What does the dragon in revelations represent?

The thought that revelations is not about the second coming is absurd. Anyone who calls themselves a true christian should know that the reason they allowed this to be placed in the bible is the same reason Jesus died on the cross, so that all would know that His Father is the King Of Kings and will some day return to earth and claim those who have lived in God’s footsteps.

Wrong toadaly. Revelation, as the book is titled means “the unveiling”. It is a book of prophecy that foretells of Jesus’ second coming when He will judge the earth and all its inhabitants and cast those who are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life into the lake of fire and brimstone. As for that dragon, check mealw’s scripture references and you will find that the dragon is that “old serpent, the Devil, and Satan.”

You’ll never understand Revelation unless you recognize it as an allegorical story about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. It reads as nonsense and gibberish without that understanding.

The dragon represents Rome. The woman does not represent Mary, as many think it does, but instead, represents Judaism. The child is not Jesus. It’s Christianity. The 31/2 year period refers to the time from 66 to 70 CE when the zealots had taken over Masada (this parallels the 7 weeks in Daniel, but in Daniel, it’s a literal 7 weeks). The dragon being hurled to the earth symbolizes the same thing - the overtaking of the Roman fortress at Masada by the Zealots (Masada is an elevated mesa hence the symbolism of being thrown down from heaven).

“ It is a book of prophecy that foretells of Jesus’ second coming when He will judge the earth and all its inhabitants and cast those who are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life into the lake of fire and brimstone.”

Nonsense. The book of Revelation was meant to instill hope in the early Christian communities that they would eventually be delivered from Roman persecution. The book relies heavily on symbolism to carry this message, so as to avoid arousing suspicion from Roman authorities.

The entire book describes the relationship between Rome and the early church. As toadaly points out, it includes 1st Century AD events like the siege of Masada and the destruction of the Jewish temple. It also refers frequently to the Emperor Nero’s blaming of the great fire of Rome on Christians, and the severe persecution that resulted. The mark of the beast, 666, is a reference to Nero.

The notion that Revelation refers to events several thousand years in the future would have been considered absurd by the authors, and by their communities.

The dragon represents satan

Huge red dragon: the Devil or Satan (cf Rev 12:9; 20:2), symbol of the forces of evil.

the dragon in revelations represents satan, does the welsh dragon also represent satan.