What is Leviathan in the book of Job?

Krypto · Mighty Morphin Prayer Warrior

What is Leviathan in the book of Job?

Tiffany · Senior Member

Dearest Steve; Personally though I don't know what a leviathan is, I see many types and shadows of things pertaining to oter scripture. An example of this is verse 15: His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. When I see that I think about Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. I remember how it says in Acts 9:18 when Ananias laid hands on Paul and prayed for him: And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptised. When I see that I think of pride being the scales that blind a person to the gospel of Christ. So to me I recognise the scales as pride and the eyes as the spirit. With the scales of pride blinding the eyes to the spiritual things of God. As for leviathan, that I can't say. As for spiritual things to glorify the lord and/or teach us spiritual things, that I can believe. May God bless you. Love, Samantha.

Date: Wed Mar 15 11:26 AM, 2006

From what I have researched on this...it appears to be a sea-going dinosaur, like a pleisosaur (please forgive me if I misspell it). But some of my other resources say that it is probably a crocodile. But the story of Leviathan actually has its beginnings in ancient Babylonian creation stories. It is just used here by God as a reference to His own might and power over the chaos from which He made the universe.

Jeffrey

Krypto · Mighty Morphin Prayer Warrior

The Book of Job also talks about a Behemoth.

Was behemoth a dinosar?

Could behemoth be a dinosaur?

I don't know if these things were dinosaurs or not, but I'm open to everyones interpretation of this. But one of the links above, emphasizes my question:

It can't be a mythical creature, because God was comparing Job's power to that of behemoth's. If someone compared your personality with that of a fazzurky, it would mean nothing to you. Fazzurkies don't exist. It would seem ridiculous. We know God is never ridiculous, so behemoth obviously wasn't a mythical creature.

Which doesn't answer my question, but emphasizes it: If God is speaking to Job metaphorically, why would he do so if no one knows what these things are?

Rev Mike · Veteran Member

me on a fat day

Mama Lisa · Thu Mar 16 3:40 PM, 2006

I love Mike!!!

Darrel · Guru

I want to bring up something, which will make us think...seriously.

If Leviathan did exist...think of this. No man could catch him. It struck fear in the hearts of man. No weapon could bring any harm to it.
Anyway, with all of this might...it just got me thinking of a very weird concept.

Perhaps in that time, a creature named Leviathan did exist. A monster of the seas. And, what if there were many people on the Earth who worshipped other gods? Like the sun god, or the sea god, or the tree god, or the moon god??
Well, what I'm getting at...is that Leviathan maybe was created to instill such fear in those people, to make them worship the ONE TRUE GOD. Does that make sense?

I'm not putting down anything near the lines of what I am thinking. But, what I REALLY was trying to get at was this:

Since Leviathan couldn't ever be caught by man...
What if Leviathan was God? What if God took that form to prove something to man? That He couldn't be caught. That He couldn't be made into something tangible.

Thoughts??

Darrel

-- Edited by Darrel at 07:17, 2006-03-17

Krypto · Mighty Morphin Prayer Warrior

You make some good points Darrel. I just love studying and asking questions concerning the old testament. Even though we will never truly know the answers, it still is enriching to seek, ask and compare thoughts, isn't it?

But can you imagine if leviathan and a behemoth were actual dinosaurs? I still hope to ask around elsewhere and gather opinions, if only for stimulating bible conversation....

Steve

Krypto · Mighty Morphin Prayer Warrior

I thought this was interesting to share; it's from 2 Baruch chapter 29 from the Apocrypha and Pseudeipgrapha of the Old Testament

29 1 And He answered and said unto me: 'Whatever will then befall (will befall) the whole earth; 2 therefore all who live will experience (them). For at that time I will protect only those who are 3 found in those self-same days in this land. And it shall come to pass when all is accomplished that 4 was to come to pass in those parts, that the Messiah shall then begin to be revealed. And Behemoth shall be revealed from his place and Leviathan shall ascend from the sea, those two great monsters which I created on the fifth day of creation, and shall have kept until that time; and then they shall 5 be for food for all that are left.