Unveiled

The Oriental Dragon Unveiled

The dragon is the accepted national symbol of the Chinese and many other Asian peoples. The purpose in this article is in no way to criticize Oriental cultural, festivals, and beliefs. Rather, the intention is to arrive at a truer understanding concerning the nature and activity of the dragon. This will be accomplished by considering some ancient legends; studying specific Chinese writing characters; and gaining some insight from the unique lunar New Year celebrations.

In sharp contrast to Western ideas of a gruesome monster, the Oriental dragon, usually typified by the Chinese dragon, is claimed to be a good-natured and benign creature. The dragon is actually considered a helper to those who ask, not the least of which, is his supposed ability to provide the rain needed for agriculture. For this and similar acts, the dragon has become the symbol of goodness, strength, fertility and change. With such an elevated veneration, the dragon also became the special symbol for the all-powerful Chinese emperor. Eventually, the emperor was claimed to be the very incarnation of the dragon.

It does not matter if there is a prevailing unbelief in the dragon; he has the ability masquerade in another form. For the dragon’s most remarkable characteristic is his ability to transform from one creature into another. He can appear as small as a silkworm or fill the entire space between heaven and earth. The dragon can make himself into darkness or light, and even invisible if necessary. His power to change, evolve, and adapt is a fundamental technique for survival.

Originally just a hatchling from a gem like egg several thousand years ago, the dragon evolved from a water snake, eventually acquiring a carp's head, scales and tail, plus four short limbs with sharp claws. He then grew a pair of horns in order to hear since the actual ears of the dragon are deaf. Next, he acquired a swelling bladder in the head so as to rise into the air without wings. The final stage and rarest characteristic of the Oriental dragon is thought to be a set of wings to allow unlimited freedom in movement. The dragon was able to temporarily transform into these stages and many other manifestations, yet still reflect his unchanging spiritual nature.

This shifting and ambiguous nature to take on various disguises has led to a complex and multi-level description of the dragon. According to legend, there are at least nine characteristic offshoots of the dragon. Through these, the dragon's alleged harmless nature is brought into question. Some notable examples are a fondness of danger, love of fire, addiction to quarreling, and a lust for slaughter.

The Story Of A Chinese Character

Interestingly, all these variations of the dragon theme are held

together with one all encompassing Chinese character, lúng (dragon). Even this one character image evolved along with an understanding of the dragon’s nature and power. Typical of Chinese writing, several significant characters combine to form one character, which often defines a subject’s origin and reveals its nature. The Chinese scribes were well informed and used great ingenuity to create a beautiful, complex, and symbolic writing system. As we look at the individual parts of the Chinese character for dragon, an astonishing story will be told.

The Chinese character for dragon, Lúng-1, is constructed of three shortened or contracted characters. The top left is túng-2, the bottom left is roù-6, and on the right is feì-16. Each of these further divides into other characters, which can be explained by comparison and deduction.

Children of Slavery

Túng-2 (children of slavery) originally meant, “a grave crime committed

by the parents, and for which their children were reduced to slavery.” This has the connotation of original and perpetual enslavement of each succeeding generation. Túng-2 (slavery) is constructed from chyán-3a (offense, fault, crime) and jùng-4 (heavy, weight) and/or chûng-4 (to repeat by mistake). Chyán-3a (offense, fault, crime) is constructed without the lower horizontal stroke. But, chyán-3a is similar to syin-3b (bitter, toilsome), with the lower horizontal stroke. Syin-3b refers to the eventual bitter bondage of those controlled by the dragon. However, chyán-3a (offense, fault, crime) must not be confused with syìng-5 (lucky), which is a blessing often attributed, yet never truly delivered by the dragon.

Spiritual Death

The expanded version of roù-6 (dry meat, dry flesh) can be dissected as rù-7, (to enter), neì-8 (into, the interior of), and rén-9 (man), i.e., to enter into man. These characters refer to the dragon's amazing ability to actually possess (i.e., control) a person. Note also, the dry flesh suggests that such a person is potentially the dragon's food. Therefore, roù-6 (dry meat) and túng-2 (slavery) combined together can be interpreted as meaning to enslave the inner person to a natural, material existence, while at the same time consuming the living essences, resulting in spiritual death. Lúng-10 (fleshly, not spiritual) is made up of contracted roù-6 (dry meat) and lúng-1 (dragon), which agrees with the slavery to the flesh interpretation.

