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The Spiritual Significance of Swine

Introduction

Each animal in scripture has a separate spiritual message which our Lord wants to convey to us. All animals in scripture are used to spiritually convey either the thought of the negative or the positive beastly attributes of mankind, who is but a mere beast who is in the process of being made into the image of God’s son:

Ecc 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ecc 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath [Hebrew – ruach – spirit]; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecc 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Without a resurrection, “a man hath no preeminence above a beast.’ Even the apostle Paul informs us that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then those who have “fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”

1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

So mankind begins his existence as a mere beast, as a wild beast:

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [Greek – therion, dangerous animal (venomous, wild) beast”] rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Later mankind becomes a ‘dzoon‘.

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [Greek – dzoon, an animal, a brute beast, but not a wild animal] full of eyes before and behind.
Rev 4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Of the 23 time the word ‘dzoon‘ appears in the New Testament, 20 of those times are references to these four beasts around the throne of God. Of the other three, one refers to animal sacrifices and the other two refer to God’s backslidden people.

Man is a beast, and as such he has within him all the features of all the beasts of scripture. There are, in scripture, wild beasts and domesticated beasts. There are solitary beasts, and there are beasts which live in herds. There are beasts that provide wool and meat to eat, butter and milk, and there are beasts on which men can ride and on which men can place heavy burdens and use them to plow and to tend the soil and to turn huge grinding stones. All of these beasts show us that we are still flesh and blood, created on the sixth day along with all beasts, and as such we “cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Each beast in scripture shows us something about how God is working with and using us in His service. And yet, even after we shed this flesh and blood, we are never allowed to forget our beastly, earthly origins.

1Co 15:47 The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

The lion and the eagle are generally thought of as wild beasts, but as we will see, the scriptures reveal that wild beasts can become domesticated, and domestic beasts can become wild beasts.

Swine have some things in common with clean animals

In order to understand the spiritual significance of swine in scripture we must notice what the scriptures mean when speaking of swine. The Hebrew word for swine is ‘chaziyr‘, and it appears only seven times in the Old Testament. Here is what the scriptures reveal to us about swine:

Lev 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
Lev 11:4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Lev 11:5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Lev 11:6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Lev 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
Lev 11:8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

While the spiritual significance of clean and unclean meats is a most revealing and instructive study, I will only note here that swine are similar to clean meat inasmuch as they “divide the hoof and be cloven footed.” Those “instructed unto the kingdom of heaven” understand that we are always to have two witnesses to every word we teach as the Truth of the doctrines of the kingdom of heaven, and those two witnesses must be of both the Old and the New Testaments:

Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Any teacher who violates this directive must be suspect and the spirit which ignores this directive will always be tried and found wanting of obedience to the Truth of this verse. No prophecy of scripture is ever to be of its own interpretation. It is all to be understood in the light of the rest of God’s Word.

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private [Greek: idios, its own] interpretation.

So swine in scripture are seen as being similar to what is clean, yet, because swine do not chew the cud, because they do not ruminate, because swine do not have the ability to “meditate on God’s word day and night” they are not to be considered as clean. Those who cannot discern unclean swine, will eat them and touch them and become unclean themselves.

Swine, while not always wild beasts, also have some things in common with wild beasts

Swine, in scripture, are not to be thought of as wild beasts but as herd animals, under the care and direction of men.

Mar 5:11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
Mar 5:12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
Mar 5:13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

Christ himself sends evil spirits into the swine. Swine receive unclean spirits and receive the rewards of doing so. They are “choked in the sea.”

Psa 80:8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
Psa 80:9 Thou preparedst [room] before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
Psa 80:10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof [were like] the goodly cedars.
Psa 80:11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.
Psa 80:12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?
Psa 80:13 The boar [Hebrew: chaziyr, swine] out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
Psa 80:14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

The scriptures use the figure of serpents and swine as figures of those who “waste God’s vine.” It is presented to us as a necessary part of our walk to leave our first love, follow the Nicolaitans and become the prey of the leaders of Babylon, being wasted by “the boar out of the wood.”

How swine relate to God’s backslidden people

There are two verses of scripture which reveal that swine are closely associated with, but have no appreciation for, the valuable things of the spirit:

1) The first verse is:

Pro 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

The “jewel of gold” is God’s truth in His doctrines. Read The Spiritual Significance of Gold on iswasandwillbe.com, the first part of which can be found here. Here is one verse that indicates what God means by “gold on a fair woman.”

Eze 16:11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
Eze 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Eze 16:13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment [was of] fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it [was] perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Eze 16:16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: [the like things] shall not come, neither shall it be [so].
Eze 16:17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

God’s “gold” is God’s doctrines and His truth, and the “fair woman” is God’s own people who take His words, His Truths, His doctrines and twist and pervert them into the doctrines of men and of demons.

Pro 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

This verse alone tells us what is the spiritual significance of swine in scripture. “A fair woman without discretion” is God’s own people who cannot receive His words. God’s backslidden people spiritually use God’s gold, His Truths and His doctrines, as an instrument with which to root and wallow in the filth of the earth.

Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s own people have His gold, but they have no appreciation of it. Here is an example of those who spiritually have been given Christ’s words and His doctrines, but do not receive and appreciate these valuable ornaments and jewels of gold of God’s Word. Here is a Biblical example of what are spiritual swine:

Joh 8:30 As he [Christ] spake these words, many [of God’s own people, Jews, the established church] believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

Spiritual ‘swine’ believe on Christ, and are indeed Abraham’s seed by the bondwoman. However, they are “unclean” and do not appreciate things of spiritual value any more than Esau appreciated the value of his birthright. Look now at how “Jews that believe on Christ” but do not value His doctrine, treat the valuable things of the spirit:

Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Spiritual ‘swine’ have no appreciation for Christ’s spiritual words “because My word has no place in you … [“Jews which believe on me”].”

Joh 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Joh 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Joh 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God.
Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Joh 8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Why do spiritual ‘swine’ want to kill Christ? Three reasons are given in this passage: 1) Because you cannot hear My word, 2) Because I tell you the truth, you believe me not, and 3) You hear not my words because you are not of God. All three of these reasons Christ gives amount to the same thing; spiritual swine have no appreciation for the valuable gold and ornaments of Christ’s words and His doctrine. What they do really appreciate is wallowing in the mud of the ground from which they were taken. Spiritual ‘swine’ like Esau, appreciate the things of this world. Esau preferred the red pottage of this world to the blessings of his birthright, which typifies our spiritual blessings of our spiritual birthright.

Gen 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
Gen 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
Gen 25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Gen 25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Gen 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Esau had God’s words, but He had no appreciation for God’s words. God “sends His rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Like Ishmael, Esau really is Abraham’s seed. Just like King Saul, who was anointed by Samuel but replaced by King David, Esau typifies God’s rejected anointed. Here is what swine do with God’s valuable truths and His valuable and precious doctrines.

Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The “many called but [not] chosen” are spiritually ‘swine’ who have God’s Word and who give God’s Word much lip service, but who in reality would crucify Christ rather than to keep His commandments to “love thine enemies… resist not evil… bid them not into your house…” etc.

The prodigal son wasted His substance and fed the swine

The symbols of the parable of the prodigal son are most revealing:

Luk 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Luk 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
Luk 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luk 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

So we are all guilty of feeding swine when we are living in and believing in the doctrines of Babylon. “The field is the world” according to Christ, and the swine, as we have seen, are God’s own people who prefer the slop and husks of Babylon to the nourishing and bountiful food of God’s table:

Heb 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Conclusion

I hope this helps you see that spiritual swine are a herd animal (Mat 8:30), and therefore portray a less ravenous animal than a lion or a wolf, which would represent the more prominent false leaders and Nicolaitans among God’s people. Spiritual swine are those “many called” who know of and “believe on Christ” and yet “cannot receive Christ’s words,” His doctrine (Joh 8:30-48). Spiritual swine are those who prefer the recognition of men and the things of this world to spiritual values. Swine are not wild beasts in the sense that they are not even Abraham’s seed. Spiritual swine are Abraham’s seed, and they do split the hoof, and to that degree they are familiar with and “believe on Christ.” However, like Esau, spiritual swine do not have the ability to appreciate the things of the spirit. They much prefer the immediate gratification of the “red pottage,” the things of this earth.

