How does a dragon speak?
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i think that is the point. Ever heard of the saying “appearances can be decieving”? Most people today judge on outward appearances which is just sadly the way things are. Cannot be helped, i think it is one of our flaws as a people. Anyways most people today will believe what the False Prophet will say, and it will be most likely to thse 2 reasons:
1. Appears to be meek and gentle which overlap being peaceful
2. Knows what to say to win the people over. Maybe not only what say, but the way how speech is delivered, for example, a pleasant voice.
1. Appears to be meek and gentle which overlap being peaceful
2. Knows what to say to win the people over. Maybe not only what say, but the way how speech is delivered, for example, a pleasant voice.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth (refers to the false prophet; by the use of the word "Earth," the Holy Spirit is telling us that this man is not from above, but rather from the masses of people); and he had two horns like a lamb (he has a lamb like appearance which is intended to deceive), and he spoke as a dragon (refers to the fact that he will be greatly anointed by the Devil; in a sense, the Antichrist will claim to be Christ, while the false prophet will try to fill the role of the Holy Spirit). Rev. 13:11
JSM
JSM
thanks for all the replies.
it seems maybe incongruous to me to backwards-define what this phrase means -- that is, a common thought here has been, Satan is called "the dragon" therefore "like a dragon" means however it is that Satan speaks. that's kind of like saying, how does a white man speak? well here's a famous white man, so however it is that he speaks is the definition of how white men speak. how Satan speaks is illustrative of how a dragon speaks, but Satan is one particular dragon: his own nuances may not represent the characteristics of every dragon, just like if we asked, "how does an angel speak?" we could say, Satan is an angel, so however he speaks is the definition of how angels speak -- a conclusion with obvious flaws.
"deceptively" has a more firm basis in the text though, because we're told here, the beast has horns like a lamb but spake as a dragon -- immediately presented as an antithesis, carrying the connotation of false representation.
one thing that's been jumping out at me reading through the thread and thinking about it is that Satan is called "the dragon" but here we're talking about the beast speaking like "a dragon" -- a subtle, but significant difference... ?
is John talking about tonal quality or characteristics of rhetoric?
how does he know things about either one?
it seems maybe incongruous to me to backwards-define what this phrase means -- that is, a common thought here has been, Satan is called "the dragon" therefore "like a dragon" means however it is that Satan speaks. that's kind of like saying, how does a white man speak? well here's a famous white man, so however it is that he speaks is the definition of how white men speak. how Satan speaks is illustrative of how a dragon speaks, but Satan is one particular dragon: his own nuances may not represent the characteristics of every dragon, just like if we asked, "how does an angel speak?" we could say, Satan is an angel, so however he speaks is the definition of how angels speak -- a conclusion with obvious flaws.
"deceptively" has a more firm basis in the text though, because we're told here, the beast has horns like a lamb but spake as a dragon -- immediately presented as an antithesis, carrying the connotation of false representation.
one thing that's been jumping out at me reading through the thread and thinking about it is that Satan is called "the dragon" but here we're talking about the beast speaking like "a dragon" -- a subtle, but significant difference... ?
is John talking about tonal quality or characteristics of rhetoric?
how does he know things about either one?
I think John is relating the vision in his own vocabulary ((when he's not directly quoting what he's told by an angel)) -- such that when he says for example 'its appearance was like jasper' he's describing what he sees in terms of how it appears to him. Someone else may have described the same color with a different word. He's not told 'it speaks like a dragon' -- he presumably hears it's speech, and to him it speaks in such a way that he, John, would describe as 'like a dragon' -- which indicates to me that John somehow has a mental picture of how a dragon speaks that matches what he saw and heard from the beast.
For example, someone completely unfamiliar with lambs might have said 'it had two horns like an eland' but John knows lambs, so that's the description he gave.
Definitely I believe God meant for John specifically to be the person to see these things because John would use the vocabulary that the Spirit wanted to be used, but it is still the human, John, who is describing what John, the particular human, sees.
For example, someone completely unfamiliar with lambs might have said 'it had two horns like an eland' but John knows lambs, so that's the description he gave.
Definitely I believe God meant for John specifically to be the person to see these things because John would use the vocabulary that the Spirit wanted to be used, but it is still the human, John, who is describing what John, the particular human, sees.
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The actual mechanism of Divine inspiration has not been explained to us. But we know that every word written by John was BOTH a word of John's as well as a word of God. That is how the whole Bible was written -- the very words, the jots, and the tittles were controlled by God even while the personal style of the writer was allowed to come through. Thus "every word of God is pure..." (as gold is purified in a furnace). Like the other apostles who wrote Scripture, John was both an apostle and a prophet, and prophets wrote as they were "moved" (borne along) by the Holy Ghost.
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It may help to know that dragons have been mentioned a few times in the old testament (KJV):
Psalm 74:13
Psalm 91:13
Psalm 148:7
Isaiah 43:20
Jeremiah 51:34
I also found this site which may be an interesting read.
Dragons mentioned in the Bible | Genesis Park
From what I skimmed, it appears dragons were most likely what we now call reptiles for the most part. Just like the one-horned rhino was called a "unicorn" back then, the word dragon was used for several different species of beast. We miss the link in modern translations, but the OT Hebrew word used is "Tanin".
Psalm 74:13
Psalm 91:13
Psalm 148:7
Isaiah 43:20
Jeremiah 51:34
I also found this site which may be an interesting read.
