i.e. Egyptians); called to praise ’י.]

b.         The Serpent in Genesis 3 lies behind the image of the dragon in Revelation

•           “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen 3:15)

3.         Interpretive Options  (see Appendix IV)

a.         Preterit

1)         Speaks with deception.

2)         Has Satanic authority.

b.         Idealist

1)         Deceptive, subtle, seductive speech of false religions.

2)         Liars, slanderers, blasphemers.

3)         Leaders who are inwardly Satanic, speaking lies, deceiving people.

c.         Futurist

1)         Speaks with Satanic power and authority.

2)         Deceptive, subtle, seductive speech to lure people away from faith in Christ and into the dragon’s trap.