The dragon also has ten horns. According to 17:3 and 10, these ten horns will be the ten kings under Antichrist. In the future, the Roman Empire will be restored and will have ten kings. These ten kings equal the ten toes of the great image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream (Dan. 2:42-44). The Roman Empire, like the two legs of this great image, was divided into two sections—the western Roman Empire and the eastern Roman Empire. The ten toes, which are yet to come, will be the ten kings under Antichrist. These ten kings will be the ten horns of the great dragon. This indicates that the Roman Empire, Antichrist, and the ten kings will all be one with Satan.
On the seven heads of the dragon are seven diadems indicating the glory of the seven Caesars’ kingship. All these seven Caesars have an extraordinary kingship. This kingship is their crown. Because the seven Caesars are one with Satan, their crowns are also the crowns of the dragon. Each of these Caesars assumes deity, claims to be God, and forces the people to worship him as God. In doing this, they are one with Satan.
Verse 4 says, “And his tail drags away the third part of the stars of heaven, and he cast them to the earth.” “The stars of heaven” signify the angels (Job 38:7; Isa. 14:12). “The third part of the stars of heaven” should be the fallen angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God. Satan drags all of them away. After the man-child has been raptured to the heavens, he will no longer tolerate Satan’s presence in the heavens. Then heaven will be cleared up, and Satan will be cast down to the earth. When Satan is cast down to the earth, all the fallen angels will be cast down with him (v. 9). At that time, the earth will be filled with fallen angels who will damage the dwelling place of rebellious man. What a dreadful place it will be! I do not want to be on earth at that time.
Have you noticed that in the word dragon there are the words drag-on? The dragon drags things on. Any dragging in the church life is a sign of the dragon. The dragon not only drags away the angels, but sometimes he drags the saints.
Verse 4 says that “the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, so that when she brings forth he might devour her child.” That the dragon stood before the woman signifies that Satan is always against the people of God. From the time of Genesis 3:15 to this day, Satan has been continually fighting against the woman with the intention of devouring her child. During the last three and a half years, Satan will oppose that part of God’s people who will be left on the earth during the great tribulation.
Do not accept the wrong teaching that all Christians will be raptured before the great tribulation. There is no verse that teaches this. I have been studying this matter of rapture for over fifty years. In my study I have learned that the deep, sound Christian teachers agree that it is wrong to say that all Christians will be raptured before the great tribulation and that no believers will pass through the great tribulation. This concept is a wrong teaching. If you accept it, you may be left in the great tribulation. In 12:5 we see that the man-child will be caught up to God before the last three and a half years. After the rapture of the man-child, the remainder of the woman’s seed, including the Jews who keep the commandments of God and the Christians who have the testimony of Jesus, will be left on earth. On the one hand, the man-child will be raptured before the three and a half years and, on the other hand, the seed of the woman, including both Jews and Christians, will be left to pass through most of the great tribulation. After Satan has been cast down to earth, he will do his best to persecute God’s people who are still on earth after the rapture of the man-child.