The other day I was researching the topic of fallen angels, reading from the Books of Enoch about 'the Watchers' and their offspring the nephilim, when I came across a reference to large creatures by the names of Behemoth and Leviathan. These creatures were originally combined as one and then separated: one lives in the sea and the other on land. In the book of Job beginning in chapter 40 we read about a couple of very large creatures. It would be easy to picture them as dinosaurs, but one is definitely a fire breathing dragon! One beast is associated with water and the other a land dweller. This reminded me about the two beasts written of in Revelation: one rises from the sea and the other from land. Those three accounts, seemingly related, are the inspiration for this study.
Job 40:15
Take now Behemoth, whom I made as I did you; he eats grass like the cattle. His strength is in his loins, his might in the muscles of his belly. He makes his tail stand up like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are like tubes of bronze, his limbs like iron rods. He is the first of My works; only his Maker can draw the sword against him. :21 He lies down beneath the lotuses, in the cover of the swamp reeds (sounds big but not all that threatening)
In Job 40:25 YHWH goes on to say:
Can you draw out Leviathan by a fish hook? Can you press down his tongue with a rope? Can you put a ring through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a barb? :32 Lay a hand on him, and you will never think of battle again.
Job 41:6
Who can pry open the doors of his face? His bared teeth strike terror. His protective scales are his pride, locked with a binding seal. One scale touches the other; not even a breath can enter between them. Each clings to each; they are interlocked so they cannot be parted. His sneezings flash lightning, and his eyes are like the glimmering of dawn. Firebrands stream from his mouth, fiery sparks escape. Out of his nostrils comes smoke as from a steaming, boiling cauldron. His breath ignites coals, flames blaze from his mouth. Strength resides in his neck; power leaps before him. The layers of his flesh stick together; he is as though cast hard; he does not totter. :17 Divine beings are in dread as he rears up; as he crashes down,they cringe. No sword or missile or lance can prevail against him. He regards iron as straw, bronze as rotted wood. No arrow can put him to flight... :22 His under part is jagged shards; it spreads a threshing-sledge on the mud. He makes the sea boil like an ointment pot. His wake is a luminous path; he makes the deep seem white-haired. There is no one on land who can dominate him, made as he is without fear. He sees all that is haughty; he is king over all proud beasts.
Back when I first read this description I had made 'margin notes' indicating my thoughts were leaning towards a genetically modified creation via the Nephilim. It is mentioned that even the 'divine beings' were in dread of Leviathan. Were those divine beings the Watchers, written of in the Books of Enoch, who saw the evil their offspring perpetrated? By the way, it was the 'divine beings', noted in Genesis, who left their station in the heavens to create offspring with human women. YHWH says He made Behemoth, but what about Leviathan?
Here is a shortened account from what is recorded in Enoch, a fragment from the Book of Noah, 60:1-24:
Enoch has seen a vision which terrorized him. He saw the heavens were shaken and that thousands and thousands of angels, the host of heaven were agitated. He saw MarYah on His throne of glory. The angel Michael says to Enoch, "The time of His mercy lasted until now, and He has been merciful and long-suffering towards all the sons of the earth. But the day will come when the power, the punishment and the judgment will take place... That day has been prepared for the chosen as a day of covenant, and for sinners as a day of inquisition. On that day two monsters will be separated from one another, a female named Leviathan, to live in the depth of the sea, above the springs of waters, and a male named Behemoth, which moves on its chest, and occupies a large wilderness named Dendayen in the east of the garden, where the chosen and the righteous live. These two monsters are prepared by the power of YHWH so that His punishment will not be in vain. Then sons will be slain with their mothers, and sons with their fathers. When the punishment of YHWH comes on them it will continue and the punishment will not be in vain. After that, judgment will contain mercy and patience.
Continue on to the beasts written of in Revelation: one rises from the sea and the other from the land. These beasts represent the final governing system and religion of the world.
The beast that rises from the sea (ten horns, seven heads with names of blasphemy, ten crowns) is a system of ten 'nations' with ten leaders, one will seem to have had a fatal head wound that was healed and three will be removed (leaving seven heads/leaders) to make room for the last one, the eighth king. This 'beast from the sea' has attributes like a leopard, a wolf and a lion and its power, authority and throne are given to it by Satan. The people of the world respect and admire this beast for they believe no one would attempt to wage war against it. Now people are deluded into thinking they have peace and security.
(Note: Job's Leviathan, "There is no one on land who can dominate him, made as he is without fear. He sees all that is haughty; he is king over all proud beasts.")
The people worship The Dragon (the serpent, Satan) because he gave authority to this beast. Another way we will recognize this beast system is how it speaks out against Elohim, His Instructions, against His authority and His host in heaven. Each blasphemous word that comes out of its mouth will make us, the Set Apart Believers, cringe in our souls, but we must endure through all this, as it wages war against us.
The second beast comes out of the earth. This beast (Behemoth) will appear to us as as a spiritual leader but ends up speaking for Satan, the Dragon. He has all the authority as the first beast and will perform great signs, even to bring fire down from heaven to earth (he has a demonic spirit working in him).
This land beast, the false prophet, will convince people to make an image, a statue, of the first beast (Leviathan). After they do, the land beast (Behemoth) will appear to have given life to the Image and command all to worship this Image. Those who refuse will be killed. It is during this time that the Law to be Marked (in order to buy or sell, conduct commerce) will be enforced. Everyone will be required to have this mark (forbidden by Elohim) on their right hand or upon their forehead in order to shop or sell goods (groceries, gas, clothing, pay bills etc...).
This land beast, the false prophet, will convince people to make an image, a statue, of the first beast (Leviathan). After they do, the land beast (Behemoth) will appear to have given life to the Image and command all to worship this Image. Those who refuse will be killed. It is during this time that the Law to be Marked (in order to buy or sell, conduct commerce) will be enforced. Everyone will be required to have this mark (forbidden by Elohim) on their right hand or upon their forehead in order to shop or sell goods (groceries, gas, clothing, pay bills etc...).
As in Job, Behemoth the male, grass eating land dweller, doesn't sound so threatening just as the end time beast that come out of the earth appears as a spiritual leader to be trusted. Leviathan, the sea dwelling female, fire breathing dragon, has always produced fear in those who have seen her, yet a woman rides this beast in Revelation, who will eventually be hated by the world and destroyed. Is she one of the three leaders to be removed prior to the final world leader?
Revelation 12:7 And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his messengers fought against the dragon... the old serpent who is called the Deceiver and Satan, who seduces all the inhabited world...
Leviathan's description fits that of a dragon. Satan is called the Dragon. The Dragon is in the world now and is behind the final world system taking shape: both government and religion.
Job had everything he needed and more because of his faith in YHWH. Satan was allowed to test the faith of Job and it was just horrible, to the point Job wished he had never been born... yet he did not turn his back on YHWH. In the end Yah restored health and wealth to Job - a reward for his faith in Elohim - the gift of life for his soul.
The same scenario will be for us in the end times. This final world system will be a big test for all of us. If we go along with it, worship the Image, take its mark etc... we essentially turn our backs on Elohim and fail. If we moan and groan and cry and wish we'd never been born yet keep our faith in the one true living Elohim, He will sustain us and restore all things. Then we receive the gift - the life of our soul. No matter when and how this all comes about, we must stand strong in our Faith and Endure until the End.