This lesson covers the figurative meaning of “beasts” and the three types of animals used symbolically in biblical prophecy – those representing betrayal, destruction, and salvation.

Beasts refer to false pastors or those who lack true understanding of God’s word. They act solely on instinct, cannot reason, have no hope for the future, cannot speak truth, and are consumed with mere survival.

The flow of end-time prophecy involves first a rebellion/betrayal, then a man of lawlessness bringing destruction, followed finally by the day of the Lord’s salvation.

Animals representing betrayal are dogs, pigs, and lost sheep – those who turn away from the truth after receiving it.

Animals of destruction are predators like wolves, lions, leopards, bears – false teachers who devour the betrayers who are now unprotected.

Animals of salvation are lambs/sheep (the obedient), oxen (hard workers for God’s Word), and horses (riding into spiritual battle).

The lesson emphasizes striving to be the obedient, hardworking, spiritually-fighting believers prepared for the Lord’s coming, armed with the true, opened Word.

 

Study Guide SCJ Bible Study

Secrets of Heaven: Figurative Beast

(3 Types of Animals in Prophecy)

One thing I want to mention about the word before we get started for today is how we should think about what we'll be learning. Not everything in the Bible is pleasant. There are quite a few things in the Bible that are difficult, hard to read, and of course, hard to understand as well. But God tells us the unpleasant things so that we do not experience them or can avoid them or can learn from them. So today, we'll be going over content that will be hard but important, so that we are ready and we don't do the things that we read about here in the scripture.

However, we'll also look at things that we should do. So this lesson is about self-reflection and not about any kind of offense. Please keep that in mind as we're going over the topic for today.

The content for today will have two main areas. First, we'll talk about the figurative Beast and what that means because we know that beasts appear in Revelation, so we are prepared and ready.

And then, in the second part of the lesson, we'll talk about three types of animals that we typically see in Prophecy. Remember "OPAGH": Objects, People, and Animals will be today's topic. Geographic locations and historical events will be in the next lesson.

So, what is a figurative Beast?

Beasts (in moral teachings) are False Pastors and people who do not understand the word.

The word is a powerful weapon, is it not? It's compared to a sword in Hebrews 4:12. And in Ephesians 6:17, it has power. But if someone does not understand the weapon they are wielding, they can do a lot of damage with that sword, with that weapon. And in Revelation 13, which we will get to, we see a beast that has a particular kind of power. You will understand this more in this lesson.

The second one is animals in Prophecy. And they represent people. And these people come in three categories or three types (B, D, S).

Our Hope for today is to be a sheep-like believer, not in our own eyes or another person's eyes, but in God's eyes. Why? So that we can be those who understand His word and live according to His word, act according to His word.

Figurative Beast

Main Reference

In Revelation 13, we see a prophecy about a particular beast that appears. Have you ever encountered a beast with seven heads and ten horns, resembling a lion, a leopard, and a bear? These are land animals. Yet, what are they doing? Coming out of the sea. Quite a strange sight for the Apostle John to witness. However, by this point in the course, I hope you understand that this should not be taken literally.

God is very logical and uses words intentionally for a reason. He does not speak carelessly or accidentally. Let us emulate God in this way. Let us use our words wisely and intentionally, speaking clearly, especially when it comes to the word of God.

We see a lion, a leopard, and a bear coming out of the sea. By understanding this lesson, we will comprehend what this means, what it refers to, and how we can avoid this type of beast. We will also learn how to discern if this beast has already appeared or not.

As we know, the title suggests that the term "beast" in these teachings represents a false pastor or someone who does not understand the word correctly. So, let me ask you this.

Why is a beast equaling a person who does not understand the word?

Let us examine some characteristics of beasts so that we can comprehend why a person may be likened to a beast in Prophecy. 

Jude draws a comparison to a group of people who speak abusively. He points out that these people do not engage in reasoning. Instead, they act on instinct, like beasts. And what is their behavior? 

