Appendix to the Book of Revelation Chapter Twelve
The Great Red Dragon Verses in the Book of Revelation

Bible Verses

[7] And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Commentary

V.7 Abdu'l-Baha provides lengthy spiritual teachings regarding these verses and also turns the archetype of "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit" to be the Bani-Umayya of the Umayyads.

The entire Islamic thread is quite lengthy for our readers, so we have greatly shortened the material, but anyone wanting to study it more indepth should avail themselves of Abdu'l-Baha's entire presentation in the Baha'i Book, "Some Answered Questions".

An alternative meaning for "the beast from the bottomless pit", and seen in other verses in the Book of Revelation, may have to do with nuclear war during the application of the archetype in "the last days". This observation is somewhat irrelevant to the Islamic thread when reading Chapter Eleven in regard to Islamic history, but it becomes very significant when following a thread on the subject of the "bottomless pit", because later in Rev. 14:15 we find that the one exception (which thus emphasizes its importance) to the 42 cases being in order of reference in the Angel Threads is regarding this Zoroastrian/Parsee/Shiite Islam/Iran connection to the beginning of Armageddon and the nuclear holocaust.

Bible Verses

[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.

Commentary

V.3 This verse is the first verse in which the Red Dragon appears.

This is very descriptive, so that we know that we are talking about the same exact beast in each of the following chapters.

As always, there are multiple applications of the archetype. Here in this Islamic chapter Abdu'l-Baha applies the great red dragon to the Umayyads, who split Islam (as explained in the Chapter 11 Concept Box) and the seven heads and and seven crowns mean seven countries and dominions over which the Umayyads had power, which are named by Abdu'l-Baha who similarly names the wearers of the ten crowns.

This is where we first apply the archetype to both its traditional historical meaning as explained by Abdu'l-Baha AND later to a current "end times" interpretation.

[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.

V.4 The Islamic religion, which had become the Great Dragon, certainly drew in a third part of the stars of heaven; that is to say a third of the souls of the world. Almost as many souls became followers of Islam as there were Christians in the world.

The details of the historical conflict and battles between the Shiites and the Sunnis are often very confusing to people in Western cultures, but they are certainly aware of the great slaughters that have taken place.

There are great disputes between the present day Sunnis and Shiites, but most all sects of them are in total agreement about trying to destroy the Babi and Baha'i religions.

[7] And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

V.7

Daniel [12:1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Daniel [2] And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Daniel [12:9] And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Daniel [12:10] Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

King James Bible

The fantasies that many people have in their minds, from artists who drew pictures in Medieval times, (when the books were still not open) trying to describe these scenes with angels fighting against a dragon (while true symbolism in archetype), are but imaginings in their minds.

The words of Daniel were closed and sealed up until the time of the end, but this is the time of the end, and they are now open to be understood, by anyone who is willing to understand the Most Clear Proof. As Daniel says, "the wise shall understand", and as Jesus said, "whoso readeth, let him understand", so any who wish to be faithful to the command of Jesus will make the effort to understand The Most Clear Proof.

[8] And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

V.8 Each time a Manifestation comes from God with the New Law there are forces that arise against it. The requirements to protect the New Message are known in heaven, and circumstances are created so that the Manifestation with His angels protects His New Law. Michael (in the verse above), the Archangel of peace is a great unseen power that protects the Message. The dragon is a symbol of what becomes the worldly government/religious powers which the Archangel must battle.

There is a relationship between the REAL unseen heavenly world and this illusionary material world of which most people are not aware - and so it is that events in the world are reflections of spiritual realities.

[9] And the great dragon, was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

V.9 The Islamic leadership (the Great Dragon) that failed to follow the true teachings of Muhammad, and are called the followers of 'the Devil' and 'Satan', along with their followers deceived the whole world.

This is symbolic of the many deceits of Satan such as materialism, nationalism, racism, politicalism, immorality, and so forth that we see in the world, but the following is a description of one particular one that is central to much of the distress today. It is the conceit, that great deceit, that each religion is the only true religion.

