![]() ![]() ![]() These biblical verses, joined with the Hebrew translation and research, have led to the conclusion that the leviathan was most likely an extinct, giant crocodile (Fausset). His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal” (Job 41:14-15)*. God’s description of the leviathan is as follows: “Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth are terrible round about. The original leviathan is mentioned within the Old Testament of the Bible and the most prevalent use of it is in chapter 41 of the book of Job where God illustrates his power and love to Job by showing that it is only His power that is able to tame the ruthless creature. Although Hobbes’ main intention for representing the ultimate sovereign as a biblical leviathan was because he wanted to show that his ideal state of government would share similar attributes of power, a deeper meaning can be found if the context of the book of Job is analyzed to a greater degree. The most prominent biblical reference Hobbes formulated is within the book’s title: The Leviathan. Whether it be the book’s title, historical biblical figures like Moses, or the continual mention of the Almighty God, Hobbes used those examples as a springboard to speak about his ideal government. This approach may cause individuals to view Hobbes in a religious light however these references were only used to be twisted to fit his philosophical perspective. Inventing a mythology of demons and turning God’s Word into a sourcebook of wild speculations are counterproductive.Throughout the Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes uses biblical references to support his philosophy of the essential components for an ideal state of government. Remedying the situation requires prayer, discipleship, and obedience to God. A demonic entity may be involved in a person’s spiritual struggle, but the Bible gives us no guidelines in “rebuking” it. Nor does the Bible indicate that we’re meant to diagnose spiritual problems by identifying a particular demon. Scripture gives us no reason to believe there is a demonic entity named Leviathan or that Christians have a specific ability to rebuke or exorcise it. The functions of the “spirit of leviathan” as held by one person might entirely overlap with the behavior of other spirits, given names such as Python or Kundalini, or placed in categories such as “water spirits.” As a result, there is no coherent or consistent teaching to be found on it. This is not surprising, since the whole concept of a leviathan spirit is based on virtually no biblical information and an outrageous amount of wild speculation. It’s clear there is enormous variety in beliefs about what a “leviathan spirit” is and what it does. Yet another group suggests that there are many “leviathan spirits,” with or without some combination of those effects. Still others blame the leviathan spirit for insomnia, lack of spiritual growth, media deception, pride, reading disabilities, and/or personal bickering. Alternatively, the spirit is blamed for various physical problems, mostly involving stiffness and back problems. Others suggest that the “spirit of leviathan” causes stubbornness and rebellion against God. The leviathan spirit is supposedly the cause of twisting the meaning of people’s words, turning people against each other, and instigating unrest. Of special emphasis is the relationship of the Hebrew word liw’yā’tān to the concept of “twisting” or “coiling.” Based on this, and little else, believers in the “leviathan spirit” extrapolate the existence of a specific demonic entity-“the leviathan spirit” or “the spirit of leviathan”-that oppresses people. The biblical descriptions are then given an entirely spiritual interpretation, rather than a physical one. Those who believe in a leviathan spirit use references to the creature described in the book of Job and in verses such as Isaiah 27:1. In some branches of the Charismatic movement, demons are considered the cause of almost every malady, hindrance, and problem. This mythos is the basis of so-called deliverance ministries, which seek to exorcise those evil spirits. By taking scriptural references to leviathan and other creatures badly out of context, some people have invented an entire mythology of unique demonic entities and attributed to them various nefarious deeds. The “leviathan spirit,” or the “the spirit of leviathan” is one of many terms associated with a particular view of demonic oppression. ![]()
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