The spiritual message in God’s word concerning spiritual swine is for each of us, and admonishes us to apply this verse of God’s word in our lives:

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

Audio Links

Introduction – ‘Sheep’ and ‘Lamb’ as Christ

As with every word of scripture, the word ‘sheep’ has a meaning behind it that has nothing at all to do with a four legged barnyard animal. What then does this word typify?

In answering this question we must remember that God’s Word is completely “Christ-centric.” We are told that the book of Revelation is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is a completely Christ-centered book. Now, since “the sum of Thy Word is Truth” (Psa 119:160 ASV), and since “Christ is that Truth” (Joh 14:6) and “is the Word” (Joh 1:1), that makes the entirety of God’s Word Christ-centered.

Psa 119:160  The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. (ASV, ESV, etc.)

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Since the sum of God’s Word is Truth and since Christ says “I am the Truth,” it adds not one Word to the Word of God to say that Christ is the sum of God’s Word and that the whole of the Bible is indeed ‘Christ-centric.’

What does all this have to do with the word ‘sheep’ in scripture? It tells us that this word ‘sheep’ is centered around Christ. If we can keep this in mind, we will much better understand what Christ means when we see the words, sheep, lamb or ram in scripture. If Christ is in us, then we, too, must identify with these words ‘sheep’ and ‘lamb.’

Who is “the lamb of God?

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Joh 1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Joh 1:35  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

If Christ is a lamb, what does that make us?

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

In what way are we sheep?

Psa 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Christ calls us His lambs and His sheep. He mentions the lambs first but only once. He mentions the sheep twice and last. Christ, through His elect sheep, feeds both His lambs and His sheep.

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Joh 21:16  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Joh 21:17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

“Feed my sheep,” not ‘feed upon my sheep’ but “feed my sheep. When we see the sheep being abused, we take it to our Father:

Gen 37:2  These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Joseph was in Babylon when his eyes began to be opened to the fact that His brothers didn’t really care for the welfare of their Father as much as for themselves.

Joseph’s brothers were so interested in their own welfare that they later sold Joseph for two pieces of silver each – twenty pieces of silver (Benjamin was not involved in this betrayal).

What are a sheep’s natural enemies?

Many biblical animals prey upon sheep. Scripturally sheep are the natural prey for lions, leopards, bears, and wolves:

1Sa 17:33  And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1Sa 17:34  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35  And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

The true shepherd does not leave God’s sheep to the lions, leopards, bears or wolves. He fights for His flock, and He slays the lion, the leopard, the bear and the wolf, and takes God’s lambs “out of his (the lion’s) mouth.” David was a true shepherd who had laid his life down for His father’s sheep. It was that same spirit which led him to lay his life down for King Saul and to fight Goliath, the giant who defied God.

David’s service for His heavenly father, just like ours, also began in Babylon. Later David comes to see that God has a rejected anointed, who wants God’s elect dead:

Psa 17:11  They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12  Like as a lion that is greedy [ kasaph] of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

All the beasts of the forest prey on God’s backslidden flock:

Jer 5:6  Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

Eze 22:25  There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Eze 22:26  Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Eze 22:27  Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

Zep 3:3  Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Our prophets, priests and princes,  like lions, bears and evening wolves, all destroy God’s sheep.

Until the day that Christ delivers us from the lion, leopard, bear, and wolf

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. [The ‘wolf’ comes in the hireling. The hireling is the wolf.]

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

We are all “dumb sheep” who “follow strangers and go astray” before we become “wise as serpents” to be are “sent among wolves.”

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

“To draw away disciples” means that these false prophets are willing to leave off part of “the counsel of God” which may be a little too hard to maintain a good sized congregation.

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

“It takes a congregation of at least 30 regular attendees to make it worth while.” That is a quote from a minister friend of mine.

2Ti 4:14  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: [I pray God] that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Ti 4:17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

Even when ‘David delivers us out of the lion’s mouth’ we are still “sheep sent forth among wolves.”

The positive application of all of a sheep’s enemies

Num 23:23  Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Num 23:24  Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
Num 23:25  And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

It is only through our destruction as foolish sheep that “our own sins… evil men [as] God’s sword” judge us and crush us and humble us to be used of God.

Do you want to “be delivered out of the mouth of the lion?” The only way to do so is to go into the lion’s den. We all are in danger in the lion’s den and in the fiery furnace. No, we are willing to die, we actually lay our lives down for God, and in so doing are delivered out of the fire and out of the mouth of the lion.

Conclusion -“My sheep know My Voice…”

It is a wonderful truth that God’s true sheep know his voice:

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:6  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.

Before we “know His voice” we “follow many strangers” and “go astray”.

Psa 119:176  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jer 50:6  My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all [Isa 53:6] had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The Old Testament made it clear who that “lost sheep” was.

Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

If we can see that we are that lost sheep which has gone astray and been deceived by our own shepherds, then we just might be given ears to hear the voice of our true shepherd:

Joh 10:24  Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
Joh 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Christ is the “good shepherd.” He is also the door to the sheepfold, and He tells us, “He that enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

So along with calling His elect “the light of the world” and “one bread”, we are now also called “the shepherd of the sheep” if we enter the sheepfold through the door to the sheepfold. “As He is, so are we in this world.”

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

One more thing Christ is that we also are is a lamb and a sheep. As John the Baptist said of Christ,

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

The world should see Christ in us. We are the lambs of the Lamb; what our Savior calls saviors:

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Neh 9:27  Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

In Christ, you are that fire of the lake of fire.

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

In Christ, you are Christ’s lambs who will also be “saviors on Mount Zion”.

There can be no greater calling. Lay hold upon that calling:

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19  Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Heb 6:20  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

I will close by reminding you that in this world you are as Christ is, and the world should be able to say of you:

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

Audio Links

Introduction

We saw last week that the lion, bear, leopard and the fourth dreadful and terrible beast of Daniel, are all to be found in the one single beast of Revelation 13 where the fourth great and terrible beast is there in Revelation, called a dragon.

We saw that according to Ecclesiastes 3:18,  “the estate of the sons of men, [if] God… manifests it to them, is that… they themselves are beasts.” Revelation 13 demonstrates that all the beasts of Daniel 7, symbolizing all the world-ruling empires of Daniel’s days, are now all within the single beast, which is each of us.

Note  how physical are Old Testament types:

Dan 7:16  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
Dan 7:17  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
Dan 7:18  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

The kingdoms of all four beasts are “the [one single] kingdom [which] the saints take and possess for ever.” We can now see that this kingdom is the same kingdom which Christ tells us is the new heavens and earth within us as God’s elect:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

We saw that the “old serpent, the devil, and the dragon” are all the same evil spirit within each of us as God’s tool to work all things after the counsel of His own will. We saw that from the beginning the function of the adversary was to destroy Christ and His Christ.

We have also seen through the blessing of Judah and the use of a lion in several verses in Proverbs, that the lion can and does typify the function of God’s elect in relation to preying upon our sinful  flesh and upon the dragon within us.

Just like Aaron’s rod which became a serpent and devoured the serpents of Egypt’s magicians, so the lion of the tribe of Judah devours “your adversary the devil… as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.”

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

We now continue our study of the ravenous beasts of scripture.

A lion as both positive and negative

No story in scripture shows both the positive and negative application of a lion more that the story of Samson taking a wife of the Philistine city of Timnath.