Religionists have anathematized religionists, each considering the other as deprived of the mercy of God, abiding in gross darkness and the children of Satan. For example, the Christians and Muslims considered the Jews satanic and the enemies of God. Therefore, they cursed and persecuted them. Great numbers of Jews were killed, their houses burned and pillaged, their children carried into captivity. The Jews in turn regarded the Christians as infidels and the Muslims as enemies and destroyers of the law of Moses. Therefore, they call down vengeance upon them and curse them even to this day.

'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 266

[10] And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

V.10 The Voice from Heaven is, for most of us, not an audible voice, but the Message is loud and clear. The New Manifestation and the New Teachings bring salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ in the New Manifestation and these will overcome the accuser (the power of deception) that rises up against Him.

Indeed the actions of man himself breed a profusion of satanic power. For were men to abide by and observe the divine teachings, every trace of evil would be banished from the face of the earth. However, the widespread differences that exist among mankind and the prevalence of sedition, contention, conflict and the like are the primary factors which provoke the appearance of the satanic spirit. Yet the Holy Spirit hath ever shunned such matters. A world in which naught can be perceived save strife, quarrels and corruption is bound to become the seat of the throne, the very metropolis, of Satan.

Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 176

We conclude Our argument with His words :-- exalted is He -- "And whoso shall withdraw from the remembrance of the Merciful, We will chain a Satan unto him, and he shall be his fast companion. " [Qur'an (Koran) 43:36.]

"And whoso turneth away from My remembrance, truly his shall be a life of misery." [Qur'an (Koran) 20:124]

Muhammad, quoted by Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 256

[11] And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

V.11 The blood of the Bab, the Lamb who was martyred in His seventh year of His Mission (paralelling in many ways the life of Jesus) created such a spirit in his followers that they spread His Teachings. Although the Islamic clergy thought His death would put an end to the Babí Faith, it only made it grow stronger. The clergy was frustrated, that their scheme did not work. The Faith has spread around the world with even greater rapidity than Christianity initially spread. The similarities between the Missions of The Bab and that of Christ are remarkable.

[12] Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

V.12 Rejoice for the New Law has come, however, the 'devil with great wrath' is still with us for a short time. There is great danger. All should be able to see the rage that is going on in this day. At the same time we see new growth. People are looking for spiritual truths, justice and peace. The dragon represents worldly powers (religions, governments, corporations, financial institutions, legislatures, courts, media, entertainment, etc.) that are not following the Laws of God given to them in the Scriptures, especially that of loving one another and appreciating the teachings of other religions.

Each one of the divine religions considers itself as belonging to a goodly and blessed tree, the tree of the Merciful, and all other religious systems as belonging to a tree of evil, the tree of Satan. For this reason they heap execration and abuse upon each other.

'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace p. 266

[13] And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

V.13 Islamic clergy wanted to keep the new religion of God from being known. They even wanted it eliminated. Many Baha'ís have given up their lives through martyrdom in Iran and many, to this day, are kept in prison because they refuse to recant their faith.

[14] And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

V.14 God's Law was protected, the writings were unchanged. However, the world leaders made up laws of their own. God's prophecy of when His Laws would be manifest is told in this and the following verses which all work out to the same date.

"Scriptures" DAN 8:14 1844 C.E. (from a proof regarding Christ)
DAN 7:25 time, times, and div. of time
DAN 9:27 midst of week
DAN 12:7 time, times, & half
Luke 4:25 three years and six months
REV 11:2 42 months:
REV 11:3 1260 days
REV 11:9 3 1/2 days
REV 11:11 3 1/2 days
REV 12:6 1260 days
REV 12:14 time, times, & half
REV 13:5 42 months
Each of the expressions

time, times, & div. of time =3 1/2
time, times, and a half, =3 1/2
the midst of the week (one half of seven days)
all equal 3 and 1/2
The Law of God (the woman) was to be protected:
Time 1, and times 2, and 1/2 a time, totals to 3 1/2: changing to months (3.5 x 12) this works out to 42 months.

