The beast/dragon is the same mentioned in chapters 12, 13 and 17, as follows:
Rev.12:3 - Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.
Rev.13:1 - And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
Rev.17:3 - There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
The above beast/dragon is the same entity with different descriptions as follows:
I cannot totally agree to that.
The idea of the "dragon" having... is in the sense of possession, power over, ruling over it. Doesn't mean an extension of his own being.
first beast - rises out of the sea
second beast - ascends up out of the earth
Per the Rev.17:8 Scripture, which beast best fits that one who ascends out of the bottomless pit and goes into perdition? That second beast does, i.e, the "another beast" of Rev.13:11 forward that speaks "as a dragon" (because he is the dragon).
The Rev.12:3 example does not mean the the horns, heads, and crowns are a literal extension of his being either. It simply means he was in power over, ruling over, that ten horns, seven heads, and seven crowns.
One of the most important distinctions we are to make between the Rev.12:3 and Rev.13:1 examples is the different number of "crowns", and the time marker in Rev.12:4 when that "red dragon" drew a third of the "stars" (angels) into rebellion with him. That happened in the time of old, prior to this present world.
Now that's a huge revelation our Lord Jesus gave us by that comparison, because in the very next Rev.13 chapter He shows about the beast kingdom Satan will have for the end of this world, with it to have "ten crowns" instead of seven. This gives us more evidence that the horns, heads, and crowns are about a kingdom beast, and not the beast king himself (dragon) that is over them.
Yet many will reject that understanding, because although they might grasp that Rev.12:3-4 beast kingdom idea with Satan having led it personally at the original overthrow prior to today's world, they will still have trouble accepting that the Rev.13:1 beast kingdom example for the last days will also be led in person by Satan himself, on earth, once he is booted out of heaven per Rev.12:7 forward.
Seven heads: Seven hills upon which the woman sits and represents seven kings of succession
I disagree.
The "seven heads" represent seven regions the ten kings are over. In the Rev.12:3 example, Satan's original kingdom had seven crowns (
diadeemata) upon seven heads. Diadems upon heads represent rule over territories or domains.
Per Rev.17:1, the "great whore" (i.e, the "woman" you mention), sits upon many "waters". Per Rev.17:15 John is told those "waters" represent "peoples, multitudes,
nations, and tongues". So it is not about a particular area that has seven literal hills that seven kings came to power over in succession. The "seven heads" will be seven regions the "woman" will have power over at the very end of this world, and they represent nations, peoples, etc. It is also symbolized by "waters" which also points to the "sea" of Rev.13:1. (By the way, Jerusalem has seven hills, which used to be in ancient times one of its descriptors.)
Ten Horns: Ten kings who are made kings after being with the beast for only a short time.
To be more precise, the ten horns ("ten kings") of Rev.17 only come to power WITH the beast king (i.e., "little horn" of Dan.7). They rule with... the beast king for "one hour". That "one hour" is a Biblical symbol our Lord Jesus used to represent the very end of this world, like the time of "great tribulation". That is also the meaning of the "short space" idea in the Rev.17:10 verse about the one who is yet to come (i.e., the seventh beast king).
The seven crowns mentioned on the beast in Rev.12:3 are referring to those seven kings of succession and the ten horns are referring to those ten kings who reign in the future concurrently with the beast. In Rev.13:1, again the ten horns represent those ten future kings who will rule concurrently with the beast and the seven heads represent those seven kings of succession. What I mean by those seven kings of succession is that, in John's description of the he said the following:
I disagree.
The Rev.12:3-4 event timing happened back when Satan first rebelled against God with coveting His Throne. That's why the 3rd verse is tied with the 4th verse. That has nothing to do with the Rev.13 "ten crowns", "seven heads", "ten horns" beast kingdom, except as a previous example for the beast kingdom of Rev.13 that comes at the end of this world.
The subject of the "seven heads" upon which the "woman" sits upon in Rev.17:9 must be separated from the idea of the "seven kings" in verse 10. Verse 10 is a change in subject. The seven mountains are not kings...
From the start at Rev.17:1, we were shown the woman sits over something, what was that? The "waters", and then in Rev.17:15 John is told those "waters" represent "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues", i.e., nations and regions upon the earth. That's what the "seven heads" are which are "seven mountains".
Five have fallen: That is, at the time that John was receiving this information from the angel, five of those kings had already ruled and gone.
One is: That is, king number six was ruling at the time that John was receiving this information from the angel.
Yes, I agree with that directly above.
And the other has not yet come: From the time that John was receiving this information, king number six was ruling and king number seven had not come, but when he did come he would remain only for a little while. This would have been future to John, but in the past tense to us. The beast who once was, now is not and will come up out of the Abyss is an eighth king who belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction (Rev.19:20)
That above I do not agree with.
Rev 17:10-11
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
KJV
The one that "must continue a short space" is the seventh beast king, and also the same beast king of Rev.17:12-13:
Rev 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
KJV
That "one hour" reference is in the same sense of that "short space" reference. It's about the seventh beast king. It's that one we may expect for the very end of this world.
Who is that eighth beast king then? I will only give a hint. When will be the final rebellion of a false king deceiving the nations to bow to him in place of God?
Rev 17:8
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
KJV
This above beast is Satan. That is who shall ascend out of the bottomless pit in the last days and go into perdition (i.e., perish in the "lake of fire"). So far today, only he and his angels have already been judged and sentenced to perish in the lake of fire.
The dragon represents Satan as a whole who is the one who is orchestrating these events and people in the background.
"The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray."
"He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years."
Yes, impossible to get around the Rev.12:9 and 2:20 Scripture on who that dragon is.