The contracted version of roù-6 (dry meat) looks identical to ywè-11 (moon); this similarity not just coincidental. Ywè-11 (moon) combined with túng-2, (slavery),

produces túng-12, (dim, obscure, confused); and ywè-11 combined with lúng-1 (dragon) produces lúng-10 (rising moon, dim, obscure). Just as the moon is ruler of the night and darkness, so the dragon is ruler of the spiritual darkness of ignorance, deception and confusion. Whatever the form of coercion the dragon uses: fear of death, occult superstition, or a "materialistic worldview only" philosophy, spiritual slavery is the result.

Furthermove, roù-6 (dry meat) combined with jûng-4 (heavy, weight) and/or chûng-4 (repeated mistake) produces the character, jûng-13 (to swell). The swelling refers to the corrupt nature of the enslaving process. Swelling also corresponds to the dragon's ability to rise without wings by way of the gases from supposedly rotting flesh. This is like the dragon's head swelling with vanity because of his beauty or pride after his victory in battle. Furthermore, hidden within the character set of túng-2 (slavery), specifically within jùng-4 (heavy, weight) and/or chûng-4, (repeated mistake), is yoú-14, (cause, origin). Yoú-14 (cause) combined with roù-6 (dry meat) produces joù-15, (posterity, offspring), which again verifies the claim of being the children of the dragon, but perhaps more precisely, children of the enslaver.

Deceptive and Fragile

Feì-16 (fly, swift, wing) contracted gives an image of the serpentine and bearded form of the dragon. Swift refers to the ability to transform, so as to deceive a victim or adversary. Feì-16 (fly, swift, wing) is actually a stylized picture of a crane in flight, which is also considered a symbol of supernatural longevity. Feì-16 (fly, swift, wing) is not a combination character. However, a similarity to rwò-17 (slender, fragile, weak, grow weak) can be deduced. Contracted feì-16 (fly, swift, wing) is nearly a mirror image of half of

rwò-17 (fragile, weak, grow weak). All this hints at a dual meaning. First, the dragon's desires to rise to supreme honor through ruling over all those weakened by enslavement to the corrupting lower nature of the (non-spiritual) flesh. And second, feì-16 (fly, swift, wing) is similar to rwò-17 (fragile, weak, grow weak); therefore, suggests that the dragon’s deceptive power is fragile and weak, easily broken by the truth.

In addition, lúng-1 (dragon) combined with êr-18 (ear) gives the meaning lúng-19 (deaf). This character refers to a degenerate nature of not listening to the cries of the enslaved and ignoring the truth. All these deceitful characteristics and activities contained within the lúng-1 (dragon) character contradict its claimed good and lucky nature.

The creature described by the dragon character certainly depicts an enslaver, who is empowered primarily through death and the fear of death. He seeks to rise in splendor and authority in order to dominate the entire world. His deception is so great that even his children deny that they are actually his slaves. It is obvious that this description is not the alleged friendly and magical dragon, but is a creature of a sinister and malevolent essence. And considering the deceptive ability to change forms, it seems the characterization detailed above is his true guise.

Biblical Comparison

A similar description of a malignant spiritual being described in the Holy Bible more readily matches what has been learned about the revelation of the Oriental dragon character and his children. Consider the following:

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him …for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time” (Revelation 12:9, 12).

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into (masquerades as) an angel of light” (2Corinthians 11:14).

“(The Devil) had the power of death (over those) through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

"You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).

"And now, because you have done all these (wicked) works, says the LORD, and I spoke unto you, but you heard not; and I called you, but you answered not" (Jeremiah 7:13).

From these Bible verses it is clear that the devil, and therefore the dragon, has only a limited time to rule over humankind through the fear of death; that he enslaves by the power of death; and masquerades as goodness but with a deaf ear to real goodness. All the while, the dragon murders his children through multiple lies and confusion. Only through the truth about the dragon and humankind's desperate condition can those spiritually enslaved to him be set free.

Three Witnesses

There are three stories that are similar in their essential meaning. One is non-biblical, but acknowledged by millions in the Far East, the second is from the Hebrew Bible, and the third is from the New Testament Bible.

