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The dragons of the East must be distinguished from those of the West. Western dragons look like dinosaurs and are associated with fire, destruction and evil. Eastern dragons look like scaly snakes and are associated with water, strength and benevolence. People from nations with chopstick culture – China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan – look upon the dragon as auspicious. In old China, the five-clawed dragon represented the emperor, while the three- and four-clawed dragons were assigned to the commoners.
The Bible, which transcends East and West, has its own story of the dragon, which failed to devour the Son born by the Woman.1 The Son, who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, was taken up to God and His throne. The dragon pursued the Woman in rage but failed to destroy her. The dragon turned his fury against the rest of the children of the Woman, who keep the commandments of God and proclaim the message about Jesus Christ.
God had promised the coming of the Saviour long ago, when the first man and the first woman broke Godâs command, bringing ruin upon the human race. Adam was the representative head of the human race. When he listened to Eve and ate from the forbidden tree, he brought guilt and sin upon their descendants. God, in His mercy, promised the coming of a Saviour, but Satan attempted to prevent that from happening.
The Woman is not Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ. Rather, the Woman represents the Church, which is the people of God considered collectively. The Bible constantly represents the Church as the bride of Christ. She has many children, who are the followers of Jesus Christ. Satan is always using three agents to attack God’s people – persecuting governments, false teachings, and the allurements of the world. Herod the Great was made ruler over the Jews by the Romans, from 37 BC to 4 BC. When Jesus Christ was born in 5 BC, Herod commanded all male infants from two years and under to be killed, with the intention of destroying the “King of the Jews”. He failed, because the infant Jesus had been taken away to safety in Egypt.2
As Jesus Christ taught in Israel, He was rejected by the Jews and finally crucified by the Romans. On the third day, Jesus rose from death, and was seen by over 500 of His followers on different occasions, before being taken up to heaven.3 Again, Satan failed to destroy the God-appointed Saviour! The Roman government attempted to destroy the Church on a number of occasions, but failed. Governments in various parts of the world have attempted to destroy the Church, but failed. Christians will face trials of various kinds, but their salvation is secure. Man can kill the body but not the soul. God is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.4 Jesus Christ will one day return to judge the world.
Jesus Christâs first coming was to save His people from sin and eternal damnation. He is the eternal Son of God, who has taken upon Himself sinless human nature. As God and Man in one Person, He offered Himself to die on the cross as the perfect substitute for His people. Those who repent and trust in Him will be forgiven by God and accepted as God’s children. Christ’s death has paid for their sins, and His righteousness is regarded as given to them.5 Eternal life is found in Christ alone. Chinese people take pride in being “descendants of the dragon”, not realizing that we are all “descendants of fallen Adam”6. We may become the children of God, through faith in Jesus Christ. Come to Jesus Christ!
1. Rev. 12 2. Matt. 2 3. 1 Cor. 15:5 4. Matt. 10:28 5. 2 Cor. 5:21 6. Rom. 5:19
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