Rather than attempting to understand, rather than trying to reason like a human, they instead try to destroy what they do not comprehend. 

Let us examine these physical characteristics of beasts so that we can ensure we are not individuals who exhibit such traits.

Physical Characteristics of Beast

Romans 1:20 and Hosea 12:10

God uses creation to explain Himself so that we are without excuse. We can understand physically what beasts are like. So now we can understand spiritual beasts because they'll have the same characteristics. This is also important for Revelation, as stated in Hosea 12:10. What did God say in Hosea 12:10?

"I spoke to the prophets, like Apostle John. I gave them many visions like the Book of Revelation, and told parables through them - beast, sea, lion, leopard, bear, heads, horns - all parables, all of which we will study."

So, what are the characteristics of a beast?

1. Beasts cannot reason. They can only act on instinct.

Because of this, when something happens, instead of taking a step back, observing, processing, and analyzing, they act immediately. Everything is about survival for them. If they're scared, they run. If they're scared, they fight. If they're hungry, they eat. They act solely on instinct.

2. No hope. Beasts are not beings that hope.

Beasts are only concerned about the current and present situation. You might find a few animals that have the ability to store for a future time, but that's quite rare. Most creatures or beasts can only worry about now, today. "I'm hungry today. I'm in danger today. I need to get into a safe place today." They cannot think about the future.

This ability to plan, to have forethought about what we want life to be like, and then take proper steps to get there, is a characteristic that sets us apart from animals - human beings.

3. Beasts also cannot speak.

They have no words. They can communicate with each other in a language that only they can understand. But they cannot speak to other organisms, and they cannot speak language like we speak.

4. A beast - all they do is worry about survival: wake up, work to eat, sleep, repeat until they die. You can also add reproduction in there; that's also important. But that's it - that's their whole life from start to finish.

As we look at these characteristics, we should think, "Uh oh. That sounds familiar." Not just for literal animals, but maybe sometimes even for ourselves too.

How often do we focus only on today?

How often do we focus only on survival and routine? 

How much of the Word do we understand? And do we act on instinct and feeling instead of logic, reasoning, and the Word? 

This is something very important for us to understand because people who only act on feeling - "I feel like this" or "I feel like that" - they are often misled. And they often go away from what God intends them to do. Because what God intends people to do is not always comfortable. 

In fact, it's often not comfortable. And a beast will seek comfort instead of seeking what it needs to do.

So, let's understand now how the Bible categorizes spiritual beasts so that we can avoid being like these.

2. Spiritual (True) Meaning of Beast

If you understood the profound concepts mentioned in this verse, there are indeed numerous profound things to explore. Agur, the author of this particular proverb, is someone who is highly self-reflective. He is deeply contemplating himself in a critical manner, as he does not refer to himself in a highly esteemed or kind way. This is because he possesses a desperate yearning to comprehend these profound mysteries. What did he say at the beginning?

Verse 2 states: "I am the most ignorant of men." What does he declare? He lacks human understanding or a man's understanding. So, what is the opposite of a man or human? A beast.

Furthermore, he proceeds to describe the things he cannot comprehend, and he mentions many profound matters – which we will discuss in later lessons. 

He references a lack of knowledge of the Holy One and also the Holy One's Son. Did you notice that – a very profound concept? This is found in the Book of Proverbs, written a thousand years before the first coming of Christ. So, he was pondering these mysteries that he did not yet have access to and would not have access to even after his death, until they were fulfilled. I'm sure some of us have felt similar to Agur in this regard. 

One who lacks a man's understanding, one who is ignorant and has no knowledge of the Holy One – from God's perspective, that man is like the beast.

Let's understand more about the man who has riches. This is most likely someone who, by the world's standards, is highly esteemed. Unfortunately, we often glorify people who have much wealth, oftentimes undeservedly. We look at those people and aspire to be like them.