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
Jdg 14:5  Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
Jdg 14:6  And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
Jdg 14:7  And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
Jdg 14:8  And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, [ there was] a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
Jdg 14:9  And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
Jdg 14:10  So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
Jdg 14:11  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
Jdg 14:12  And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
Jdg 14:13  But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
Jdg 14:14  And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

This riddle of Samson should bring to mind the words of Joshua in response to the ten spies who “gave a bad report” of the land:

Num 14:6  And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
Num 14:7  And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
Num 14:8  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey [The milk and honey we enjoy in the promised land as babes in Christ].
Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not [“Out of the eater came forth meat”].

Joshua and Caleb felt like Samson when the spirit of the Lord came on him:

Jdg 14:6  And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him [the lion] as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

All the works of  ‘the lion’ against us become “bread for us.” “Out of the eater comes forth meat, and out of the strong comes forth sweetness.”

A lion devours God’s sheep and is capable of even devouring a lone unarmed shepherd. It is a rare shepherd indeed who is capable of slaying a lion and a bear that come into his father’s flock. A shepherd who can slay a lion and a bear can also go on to slay giant Philistines in the land.

1Sa 17:34  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35  And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1Sa 17:37  David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

What all ravenous beasts look for in their prey

One characteristic common to all beasts of prey is their attraction to the very young, the weak and the old. In other words, ravenous beasts of prey prefer the weak and will avoid the strong if they can. All such beasts want their prey to come to them. They are all patient until they make their move.

Bears  and leopards are more solitary and stalk their prey over a long area, while lions work together and surprise their prey. In every case they all prey upon the weak.

Psa 10:8  He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
Psa 10:9  He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
Psa 10:10  He croucheth, and humbleth [Hebrew: bowed down] himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

The adversary within preys upon us when we are spiritually poor.

Pro 28:15  As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

Don’t be spiritually poor. Be “very rich in silver and in gold…”

Gen 13:2  And Abram [was] very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Those whose riches are in heaven have a lion which destroys the things of the flesh while taking strength and nourishment from doing so.

Pro 30:29  There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
Pro 30:30  A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
Pro 30:31  A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

The lion and all beasts of prey are just instruments in the hand of a loving Father who will bring us all to overcome and devour the sinful flesh which “in time past” we have all been. When we finally come to see this, then even the ravenous lion, leopard, and bear are seen to be what they are, instruments of God used to destroy our sinful flesh:

Isa 5:29  Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

Even Samson was devoured by that adversary who “as a roaring lion seeks whom he may devour:”

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Jdg 16:15  And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
Jdg 16:16  And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
Jdg 16:17  That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
Jdg 16:18  And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
Jdg 16:19  And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
Jdg 16:20  And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
Jdg 16:21  But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Jdg 16:28  And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
Jdg 16:29  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
Jdg 16:30  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with [all his] might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that [were] therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than [they] which he slew in his life.

We have seen in this study what happened to Samson in us when we underestimate the power of the adversary. When we underestimate his constant, ever presence within us, strength over our flesh, he will have us for lunch.

So what are we to do? Should we fear the adversary? Not at all! Here again is what we are to do:

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Who is a sober, vigilant person? Who is it that knows how to neutralize “that old serpent the devil and Satan?” It is the person who loves God and keeps His commandments. That is who will have no fear:

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Here is how we handle the adversary within us:

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

There is never a time to lose control when dealing with the adversary:

Jdg 1:9  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

God’s elect never rail or accuse. They simply speak the Truth and the Truth destroys darkness and lies with ease.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.

The word ‘duty’ is not in the ielHebrew. The message is that man is not whole until he comes to know God:

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Next week we will see what the scriptures reveal is the fate of the four beasts of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. It is a wonderful ending.

[Next installment of this series is here.]

Introduction

All beasts in scripture are used to illustrate the different characteristics of the one beast with which our Lord is working:

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ecc 3:19  For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecc 3:20  All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

This study, as with all our studies, will concern itself with how we can see within ourselves a leopard, a bear, a lion and the dragon, and what these beasts are within us:

Because these three ravenous beasts are mentioned together so often in scripture, we will cover them together but will concentrate on the king of beasts, the lion.

A lion is a ravenous beast, but a lion is more than simply any other ravenous beast. A lion is at the very top of the beast food chain. As such, the lion in scripture is just that; a ravenous beast at the top of the beast food chain, both for good and for evil. In scripture both Christ and Satan are called lions. As is always the case, there is far more written about the lion as Satan than the lion as Christ, but as is also always the case, the lion as Christ destroys the lion as Satan.

The four beasts of Revelation 13

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The “things of the spirit” in the New Testament reveal that all the physical things of the Old Testament are all part of “the revelation of Jesus Christ… the kingdom of God… within you.” Whether it is Egypt or the promised land, it is now within. Whether it is Abraham’s wealth or Joseph’s rulership over all the land of Egypt, it is all now within each of us. The deeds of all the patriarchs and the kings and the prophets, good and evil, are all within. So, too, are all the nations of the Old Testament. They are one and all within that one single beast which comes up out of the sea. That one ravenous beast has seven heads, yet it is still just one beast.

The Four Beasts of Daniel 7

Dan 7:1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.
Dan 7:2  Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
Dan 7:3  And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4  The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 7:6  After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
Dan 7:7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

This fourth beast is indeed different from the beasts before it, simply because this fourth beast is likened to both a dragon and a lion:

Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

When we come to see where heaven is, we then will understand that all four beasts, including the “great red dragon”, are within us. They are all within that one single beast with seven heads and ten horns. Satan is not ‘without’ or outwardly. He is within each of us as our Father until Christ replaces his influence over our flesh.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Who are Christians who believe in Christ and yet have no place in their hearts for Christ’s Word? Here are whose children we all are at that point of our walk:

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Is this ravenous lion and dragon really in us at one time?

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

“We all had our conversation in times past as the children of disobedience, children of wrath, of our father the devil, by nature children of wrath even as others.”

What has been the goal of this “old serpent the dragon” since the garden of Eden?

Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

That’s right! It was the serpent who enticed Cain to kill Abel, Joseph’s brothers to kill Joseph, Pharaoh to kill Moses, and Herod to kill Christ. Since Christ’s physical time on earth it has been the function of that great serpent from Eden to destroy Christ’s Christ, His elect. Both Abel and Christ were slain, but the “manchild” has always been in heaven at the throne of God, while the mother of God’s elect is “in the wilderness” rebelling ten times against our Lord.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.
Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days.
Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The man child, Michael and his angels, and the dragon and his angels are all “warring in heaven,” warring in our minds.

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

What is that “law which wars against the law of my mind?” The answer is right here in this same epistle. It is an enemy that requires “the whole armor of God:”

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

“High places” is a terrible translation of the Greek word ‘epouranios‘. This word is much better translated simply as ‘the heavens’. What these verses tell us is that “the war in heaven” of Revelation 12 is war “against spiritual wickedness… again principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,” all within the heavens within each of God’s elect.

Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Satan is a serpent, a dragon and the devil, and as we noted earlier, Satan is also likened to a roaring lion. Satan is not outward. He is within each of us.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

According to the Interlinear and the Concordant Version, the definite article goes with ‘adversary’ instead of ‘devil’ here, but in Matthew 4:4, the article is with ‘devil’. Here is the Concordant Version:

1Pe 5:8 Be sober! Watch! For your plaintiff, the Adversary [antidikos], is walking about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to swallow up;(CLV)

Mat 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil [diabolos].

There are many adversaries and many devils, but there is also in the scriptures the devil and the adversary. In both cases the words ‘devil’ and ‘adversary’ are adjectival nouns, which tells us that both the adversary and the devil are spiritual wickedness within, which God sends at His bidding to “work all things after the counsel of His own will.”

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

I hope we are all coming to see that every word we study, both in their positive and in their negative application, are one and all to be understood as being within each of us. If you come away from this study on the spiritual significance of the lion, the leopard, and the bear in scripture and you do not see them all as being that old serpent the devil, a roaring lion within each of us, then this study will have been of no value to you. We all must “live by every word of God,” and those words are to be lived within us all.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Rev 1:3  Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Since Christ’s words “never pass away”, we all must live them all:

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

That includes “every word” spoken about lions – both positive and negative – in scripture.

