On several occasions people have stated in various ways that the ancient serpent/dragon in Revelations that symbolizes Satan/Devil refers back to the serpent in Genesis 3:1 which means that the serpent in Genesis 3:1 is Satan.
I disagree. IMO, the plain text reading does not support that the serpent of Genesis is the same as the serpent/dragon in the vision of Revelation.
The serpent in Genesis is a beast of the field.
Genesis 3:1 (English Torah)
Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made.
In Hebrew “satan” is not used as a proper name until the word adversary is personified in the Book of Job. In this book the adversary works for God and does nothing without God’s permission. Within this book, the personified adversary is not described as a beast of the field.
Job 1:7 (English Torah)
12 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand.' So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
The dragon/serpent mentioned in John’s vision regardless of the adjectives used to describe it represents Satan/Devil as he fit into the beliefs of the time. IMO, the imagery was more than likely drawn from the leviathan in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 27:1 (English Torah)
In that day the LORD with His sore and great and strong sword will punish leviathan the slant serpent, and leviathan the tortuous serpent; and He will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Given that there was roughly 700 years between the Isaiah verse and John's vision, a lot changes over time.
Just because a dragon/serpent is used to symbolize Satan in John’s vision, doesn’t make the serpent/snake in the Garden, Satan.
Sometimes a snake is just a snake.
™ Version 4.2