“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” – Revelation 12:9

(This is Part 1 in a series of articles on The Great Dragon) – Some theologians say it is not the devil or demons who created evil, but that they were cast forth from heaven by the orders of good angels for their pride. There are many cultures such as the Hebrew, Assyrian, Greek, Egyptian and Arabian which agree with these theologians. Pherecides the Syrian describes the fall of the devils, and that Ophion, that is the devilish serpent was the head of the rebelling army.

An army whose origins are from Athens and the island of Crete in Greece.

The connection of the devilish serpent who ruled the rebelling armies can be traced back to the time before Rome had became a super power, when Greece had ruled much of the world. The first law giving king that held the office of Archon in the Capital of Greece at Athens was named Draco. He had given the Athenians their first written laws in blood, and this is the time when ‘draconian laws” were introduced to the world. From this same name of Draco, we get the modern English word ‘dragon.’ A name that means a “large serpent.”

WORSHIP OF THE SERPENT AND DRAGON

The Ancient Greeks and Egyptians like many other cultures around the world had venerated the serpent, and in particular, a serpent god that I believe to be the Great Dragon found in the bible. In the book of Ezekiel, the Bible calls the king of Egypt ‘the great dragon that lie in the midst of his rivers’. In ancient Greek mythology, there was a Dragon King known by the Latin name of ‘Ophion.’ The meaning of Ophion is serpent, and in Hebrew: נחש‎, nachash. He was known as one of the five builders of Thebes and the first Titan Kings who ruled over the whole world from the Sacred Mountain called today, Mount Ida (Dicte), and in mythology, Mount Olympus located on the Holy Island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea.

The whole race of Titans were subject to the Serpent-King and Great Dragon who is known as Ophion.

It was said that Ophion had enlightened Man. In Egypt, serpents were called Agathodemones. A name that means “Good Demons.” From Crete, Greece and into Egypt, these were the lands where the  great dragon Ophion had ruled with his Queen of the Titans, Eurynome. The meaning of his queen’s name Eurynome is “wide ruling.” Hence, together with his queen, “the serpent Ophion and Dragon is wide ruling.”

THE GREAT DRAGON OF CRETE AND GREECE

Not many people today are aware that Crete was at one time, the most important and sacred islands in all the world. Crete was once called Arcadia and the people, the Arcadians (Children of the Ark of the Covenant). Crete was known as Keftiu by the Ancient Egyptians who called them also by the name of the Sea Peoples. In the bible, this island is known under the Hebrew “Kaftor or Caphtor”, and the Arabs had called it Kerith.  The Latins changed the name to Cappadocia, and later the Europeans had named it Candia. However, after the Turks conquered the island, they changed the name of the island to its current name ‘Kriti’, which is Greek for the English word Crete. In the bible, they are known as the Canaanites, Amorites and Philistines. In myth they are known as the Minoans, and in history books they are often called the Phoenicians.

For thousands of years, the Cretans with their serpent God had played a huge role in forming the world we see today. They invented maritime commerce and international trade through their mastery of arts, crafts, and the sea as the first true Navy that had operated through their vast network of cities around the world such as Knossus, Athens, Thebes, Rome and Sicily. After all, the name Crete is derived from the Greek word Kriti (Kri-ti), which means ‘creation.’ The meaning of the English word Cre’ate,  is “to form out of nothing, to creo, creatum – cause to exist.” Hence, FIAT LUX.

Crete is also well known in myth as the birthplace and home to the greatest of all Gods, Zeus (Jove or Jupiter) who was hidden there in a cave on Mount Ida (Zion) by his mother Rhea. It was here, where the infant Zeus was entrusted to the care of the Priesthood of Jupiter. Pliny had mentioned, they were called the Curetes (Kuretes, Kri’ti). The Curetes were also known by several names such as the Priest of Pan, Priests of Cybcle, Luperci,  Corybantes, Dactyls, Cabiri, and Telchines.

In myth, Crete is home to the mythical king Minos and the Minoans. The meaning of the name Minos, is “Son of Zeus.” Several Cretan kings were known to have taken the name Minos. The Minoans would be the children of Zeus, who are also known mythologically as the Titans.

In Greek mythology, the Titans (Greek: Τιτάν—Ti-tan; plural: Τιτᾶνες—Ti-tânes) were a primeval race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia (Earth or Rhea) and Jupiter (Lord and Soul of the World), that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. They were immortal giants of incredible strength and were also the first pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses. The whole race of Titans were subject to the Serpent-King and Great Dragon who is known as Ophion.

These were who the Ancient Greeks had called Gods, Goddesses, Daemons, and in mythology, Titans. Both Ophion and Eurynome are who some people would call today in English, ‘demons.’ To the Greeks of old, these demons were not all evil or all bad. If you research the true meaning of the English word demon, you will find that it comes from the Latinized version, dæmon and daimôn which is derived from the original Greek δαίμων. According to Plato, in his Cratylus, the etymology of daimôn/daēmones (δαίμονες: deity/daêmôn δαήμονες) means “knowing, wise or intelligent.”

