Serpent / Dragon
When the Bible introduces Satan in the story of humankind, it describes the tempter as a serpent or snake. “The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the LORD God had made” (Gen. 3:1). Was Satan a serpent? Much later, the apostle Paul makes a startling point when he writes, “And no wonder, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). We should not be surprised that the “father of lies” would use the strategy of changing appearances in order to fool those he is trying to tempt. Showing himself to Eve as a serpent who can talk should have been a warning to her, but she and Adam were both fooled by his argument.
A Fearsome Animal
By the time Moses was recording the first volume (Genesis) of his five-book collection under the inspiration of God, humanity already had a lengthy experience with serpents. Their stealthy nature and poisonous bites made serpents an easy choice as a symbol of evil or life-threatening experiences in the world. The Bible uses at least fifteen different terms related to serpents or snakes. Although some traits of serpents are occasionally used as symbols of desirable characteristics in people, in general, serpents represent danger. Jesus could tell his followers to be “cunning as snakes” (Matt. 10:16), pointing to a certain wisdom and craftiness on the part of serpents that is consistent with their nature.
The symbolic uses of serpents in the Bible tend to rest on their dangerous aspects and reflect the truth of God’s curse back in Genesis 3:14–15: “So the LORD God said to the snake, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the wild or domestic animals. You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live. I will make you and the woman hostile toward each other. I will make your descendants and her descendant hostile toward each other. He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.’ ” Both John the Baptist and Jesus called out the Pharisees as “poisonous snakes” (Matt. 3:7; 12:34) because their view of righteousness and Christ was entirely consumed by their desire for power and control rather than true faith. The deceptive way snakes can conceal themselves in plain sight is used as an illustration in Proverbs 23:31–32: “Do not look at wine because it is red, because it sparkles in the cup, because it goes down smoothly. Later it bites like a snake and strikes like a poisonous snake.”
Serpents in the Exodus
Two instances of serpents during the exodus account deserve special attention. One of these you will find in a separate entry, SERPENT ON A POLE. The other instance occurs when God calls Moses to leave his lengthy exile in the desert and go back to Egypt to lead the children of Israel out of bondage. Moses is not eager to assume this role. God provides him with several authenticating signs that will demonstrate God’s sanction of his mission. Among these is a demonstration of God’s power through Moses’ simple shepherd’s staff:
Then the LORD asked him, “What’s that in your hand?”
He answered, “A shepherd’s staff.”
The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.”
When Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran away from it.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by its tail.” He reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a staff as he held it. The LORD explained, “This is to convince the people that the LORD God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to you.” (Exod. 4:2–5)
Interestingly, when Moses and Aaron performed this sign before Pharaoh, the magicians of Egypt were able to duplicate it (Exod. 7:10–13). Their staffs turned into snakes also (possibly an indication that they were representing Satan’s evil power to counterfeit God’s actions). God’s snake, however, consumed the snakes of the magicians, demonstrating the superiority of his power to theirs.
The fearsome specter of a dragon is a fitting image for Satan, the powerful enemy who seeks our destruction.
The Final Defeat of the Serpent
When Revelation 12 describes the appearance of Satan in the vision of the last days, he is called a drakon in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, from which we get the word dragon. This term is used twelve times in Revelation and nowhere else in Scripture (see 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13; 20:2). In 12:9, the identity of the serpent/dragon is made clear: “The huge serpent was thrown down. That ancient snake, named Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to earth. Its angels were thrown down with it.” Satan, the original enemy of all God created, is the last enemy to be defeated along with his most powerful tool—death (see Rev. 20:10). The defeats he experienced at the fall, during the exodus, and at the crucifixion are nothing in comparison with his final judgment and defeat at the end of time.
Key Verse
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a large snake. Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells. Each of them threw his staff down, and they all became large snakes. But Aaron’s staff swallowed theirs. (Exod. 7:10–12)