Ezekiel 4:6 says: " I have appointed each day as a year" (3 x 12 months = 36 years + 6 months (or half a year) = 42 months - now years

We use an average of 30 days in a month: (42 x 30 years = 1260) or 1260 years on the Islamic calendar, which is 1844 A D. on the Christian calendar. ( See verse 6)

The restored Law of God happened on May 23rd, 1844, when the Bab declared His Mission. The prophecies of the Qur'an and the Bible had been protected, and were manifested.

To thoroughly understand this, one needs to work through a study of The Most Clear Proof.

It is interesting that the Baha'í' Faith spread to America in 1892, and in two years four people became interested. By 1900 there were 700 members. Today there are millions around the world, and Baha'í's believe that in the future centuries there will be hundreds of millions and eventually billions, who will be guided by the same 'Light' of Christ, which is the same 'Light' of The Bab, and Baha'u'llah.

[15] And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

V.15 The Islamic hierarchy, jealously guarding its power with a flood of accusations and deceit, tried to wipe out the New Law of God. Both the Sunni and the Shiite sects persecuted the members of the Babí and the Baha'í Faith. Baha'u'llah, because of his father's high level in government, was given some protection although He suffered greatly including being thrown into a dungeon with heavy chains around his neck, and then being banished from Persia (Iran) to Iraq and finally to 'Akka in Syria, (now Israel) to forced confinement in a fortress used by the Ottoman State for dangerous criminals with the expectation that He would not survive.

The headquarters for the Baha'í World Faith is now established on Mount Caramel in Haifa, Israel, adjacent to that prison in Acca.

[16] And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

V.16 Although the flood of accusations against the Bab and Baha'u'llah caused hardship and lamentation, it did not stop the growth of the Faith.

Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction.

Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 14

[17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

V.17 The Islamic clergy is angry with the Babí Faith and wants to make war with the remnant of her seed, The Bab, a descendant of Muhammad, who fulfilled the prophecy of Muhammad. He and Christ had very similar lives, and both gave the same testimony.

In His day Christ was called Satan, Beelzebub, but hear the bells now ringing for Him! He was the Word of God and not Satan. They mocked Him, led Him through the city upon a donkey, crowned Him with thorns, spat upon His blessed face and crucified Him, but He is now with God and in God because He was the Word and not Satan. Fifty years ago no one would touch the Christian Bible in Persia. Baha'u'llah came and asked, "Why?" They said, "It is not the Word of God." He said, "You must read it with understanding of its meanings, not as those who merely recite its words." Now Baha'ís all over the East read the Bible and understand its spiritual teaching. Baha'u'llah spread the Cause of Christ and opened the book of the Christians and Jews. He removed the barriers of names. He proved that all the divine Prophets taught the same reality and that to deny One is to deny the Others, for all are in perfect oneness with God.

'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 212

Bible Verses

[1] And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Commentary

V.1 In the traditional sense the beast with seven heads and ten horns is seen to be the arise of the Umayyad dynasty and its Caliphs which took control of Sunni Islam.

In current application this beast had seven heads since it was formed by the Seven Sisters (the oil companies) in the Middle East. The ten horns were the ten countries of the coalition - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates - all Islamic countries, and surprisingly in the day of democracies they were led by crowned heads - and while they often spoke and invoked the name of God, they did not adhere to God's law of loving their fellow man, which therefore makes blasphemous the Islamic invocation of, "Peace, Peace".

[2] And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

V.2 Both the traditional and contemporary views recognize the parallel to Daniel Chapter 7 (See the appendix to Chapter Four).

Daniel saw four great beasts come up from the sea. The beasts are representative of four powers or countries and their spheres of influence. These four powers are very different from each other and in many ways antagonistic towards one another.

The Four Powers in "the end time" as of the order in this verse are:

1. China (Leopard with four wings)
2. Russia (Bear)
3. The US and UK who act jointly and control the EU. (Lion and Eagle)
4. The Middle East (Dragon with 10 horns)

In Daniel 7:3ff, the same Four Beasts are described, although in a different order and with considerably more detail, such as that the Lion and Eagle act together and that the Leopard has four wings. All of this is in the Afterword to Chapter Four.

In all, this reflects the main international players in the present day, and approximates the make-up of the UN Security Council. Particularly, Daniel points out that the Fourth Beast is different from the rest.