Dragons mentioned in the Bible | Genesis Park
From what I skimmed, it appears dragons were most likely what we now call reptiles for the most part. Just like the one-horned rhino was called a "unicorn" back then, the word dragon was used for several different species of beast. We miss the link in modern translations, but the OT Hebrew word used is "Tanin".
Note: The dragon was cast into the earth. And the false prophet arises out of the earth.
The false prophet doesn’t arise out of the sea.
The great sea in prophecy is the metaphor of globalized mankind without borders. That is, no distinguishing of culture, race, tribe, family, language etc...
The great sea is greatly affected by winds. The winds are the evil spirits seeking to control man.
John represents the view of the world that the saints will have at the time of the rise of global governance.
When the world becomes fluid because of the globalism, and the borders between nations is removed, then the beast government will arise out of the sea of mankind fully formed.
The red dragon represents the satanic conspiracy that appeared in heaven before man appeared on earth.
The dragon is Satan.
The seven heads of the red dragon are the seven princes (principalities) that conspired with the Devil to overthrow the kingdom of God in Heaven.
The tail of the red dragon is the manifestation of the subtle serpent aspect of the dragon. By speaking and moving as a serpent, angels were drawn away from faith in God, and once under the dragon’s control they were forced to come down to the earth to devour the Christ child, Jesus at his birth. Which is why Satan and his devils spoke as they peculiarly did to Jesus.
The dragon is red because Satan was murderous from the beginning of his satanic conspiracy against the throne of God.
The beast that rises out of the sea has seven heads because the coming world government is a morphed version of the red dragon that once was in heaven.
The seven heads are thus, seven men possessed of seven a princes of Satan.
They are the first aspect of the beast to be seen as it rises out of the global sea of man.
So, in such manner the beast arises to take tyrannical control over all the earth under the auspices of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon.
The leopard skin represents the patterned form the beast government takes to facilitate a false unity of mankind. That is, the nations and territories of the beast world will be grown into unity in a cellular fashion.
The feet of the bear represents the wide breadth of the oppression the beast government will have over man. The iron claws speak of the violent terrorizing force that beast government will use to subdue man.
Once the beast appears as a man on earth, then out of the earth the false prophet will arise.
He arises out of the earth because he is possessed of Satan who was cast in the earth.
The false prophet appears as a lamb to seem meek and non threatening, as if a Christian, even as a prophet of the Lord.
The two horns are the two ways by which the false prophet nudges mankind toward Satan’s true goal.
The mouth of the false prophet is set in sharp contrast to the appearance as a lamb.
The dragon speaks in such manner as to issue forth fire and destroy what stands in its way. This sharp contrast will cause man to suppose the false prophet has the authority and power of God. But the source of the false prophet’s power is the god of forces. Thus his power is produced by tight, satanic control of technology.
So, the false prophet will cause fire to issue forth from the sky as though he is the return of Elijah the prophet.
It is the contrast of the appearance of meekness with displays of terrifying authority and power that thrills and seduces mankind.
The speech of the false prophet will ignite the imagination of mankind.
The false prophet doesn’t arise out of the sea.
The great sea in prophecy is the metaphor of globalized mankind without borders. That is, no distinguishing of culture, race, tribe, family, language etc...
The great sea is greatly affected by winds. The winds are the evil spirits seeking to control man.
John represents the view of the world that the saints will have at the time of the rise of global governance.
When the world becomes fluid because of the globalism, and the borders between nations is removed, then the beast government will arise out of the sea of mankind fully formed.
The red dragon represents the satanic conspiracy that appeared in heaven before man appeared on earth.
The dragon is Satan.
The seven heads of the red dragon are the seven princes (principalities) that conspired with the Devil to overthrow the kingdom of God in Heaven.
The tail of the red dragon is the manifestation of the subtle serpent aspect of the dragon. By speaking and moving as a serpent, angels were drawn away from faith in God, and once under the dragon’s control they were forced to come down to the earth to devour the Christ child, Jesus at his birth. Which is why Satan and his devils spoke as they peculiarly did to Jesus.
The dragon is red because Satan was murderous from the beginning of his satanic conspiracy against the throne of God.
The beast that rises out of the sea has seven heads because the coming world government is a morphed version of the red dragon that once was in heaven.
The seven heads are thus, seven men possessed of seven a princes of Satan.
They are the first aspect of the beast to be seen as it rises out of the global sea of man.
So, in such manner the beast arises to take tyrannical control over all the earth under the auspices of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon.
The leopard skin represents the patterned form the beast government takes to facilitate a false unity of mankind. That is, the nations and territories of the beast world will be grown into unity in a cellular fashion.
The feet of the bear represents the wide breadth of the oppression the beast government will have over man. The iron claws speak of the violent terrorizing force that beast government will use to subdue man.
Once the beast appears as a man on earth, then out of the earth the false prophet will arise.
He arises out of the earth because he is possessed of Satan who was cast in the earth.
The false prophet appears as a lamb to seem meek and non threatening, as if a Christian, even as a prophet of the Lord.
The two horns are the two ways by which the false prophet nudges mankind toward Satan’s true goal.
The mouth of the false prophet is set in sharp contrast to the appearance as a lamb.
The dragon speaks in such manner as to issue forth fire and destroy what stands in its way. This sharp contrast will cause man to suppose the false prophet has the authority and power of God. But the source of the false prophet’s power is the god of forces. Thus his power is produced by tight, satanic control of technology.
So, the false prophet will cause fire to issue forth from the sky as though he is the return of Elijah the prophet.
It is the contrast of the appearance of meekness with displays of terrifying authority and power that thrills and seduces mankind.
The speech of the false prophet will ignite the imagination of mankind.
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