So the world puts such people on a high pedestal, but from God's perspective, ultimately the only perspective that matters, that person who does not understand His Word, no matter what surrounds them or how much they have, is a beast in God's eyes. And what happens to this kind of beast? This kind of beast perishes. It comes to an end.

This kind of person, to say it directly, is one who greatly values physical wealth above true spiritual wealth. 

If you think about a dog and a human being, two very different beings, if you lay a gold bar in front of a dog, what will the dog do with that gold bar? Maybe it will lick it and then walk away because the dog does not understand the value of that treasure. But if you give a bone to a human being, what will they do? The same thing? What are they supposed to do with it? In some cultures, they might break the bone and suck the marrow out, and then toss the rest because they can't really use it.

So there is a difference in value systems based on a beast and a man. Someone who is a beast from God's perspective only values the things of the world and often puts the things of the world before the Word of God. The Word of God, which He says in Psalm 12:6 is like silver, flawless, refined in the fire seven times, is the most important thing to God.

God will never put you in a position where it compromises your understanding of the Word. It doesn't make sense to say, "Oh, God blessed me with this opportunity, but now I have to miss class because of the opportunity God gave me." God gave me an opportunity that pulls me away from the most valuable thing to Him. A job can be a blessing, but it's the priority you put it in that can turn it into a curse.

The same can be said with relationships or even family. What is our priority? Is God's Word where it needs to be? Do we trust that God will protect us and provide for us if we put His Word first, as Matthew 6:33 promises? God promised that He will take care of these things if we put His Word first.

Studying His Word is the most valuable use of your time because it will lead to many blessings. 

So a beast, in moral teachings, is a false pastor and one who does not understand the Word.

Figurative Animals in Prophecy

3. The Order of Fulfillment of Prophecy

One of the things I came to understand when I was taught the open word is that God's prophecies occur in a specific order, and there is a flow to the way God carries out events. Although His prophecies might be spoken out of sequence, some prophecies and some books happened chronologically before books that come later. 

However, there is a particular flow to how things are meant to unfold. For instance, Jesus could not have died on the cross before He was born. That would not align with the intended sequence of events. But here's the thing: The second coming is actually very similar in that there is a specific flow of events.

If you do not comprehend or understand this flow, then you cannot grasp the events themselves. And someone who claims to understand the flow of Revelation or claims to understand how Revelation is fulfilled, but does not grasp this flow, also lacks true understanding. So let's examine this flow.

The Apostle Paul provides us with the ingredients, the structure, and the flow, so that we are not deceived when it comes to prophecies in the Bible. This is something I have mentioned many times, but I'll continue to repeat it so that it really sinks in for us. 

We cannot look at world events or the media as evidence for the fulfillment of prophecies, because a world event might look or feel similar to one prophecy in the Bible, but it cannot explain all the others. 

If a person at the first coming claimed to be the Messiah, but that person was born in Samaria, that person cannot be the Messiah. Even if he teaches the word, he feels like he comes from God, even if he was able to perform miracles, if he did not account for one of the important prophecies, he is not the Messiah and should not be listened to.

So we should not have partial prophecy fulfillment. We should actually be waiting for what the word and testimony teach us, as we learned in the last lesson. So what should we be expecting as believers?

Let's break down 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3. The first thing that the Apostle Paul mentions is in verse 2: "But not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy report or letter supposed to have come from us saying the day of the Lord has already come." So the end goal, the day we are all waiting for, is the day of the Lord. That's the end. But then Paul says there are two other events that must happen first before the day of the Lord can happen.

So what was the first event that he mentioned must take place first at the beginning of verse 3? What did he say? 

 

One - The rebellion must occur first, or you can say betrayal. 

They mean the same thing. There must first be a rebellion. And there have been many rebellions that have occurred in Bible times. Most people like to reference times close to the first coming, saying, "This rebellion happened, that rebellion happened, so this entire book must already be fulfilled." That is an incorrect understanding. But a rebellion must first occur, and that means that there will be people who carry out the work of betraying - betrayers.