The positive application of lions in scripture

The first time the word ‘lion’ appears in scripture is in relation to Judah as a type of God’s elect. Judah and Jews, like every other word of God’s Word, have both a positive and a negative application in God’s Word. For example:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly [negative]; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly [positive]; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Here is Jacob’s blessing of Judah, just before Jacob’s death:

Gen 49:8  Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.
Gen 49:9  Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Gen 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Gen 49:11  Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
Gen 49:12  His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

“Thy father’s children shall bow down before thee” is the same promise Joseph was given in His dreams. In this blessing Judah is both a young and an old lion.

“The vine… the choice vine” is, of course, Christ. In this prophecy, Judah is “washed in wine, in the blood of grapes,” again the blood of Christ:

Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The lion’s strength and carriage typify the strength and carriage of God’s elect.

Pro 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Pro 30:29  There be three [things] which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
Pro 30:30  A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
Pro 30:31  A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

The story of King Balak hiring the prophet Balaam to curse Israel

King Balak had hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, and the holy spirit compelled Balaam to bless Israel. In that blessing Israel is likened to a lion that “eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain” of God’s enemies.

Num 23:20  Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
Num 23:21  He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God [is] with him, and the shout of a king [is] among them.
Num 23:22  God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
Num 23:23  Surely [there is] no enchantment against Jacob, neither [is there] any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Num 23:24  Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

We have seen in this study that the lion, bear, leopard, and the fourth dreadful and terrible beast of Daniel, are all to be found in the one single beast of Revelation 13 where the fourth great and terrible beast is there called a dragon. We have seen that according to Ecclesiastes 3:18,  “the estate of the sons of men, [if] God might manifest it to them, is that they might see that they themselves are beasts.”

Revelation 13 demonstrates that all the beasts of Daniel seven, symbolizing all the world-ruling empires of Daniel’s days, are now all within the single beast, which is each of us.

We have seen that the serpent, the devil and the dragon are all the same evil spirit within each of us as God’s tool to work all things after the counsel of His own will, and that his function from the beginning is to destroy Christ and His Christ.

We have also seen through the blessing of Judah and the use of a lion in several verses in Proverbs that the lion can and does typify the function of God’s elect in relation to preying upon our sinful flesh.

We will continue our study of the ravenous beasts of scripture next week.

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

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Introduction

We saw last week that Christ is in these four beasts as the lion of the tribe of Judah, the legitimate legal heir of King David, in the gospel of Matthew. He is, as mentioned in Mark, the ox, the tireless servant by whose strength is much increase. He is the son of man, whose genealogy is traced all the way back to Adam in Luke, and He is presented to us from the view of the heavens, as the eagle, in John’s gospel.

Today we will get a much more mature vision of who these four beasts represent, and in doing so we will see just how true the statement is of Christ, “As My Father has sent me even so send I you,” and we will see that our relationship to Christ is just as close to Him as His relationship is to His and our heavenly Father. By knowing who these four beasts represent we will also see what is meant by Paul’s statement that Christ’s inheritance is “in the saints” and that it is through that inheritance Christ was delivered up “through our offences and was resurrected through our justification.”

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us- ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for [Greek: dia, through] our offences, and was raised again for [Greek: dia, through] our justification.

If God does indeed give us “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, then we will see that it is these four beasts and the four and twenty elders around the throne of God who are used to symbolize for us “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” and it is the goal of this study to demonstrate this is indeed the spiritual significance of the symbol of four beasts.

Who are these four beasts?

There is a very good reason why these four beasts are “in the middle of and round about the throne of God.” Here is what these beasts tell us of themselves. We need not guess who they represent. They tell us plainly who they symbolize.

Rev 5:1  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Rev 5:2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Rev 5:3  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

There it is as clearly as it can be stated. These four beasts and four and twenty elders are God’s elect who have been “redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” to become kings and priest ruling this earth. That is who these four beasts symbolize. However, this revelation was not given all in one place in scripture. It has been given to us line upon line and precept upon precept, beginning in the garden of Eden, culminating in this “signified revelation of Jesus Christ”.

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Rev 4:3  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
Rev 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Rev 4:5  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Rev 4:6  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Rev 4:7  And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

A door was opened in heaven… in the spirit… a throne set in heaven… one seated on that throne… the throne being like a rainbow and like an emerald… Around this throne in heaven are twenty-four elders wearing white raiment, and twenty-four golden crowns. Next we see a sea of glass before the throne, and in the middle of the throne and round about the throne are four beasts; a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle. Every beast has six wings and are full of eyes within, and they cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” What is all of this symbolism? Where does it all originate? It all begins with the cherubims with a flaming sword in Genesis 3, when mankind was driven out of the garden:

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

It is in the tabernacle of Moses and again in the temple of Solomon that we see these same four beasts all around both the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon. Both the tabernacle and the temple show us that heaven and God’s throne are symbolized by the holy of holies and the ark of the covenant with the cherubs overshadowing the mercy seat:

Exo 26:1  Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
Exo 26:30  And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.
Exo 26:31  And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
Exo 26:32  And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
Exo 26:33  And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Exo 26:34  And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

In the tabernacle the cherubims overshadowed the mercy seat and were on the curtains that made up the tabernacle, and they were woven into the vail that hung on the four pillars, which separated the holy of holies from the holy place. Later it is revealed to us that these same four creatures are carved into the doors and walls of the temple of Solomon. In either type, the message is clear; you must go through these four creatures in order to enter into the presence of God.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Paul tells us this is all a type and shadow of “heavenly things.”

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Christ did not die to purify a physical temple with physical outward implements like candlesticks, tables, knives and tongs. He died and was resurrected to live His life in and to purify you and me. Christ’s elect are “the heavenly things themselves.” The temple and its implements are figures of the true. They are figures of us, and that is where Christ went when He “entered into the holy places” made without hands.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [Greek: aion, age]. Amen.

God’s throne is in His house, His temple, the heavens, and in Christ we are all of these:

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Again, what do the four beasts say of themselves?

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

What and where is heaven?

A door is opened in heaven… a throne is set in heaven. If we do not know where and what is heaven, then not one word of this prophecy will be understood. What and where heaven is, is a study we have already covered in depth, and we came to see that, for the sake of communicating with us, we are informed that God dwells “in the heavens.” For an in-depth study read What And Where Is Heaven. Here are but a very few verses for the sake of this study.

Psa 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Psa 103:19  The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Psa 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Psa 123:1  Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

“God dwells in the heavens.” There it is! This tells us where God dwells. Can we believe and receive what this reveals about the location of heaven? Here is where heaven is; here is where God dwells:

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Heaven is not a physical, geographical planet because God is not a physical God. God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in Truth.

Joh 4:24 God is spirit, and those who are worshiping Him must be worshiping in spirit and truth.(CLV)

The King James Version has “God is a spirit,” but there is no article in the Greek. It reads simply, “God is spirit,” and we are plainly told:

2Ch 6:18  But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

God created the heavens and the earth. He does not need a physical location. He is spirit, and He dwells in His people. He dwells in heaven. “The spirit of God dwells in you!”

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

What are the cherubim?

We saw earlier that these beasts, the cherubims, are first mentioned in Genesis 3, when God placed them as the door- keepers of the tree of life. Just look at where else the Old Testament has these beasts. As we saw above, their revelation is in stages, starting with the Garden of Eden. In Eden and in the tabernacle and temple, there are only two cherubs, and in the tabernacle the cherubs have just two wings. However, there are four cherubs around the throne of God in Ezekiel, and each cherub has four wings. Here again is what Genesis reveals.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The wings are not even mentioned in Genesis. The next place we see these cherubims is in the tabernacle of Moses. God spoke to Moses “from between the two cherubims” which overshadowed the mercy seat. Here in Exodus the cherubs are given wings.

