257. The fact that the snake's head means the tyranny of evil in general and of self-love in particular can be seen in the nature of self-love. Its character is such that it seeks power, and not just power but power over everything on earth. Not stopping there, it strives for control over everything in heaven. Even then it does not rest but aims for power over the Lord. And in fact it still would not rest at that point. This tendency lies hidden in every single glimmer of self-love. Just indulge that love and ease the restraints on it and you will find that it instantly rushes out and swells to those dimensions.

You can therefore see how the snake — the evil of self-love — wishes to dominate, and how it hates anyone it cannot dominate. That is the snake's head, which lifts itself up, and which the Lord tramples down to the ground, so that the snake travels on its belly and eats dirt, as the previous verse says.

This is how Isaiah describes the snake or dragon called Lucifer: ¹

Lucifer, you said in your heart, "I will scale the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God and sit on the mountain of assembly, on the flanks of the north. ² I will climb onto the loftiest parts of the cloud; I will become equal to the Highest One." Nevertheless, you will be thrown down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isaiah 14:13-14, 15)

The snake or dragon is also described in the Book of Revelation:

There was a big red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were many crowns; but it was thrown onto the earth. (Revelation 12:3, 9)

These verses describe how high it lifts its head. In David:

Jehovah said to my Lord, "Sit at my right, till I have placed your enemies as a stool for your feet. Jehovah will send the scepter of your strength out from Zion." He will judge the nations. He has filled them with corpses; he has crushed [one who was] head over much land. From the river along the way he will drink; therefore he will lift up his head. (Psalms 110:1-2, 6-7)

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