Issued: 5/31/24

“As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.“

Ecclesiastes 3:18

PLEASE NOTE:  Because Bible versions sometimes differ from each other in crucial ways, the version quoted here will be the one that best clarifies the point being made.  For a quick comparison between versions, please go to: http://www.biblehub.com.

   All bracketed material may be authorial comments, attempts at proper syntax, or minimal rewordings of Scripture for the sake of clarity and continuity.  These emendations will not be italicized.

   The “/” will be used to signify “and/or.”  The symbol “↔” is used to connect verses corroborating each other and so establishing doctrinal truths (Matthew 18:16↔2Corinthians 13:1).

   In differentiating between Yahweh Son [Jesus] and Yahweh Father [the Most High God], lower case letters have been used when discussing the former; upper case letters are reserved for the Only and Most High God.  Since Jesus was at pains to differentiate himself from Father, we have followed his lead here.

   The term neo-Christians will be used to differentiate between false Christians and Jesus’ true followers.

   Much of what we are about to discuss in this essay has been presented in previous essays. Given that the above verse allows us to differentiate between righteous and unrighteous people, a deeper focus is in order.

   Jesus and the Apostles used animal symbolism to discourse about human behaviors. Thus we have Matthew 7:6: “Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you.”¹ Or Acts 20:29: “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” Or 2Peter 2:21-22: “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. They prove the truth of this proverb: ‘A dog returns to its vomit.’ And another says, ‘A washed pig returns to the mud.'”

   What was Jesus talking about? Men who unconditionally obey orders irrespective of Christian morality; as well as those who given something precious fail to appreciate its worth. What was Paul’s warning? That religious leaders pursuing their own self-interests would exploit/mislead their congregations and leave them bereft of Christian guidance [↔Ezekiel 34:1-10; Matthew 23:13-28; 1John 2:19]. What were Peter’s points? That men rid of what was spiritually toxic to them either go back to their old ways [↔Matthew 12:43-45] or undo Jesus’ cleansing by re-wallowing in sin.

Lions

   Let us now concentrate on lions, a label which applies both to Jesus and to Satan. How was Jesus hailed upon his entrance in Heaven? “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5). Linking us to what? “You are a lion’s cub, Judah [i.e., the tribal Patriarch]; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he [Jesus] to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his” (Genesis 49:9-10; Psalms 2:8; Ezekiel 37:4; 1Timothy 6:15; Revelation 1:5↔Matthew 28:18). What are the connections? In terms of lineage, Jesus was a descendant—through Joseph—both of David and Judah, David’s tribe (Isaiah 11:1↔Revelation 22:16; Luke 2:4, 3:23-32; Hebrews 7:14).

   Satan, too, is depicted as a lion: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1Peter 5:8). Or as Paul alludes to him in reference to Satan’s human minions bent on destroying him: “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion“ (2Timothy 4:17↔Psalms 58:6).

   But how can an “unclean” predator like a lion signify both Jesus and Satan? Both define their territories [“day” vs. “night”↔Genesis 1:5,16↔1Thessalonians 5:5↔Revelation 12:1, 22:16]; they are ‘kings’ amongst beasts of the field [Jesus: Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 28:18; Revelation 19:16 / Satan: Ezekiel 21:25-27↔Isaiah 22:15-19,24; Luke 4:5-6; John 14:30]; and they are described as formidable/fearful looking [Jesus: Ezekiel 1:24↔Revelation 1:15 / Satan: Job 41:18-25,33-34↔Psalms 104:25-26↔Isaiah 27:1]. But whereas Jesus is no predator killing his people (Ephesians 5:29-30), Satan does (Isaiah 14:16-17,20↔Revelation 6:8, 9:1-11); so we are left with the conclusion that such characteristics are external rather than substantive.

   Predators kill their prey; in the process of taking human lives/souls, Satan, wielder of the “homicidal sword,” kills human beings (2Samuel 24:15-16↔Revelation 6:8; Ezekiel 21:11-15,19↔Isaiah 14:4-6,16-17,20; John 8:44). On the other hand Jesus, the Lion of Judah, not only gave his blood to redeem men but his “sword” (Matthew 10:34↔Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12), is spiritual in nature; so that while indeed ‘slaying’ unrighteous souls with Father‘s Gospel (Revelation 1:16, 19:11-21), neither he nor any of his followers ever spill human blood (Matthew 26:52; Revelation 13:10).

