Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Revelation 12:3

"And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems." — Revelation 12:3 (ASV)

The second “sign” now appears. It likewise is a heavenly sign and introduces us to the second character, the ultimate antagonist of the woman. The “dragon” is clearly identified with the “ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan” (v.9; cf. 20:2–3). His description as an “enormous red dragon” symbolically suggests his fierce power and murderous nature. He is further described as having “seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.” Except for the exchange of the crowns from the heads to the horns, the same description is used for the beast from the sea in ch. 13 and the beast of ch. 17. It is a picture of the fullness of evil in all its hideous strength (cf. the monsters in Ps 74:13–14; Isaiah 27:1, 51:9–10; Daniel 7:7, 8:10). The diadem crowns on the heads may indicate fullness of royal power (13:1; 19:12).