What is satan

[Traveler]

Leviathan

The most interesting part about this creature called leviathan is the amount of scripture that is actually devoted to him. There is good reason, what we are probably looking at is satan himself. Or members of his own species. In fact here a whole chapter is devoted to him which is worth while breaking down into smaller sections.

It is quite obvious that what is being described here is a mythological dragon. And it is interesting to note that satan is referred to as a dragon in the book of revelation.

Job 41:1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
Job 41:2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
Job 41:3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
Job 41:4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
Job 41:5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Job 41:6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
Job 41:7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
Job 41:8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

From that passage it is being insinuated that this creature is a living entity. The challenge is the suggestion that men are to try and tame him or capture him or kill him.

“Remember the battle, do no more,” means that you can try but you will never try again!

Job 41:9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
Job 41:10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
Job 41:11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

Here the Lord is pointing something out. Even though this creature is beyond the reach of men it is not beyond his reach. He is using the creature as a testament to his own strength and power. The Lord points out that everything under heaven is his.

Job 41:12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
Job 41:13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
Job 41:14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
Job 41:15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
Job 41:16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
Job 41:17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
Job 41:18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
Job 41:19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
Job 41:20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
Job 41:21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
Job 41:22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
Job 41:23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
Job 41:24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
Job 41:25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
Job 41:26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
Job 41:27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
Job 41:28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
Job 41:29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
Job 41:30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
Job 41:31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
Job 41:32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

And there we have the classical description of a fire breathing dragon. A creature that is described as being just at home in the sea as on land. Lucifer is described as once walking and having his abode among the stones of fire.

Job 41:33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
Job 41:34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

The interesting thing to note here is that this creature is the king over all creatures of pride. The main sin that separates from the kingdom of God. This therefore implies that this is the ruler of the rebellion.

Strong’s concordance defines this name as follows.

H3882
לויתן
livyâ?thâ?n
liv-yaw-thawn'
From H3867; a wreathed animal, that is, a serpent (especially the crocodile or some other large sea monster); figuratively the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of Babylon: - leviathan, mourning.

Now it is interesting to note that Leviathan and the dragons are not just a subject of the Book of Job. There are some interesting things mentioned about this creature and other members of his species in the book of Psalms. Here there is the lament that God is abandoning Israel and withdrawing from them and not defending his own name.

Psa 74:9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
Psa 74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
Psa 74:11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
Psa 74:12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Psa 74:13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
Psa 74:14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
Psa 74:15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
Psa 74:16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

Now the interesting thing here is that this has both a literal and spiritual interpretations. On the literal side there is the passage of note in verse 13 where there is the claim of many dragons having their heads broken along with Leviathan who is the main and largest one. Pointing to the idea of a whole herd of them.

But the spiritual interpretation is also very interesting.

Now the sea is taken as the mass of humanity. To divide the sea is to separate humanity into their separate nations. To break the heads of the dragons in the waters is to break the centres of power of the demons amongst the people. To break the head of Leviathan is to break the power centre of the Chief demon and to give him as meat to those in the wilderness is to divide his spoils to those that are lost. The whole thing is a veiled prediction of the redemption.

But the interesting thing is that if you take these verses from out of Isaiah and apply the spiritual interpretation then you get a prediction of the establishment of the church age. Or the age of grace after satans power gets broken.

Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Isa 27:2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.
Isa 27:3 I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
Isa 27:4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
Isa 27:5 Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.
Isa 27:6 He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

But the interesting thing is that even in New Testament times the comparison between the dragon and satan is maintained. Though in revelation it speaks more in natural terms than spiritual. Again in this case it may be a good idea to break the passage down into smaller bits.

Rev 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

That refers to Jacob and his 12 sons that formed the twelve tribes of Israel. That is where the chain of events started that led to the coming of the Messiah that led to the earth redemption.

Rev 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

It was this nation that was to bring forth the Messiah. Jesus Christ.

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.
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.

This identifies just who satan is. The dragon that cause a fall of a third part of the heavens. Satan did indeed try to destroy Christ right from his birth. Through King Herod all children in Bethlehem under 2 years old were killed in an effort to kill Jesus.

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.

Jesus is the male child that is destined to rule the nations with a rod of iron and he has indeed been caught up to the throne at the ascension and the nation of Israel was indeed scattered in the wilderness.

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.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Well the war in the heavens is underway and satan is indeed being cast to the earth and Christ does indeed reign as all power has been given to him and the redeemed do indeed overcome satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.

The conclusion is that leviathan is the species that Lucifer who is now called Satan is derived from. They are a species of dragons. A part of the creation that went wrong and rebelled through pride.