   Though lions and most big cats are gone from the Levant [i.e., modern-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and adjacent areas], the Old Testament mentions literal and symbolic lions. Judges 14:5-6 relates Samson tearing a young lion to pieces. In 1Samuel 17:37, David boasts of having killed lions attacking his flock with Yahweh’s help. In 1Kings 20:35-36 a prophet disobeying Yahweh was killed by a lion, a deed establishing the precedent by which Ahab, king of Israel, uttered his own undoing for having shown mercy to Yahweh’s enemies (1Kings 20:32-43↔Judges 2:3; Numbers 33:55-56; Deuteronomy 20:13-18; Joshua 23:13).² In 2Kings 17:24-26 lions are sent to decimate idolatrous nations uprooting Jews to occupy their land. And we know of Daniel’s ordeal in the pit of lions followed by the fate of the satraps bent on destroying him (Daniel 6:1-24).

   While these verses attest to the presence of lions the Middle East during Biblical times, other Scriptures deal with lions in symbolic terms. For example Psalms 57:4: “I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts, men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords”—Son‘s testimony through David centuries before his incarnation. Or Isaiah 15:9, prophesying Moab’s eradication by “a lion [Satan through invading armies↔Jeremiah 4:7] for those who are fleeing from Moab and for those who remain in the land”! Or punishment for the impiety of Jerusalem and Judah: “Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many” (Jeremiah 5:6).³ And finally Jeremiah 50:17: “Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” ⁴

“Clean” Animals

   “Clean” in the sense that they are pliable, obedient and useful to their master. Usefulness is a big deal in Scripture: Whatever does not perform as expected is either cast off or subject to demerits. As the Baptist preached, “the ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10); and the “ax” was not the issue here, but who wielded it: Jesus (Isaiah 10:15↔Matthew 3:11-12). Or as Jesus reacted when hungry but could not find edible figs in the tree he cursed (Matthew 21:18-19); or when he damned the man who failed to increase his assets (Matthew 25:24-30). Or even when Paul argued that whoever did not pull his weight on behalf of the Gospel had no right to share in the spoils (Romans 8:17; 2Thessalonians 3:10). The golden standard is Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.“

   When all land animals were brought to “first Adam” [Jesus being “last Adam”↔Romans 5:14; 1Corinthians 15:45], no suitable helpmate was found for him, so that Woman↔Church had to be created from his flesh [Genesis 2:20-24↔Ephesians 5:30-32]. Now, this Church, as history has shown, has not always—if ever—been populated by a majority of obedient children; thus we have Jeremiah 4:22 with its very negative assessment of the lot; Stephen’s accusation in Acts 7:51 [please note that while speaking to Jews, Stephen was referring to Christian circumcision of the heart, not the Mosaic rite↔Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:29]; and the perennial standard: Romans 3:10-18↔Psalms 53:1-3.

   The reason why no one is entirely good is simple: “There is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20); somehow, in some fashion or another, we all fall short of Father‘s standards—even Jesus included himself amongst the ‘non-good’ (Mark 10:18). Still guilt does not strive in transgressing but in keep doing it; so that atonement is predicated on imitating Jesus’ example—the objective of Christian conversion (Luke 5:32; John 8:11, 13:15; Romans 6:13; 1Peter 4:1-3).

   Hence the notion of “suitable helpers” striving to bring Jesus’ mission to success; rendered symbolically in terms of “clean animals” like sheep (Ezekiel 34:11-12, 30-31; John 10:11-16)—meaning converts at large; and more specifically oxen, instrumental in sowing the “seed” of Father‘s Gospel (Matthew 13:37-42; Luke 8:11-15). How apt is the oxen imagery? Usually two oxen are tied to a single yoke to provide balance and so work better in sync; likewise, Jesus initially sent out seventy-two evangelists in groups of two (Luke 10:1-3), warning them they were “lambs amongst wolves.” Oxen are hardy animals capable of enduring great discomfort and they do their work efficiently and uncomplainingly, the reason why Deuteronomy 22:10 forbade pairing oxen with recalcitrant, stubborn animals like donkeys. That argument was not lost on Paul (1Corinthians 9:9-12).

