Reference

Revelation 12:3

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
1

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Symbolic / Figurative Language
Keyword Match
100% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

The Dragon (Revelation 12)
Keyword Match
100% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

The Beast from the Sea (Revelation 13)
Keyword Match
70% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

The Woman of Revelation 12
Semantic Discovery
50% relevance

This verse was identified through meaning similarity — its content is mathematically close to known verses in this theme, even without sharing the same vocabulary.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Symbolic / Figurative Language

The description of a "great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads" is so inherently fantastical and unlike any literal creature that it cannot be interpreted as anything other than symbolic.

The Dragon (Revelation 12)

The verse describes a "great red dragon" but does not explicitly identify this dragon as Satan, nor does it mention pagan Rome or the Christ child, which are all elements of the theme's definition.

The Beast from the Sea (Revelation 13)

This verse describes a "great red dragon" with specific features, while the theme describes "The Beast from the Sea" which is a composite beast with different animal characteristics and a different duration of authority. The text of Revelation 12:3 does not explicitly identify this dragon as the Beast from the Sea, nor does it mention the composite animal features or the 42 months of authority.

The Woman of Revelation 12

This verse describes a dragon, not the woman. While the dragon is presented as an antagonist in the broader narrative involving the woman, this specific verse focuses solely on the dragon's appearance and characteristics, without mentioning the woman herself.

Symbolic / Figurative Language
Symbolic / Figurative Language

Private Study Note