Then the Apostle Paul mentions the second thing that must then take place: 

 

Two - A man lawlessly must appear that is doomed to destruction. 

And he is lawless because he also destroys others. So there must be a rebellion or betrayal, then there must be one who does the work of destruction - a destroyer - who then is destroyed himself. 

 

Three - Then comes the day of the Lord, and the day of the Lord is the day of salvation. And there will be even saviors appointed by God who carry out this work at the time of Revelation's fulfillment. This is the flow.

So if someone has an explanation of the second coming fulfillment and it does not follow this flow and every other verse related to the second coming, if it cannot account for them all, you should not be listening to that explanation. 

It is like maddening wine or seawater. What happens when you drink seawater? Your spirit dies. Don't drink seawater.

Now, one thing that's important to understand: 

The betrayers, destroyers, and the saviors - they're people. They appear as people. 

It's hard to distinguish people by appearance alone, but how can we distinguish or determine between people by what they do? 

According to what is recorded in the prophecy, what are their prophetic actions? This is how Jesus was able to testify about what he heard and saw the Pharisees do - the things Isaiah said they would do. 

John the Baptist is the Elijah that is to come. 

Jesus was able to do that because he was pointing to the prophecies and the actions of the people, and he was the only one at the time of the first coming who could do this. The second coming will be similar.

So these things will be covered many times because it's the flow of fulfillment - betrayal, destruction, salvation - we'll be looking at them many times throughout the rest of the course.

Now, what's cool about betrayal, destruction, and salvation is that they structure how prophecies will be fulfilled, which means there are parables that fit into these buckets or categories like animals. 

So let's look at the different animals that fit into betrayal, the different animals that fit into destruction, and the different animals that fit into salvation. We'll look at that now.

Betrayal

Jesus is not referring to literal dogs here. Of course, you should not give valuable things to your literal dog either. 

However, Jesus is not concerned with literal dogs in this context. So, you can continue loving your dog. He compares good things to spiritual "dogs" for a reason. He said, "Do not give what is sacred to dogs, why? Because they will trample on those sacred things." He also said, "Do not give to pigs, for they do not understand the value of what is sacred and will trample on those sacred beings." 

Jesus mentions this immediately after talking about removing the speck from one's eye, clearly referring to people. 

Before judging someone else, make sure the plank is out of your own eye. Let's examine the explanation or the expansion of the definition of "dogs" and "pigs."

Let's break down what the Apostle Peter is saying here. He stated that it would have been better for this person to have never received the way of righteousness than to receive it and turn their backs upon it. This is considered betrayal. A person like this is referred to as a dog and a pig.

Why is this important? Because we see dogs and pigs mentioned in the Book of Revelation too, primarily dogs. 

And dogs are on the outside, outside of the city. And what did it say about these people? They returned to their vomit. Vomit is a bodily fluid that was once inside the body but is expelled.

However, to return to what has been expelled is a gratuitous act. What is expelled from a person when they receive what is sacred and righteous? Understanding or lies – things that are not true. 

Those falsehoods are expelled when someone receives the truth, but to return back to falsehood after receiving the way of righteousness is to betray it.

Meaning, one who has now come to Christ and understands who He is – the prophesied Messiah, Prophet, Son of God, the one who comes to bring salvation – to turn away from those truths is to return to the vomit of all. 

What about us? We are now receiving what is sacred, what is treasure – the open word to lead. 

The open word is to go, not return to vomit, not return to a time where no one understands anything and everyone has their own opinion, a thousand opinions, like returning to the sea when one has come to fresh water. We cannot be like that, not at this time.

So, dogs and pigs. There's one more animal of betrayal, one that Jesus mentions in Matthew 15:24.

A sheep that is lost has no shepherd. The people had no shepherd. And Jesus came to be their shepherd, but what did they do to Him instead? They rejected Him. And remained shepherdless. Not a good situation to be in.