1.An ancient Chinese legend says that a long time ago, there was a huge monster that ate people. The gods decided to lock him up inside a mountain to protect the population. But once a year, during the New Year, the monster was allowed to come out. The traditional Spring Festival celebration began as a way of controlling and frightening the monster away. The preparations, such as sweeping and cleaning are performed prior to the first day festivities, which begin on the new moon of the first lunar month. Prayers are made to the "gods," which are supposedly superior to the monster. Bright blood-red banners with slogans and poems are hung outside on the doorpost to scare away demons and evil spirits. On that lunar New Year's Eve, families gather in their homes to eat a symbolic meal together. Everyone remained inside over night to keep from being eaten by the evil monster. The next morning, New Year’s Day, everyone congratulates each other for not being killed. Throughout the first fifteen days of the first lunar month, dragon dances are held. And as a make believe dragon parades by their home, the people would open their doors to let in the supposed good luck that the dragon now brings.
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2.In the Old Testament book of Exodus, there is the story about the Hebrew nation held captive by Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The One True God provided the enslaved people with a solution to their bondage. A destroying angel would come to kill all the firstborn sons throughout the land of Egypt. God allowed this in order to cause the Pharaoh to release his slaves. Yet, God prevented the death of the Hebrew's sons by means of a blood substitute. These families of Israel first swept their houses of leaven and yeast, which symbolizes deception and lies. Then on the evening of the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, the people gathered inside to eat a special, symbolic meal of roasted lamb. The red blood of the lamb was applied to the lintel, doorposts, and threshold of each house. Everyone stayed inside while the destroying angel passed over any house marked with the lamb’s blood. The next morning the people joyfully left that land of slavery in complete freedom. This Passover celebration is still observed every year by the Hebrew people.
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3.According to the New Testament, the Passover was a foreshadowing of the work of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself would be the sacrifice that was symbolized by the Passover lamb. Those trusting in His death for their sake would have the very mark of God's ownership on their hearts; the blood of the Passover lamb marked the door symbolically like that of Jesus' crown of thorns, and the nails in His hands and feet. The enslaver and destroyer of humankind, Satan, was compelled to release his hold on those trusting in Christ’s sacrificial and substitutional death. The knowledge of this truth is powerful enough to free the human soul from bondage to the devil’s lies and the resulting fears.
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This ever-present battle against Satan's lies still rages, but victory is sure through faith, hope and love. Faith in Jesus’ death as payment for sin, the hope through His resurrection that Satan is already judged, and the love of God that reaches out to a humanity still caught in the struggle for truth and freedom.

Conclusion

It is evident that the shifting entity called the dragon (as revealed through the dragon character) should not be honored. On the Eve of Chinese New Year, this monster threatened to devour his children. However, in the morning he transformed into the source of good luck for not eating his own, thus becoming the spiritual enslaver. In claiming more honor than the "gods," the dragon opposed the very One due all honor: the only true God of heaven. In reality, the devil is actually subservient to God’s purposes. And in this Lord's perfect timing, Satan and the rule of evil will one day be eternally ended. Jesus warned about fearful or self-serving compromise though, “You cannot serve two masters... You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). Mammon refers to the false god of wealth and security. It’s impossible to be both children of the dragon and children of God. Since everyone is naturally selfish and fearful, our first inclination is to listen to the devil's coercive threats and deception. Yet, there is another Voice urging humankind to break away from this bondage, the Lord Jesus Christ. Any delay in listening to Him is nothing more than just making excuses for a mere false and temporary security. A journalist once wrote a poem while looking out of a hotel window at an advancing army:

Tonight Shanghai is burning,

And I am dying too,

For there is no death more certain,

Than the death inside of you.

Some men die of shrapnel,

Some go down in flames,

But most men die, inch by inch,

While playing little games.

Most people put off or just flirt with the urge to seek the truth. Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Then Jesus declared, “I am … the truth” (John 14:6). The only alternative to the natural (normal) life of spiritual slavery under the devil's control, is to humbly choose deliverance through the abiding truth recorded in the Bible. Jesus still says, "Whoever hears My word and believes Him (God the Father) who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he (that whoever) has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24).

For more information on ancient Chinese culture, see "Way of the Chinese Masters."