Exo 25:20  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

Exo 25:22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Num 7:89  And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

It is the function of the cherubims to “keep the way of the tree of life,” and as such they are on the doors of the temple of Solomon.

1Ki 6:23  And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
1Ki 6:24  And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
1Ki 6:25  And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
1Ki 6:26  The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
1Ki 6:27  And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
1Ki 6:28  And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
1Ki 6:29  And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
1Ki 6:30  And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
1Ki 6:31  And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.
1Ki 6:32  The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.

When God’s gold is “spread upon the cherubims” it is not covering our idols of our hearts, but it is serving as the channel through which others are brought to God.

In Solomon’s temple the cherubims were carved onto the two doors of the temple, to “guard the way of the tree of life” symbolized by the ark of God.

The next place we see these beasts, these cherubs, is once again around the throne of God, in Ezekiel 1:

Eze 1:1  Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

Both here in Ezekiel 1 and 10, when these creatures are mentioned, they are always seen around the throne of God and are in the midst of and handling the fire of God. In Ezekiel 10 and in Revelation they are only seen within the context of an “open heaven,” meaning a spiritual mind being opened and enlightened to see and understand spiritual knowledge.

Eze 1:4  And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Eze 1:5  Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
Eze 1:6  And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
Eze 1:7  And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
Eze 1:8  And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
Eze 1:9  Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
Eze 1:10  As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Eze 1:26  And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

These are the exact same animals mentioned in Revelation 4 and 5. In verse 20 of Ezekiel 10 we find that the spirit of the four creatures is also in four wheels:

Eze 10:1  Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
Eze 10:2  And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

Eze 10:16  And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.
Eze 10:17  When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
Eze 10:18  Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.
Eze 10:19  And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Eze 10:20  This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.
Eze 10:21  Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
Eze 10:22  And the likeness of their faces [was] the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.

Who is it who is around the throne of God saying holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty? According to Revelation 4, it is these four creatures. But in Isaiah 6 we see these same four creatures symbolized by one single creature “more subtle than any beast of the field,” and this time we see all six wings, just as they are given six wings in the book of Revelation, and they are performing all the same functions of being around God’s throne and handling the fire of God.

Isa 6:1  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Isa 6:2  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
Isa 6:3  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isa 6:4  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Isa 6:5  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Isa 6:6  Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
Isa 6:7  And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Isa 6:8  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Isa 6:9  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Isa 6:10  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Num 21 reveals that these seraphims are winged serpents.

Num 21:8  And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent [Hebrew: seraph], and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
Num 21:9  And Moses made a serpent [Hebrew: nachash, serpent] of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent [nachash] had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent [nachash] of brass, he lived.

We have seen that the four beasts and the four and twenty elders all sing a song, proclaiming for the whole world who they symbolize:

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

In Ezekiel and Isaiah, we have all the functions of the four beasts of Revelation chapters 4 and five. But in Ezekiel and Isaiah these accomplishments are split up between cherubs with four wings and seraphs with six wings. In Revelation these beasts are all combined into the four beasts with six wings who proclaim that God is holy and that they have been redeemed to God out of every nation and they will rule on earth. It comes as a shock for us to realize that even in the heavens we are made aware of our earthly origins as serpents and as beasts.

What is the function of these beasts. Yes, they are on the doors of the tabernacle of Moses and the doors of the temple of Solomon, but what does that signify?

In our next study we will see why these beasts are in the middle of and around the throne of God, and we will see why they have been chosen to rule with Christ on earth. We will see that Christ has chosen these four beasts and the twenty-four elders as His channel through which He will bring all men to Himself. We will see that these four beasts and twenty-four elders symbolize the Christ of Christ.

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

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Introduction

Psa 147:10  He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
Psa 147:11  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

That is the spiritual significance of the horse. Spiritually the ‘horse’ typifies the strength of man, and our Lord has “no pleasure in the legs of a man.” Look at what the scriptures say to us about our spiritual desire to have horses:

Deu 17:14  When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
Deu 17:15  Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Deu 17:16  But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Deu 17:17  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

This command is like “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it…” These verses in Deuteronomy 17 are a prophecy, words proceeding out of the mouth of God, by which we must now live.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

So what do we naturally do? We keep the name of being God’s people while we ignore what He says:

1Ki 10:26  And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
1Ki 10:28  And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
1Ki 10:29  And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out [of Egypt] by their means.

Horses are invariably mentioned in the context of waging wars

Jer 6:23  They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

Horses, in God’s Word, are powerful creatures within us. They are used both to destroy our flesh and to renew and build up our spirit. Like every other word, the ‘horse’ has both a positive and a negative application as a type of God’s Work which He is doing within us as we will see.

Christ has purchased our horses

Christ has paid the price for our whole world, including our horses. We may forget it at times, but the fact is that everything we are or have is actually just ours on loan.

1Ch 29:14  But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
1Ch 29:15  For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
1Ch 29:16  O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.

How has this come to be?

Gen 47:16  And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
Gen 47:17  And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.

What happens to our horses when we fail to realize whose they are?

We all have to be brought to see that our strength is not our strength. The only way to do this is for God to strip us of our strength.

Exo 9:1  Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:2  For if thou refuse to let [them] go, and wilt hold them still,
Exo 9:3  Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain [pestilence].
Exo 9:4  And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all [that is] the children’s of Israel.
Exo 9:5  And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.
Exo 9:6  And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

Exo 9:15  For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence [same word translated ‘murrain’ in verse 3]; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
Exo 9:16  And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
Exo 9:17  As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

It is only by stripping us of our strength that we can become strong.

Deu 11:7  But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.
Deu 11:4  And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and [how] the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;

He destroys the strength of the flesh “suddenly”

Jos 11:1  And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard [those things], that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
Jos 11:2  And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,
Jos 11:3  And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
Jos 11:4  And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that [is] upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
Jos 11:5  And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
Jos 11:6  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
Jos 11:7  So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
Jos 11:8  And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.

I will digress enough to ask just how “suddenly” do you suppose Israel “fell upon them?” The concept involved in Israel’s war with all of these overpowering forces is the same concept involved in this verse:

Isa 48:3  I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, [Hebrew: pith’ôm, instantly] and they came to pass.

How long did it take our Lord to “suddenly” speak this world into existence?

Exo 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Intellectual ‘horses’ who deny these words will be destroyed, and their destruction will take no longer than their creation. It will be “suddenly,” it will be instantly, just as Joshua and Israel fell on the Canaanite kings and just as God spoke “the former things from the beginning” into existence. Christ will just look at such powerful carnal intellects and ask them, “How, pray tell, would it glorify me to take thousands of years to create an interdependent world? The things I am doing all have a spiritual message to them. What is the spiritual message I am supposedly conveying in making the creation days into creation ages? The work I am doing is “a short work,” and when I qualify just how short is short, then listen to what I say. The evening and the morning were the first through the sixth days in which everything in heaven and in earth were created.”

Our intellect is but one of the powerful horses which must be subjected to the will and the words of God. All that receives its strength from anything but faith in God’s Words, are powerful horses which must be “houghed” and destroyed .

Jos 11:6  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough [hamstring] their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

The horses are to be neutralized, and their chariots are to be burned with the fire that is the Truth of God’s Word.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

God’s Word, Christ, is the center of every prophecy in scripture. Christ, His words, His doctrines, and His Christ are at the heart of every word of God, including the ‘horse’ in scripture. The white, the red, the black and the pale (green) horses of Revelation 6 are all the great powers of God, working the work of Christ in the lives of His creation. It takes a very powerful creature to make the point that is being made of the strength of these forces in our lives. Without these powerful creatures of warfare, the war would not be waged, but through these four powerul creatures, our whole lives are turned from death to life.

