Topical Bible: The Dragon: Found in Dry Places

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical literature, the term "dragon" is often used symbolically to represent chaos, evil, or opposition to God. The imagery of dragons is prevalent in both the Old and New Testaments, where they are depicted as formidable creatures inhabiting desolate and dry places. This entry explores the biblical references to dragons, particularly focusing on their association with dry and barren landscapes.

Old Testament References

The Hebrew word "tannin" is frequently translated as "dragon" in the Old Testament. These creatures are often depicted as dwelling in desolate regions, symbolizing desolation and judgment. In Isaiah 34:13 , the prophet describes the aftermath of divine judgment on Edom: "Thorns will overgrow her citadels, nettles and brambles her fortresses. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls." The desolation is further emphasized in Isaiah 34:14, where "desert creatures" and "wild goats" are mentioned, often interpreted as references to dragons or similar creatures inhabiting these forsaken places.

Jeremiah 9:11 also uses the imagery of dragons to convey desolation: "I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant." Here, the presence of dragons in the form of jackals underscores the complete abandonment and barrenness resulting from divine judgment.

Symbolism and Imagery

The dragon's association with dry places is symbolic of spiritual barrenness and separation from God. In biblical symbolism, water often represents life, blessing, and the presence of God, while dry places signify the absence of these divine attributes. Dragons, as inhabitants of these arid regions, embody the forces of chaos and opposition to God's order.

In the poetic and prophetic literature of the Old Testament, dragons are often used metaphorically to describe nations or entities that oppose God and His people. For instance, in Ezekiel 29:3 , Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is likened to a great dragon lying in the midst of his rivers, symbolizing his pride and opposition to God: "Speak and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster lying in the midst of his rivers, who has said, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’"

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the dragon takes on a more defined role as a symbol of Satan and his opposition to God's kingdom. Revelation 12:3 introduces a "great red dragon" with seven heads and ten horns, representing Satan's power and influence over earthly kingdoms. This dragon is depicted as waging war against the woman and her offspring, symbolizing the church and the followers of Christ.

Revelation 12:9 further identifies the dragon as "the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world." The imagery of the dragon in Revelation is rich with symbolism, drawing on Old Testament motifs of chaos and opposition to God, while also portraying the ultimate defeat of Satan through the victory of Christ.

Conclusion

The biblical portrayal of dragons as inhabitants of dry places serves as a powerful symbol of desolation, chaos, and opposition to God. Through the use of vivid imagery and metaphor, the Scriptures convey the spiritual realities of judgment, rebellion, and the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom over the forces of evil.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 34:13
And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 43:20
The beast of the field shall honor me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Unclean Spirits.
... imperial, when symbolized by the dragon, was Paganism ... The Sandwich Islanders, when
they found that Christians ... a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the unclean spirits.htm

'Other Sheep'
... strong shoulder that bears us back when He has found. ... heart have been busy sowing
the dragon's teeth that ... the bright waters covering all the dry places in the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/other sheep.htm

David's Dying Prayer
... We do not wish to see dry places here and there ... There are to be found some who by
devoting themselves ... stroke from their sword shall cleave a dragon, and every ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/davids dying prayer.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... Let it be enough to say, that our favourite haunt in all the gardens is a little
dry valley, beneath the loftiest group of ... We found the dragon-flies here ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

Psalm LXXIV.
... and he drew it forth: and it was found white," [3343 ... nation of the Jews were as it
were dry land severed ... their chief, and he is himself the first great dragon. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxiv.htm

Antichrist.
... mistress became a dame in the world, and found that she ... she knows she has the truth;
the dragon and his ... now blown together under hedges as the dry leaves, for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xxiii antichrist.htm

Monos
... the rainy season; but during the dry season it ... and pushing cautiously through the
Roseau, found ourselves on ... less the great Boca of the Dragon's Mouth, between ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter vi monos.htm

A Preliminary Discourse to Catechising
... several parts of the heaven; and being but dry exhalations, not ... is a crown of glory,
if it be found in the ... part of the stars of heaven.' The red dragon, by his ...
/.../watson/a body of divinity/1 a preliminary discourse to.htm

The Sweet Uses of Adversity
... it may be, for it is a worm combating with the dragon. ... have been stranded and left
high and dry upon the ... SINNER, who is wondering that he has found no peace ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the sweet uses of adversity.htm

The Flag of the World
... his life; he was so good that his dry bones could ... He can shake his sword at the dragon,
even if ... I found this projecting feature of Christian theology, like a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/v the flag of the.htm