The Serpent/Dragon

In this episode, we’re going to explore different viewpoints on the the serpent—otherwise known as the Satan.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9 NASB

Naga[1][2]

• found in Hiniduism, Buddhism, and Jainism
• divine (or semi-divine) race of half-human half-serpent creatures
• reside in the netherworld
• have the ability to take human form
• various beliefs accross the different religions

Quetzacoatal[3][4]

• Aztec deity
• means "precious serpent" or "quetzal-feathered serpent"
• was the god of wind, air, and learning—emphasis on learning since Satan is associated with giving man knowledge that was outside of God's will at the time
• This cycle is marked by war and strife
• some legends posit that he was born of a vigin, either by an encounter with another deity, from swallowing an emerald, or being hit iin the womb with an arrow.[]
• believed to have gone to the underworld and created the fifth version of the world using his own blood

Apep or Apophis[5][6]

• Egyptian deity
• Embodied chaos—note that Satan embodies confusion
• fought against Ra—Ra was the sun god in Egypt and considered the light bringer (interestingly, Satan was the light bringer before his fall)
• considered part of the underworld
• a created beingin that was a consequence of the creation of Ra

Jörmungandr[7]

• from Norse mythology
• sea serpent child of Loki
• rival of Thor
• said to be large enough to encompass the whole world
• when Jörmungandr releases its tail, Ragnarök will begin

You can see this article for the history of the dragon/serpent and this article for even more beliefs about serpent creatures. Also, there's real dragon in South Africa (well, sort of). Check out the smaug lizard.

Disclaimer

I believe that all religions and cultures trace their origin back to Adam and Eve. While I believe the Bible to be the true and preserved Word of God, I believe that we can find bits of truth in other religions and cultures. The purpose of this series is to examine the themes that remained universal to highlight universal knowledge--in this case, the appearance of a powerful serpent/dragon creature.

References

1. "Nāga". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
2. Matt Williams. "Nāga". Encyclopædia Britannica. August 21, 2015
3. "Quetzalcoatl". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
4. "Quetzalcoatl". Encyclopædia Britannica. January 4, 2019
5. "Apep". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
6. "Apopis". Encyclopædia Britannica. Feburary 27, 2020
7. "Jörmungandr". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
8. The virgin birth will actually be an episode all of its own. However, I do want to insert here that Satan's goal has always been to supplant God and God declared the prophecy of His son being born from the beginning. Satan is the author of confusion and seeks to deceive by duplicating or counterfeiting God's miracles (seen in the unholy trio of the beast, false prophet, and whore of babylon in Revelation).