Topical Bible: The Dragon: Found in The Wilderness

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The term "dragon" in the Bible often symbolizes chaos, evil, and opposition to God. It is a creature that appears in various forms throughout the Scriptures, representing both literal and metaphorical adversaries. In the context of the wilderness, the dragon is depicted as a formidable presence, often associated with desolation and danger.

Biblical References

1. Isaiah 34:13 · In this passage, the prophet Isaiah describes the desolation of Edom, a land judged by God. The wilderness is depicted as a place where dragons, or "jackals" in some translations, dwell: "Thorns will overgrow her citadels, nettles and brambles her fortresses. She will become a haunt for jackals, a dwelling for ostriches."

2. Jeremiah 9:11 · Jeremiah speaks of Jerusalem's impending desolation, using the imagery of dragons to emphasize the severity of God's judgment: "I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant."

3. Revelation 12:3-4 · In the apocalyptic vision of John, the dragon is a symbol of Satan, the great adversary of God and His people. The wilderness becomes a place of refuge for the woman who gives birth to the male child: "Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, tossing them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth."

Symbolism and Interpretation

In the biblical narrative, the dragon is often associated with chaos and opposition to divine order. In the wilderness, a place traditionally seen as untamed and inhospitable, the dragon represents the forces that stand against God's people. The wilderness is both a place of testing and a place of divine encounter, where God often reveals His power and provision.

The imagery of the dragon in the wilderness serves to highlight the spiritual battles faced by believers. It underscores the reality of evil and the need for divine intervention and protection. The wilderness, while a place of danger, is also a place where God's presence is profoundly experienced, as seen in the Israelites' journey through the desert and Jesus' temptation in the wilderness.

Theological Significance

From a theological perspective, the dragon in the wilderness can be seen as a representation of the spiritual adversaries that believers face in their journey of faith. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing spiritual warfare and the need for reliance on God's strength and guidance. The wilderness, with its dragons, becomes a metaphor for the trials and challenges that refine and strengthen the faith of God's people.

The presence of the dragon in the wilderness also points to the ultimate victory of God over evil. Despite the chaos and opposition symbolized by the dragon, the biblical narrative assures believers of God's sovereignty and the eventual triumph of His kingdom.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Malachi 1:3
And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of the Thousand Years in which the Dragon or Satan is bound, with ...
... to earth, not even a trace is to be found in the ... that in all that interval, as a
red dragon with his ... this is the period of the woman in the wilderness, and of ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/synchronism iv of the thousand.htm

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness.
... iv.4); and the dragon (Revelation 12:7). These terms are always ... Lions, wolves, leopards
and serpents have been found in the Jud??an wilderness]; ^c And he ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xix jesus tempted in the.htm

From the Twelfth Chapter.
... 6. "But the woman fled into the wilderness, and there ... and they prevailed not; nor
was their place found any more ... And that great dragon was cast forth, that old ...
/.../commentary on the apocolypse of the blessed john/from the twelfth chapter.htm

The Flight of the Woman.
... And the dragon was enraged against the woman, and went ... corrupt church were in a latter
age found in a ... seclusion of Christ's church in the wilderness, as the ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the flight of the woman.htm

The Meaning
... they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more ... into a secure place from
the fury of the dragon. ... before the flight of the woman into the wilderness. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the meaning 3.htm

Love Never Tests.
... Brother who drew his fangs in the wilderness that day. ... allusions to the serpent,
and the dragon, and getting ... the whole spirit of the passage where it is found. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks about jesus/love never tests.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... stumps; young palms, like Prince of Wales's feathers, breaking up, six or eight
feet high, among a wilderness of sensitive ... We found the dragon-flies here ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

What is the Difference Between Man's Own Righteousness and Man's ...
... the gospel-church as driven into a wilderness; the two ... This is the beast, the whore,
and dragon, that has ... to a God of life, light, and power, found living and ...
/.../address 129 0 0 what is the.htm

The Apostasy.
... The dragon had given to the beast "his power, and his ... of years the church of Christ
found refuge in ... the prophet: "The woman fled into the wilderness, where she ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /3 the apostasy.htm

On Baptism.
... he that is baptized with water, but not found worthy of ... Christ, &c.: John came baptising
in the wilderness [592 ... there was in the waters the dragon that draweth ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture iii on baptism.htm