I’m a big fan of movies.
Action-flicks, comedies, dramas, musicals….they’re all great. Disney, in particular, has perfected the formula for a “family-friendly” movie. The story quickly draws your attention. You find yourself rooting for the protagonist and being physically bothered with the antagonist. Even their use of singing throughout the movie is down to a science. Not only are the songs formulaically spaced to hold the attention of a child wanting to drift away, they also become cemented in our minds making us eager to experience the movie again and again.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of the Disney cartoon franchise, however, is the use of easter eggs. Every so often the writers will include subtle references to other movies in the Disney universe—much to the enjoyment of true Disney fans. Here is one example: in the film Hercules, the title character is posing for portraits wearing the skin of a lion as a coat (this is the supposed Nemean lion of Greek mythology). Keen audiences will notice, upon closer look at this lion skin, a scar on the animal’s left eye and a darker than normal mane. And there it is, the easter egg. The lion skin undoubtedly belongs to Scar from the Lion King. That’s the beauty of the easter egg. It’s subtle, but you immediately think to yourself, . . . “I’ve seen that before.”
Such is the case when reading our Bibles.
Let’s look at a passage in Ezekiel 29. Verses 1-5 read,
1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’ 4 I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales. 5 And I will cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your streams; you shall fall on the open field, and not be brought together or gathered. To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens I give you as food.
Look again and zoom in on the description of Pharaoh in verse 3a:
. . . speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams,
Here, the ruler of Egypt is called “the great dragon.”
I’ve seen that before. . .
Look with me at Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
In my reading, the mention of the great dragon in Ezekiel 29, is unmistakably a reference to the enemy, Satan.
The Dragon of Scripture
It is interesting, in surveying the ESV, NASB, NIV, and KJV the ESV is the only translation to build the dragon imagery into the context of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Other translations have chosen to use the word “monster” instead—allowing for a broader interpretation. In fact, many commentaries suggest the reference here is to a crocodile. To the literal, or the purely historical understanding, this makes sense considering Ezekiel’s original audience and the esteem of the crocodile in Egyptian culture. On the other hand, there is so much embedded in and around this text suggesting a fuller meaning—a crocodile doesn’t merely represent Pharaoh but Pharaoh represents Satan.
Consider this section of Ezekiel as a whole. Ezekiel 25-32 consist of pronouncements against Israel’s enemy nations. Seven nations are mentioned, yet for two—Tyre and Egypt—their respective leaders are specifically prophesied against.
The Prince of Tyre is described as guilty of mortal pride and assertions of deity (28:1-9) as well as a once-guardian angel in the garden of Eden having fallen from grace (28:12-19). Likewise, Egypt’s Pharaoh has claimed to be the creator of the Nile River (29:3) and a “lion among the nations” (32:2), thus ascribing to himself a similar divine status. Additionally, both rulers receive the same judgment—they will be thrown into the pit with the “multitude of the uncircumcised” (28:8-10, 32:31-32).
So, why must these rulers be equated with the enemy? Think back to Scar’s skin in Hercules. If you’ve watched the Lion King, you can’t not see this figure with whom you have become familiar. The Bible, in the same way, builds upon itself to instill images in our minds for greater understanding. Because we have some working knowledge of the New Testament, our reading of Ezekiel is further informed.
Paul, in Ephesians 2:1-2, calls Satan the “prince of the power of the air” and notes how his followers—those walking in darkness—are opposed to God. Similarly, Mark 3:22-23 describes Satan as the “prince of demons” and Paul again, in 2 Corinthians 4:4, names him the “god of this world.” The Scriptures are clear that Satan has rule within the world, wrecking havoc on humanity.
However, his reign is not without limit (Luke 10:7-20) and his judgment is secure. See here in Revelation 12:7-12 again and 20:7-10,
Revelation 12:7-12
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Revelation 20:7-10
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Now, note the parallels to Ezekiel:
- Satan is confirmed as the great dragon of Scripture, and as the ancient Serpent—a title connecting him back to the garden of Eden (Rev. 12:9).
- The great dragon is confirmed as the deceiving-ruler of the world (Rev. 12:9-10, 20:8). Note also the mention of Gog and Magog in Revelation 20—two cities mentioned at length in only one other place in the Bible . . . the book of Ezekiel.
- The great dragon will be thrown down into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10) to dwell with those who have forfeited God’s grace—the uncircumcised (Ez. 28:8-10, 32:31-32, Rev. 20:7-9).
- The great dragon will be defeated by God himself—the Lamb, to be specific (Rev. 12:11). Praise be to our great God!
How Should I Read My Bible?
The question is then raised, is Ezekiel’s prophecy spoken against earthly rulers of his day (or the Old Testament broadly) or Satan?
I am a huge proponent of the grammatical-historical reading of Scripture—first examining the context surrounding a passage in an effort to discern the author’s intent or meaning and then bringing that into 21st century significance. However, I am reminded God is the ultimate author of Scripture, perhaps inspiring longer reaching significance than that which was originally delivered.
So, to whom was this prophecy against, Pharaoh or Satan? My answer: Why not both?
As with much of the book of Ezekiel, there is contemporary significance to his prophecies. He speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem (Ez. 4-5, 24), the Babylonian captivity (Ez. 11-15), and the downfall of Israel’s king (Ez. 12). Each of these events, and others as well, either had or would come to pass relative to his day. At the same time, the book floats in and out of prophecies that will only come to pass in the Last Days—the renewal of God’s people (Ez. 36-37), the final temple (Ez. 40-47), and the forever prince from the line of David (Ez. 34:24, 37:25, 44:1-3, 45:7-17, 46:1-18).
Throughout the book, God is working through Ezekiel to show the spiritual depth beneath the surface-appearance of reality. Going back to the dragon in the Nile River, greater than rescue or vindication from Pharaoh, Gods people must be rescued from the true enemy.
We now wait, with anticipation, until the day when the Lord himself will draw up the great dragon “with hooks in his mouth” and cast him into the pit—the completion of God’s great rescue mission.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bull 