Job 39:18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
Job 39:19 Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Job 39:20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
Job 39:21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
Job 39:22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
Job 39:23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
Job 39:24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
Job 39:25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

God uses four horses to prepare us to receive the three woes of His judgment

These are not wild beasts. They are four horses. These are all Christ working in us. It is Christ who comes on a white horse to conquer, and conquer He will.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Rev 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Rev 6:3  And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:4  And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
Rev 6:5  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Rev 6:6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Rev 6:7  And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:8  And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts [therion – a dangerous, venomous, wild beast] of the earth.
Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.
Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Let’s analyze who these four horses are. Remember that horses are not wild animals, but they are used to wage war.

1) The white horse rider is Christ who comes to us riding a white horse, conquering our lives.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. [What does the white horse rider do?]

Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

2) Christ is the red horse rider. Christ tells us plainly that it is He who has come to take peace away from the earth. It is Christ who rides the red horse through our lives.

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. [What does the ‘red horse’ rider carry with him?]

Rev 6:4  And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

3) Christ is the black horse rider. He tells us the virgins in the kingdom have oil in their lamps, that He is the bread of life, the wine is His blood, and He tells us that the day will come when we will want to see Him and will not be able to find Him.

Mat 25:1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish.
Mat 25:3  They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world [but we squander our substance just as Christ foretold].

Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. [Meaning:]

Luk 15:14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. [What does the black horse rider do?]

Rev 6:5  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Rev 6:6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

4) Christ rides the fourth ‘pale,’ (green) horse. Christ destroys the devil through death, and tells us that all power is given Him in heaven and in earth:

Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. [What is this pale horse rider given? He is given power over a fourth part of the earth and over wild beasts]

Rev 6:7  And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:8  And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts [therion – a dangerous, venomous, wild beast] of the earth.

“His name… was death… and power was given him… to kill with death.”

What are we told of Christ? “All power [even the power over death] is given to me… that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man… that throught death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Horses are powerful beasts within each of us. We all take pride in our horses when we are the rider. But Christ takes no pleasure in us as the rider of our horses.
There are four horses in scripture which are used by Christ to open to us the revelation of Jesus Christ. These four horses are ridden by Christ to wage war within us. Christ is riding the white, red, black, and pale horses as He wages war against the powers and principalities within our heavens. Remember this whole vision is taking place within the heavens:

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

It is only through Christ riding the white horse throughout our lives that we are conquered. It is Christ who comes to take  peace from our ‘earth’ as the rider on the red horse. We squander our inheritance, and are in want of bread and oil as Christ rides a black horse through our lives.  Finally we “die daily” as Christ rides His pale horse through our lives. In doing so He is given  power over the wild beasts in our flesh.

It is all the opening of the first four seals of the book of “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” and only after these four horses have ridden through our lives are we then prepared for the judgment to be found in the judgments which comprise the last three seals of this book.

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.
Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The seven trumpet judgments are the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet is the seven plagues. The seven trumpets and the seven plagues are all found in the seventh of these seven seals of this revelation of Jesus Christ. It is Christ in us, as the four horsemen seals which prepares us for the judgment that follows.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

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Introduction

Pro 14:4  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

“Much increase is by the strength of the ox.” An ox is another very powerful animal. In early ancient Israel, the ox was the single most valuable animal one could own. As we learned in studying the horse, God had forbidden Israel to go to Egypt to buy horses, so the ox was the animal used to plow and to turn a mill or to do much of the heavy work that had to be done. To steal a man’s ox was just like stealing his livelihood. It was his most valuable possession, next to his servants and his wife.
The Hebrew word for ‘ox’ is ‘shore,’ Strong’s number H7794. It is translated into the English words ‘bullock, bull, cow, ox, and oxen.’
While the horse is a great powerful, muscular animal associated with warfare, the ox is a great powerful, muscular animal associated with service and production, and increase of wealth. All of these are, of course to be understood in spiritual terms. If there are no horses within, then there are no spiritual battles taking place, and if there is no ox within, then there is no spiritual increase. Both of these mighty beasts represent spiritual zeal to serve our Lord, one in the capacity of spiritual warfare, and the other in the capacity of service, to both God and our fellow man.
We are all given different forms of horses and oxen, but we all have both within, if indeed we are zealous to serve with our Lord, and to do battle for our Lord.
What is the value of an ox

Exo 22:1  If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
Exo 22:9  For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.

Note the difference in the penalty for stealing to increase one’s own wealth and for simply finding and keeping that which was lost. Remember this typical story?

A Biblical Example of stealing our brother’s livestock.

King David is God’s Old Testament type of our theft of His lamb, our rebellion and our self righteousness.

2Sa 12:1  And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2Sa 12:2  The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
2Sa 12:3  But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
2Sa 12:4  And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
2Sa 12:5  And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
2Sa 12:6  And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
2Sa 12:8  And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if [ that had been] too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
2Sa 12:9  Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife [ to be] thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
2Sa 12:11  Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
2Sa 12:12  For thou didst [ it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
2Sa 12:13  And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
2Sa 12:14  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

As with our Savior, the innocent died for the guilty, and the life of the guilty is spared. We have been made master over sin in our lives, we are blessed beyond measure and we still are not satisfied. We are the man who takes from Christ in order to please the people. If you read this story and all you see is Nathan pointing his finger at David, then “Thou art the man”  mean nothing to you and has no significance for you.
How do we kill our neighbor’s ox? How do we steal our neighbor’s ox or his “little ewe lamb?” We are all guilty of doing so when we subscribe to the doctrine of  ‘agreement in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials.’ We are thieves and murderers as long as we serve our own flesh, “fear the people,” and remain in Babylon retaining her doctrines. We are less so in direct proportion to our desire to be clean of all spiritual filthiness with no regard for the outward price we may have to pay.

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Exo 23:4  If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

“Thine enemy’s” means your own flesh, enemy. This is not to be taken as a Gentile enemy. If you came across the livestock of your Gentile enemy, not only were you to take possession his livestock, but you were to destroy your Gentile enemy. Under certain circumstances you were to destroy him and “everything that breathes.”  We are not here, being encouraged to “agree on the essentials and tolerate the nonessentials.” Christ did not come to bring peace. He did come to bring a sword, and if we are not willing to use that sword, we are doing nothing less then stealing, killing and destroying our own fellow man to whom we think we are showing love by our tolerance of the filth of this world.
“Ox or sheep or…” The ox is almost always mentioned first. That is because it was the first and most important animal on the farm in ancient Israel. It was what sustained the family.

How we are to view our brother’s ox

Considering how much we depend on our own ox for our own welfare, how are we to treat our brother’s ox? We saw this earlier in Exo 23, regarding our enemies ox.

Deu 22:1  Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.
Deu 22:2  And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.
Deu 22:3  In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.
Deu 22:4  Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

Here is the spiritual application of restoring your brother’s ox or his sheep:

1Pe 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

Our oxen, like our horses, and all of our livestock, are actually God’s.

Exo 34:19  All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
Psa 50:10  For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

When we offer our ox or any offering, it must be offered upon the cross

The altar is the cross of Christ. ‘The cross’ is the death of pride and vanity. Any offering which is not on the cross of Christ, amounts to an offering offered to another god, the god of pride and rebellion.

Lev 17:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 17:2  Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying,
Lev 17:3  What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
Lev 17:4  And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:
Lev 17:5  To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.
Lev 17:6  And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Lev 17:7  And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

“Devils” are spirits. And when a spirit is tried and found to be a false spirit, it is found to be a lie. It may be “in the camp” or it may be “out of the camp,” both are still in rebellion to the commandment of the Lord. Believing a lie is spiritually “offering a sacrifice to a devil.”

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

We have seen that where no spiritul oxen are, the spiritual crib is clean: but much spiritual increase is by the strength of the spiritual ox.
We have seen that this makes the ox the most valuable animal on the farm, and critical for the welfare of all on the farm.
We have seen that the strength of the ox is demonstrated by the strong zeal we have to place obedience to our heavenly Father above the concerns of the things of this temporal world.

Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Joh 2:17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

We have seen  the scriptures reveal that we all steal our brother’s ox, along with his other livestock when we place our desire to please men above our fear of God and our desire to please Him. Nathan tells us that serving our guests at the expense of our poor neighbor’s livestock instead of our own, is “despising the commandment of the Lord.”
This is especially egregious when we stop to realize that all our livestock is really the Lord’s and not ours at all.
Finally we also saw that we cannot come to our Lord with any pretense of bringing something to the table. We come only with a full realization that our righteousnesses are but filthy rags.

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

We saw that if we come before the Lord with our concerns for what others might think, and with the accompanying self righteousness which always comes with a people pleasing spirit, that we are guilty of killing and offering our ox anywhere but upon the cross of Christ. The cross is God’s altar, upon which the beast of ‘self’ must be sacrificed.

Lev 17:7  And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

Next week we will see a Biblical example of both stealing our brother’s ox and an example of offering our offering anywhere besides “on the altar, the door of the tabernacle.” We will see how doing so amounts to “offering to devils.”

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

Audio Links

Animals – The Ox, Part 2

Introduction

Pro 14:4  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

Last week we saw the Hebrew word for ox is also translated as bullock, bull, cow or oxen. We also established that the spiritual significance of the ox in scripture is as the symbol of that part of us which God uses to increase our spiritual welfare and wealth. It is that part of our spirit which works tirelessly to get the job done. It was by the strength of the ox that the rich man was able to tear down his old barns and build new ones to house his riches:

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luk 12:16  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Yes, even the ox has a negative application in the word of God. When all of our efforts are spent to preserve and provide for the flesh at the exclusion of the things of the spirit, we will soon learn that we have wasted our lives trying to save the very symbol of corruption, the flesh, which cannot be saved.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

The ox, in its symbolism, very closely parallels the Hebrew word ‘charuts,’ one of the six Hebrew words translated ‘gold.’ Charuts appears six times translated as gold, but it is also translated ‘diligent’ five times. What connection has gold to the ox? Only that the word charuts also has the meaning of diligence.

חרץ / חרוּץ
chârûts
BDB Definition:
1) sharp-pointed, sharp, diligent (adjective)
2) strict decision, decision (noun masculine)
3) trench, moat, ditch (noun masculine)
4) gold (poetical) (noun masculine)
Part of Speech: see above in Definition

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: passive participle of H2782
Total KJV Occurrences: 19
gold, 6
Pro 3:13-14 (2), Pro 8:10, Pro 8:19, Pro 16:16, Zec 9:3
diligent, 5
Pro 10:3-4 (2), Pro 12:24, Pro 12:27, Pro 21:4-5 (2)
decision, 2
Joe 3:14 (2)
sharp, 2
Job 41:30, Isa 41:15
threshing, 2
Isa 28:27, Amo 1:3
pointed, 1
Job 41:30
wall, 1
Dan 9:25

The symbolism of the ox is that of tireless diligence and service in the things of the spirit. It is “by the strength of the ox” that we fill up our spiritual “cribs” and “by the strength of the ox” that we “buy gold tried in the fire” and “lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven.”

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal [negative application of the ox]:
Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

You can have a clean crib, but you will have no ox. In other words, we can either starve to death or be well fed. We are either poor or we are rich. It all depends upon the presence of the ox within us.

In our last study we saw that we can and do offer the greatest sacrifice possible to give to God. We can and we do offer an ox to God, but if when we offer that offering anywhere other than “the door of the tabernacle,” meaning on the altar at the door of the tabernacle, on the selfless cross of Christ, we are not going to be accepted by God.

This week we will see 1) Why the priest was given certain parts of the sacrifice of an ox, 2) Why the ox is first, both in the order in which the sacrifices are mentioned in scripture and in order of value as that which we offer to our Lord. 3) Finally we will see another graphic Biblical example of how we all steal our own brother’s ox, we all prefer to make our offering to our Lord in the way and in the place we choose, instead of the way and place we have been instructed. It is all written to show us that same stubborn attitude is within the beast within us all.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

The priest’s part of an ox which is sacrificed

Deu 18:3  When you sacrifice a bull or sheep, the priests will be given the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach.

Yes, it was the same for any sacrifice. The priest was given that part which signifies the parts which give us direction and movement, that is our legs, which give us expression, our mouths, and that part which signifies our meditation or rumination, the stomach of a clean beast. These are all given, without hesitation, to Christ, our high priest.

Christ has no use for any service we might give Him which has not been offered in accord with His directives. What this means is that our service to our Lord must be in accord with His Word or it is an offering which was killed somewhere other than the altar (the cross) of our Lord. Any such offerings are offered in rebellion and will not be accepted by our High Priest. We could give the priest the required parts, but if they were not offered on the altar at the door of the tabernacle, then we are guilty of failing to see what is the significance of the shoulder, the jaws and the stomach.

The ox is the first beast mentioned as being good for food

Deu 14:4  These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
Deu 14:5  The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg [antelope], and the wild ox, and the chamois [gazelle].
Deu 14:6  And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

Any “strong meat” which is fit for food cannot be taken from words which are “above that which is written.” Any “strong meat” which is fit to be consumed for nourishment must have two witnesses as their foundation. Those witnesses will be “things new and old.”

Mat 13:52  Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The Greek here is “shall have been bound… and shall have been loosed.” It was all written in God’s book before we were ever born:

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

Another example of  both ‘stealing our brother’s ox’ and failing to bring our offering to “the door of the tabernacle.’

1Sa 15:1  Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
1Sa 15:2  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
1Sa 15:3  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
1Sa 15:4  And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
1Sa 15:5  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
1Sa 15:6  And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
1Sa 15:7  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
1Sa 15:8  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
1Sa 15:9  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
1Sa 15:10  Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

King Saul in type is not someone else. We are King Saul long before we become King David, “a man after God’s own heart.” We simply cannot bring ourselves to utterly destroy our own flesh. We tell ourselves and we believe that flesh and this physical realm are not sin in and of themselves. After all, it has so many good features. It simply cannot be looked on as sin in and of itself. When we take this attitude, and we reserve parts of our flesh to serve God as we see fit, what is God’s reaction?

1Sa 15:11  It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1Sa 15:12  And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

Here are a couple other versions of this verse:

(MKJV)  And when Samuel rose up early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told to Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a place for himself, and has gone around and passed on and gone down to Gilgal.
(MSG)  He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, “Saul’s gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal.” By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to GOD.

This is what John refers to as “losing your first love.”

Rev 2:1  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 2:2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

King Saul had “lost his first love” and repented not. What happened next?

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? [What are all these false doctrines, I am hearing in my ear, which you equate to “performing the commandment of the Lord?”]
1Sa 15:15  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
1Sa 15:16  Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
1Sa 15:17  And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
1Sa 15:18  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
1Sa 15:19  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
1Sa 15:20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
1Sa 15:21  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

King Saul thought like we all think. He thought that doing 50 to 90 percent of what God said was enough. King Saul had bought into “agreement in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials.” It was simply not practical to do what God said to do, down to the last detail, when that meant that the people would not like you if you were that much of a fanatic about “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” So instead of being a leader, King  Saul became a politician, and a people pleaser, and what was God’s  reaction to His anointed becoming a servant of men?

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
1Sa 15:24  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
1Sa 15:25  Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.
1Sa 15:26  And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
1Sa 15:27  And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
1Sa 15:28  And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

This is all a story about the kingdom of God. What do we know about what is that kingdom?

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

So both of these, the rejected anointed and the “new man,” the “man after God’s own heart,” are both within us all. However, the “old man,” God’s rejected anointed, cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

1Sa 15:29  And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
1Sa 15:30  Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.
1Sa 15:31  So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
1Sa 15:32  Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
1Sa 15:33  And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
1Sa 15:34  Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
1Sa 15:35  And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

We all honor ourselves for our self-righteous rebellion against what the natural man sees as the unloving laws and sayings and commandments of God. By following the people instead of leading them according to what the Lord had said, Saul was guilty of stealing the people’s oxen, while thinking he was doing God a service by keeping the oxen of the Amalekites. He was also guilty of failing to bring his offering to the altar of the door of the tabernacle. He preferred to offer his ox to God in the camp, but God would have no part of King Saul’s disobedience to His word.

