The woman of the first sign was clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Not to be outdone by her display of divinely given majesty, this dragon grew multiple heads as proof of his own majesty. The term heads
speaks of authority and the number seven
underscores that this dragon claims total or ultimate authority. Scattered among his seven heads he displays a total of ten horns. Horns
denotes power, and ten
horns again indicates the dragon’s claim to all power. The seven diadems (a jewelled crown or headband) speak to his claim to maximum royal worthiness. With this self-presentation the dragon wants to communicate that he ought to be acknowledged as leader and king. In fact, in his words to Jesus in the desert he claimed that God had given the authority and glory of the world’s kingdoms to him (Luke 4:6). Elsewhere we learn that this world does acknowledge him as ruler and god (John 12:31; John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.