The Woman & the Dragon

Revelation 12 describes the dragon as the ancient serpent, often understood as Satan, whose role as deceiver highlights the ongoing spiritual struggle faced by believers in today’s world.

“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.” (Rev. 12:3)

Satan, a supernatural created being, has many titles and is described in various ways throughout Sacred Scripture. We are first introduced to this creature as the deceiver in the Book of Genesis.

After God created man (Gen 2:7), the following instructions were given: “The LORD God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.” (Gen 2:16-17)

God then created woman as the only creature who could truly become one with man (see Gen 2:18-25).

Next, we read about a creature referred to as a snake, who is described as cunning, defined as deceitful. “Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden’?” The woman answered the snake: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.’” But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.” (Gen 3:1-5)

The man and the woman fell for this lie, and sin entered into the world. We read about the consequences for the snake, the woman and the man in the remainder of the chapter (Gen 3:6-24). However, within this text, verse 15, we also discover that God already has a plan for our salvation:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

They will strike at your head,

while you strike at their heel.” (Gen 3:15)

The snake in the Book of Genesis is the dragon in the Book of Revelation (see similarities & differences). They both embody Satan, first to trick man through deception, thereby putting distance between us and our Creator, then to attempt to devour and destroy humanity with power and fury. “The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it…But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time.” (Rev 12:9&12)

“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.” (Rev 12:4)

Satan understands God’s plan for our salvation. Once this dragon, Lucifer, and a third of the angels, now demons, are cast out of Heaven, they focus their attack on The Woman and her Son, aka the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ, the New Eve and the New Adam.