In the Bible, the term "beasts" is used in various contexts, often symbolizing different aspects of creation, human nature, and spiritual realities. The word can refer to literal animals, symbolic creatures in visions, or metaphorical representations of empires and spiritual entities.

Literal Beasts:

In the creation narrative, God creates beasts as part of the animal kingdom. Genesis 1:24-25 states, "And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so." Here, beasts are part of God's good creation, serving various roles in the ecosystem and human life.

The Mosaic Law contains numerous references to beasts, particularly in the context of dietary laws and sacrifices. Leviticus 11 outlines clean and unclean animals, guiding the Israelites in their dietary practices. Beasts also play a role in sacrificial rituals, as seen in Leviticus 1:2 : "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, you may bring as your offering an animal from the herd or the flock."

Symbolic Beasts:

In prophetic literature, beasts often symbolize kingdoms, empires, or spiritual forces. The Book of Daniel contains visions of beasts representing successive empires. Daniel 7:3-7 describes four great beasts, each different from the others, emerging from the sea. These beasts symbolize the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires, illustrating their power and influence over the earth.

The Book of Revelation also uses beast imagery to convey spiritual truths and future events. Revelation 13 introduces two beasts: one from the sea and one from the earth. The sea beast is often interpreted as a representation of a political power or empire, while the earth beast is seen as a false prophet or religious authority. Revelation 13:1 states, "Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads."

Metaphorical Beasts:

Beasts are sometimes used metaphorically to describe human nature or behavior. In Ecclesiastes 3:18-19 , Solomon reflects on the similarities between humans and beasts, stating, "I said to myself concerning the sons of men, 'God has surely tested them to show them that they are but beasts.' For the fate of both the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same." This passage highlights the mortality and earthly nature shared by humans and animals.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul uses beast imagery to describe spiritual adversaries. In 1 Corinthians 15:32 , he writes, "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" Here, "wild beasts" may refer to hostile opponents or spiritual challenges faced during his ministry.

Conclusion:

The concept of beasts in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing literal animals, symbolic representations of empires and spiritual forces, and metaphorical descriptions of human nature. Through these varied uses, the Bible communicates profound truths about God's creation, human existence, and the unfolding of divine plans in history.2423. cheva -- beast
cheva or chevah. 2422b, 2423. cheva or chevah. 2424 . beast. Transliteration:
cheva or chevah Phonetic Spelling: (khay-vaw') Short Definition: beasts. ...
/hebrew/2423.htm - 6k

Difficulty of Believing Original Sin. Man's vice is a Beast's ...
... Book II. On Original Sin. Chapter 46."Difficulty of Believing Original
Sin. Man's Vice is a Beast's Nature. No one should feel ...
/.../anti-pelagian writings/chapter 46 difficulty of believing original.htm

Chapter ix
... Nor is there danger that the eating or the drinking of blood lets the beast's soul
find entrance into man's soul, and that so man would become more brutish. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter ix.htm

Revelation of John.
... a voice saying to me: The appearance of his face is dusky; [2562] the hairs of his
head are sharp, like darts; his eyebrows like a wild beast's; his right eye ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/revelation of john/revelation of john.htm

Idolatry Condemned by Baptism. To Make an Idol Is, in Fact, to ...
... able to be worshipped, do worship; and you worship, not with the spirit of some
worthless perfume, but with your own; nor at the expense of a beast's soul, but ...
/.../tertullian/on idolatry/chapter vi idolatry condemned by baptism.htm

The Dream of the Tree Cut Down
... wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass
of the earth: let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/vi the dream of the.htm

Manes Said: not all Receive the Word of God...
... said: Now, surely it would be an absurd procedure, my hearers, if a shepherd who
dreaded the inroad of a lion were to expose to the beast's devouring fury a ...
/.../the acts of the disputation with the heresiarch manes/25 manes said not all.htm

True Greatness
... wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass
of the earth: let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 42 true greatness.htm

The Master of the Magicians.
... wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the grass
of the earth; let his heart be changed from a man's, and let a beast's heart be ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxxii the master of.htm

After Eutropius Having Been Found Outside the Church had Been ...
... For if thou art inside the fold the wolf does not enter: but if thou goest outside,
thou art liable to be the wild beast's prey: yet this is not the fault of ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ii after eutropius having.htm

Psalm CXXX.
... [5567] He was not only beneath the waves, but also in the entrails of the beast;
nevertheless, those waves and that body prevented not his prayer from reaching ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxxx.htm

Beast's (1 Occurrence)
...Beast's (1 Occurrence). Daniel 4:16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let
a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. ...
/b/beast's.htm - 6k

Beat (85 Occurrences)
... Exodus 9:25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in
the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and ...
/b/beat.htm - 35k

Beasts (241 Occurrences)
... Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field,
and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would ...
/b/beasts.htm - 40k

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