One particular point, and that is these Beasts must be distinguished from the Four Good Beasts as discussed in the Afterword of Chapter Four.

[3] And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

V.3 Again, in the traditional view, might be seen as being right at the outset of Islam. Contemperaneously, there existed for awhile, both the Shiite and the Sunni branches, and for awhile they even merged back together when the Sunnis recognized the Shiite Imman, Ali as being the last (Righteous Caliph) but then His appointed succesor Husayn was martyred, and that looked to be the end of the Shiites, but Shiism continued anyhow. Conversely, it was the following Umayyad Sunni Caliph, that was wounded and miraculously recovered. The differences in interpretation of this type is what separates the Sunnis from the Shiites.

In the modern context the head that recovered was the present predecessor of World Government. It was the US which in effect almost killed the League of nations which formed in San Francisco, but revived it to form the United Nations in New York, and caused the world and its inhabitants to worship the concept of the first Beast - the League of Nations, now a unipolar world controlled by itself.

[4] And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

V.4 The ancient traditional interpretation of the archetype is regarding the Great Division of Islam (between Shiites and Sunnis), which turned it into a dragon, devouring the nations and peoples of the East, extending up into Europe and down into Africa. The division occurred at its outset, and brought destruction from its outset, when the first Umayyad Caliph broke away from Ali, who had been appointed by Muhammad.

Today, the other three Beasts all worship (seek to have influence with) the Dragon (Islam - the Middle East - the World Oil Source). It is the oil/petro dollars which give the power to the Beast (the World Bank / IMF / World Reserve Currency) which is the UN that is controlled by the US which is its main support. None dare make war against the Beast (UN/US) because of all that monetary and military power.

Bible Verses

[10] And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

Commentary

V.10

"In the tenth verse, the 'seat of the beast' means the king of Persia, seated on his throne, upon whom the cup of the fifth angel was poured."

The Fifth Angel is associated with the Buddhist Faith and the Far East. 'Abdu'l-Baha says the seat of the beast is in Persia - now Iran (once the Zoroastrian country). We certainly see the area in darkness and pain, but most significant is the Islamic/Zoroastrian relationship discussed in Rev.14:15.

[13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

V.13 This is a very significant verse upon which it would be possible to write a book in regards to there coming from the Red Dragon the seemingly marvelous technology of the False Prophet (Science disconnected from religion) that in accordance with the next verse Rev.16:14 leads the world leaders and all the peoples of the world into the Last Great Battle of Armageddon. The False Prophet is mentioned again in: Rev. 19:20 and Rev. 20:10.

Spiritual and realistic meanings such as this should have much more meaning to people than their speculations and imaginings about a False Prophet anti-Christ (not even mentioned in the Book of Revelation).

Bible Verses

[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Commentary

V.2 What binds the dragon is that after nuclear WW3 (The Last Great Battle of Armageddon) the leaders of the world finally form a world government as they previously tried with WW1 (The League of Nations) and WW2 (The United Nations) but that this time actually controls the sovereignty of nations so that nuclear weapons are controlled.

"... the kings of the earth -- may God aid them through His strengthening grace -- to establish the Lesser Peace. This, indeed, is the greatest means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations. It is incumbent upon the Sovereigns of the world -- may God assist them -- unitedly to hold fast unto this Peace, which is the chief instrument for the protection of all mankind. It is Our hope that they will arise to achieve what will be conducive to the well-being of man. It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive assembly, which either they themselves or their ministers will attend, and to enforce whatever measures are required to establish unity and concord amongst men. They must put away the weapons of war, and turn to the instruments of universal reconstruction. Should one king rise up against another, all the other kings must arise to deter him. Arms and armaments will, then, be no more needed beyond that which is necessary to insure the internal security of their respective countries. If they attain unto this all-surpassing blessing, the people of each nation will pursue, with tranquillity and contentment, their own occupations, and the groanings and lamentations of most men would be silenced."

Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 30

For while the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah will last for at least one thousand years, His cycle will extend still farther to at least 500,000.

From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 14, 1935: Baha'í News. No. 102. August 1936, pp. 2-3 Lights of Guidance, p. 475