   Still, as was the case with the lion symbolism, Jesus taught that the behaviors of some “unclean” animals could be put to good use: “Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16)—i.e., remain spiritually-minded but resort to ‘camouflage’ if it facilitates the objective. Paul took the advice to heart:  “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.⁵ To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1Corinthians 9:19-23). Whenever Gospel integrity was not at stake, Paul resorted to ‘serpent-like’ astuteness (Acts 22:25-29↔Genesis 3:1; Luke 16:8).

Aquatic Creatures

   As early as Genesis 1:21, Scripture was hinting at symbolic, sea “monsters.” These were the “beasts” that would rise from the sea [i.e., a symbol for humanity at large↔Revelation 17:15] in Daniel 7:3-6 and Revelation 13:1. The beast in Daniel 7:4 symbolizes Satan himself: It was like a lion having eagles’ wings; and we know from Luke 17:34-37⁶ and Revelation 8:13 that eagles, like stars (Isaiah 14:13; Matthew 2:2,9-10; Revelation 8:10-11, 9:1,11), are used interchangeably as symbols for angels. Furthermore Lucifer was conceived as a Cherub, and as such, he had wings: Connect the dots between Ezekiel 1:6-13 and 28:13-14. Also refer to Ezekiel’s 17:1-10 parable regarding the vineyard planted by ‘eagle’ Jesus [with multi-colored wings reminiscent both of Joseph’s tunic (Genesis 37:3) and Son‘s rainbow (Genesis 9:13↔Matthew 24:29-30; Revelation 10:1-2↔Revelation 1:6, 5:1-5] but reaching out for ‘eagle’ Satan [minus colored plumage]. This vineyard is the one described in Isaiah 5:1-7, where Judeo/Christians fail to live up to sower Son’s expectations (Matthew 13:37-38↔Genesis 3:7-9↔Isaiah 27:4↔Ezekiel 2:6).⁷

   Another aquatic monster symbolizing Satan is Leviathan (Job 41:1-34), whose “heads” are rulers/nations Father means to destroy (Psalms 74:13-14; Revelation 13:1-2, 17:16-18) in order to usher in His Kingdom. While patriotism/national pride are amongst Satan’s most effective “fiery darts” we are asked to extinguish (Ephesians 6:16), we must weigh this against Hebrews 11:13-16 in order to comprehend this incontestably controversial/unpopular message. While Jesus and the Apostles steered clear way from political demagoguery [Jesus even refused political involvement↔John 6:15], Jesus hinted at the irrationality of counting on things slated to perish (Matthew 7:24-27)—which is the gist of Paul’s argument in Hebrews 11:8-10 and Peter in 2Peter 3:10-13. None of the nations we are now beholden to will exist anywhere in Father‘s non-ethnic, all inclusive Kingdom.

   Psalms 104:25-26 describes Leviathan’s realm: “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.” Job 41:33-32 portrays Leviathan thus: “Nothing on earth is its equal—a creature without fear. It looks down on all that are haughty; it is king over all that are proud.” And Isaiah 27:1 hits it on the nail: “In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and Leviathan, the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.” Psalms 91:13 and Revelation 20:2 call Satan serpent and dragon.

   Isaiah 30:1-10 is more comprehensive: Here Judeo/Christians are depicted the way we really are: Wanting our cake and eat it too; expecting our leaders to recast Father‘s warnings into self-serving pleasantries; and relying on the ruler of Egypt [our world], Pharaoh [Satan↔Isaiah 28:15,18-19]. The idea of Egypt as symbolizing the world was introduced in the Exodus: A relocation from a place of bondage into Father‘s Promised Land crossing bodies of water (Exodus 14:21-22; Joshua 3:14-17; Revelation 16:12). Satan as Pharaoh is the subject of Ezekiel 29:3, 32:2,6, here portrayed as an aquatic “great dragon lying in the midst of its rivers…swimming on land” Please note that Ezekiel 29:16 again depicts Israel as putting their trust on Egypt; which is Scripture’s way of telling us as long as things go our way, Heaven can wait. Abraham and sons lived in tents because they viewed life as a pilgrimage while awaiting a heavenly destination; but Jesus made it clear that end-times generations were committed to grow roots in this order of things (Luke 17:26-30) while Father is thought to take His time keeping His promise (2Peter 3:9). Unfortunately for us, Father has His own objectives/timetables (Isaiah 55:8-9).