So dogs, pigs, and lost sheep are animals. They represent betrayal. When you see a dog, a pig, or a lost sheep in Prophecy, think of a person who betrays.

What did they betray? The Word. But not just the Word. The Word that had been fulfilled. The open Word. On a deeper level.

Let's not be this kind of person. Now, this person is vulnerable when they betray. It's like the hedge of protection is removed from them.

Destruction

The sheep are now vulnerable, exposed and easy prey. A lost sheep is helpless against predatory animals that seek to devour and destroy. Let us turn our attention to the Book of Isaiah in the Bible.

 

This is the book of Isaiah, which means it is a prophecy, and figurative language is being used, right? However, God is very specific about whom he is talking to here – Israel's Watchmen, those who have the job of being leaders. 

What did they do? Firstly, they lacked understanding; they were blind. And they were like mute dogs that cannot bark. Instead of fulfilling their roles, what did they do? They sought their own gain; they lazed around in their sleep. And when they were hungry, they devoured the sheep.

Instead of being Shepherds who lead the flock, what did it say? Shepherds who lack understanding will turn to their own way. Ever wonder why the Israelites at the first coming were lost sheep? The Shepherds were not leading them. 

Do you understand? So, what did they do? Instead, they devoured; they destroyed.

This behavior is not good. So, who is the reality of this type of sheep? 

Who did Jesus call them? This type of sheep at the first coming? 

He called them a "brood of vipers" or snakes.

Jesus said, "You Pharisees, you brood of vipers." And Jesus had just finished rebuking them for many things, "You make people twice as much a son of hell as you. Are you preventing people from entering Heaven who are trying to, and you yourself won't do so? Outside you are whitewashed tombs, but inside you are full of dead men's bones. You are full of hypocrisy; your bowls are dirty. You are serpents, snakes." 

This is Jesus's testimony, testifying to what he saw and heard, confirming the word of God, the prophecy. The word of God, prophecy, and testimony fulfillment are like that. Jesus also called them another name.

 

 

Be cautious of false prophets or pastors. Outward appearances are insignificant. It is the inner character that truly matters. This is how you can discern who is a wolf in God's eyes and who is genuinely a sheep. 

Now, when we examine the Book of Revelation 13, we should comprehend the passage about the Beast with seven heads and ten horns from a different perspective, correct?

Lions, leopards, and bears are predatory animals. 

They are among the world's most formidable predators. They devour their prey. They are ferocious. 

So the Beast with seven heads and ten horns represents seven pastors who lack understanding of the word and who devour their congregation. 

You should not be thinking, "Oh, I know who those seven are," and then start naming pastors you dislike. That is not the purpose here. That is not what it means to testify.

We should grasp the significance of their actions. Now, when you read Revelation 13, it makes much more sense. Because they are compared to those who destroy or devour. And the ones they devour, their targets, are those who have betrayed. 

Predatory animals destroy and devour animals that betray. That is their target. Because this person is no longer protected by God. They have betrayed God. No longer protected, they are exposed. Easy to devour.

There is one more type, and I want us to read this passage as well. It describes another type of destructive animal. There are actually a few more, but for the sake of time, they cannot cover them all. But when you are reading prophecy, if you think an animal destroys, think, "Ah, right, it makes sense."

The prophet Nahum prophesies about a group of people, referring to them by different names: Merchants, guards, and officials.

What did they do? 

They are likened to locusts. How did God create locusts? They are creatures that devour everything. 

They devour crops, wheat, and come after these things, destroying the land. We also see locusts mentioned in the Book of Revelation 9. We will understand that as well, but consider a person who devours everything and leaves nothing behind. 

So these are the two sets of bad animals in prophecy, representing people who devour versus people who are devoured, the betrayers.

However, there is a third group of people, the ones we want to emulate. We want to be those whom God considers saviors or salvation, those who bring salvation to others.

