WHAT IS THE BEAST?
Thomas Allen
And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Ninevah by decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. (Jonah 3:7, 8)
(Note: 3:7 refers to man and beasts and herds and flocks, but 3:8 refers only to man and beast.) Man, beast, herds, and flocks were not to eat or drink; but what kind of beast wears clothes? What kind of beast can cry unto God? What kind of beast can turn from its evil ways? What kind of beast has hands and can turn to violence?
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of every man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeith blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made he man. (Genesis (9:5, 6)
What kind of beast has the intelligence to know right from wrong and to be accountable for his action as is implied by this passage?
No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. (Ezekiel 29:11)
What kind of beast has feet as opposed to paws and hoofs?
And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. (Exodus 19:12, 13)
What kind of beast has hands that can touch a mountain?
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. (Exodus 23:10, 11)
What kind of beast eats grapes and olives? Would a farmer let domestic or wild animals wonder freely through his vineyard or oliveyard, thus trampling and destroying his plants?
Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. And if a man lie with a beast he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast. And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 18:23, 20:15, 16)
With what kind of beast can man, male and female, have sex. What kind of beast can be held morally responsible for its sexual conduct?
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beast of the field. (I Samuel 17:44)
What kind of beast eats meat and the flesh of man?
And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beast of the field have I given him also to serve him. (Jeremiah 27:6)
What kind of beast can act as a servant of man?
That they shall drive thee from man, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. (Daniel 4:25)
What kind of beast would take care of an insane King?
So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words; Then shalt thou say, O Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate forever. (Jeremiah 51:60-62)
What kind of beast no longer inhabits the area of ancient Babylon" The area is abundant with game today.
When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you and will break your staff of bread: So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it. (Ezekiel 5:16, 17)
What kind of beast can be evil?
But these as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption: And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceiving while they feast with you: Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children. (II Peter 2:12-14)
What kind of beast can speak evil, enjoy rioting, have eyes full of adultery, covet and sin?
What kind of beast, domestic or wild, accompanies man, lives among man, is a servant of man, has hands and feet, eats meat, wears clothes, can talk, can have sex with man, can riot, can be held morally accountable for its action, can covet, can sin, can repent, and can pray to God? Beast, beast of the field, and beast of the earth refer to a creature that resembles and is like man. The beast refers to the _________.
Copyright © 1995 by Thomas Coley Allen.
Woman
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