   Going back to Ezekiel’s aquatic Pharaoh/dragon, please note that those allied with him are portrayed as “fishes,” whose bodies will be left rotting in the open air so that animals will feed on them (Ezequiel 29:4-5). What is Ezekiel talking about? The time after Jesus has led the redeemed into Heaven for the Millennium of Rest (Revelation 20:1-6), during which time Satan will be chained upon the bodies of the lifeless unrighteous whose maggots will serve as his bed (Isaiah 14:11; Jeremiah 25:33; Ezekiel 32:4; Revelation 19:17-18). In order to stress the fish=men symbolic connection, we have Jesus’ words to Peter and Andrew: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men“ (Matthew 4:19).

Final Words

   Hopefully this essay will inspire readers to take their Bible more seriously; and rather than focus on the meaningless pleasantries our religious leaders feed us, a deeper appreciation of Father‘s mind will result from intensive study. After all true Christian meaning is to be found in parables and allegories all of which rely on symbolism, not in man-made sermons: We have been warned about this (Isaiah 30:10; Jeremiah 5:29-31, 8:8; Lamentations 2:14; Ezekiel 33:31-33, 34:1-10; Zephaniah 3:3-4; Malachi 27-8)!!! Like threads in a quilt, symbolism is woven throughout Scripture revealing specific truths; and it is precisely that endeavor which Father entrusted us to keep us tethered on Him (Deuteronomy 29:29↔1Corinthians 2:7; Jeremiah 33:3), His Holy Spirit as revealer of His hidden wisdom (John 16:13; 1Corinthians 2:10-13), and on Jesus as sole Teacher over Judeo-Christians worldwide as the Spirit‘s anointer (Matthew 23:8; John 15:26; 1John 2:27).

¹ Other examples: Psalms 59:6-7; Jeremiah 15:3; Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15.

² All of which symbolically prefigure the spiritual battles Jesus’ armies must wage against Satan’s angelic minions acting through men (Ephesians 6:12).

³ Familiar imagery in the context of Judeo/Christian enemies: Lion↔Satan (Daniel 7:4); wolves↔false religious leaders; leopard (Daniel 7:6; Revelation 13:2).

⁴ As a rule, whenever historical rulers remain unnamed in Scripture, the real power-wielder behind them is Satan (Luke 4:5-6). Examples: The Exodus Pharaoh↔Ezekiel 29:3↔Revelation 20:2; the king of Babylon↔Isaiah 14:4-6,13-14,16-17↔Ezekiel 21:10-19,25-26; the king of Tyre↔Ezekiel 28:12-19; the king of Assyria: “Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon…The cedars [i.e., angels] in the garden of God could not rival it…no tree in the garden of God was its equal in beauty [↔Ezekiel 28:12]…I cast it down to Sheol with those [angelic minions] who go down to the pit [↔Luke 10:18↔Revelation 12:7-9]…[They] also went down to Sheol with [Satan], to the world below…those who were its arm [↔2Peter 2:4↔Jude 1:6]...You shall lie among the uncircumcised [unrighteous dead post first resurrection↔Isaiah 14:11], with those who are slain by the sword [of the Holy Spirit↔Zechariah 4:6↔Ephesians 6:7]. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord Yahweh” (Ezekiel 31:3-18).

⁵ Paul seems to be contradicting himself in his criticism of Peter for following Mosaic norms no longer binding on Christians (Galatians 2:11-14). His point was justified: Peter was one of the original Apostles and his wishy-washiness undermined the freedom Jesus had bequeathed men by annulling Mosaic constraints (Galatians 3:13-14). Yet Peter, unlike Paul, even after three years of tagging along with Jesus, remained an elitist Jew at heart (Acts 10:11-15,28); whereas Paul despite his Mosaic indoctrination was capable of taking the quantum leap from zealotry to faith (Acts 8:3, 9:1-2, 22:3, 26:19-20; Galatians 1:14-17).

⁶ Some unenlightened translators [↔Mark 4:12] use “vultures/buzzards” instead of eagles in the misconception that Jesus was talking about dead corpses; when in reality he was talking about his angels collecting the worldwide redeemed [↔Ezekiel 36:24] following the resurrection of the righteous (Matthew 24:29-31↔1Thessalonians 4:15-17).

⁷ Please note how in Isaiah 5:7 Israel [Jews] and Christians [Judah] are described as “plants” of Yahweh Son‘s delight. Isaiah 61:3 repeats the same imagery: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh [Father or Son?], to display His glory.” Which answers for us the symbolism of Mark 8:24: “I see men, but I see them like walking trees.”