Manly P. Hall wrote about these demons and the views of the Christian Church in his book, “The Secret Teachings of all Ages;”

The Christian Church gathered all the elemental entities together under the title of demon. This is a misnomer with far-reaching consequences, for to the average mind the word demon means an evil thing, and the Nature spirits are essentially no more malevolent than are the minerals, plants, and animals. Many of the early Church Fathers asserted that they had met and debated with the elementals.

Some of these good wise demons were considered as Gods to the ancient Titans, whom they had venerated such as Ophion and Eurynome. According to Plutarch, “that according to a divine nature and justice, the souls of virtuous men are advanced to the rank of daemons; and that from demons, if they are properly purified, they are exalted into gods, not by any political institution, but according to right reason.” Hesiod had said, “when those happy men of the first and golden age of the world were departed from this life, great Jupiter promoted them to be demons, that is, keepers and protectors, or patrons, of earthly mortals, and overseers of their good and evil works.” Plato had said this about these demons, “that when the great leader Jupiter drives his chariot swiftly in the heavens, he marches first, as disposing and taking care of all things, a vast host of gods and demons then follow, distributed into twelve parties, but that Vesta alone remains in the mansion of the gods.”

They had ruled the world from Crete until they were eventually dethroned by the God Kronos (Saturn) and Goddess Rhea (Discharge or Flow) who had banished the Titans to the darkness of the earth-encircling river Oceanus. This event is described in the mythology of Apollonius of Rhodes, in his Argonautica (1.495f) summarizes a song of Orpheus:

He sang how the earth, the heaven and the sea, once mingled together in one form, after deadly strife were separated each from other; and how the stars and the moon and the paths of the sun ever keep their fixed place in the sky; and how the mountains rose, and how the resounding rivers with their nymphs came into being and all creeping things. And he sang how first of all Ophion and Eurynome, daughter of Oceanus, held the sway of snowy Olympus, and how through strength of arm one yielded his prerogative to Cronos and the other to Rhea, and how they fell into the waves of Oceanus; but the other two meanwhile ruled over the blessed Titan-gods, while Zeus, still a child and with the thoughts of a child, dwelt in the Dictaean cave; and the earthborn Cyclopes had not yet armed him with the bolt, with thunder and lightning; for these things give renown to Zeus.

DID THE GOOD DRAGONS JOIN THE CHURCH TO DO BATTLE WITH THE REBELLING DRAGONS

Crete is the same holy island and sacred mountain where the god Zeus (Jove or Jupiter) was hidden in a cave by his mother who was also the goddess of the earth, Rhea. She had hid him there in order to protect Zeus from his vengeful father Cronos (Saturn). It was here on the island of Crete where Rhea had entrusted the care and education of the infant Zeus to the Priesthood of Jupiter, who were also known by many other names such as the Priests of Pan, Ophites, Idaean Dactyli, Luperci, Curetes and Telchines, to name a few. After they were conquered and banished by the Romans, these same priests eventually had become part of the Roman Empire as the Levites. The 7th Century Doctor of the Catholic Church and Father to English History, the Venerable Saint Bede (Beda)  had written on the Levites being connected to the Catholic Church in his book, “On Ezra and Nehemiah;” “Allegorically, the Levites represent those attached to the Catholic Church.”

In Egypt, the Levites were the only tribe that remained committed to God. During the Exodus, the Levite tribes were particularly zealous in protecting the Mosaic law in the face of those worshipping the Golden Calf, which may have been a reason for their priestly status.

In the Book of Malachi, God explains why he chose the Levites to be his priests. This would make sense, since the high priests for judgment of the New Testament are the Levites. The root in Hebrew means “to join,” to “‘ bind ” (see Lui-than “snaky-monster “). When the land of Israel was apportioned among the tribes in the days of Joshua, the Tribe of Levi, being chosen as priests, did not receive land (Joshua 13:33, (14:3). However, the tribe of Levi were given cities. Six cities were given to the tribe as refuge cities for all men of Israel, which were to be controlled by the Levites. Three of these cities were located on each side of the Jordan River. In addition, 42 other cities (and their respective open spaces), totaling 48 cities were given to the Tribe of Levi. (Numbers 35).

The Levites would now be part of a new Roman army under their messiah of the New Testament (New Law), Jesus Christ. The other tribes of Israel and various serpent cults ruled by the dragon would be the rebelling army, whom under Roman Law would be subject to the Levitical priesthood and brotherhood who hold the keys of Saint Peter.

Revelation 20:2 – Satan Bound the Thousand Years: Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

Moe

Moe is the founder of GnosticWarrior.com. He is a father, husband, author, martial arts black belt, and an expert in Gnosticism, the occult, and esotericism.