This admonition in Matthew 18:15 -18 is but one more of “the commandments of the Lord” which have no place in Babylon, within or without. It is much easier to “listen to the people” instead of God, and the people will always convince us that it is simply more loving to ‘agree on the essentials and tolerate the nonessentials.’ It is simply easier to just go along to get along with the people, and it just seems more loving to the natural man to ignore God’s sayings rather than become separated from our brothers by obeying “every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

What we have learned today is that the ox of scripture is within us, as a tireless servant to increase our spiritual wealth. It never tires in giving to it neighbors or its enemies, of the “love of God.” On the other hand we have seen that we can and do steal our brother’s ox when we fail to undertand what is the love of God, when we fail to “love God and keep His commandments.”

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

We have seen that when we do anything we do, to keep from losing our friends in this life, instead of doing it to glorify God, we are really killing and offering our sacrifice within or without the camp, both being in rebellion to the commandment of our Lord, and somewhere other than at the altar of God which is “before the door of the tabernacle.”

We have learned that the ox and all clean meats, with the cloven hooves, teach us that we must never speak above that which is written:

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think [of men] above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

We have seen that the horse is God’s symbol for the spiritual battle being waged in our heavens, but the ox is the symbol of Christ in us serving our fellow man and our Lord. Both reveal a great, and powerful zeal to serve in our Father’s house:

Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Joh 2:17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

Christ in us is a bull in a Babylonian china shop, and we are guaranteed to be “hated of all men.”

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Next week, Lord willing, we will see that the ‘ox,’ along with three other beasts, is “in the midst of and around the throne of God.” And we will see once again who are these four beasts and why they are four.

Rev 4:6  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Rev 4:7  And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

Animals in Scripture – Wolves

[Study Aired April 7, 2008]

Introduction

Like every word of Scripture, the creatures of God’s Word have nothing at all to do with their spiritual counterparts, except as they are used to show us the mind of God concerning the “things of the spirit.” In scripture, like so many of the creatures of scripture, wolves have a generally negative application which helps us to see the different aspects of the beast which we all are. We are not one beast versus another. Rather, the book of Revelation has given us to understand that all of the beasts of Daniel are all really just types of one single beast with the heads of all the beasts mentioned in Daniel. In other words, we are brought by the sum of God’s word to see that we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Dan 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
Dan 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

When we come to understand the principle Christ reveals of “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” it becomes clear why the beast of Revelation just happens to have all the same qualities of the four beasts of Daniel 7. When we see that we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, it becomes clear that all of those consecutive kingdoms of Daniel are alive and well within each of us.

This is not just true of these four kingdoms. It is also true of all of the people of the Old Testament. When we see that we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, we find that we have within each of us Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Enoch and those seeking his life, Noah and those who laughed at and belittled his message, Abraham and Pharaoh, Isaac and Abimelech, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and His brothers, etc. etc.

We are brought to see that within us are Moses and Pharaoh, Moses and Korah, those who died in the wilderness, and those who entered into the land, all of the judges and their adversaries, all of the kings of both Judah and Israel, all of the prophets and all those to whom they were sent as witnesses.

In the New Testament we see that within we are both the Christ and those who seek His life and the life of His Christ. All of God’s word is about the good news of the kingdom of God, and when our eyes are opened and we are given ears that can hear, we finally come to see that “the kingdom of God is within you.”

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

What just so happens to be the subject of every one of Christ’s parables?

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

Christ’s parables hide from the multitudes “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” ‘It is not given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven… which is within you.’

The part of that mystery with which we are concerned today is the spiritual function of a wolf, which wolf we all are in our appointed time.

The positive application of a wolf in scripture

Like “the lion of the tribe of Judah”, a wolf is of great spiritual value if it is ravening over our flesh, devouring our flesh and bringing us to the destruction of that beast within. As we have seen before, Joseph gave his brother Benjamin most favored brother status when he revealed himself to his brothers:

Gen 45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver, and five changes of raiment.

Thus Benjamin represents God’s most favored elect, as demonstrated in Genesis 49 where Jacob, in blessing each of his sons, has this to say about Benjamin:

Gen 49:27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

God’s elect are His channel for the destruction of all flesh in the symbolic “lake of fire”. It is God’s elect who “shall ravin as a wolf” over the flesh and all that appeals to this world.

The negative application of a wolf or wolves

It is also wolves which ‘ravin’ over God’s elect. Just for the sake of clarity, here is Webster’s definition of ‘ravening.’

RAV’ENING, ppr. Preying with rapacity; voraciously devouring; as a ravening wolf.
RAV’ENING, n. Eagerness for plunder.

As the scriptures affirm:

Eze 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Eze 22:27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves [zeeb: H2061] ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
Eze 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
Eze 22:29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
Eze 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Eze 22:31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Spiritual wolves “place no difference between the clean and the unclean… say thus saith the Lord God, When the Lord hath not spoken.” Spiritual wolves use oppresion, exercise robbery, vex the poor and needy, and oppress the stranger wrongfully.”

If we think that one word of these prophecies is for that Pharisee over there or that Babylonian minister out there deceiving so many people, with absolutely no personal application either now or ever, then we don’t even know to whom these prophecies are addressed.

Zep 1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

All of God’s people “come out of Babylon”, and Babylon is “that great city wherein our Lord was crucified”. That is “the oppressing city”.

Zep 3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Zep 3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
Zep 3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Zep 3:4 Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

I cannot tell you what a revelation it was when I came to see that the “great city wherein our Lord was crucified” was the same city as “that great city which rules over the kings of the earth… the great harlot who rules over the kings of the earth.”

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Can any of us deny that the great city “where also our Lord was crucified” is within each of us? Did not we crucify our Lord? Did He not die for our sins?

Zep 3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Zep 3:3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Zep 3:4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Wolves and the color yellow

The Hebrew word translated ‘wolf and wolves’ is:

H2061
ze’e b
zeh- abe’
From an unused root meaning to be yellow; a wolf: – wolf.

Jer 5:6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf [H2061: zeeb] of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

What is the Hebrew word for yellow?

H6669
tsa ho b
tsaw- obe’
From H6668; golden in color: – yellow.

Lev 13:30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow [H666: tsahob] thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

The holy spirit connects “a wolf of the evenings” with the “yellow hair” associated with leprosy.

Wolves in the New Testament

G3074
λυκος
lukos
loo’- kos

The word is a Greek word, but the spiritual meaning and function are the same:

Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

The ‘wolves’ of verse 16 are the ‘men’ of verse 17, who “will deliver you up to councils (Greek: sanhedrins – church councils),” where God’s elect are “scourged in their synagogues”.

Joh 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Spiritual wolves ‘catch and devour and scatter the sheep.’

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

“Ravening wolves” are all false prophets, and all false prophets are ravening wolves. A minister does not need to strip you of your physical possessions to destroy and devour you spiritually.

Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

We have all been grievous wolves, not sparing the flock, ravening over the prey, as we lived by and taught false doctrines in our own “appointed time”.

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Conclusion

I hope none of us have heard or read this study and have come away thinking how fortunate we are never to have been a ravening wolf, a grievous wolf, or a wolf in sheep’s clothing, scattering and devouring our father’s flock. I hope that we all see that we have lived these words and are in the process of living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Rev 1:3 Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

What is the result of living by and keeping every word of the prophecies of this book? Here is what has been done in those who see what the function for the wolf and for every other word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is:

Isa 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Dust will always be the serpent’s meat, because we are all, in our appointed time, “turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” But as we “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”, we come to know the peace that passes all understanding:

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand.
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]