So there are three kinds here. Let us first look at our example, the Savior, the one we should strive to be like.

Salvation

What did John the Baptist say? He said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.' 

I used to often wonder why Jesus was called the Lamb. Most people make a reference to Him being born in a manger, right? But that's not the reason He was called the Lamb.

The reason goes much deeper than that, and we'll talk about that very soon. We'll actually look at the figurative meaning of the flesh and blood, the Lamb, very soon, coming up. 

But Jesus is compared to a lamb, which is a very innocent animal often used for ritual sacrifice in the time of the Old Testament.

And Jesus Himself was the one who was sacrificed for sin. A lamb is another way of referring to a sheep.

There are two groups of people, right? There is a gathering and a sifting, good fish and bad fish, wise versions and foolish versions. Wheat and chaff or weeds, there is always a separation, or that's how it's going to happen at the second coming. And we see that there are those who are like the Sheep.

Hence, our hope from the beginning of the class. Let us be sheep-like believers. Why? Because they will be the ones who inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus goes on to describe what these people should be like. So, please read Matthew 25 to understand a little bit more.

But know that this parable is a prophecy, so it's also using figurative language. Yes, we should take care of those who are around us, take care of the needy and the poor, and visit those in prison, definitely. Yes, but we should also do the spiritual version of all those things as well.

Taking care of those who are spiritually naked, spiritually blind, spiritually hungry, and spiritually in prison. They too need deliverance. Let us be like that. 

But there are also goats. What are the characteristics of goats? Stubborn, they don't listen to anything. "Oh, I'm doing whatever I want to do, wrong." Right. They are very stubborn.

They do whatever they like, and they'll eat whatever they like, and they'll fight whatever they like. Not godly. So, let us not be like goats. All right, two more. We'll go over these quickly.

This one is truly remarkable. It actually describes us, the evangelists and instructors.

What is an apostle? Paul says the law is only a shadow. God spoke things in the law to point to a future time. 

What does he say about oxen? "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Oxen should not be muzzled, or they cannot work effectively. Those who do the work of God are hoping and waiting to take part in the harvest.

We, the Harvest class, evangelists and instructors, work very hard for you. Why? Because we love you deeply. And I want you to receive this word. That's why we put aside all these other things in our lives so that we can be here for you. Let's be like that. Let's do the same.

So, what do we see here? Something amazing, right? An amazing sight. We have the writer on the White Horse, whose name is Faithful and True. With justice, he makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire. Who is this rider on the White Horse?

This is a vision of the Heaven and the spiritual world that John has seen. The rider is a spirit. In this case, Jesus, the one who is called faithful and true. But we know that visions are spoken in parables. So, is Jesus literally riding a white horse, or does this signify something else?

That's a good question. Because this rider is riding a horse.

Horses are controlled by their riders. They go where the rider tells them to go if it's a well-trained horse, right? Let's not be stubborn horses, kicking their back feet. All right, but let's be like this white horse that Jesus rides into battle. The spirit represents a person's flesh.

The spirit of Jesus works throughout the time of the second coming, within a person.

The Egyptians are not men, nor are they God. Their horses are flesh, and their forces are flesh. 

Animals of salvation represent three things: sheep, oxen, and horses. 

Let us strive to be like them at the time of the Second Coming. 

Sheep are obedient; they listen to the shepherd. Oxen are hard workers, and they perform the work of God. Horses ride into battle. 

Let us fight, let us work diligently, and let us defeat the enemy with Jesus on our side.

So, animals of salvation symbolize people who are obedient, people who carry out God's work, and people who ride into battle with heaven. God's work comes in many forms, not just as an instructor or evangelist. There are numerous ways in which God requires people to serve, and we shall learn about those as we continue to study.

However, to be these people, one must possess the word – not just any word, but the open word at this time. This is our sword, our tool to wield and fight with.

Memorization

 

Let's Us Discern