What You Need To Know About Lions

Much of the Scriptures are written in parables contained within stories of the past.  Understanding how types and metaphor’s are used is pretty important in extracting the full message that God intended in His written Word.  I certainly don’t understand them all as the real understanding of them must be given to us by God.   I have been given a keen understanding about lions in the past several months that has significantly increased my comprehension of a number of mysterious riddles and visions spoken of through the Prophets.  The stories we read in the Old Testament have much deeper meaning and revelation than the surface story, there is an underpinning spiritual lesson in virtually every one.  

We all need to be verifying everything we believe or cling to as truth with the Scriptures.  Follow no man, no pastor, no scholar, no blogger, no YouTuber —  do not receive anything as truth until God shows it to you.  But you must earnestly be seeking the truth to find the truth.  We are at different places in our walk with God and the wisdom God Himself has given to each of us.  None of us know it all yet we all play a part and build up and edify one another.  So it is in that Spirit that I want to speak about God’s lions and lionesses today.

Lions in most places refer to the devil and the powers of darkness when referenced in Scriptures.  I will take you on a whirlwind tour of the Scriptures and show you this in both the Old and New Testaments.  Once you understand the size, shape and forms that lions come, you will be wiser to know the wiles of the enemy and prepared to do battle when the encounters come.  I hope you understand who made the lions and who the lions work for – they work for GOD, they serve the Lord. 

God’s lions are not flesh and blood, they are spirits and come wrapped with flesh and blood working inside men and inside organizations, churches and governments.  The devil is the father of lies so God’s lions speak deceit wherever they are sent and their words exalt themselves or oppose the truth.  Yet the lions themselves are the instruments of the Lord’s righteous judgments upon the earth.  Please see some of my recent posts on this but especially this one, which was written to directly show this from the Holy Scriptures. Click the link for The Mighty Army of God.

Most Christians are familar with this following passage from Peter’s first epistle.

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring LION, seeking someone to devour.

Sadly the vast majority have not heeded this warning.  They are NOT sober, they are drunk with false doctrines and they are not alert, they are fast asleep as to what is really going on with God’s hands.  Peter said the devil walks around LIKE a lion, not as an actual lion.  Peter was by no means the first man of God to liken the devil and the powers of darkness to lions.  If you begin to think outside the box of traditional theology and grasp the context of Scriptures, you will see lions everywhere.

Genesis 49:8-10 The very first mention of lions in Scripture

Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up.  He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

We are all born prey to the evil one.  This is Jacob speaking prophecy to his sons.  Jacob tells his sons that they have been delivered from the lions but that Judah would remain under the sceptor of the lions and the enemy until Jesus (Shiloh) comes.    Through the resurrection of Jesus, those in Jacob who turn from sin are redeemed (ISA 59:20).  Jacob goes thru each of his sons and the tribes of Israel speaking of the good or evil they would do and the attacks of the powers of darkness.  We begin to see very early that not all Israel is Israel, only a Holy Remnant is going to make it.

Numbers 23:23-24 Baalam prophseying to Balak

At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel, what God has done! ²⁴“Behold, a people rises like a lioness, and as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”

The time for God’s people to wake up is now.  Baalam tells Balak that at some point the true Israel, the Holy Remnant, would be shown what God has done.  What has God done?  The Lord has raised up many people like a lioness, they are run and guided by the powers of darkness.  They have exalted themselves, that refers to the Babylon Church, the queen of Revelation 17 and 18 and in the Prophets.  This false church will not rest until it sheds the spiritual blood of many.  This is the nightmare and the astonishment that the true sheep are beginning to understand.  Like my last post said God Said You Would Not Believe It. 

Deut 33:22 Of Dan he said, ”Dan is a lion’s whelp.  The lost tribe of Dan was lost because they were overtaken by the powers of darkness.  That is what a whelp is, the offspring of a mammal. 

Samson’s Riddle

Judges 14:5-7 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. ⁶The Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

There is a huge lesson in the story of Samson about the powers of darkness.  Samson overcomes this lion by the Spirit of God, notice he had nothing in his hand which represents FLESH.    We don’t overcome the devil by our flesh or in the natural, we only overcome by the Spirit of God that is in us, if we are so led by the Spirit.  If you recall Samson posed a riddle to the wise men in his city and the the answer to the riddle is key to understanding the powers of darkness.  You need to read this whole story but I will tease you a little by pasting in the riddle and the answer.  I hope to deep dive this great lesson of wisdom in the near future.  

Samson’s riddle:  Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. 

The answer: What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?

Lions are the eaters, they devour all men not standing firmly with Jesus.  Lions steal the word of God (see Parables of the Sower) and mix it with leaven and it becomes a sweet bread and a sweet wine that our flesh loves to eat.  The powers of darkness are very appealing.  Satan is beautiful we are told.  Sin is deceitful and our flesh loves to sin.  The powers of darkess will appear sweet and very appealing to us if we do not have eyes to see them.  The cotton candy gospel taught in Babylon today is just such a meal.

The answer to the riddle is Jesus.  He is the only thing sweeter than honey and the only force stronger than the lions.  King David spoke of this in Psalm 119.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

We walk in covenant with God and we are under His protection.  If we don’t keep covenant by our obedience, the wrath of the Lamb will come upon us by the very lions that came to test us and tempt us into following sin (them).   

David & Goliath

Even the story of David defeating Goliath speaks to lions and the powers of darkness.

1 Sam 17:33-36 Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,  ³⁵I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.”

Here is young David, a shepherd protecting sheep touting his qualifications to fight Goliath.  David speaks to his experience fighting lions and rescuing sheep.  The true Born Again Christians are SHEEP.  Jesus is the ONE SHEPHERD.  Only by being IN CHRIST are we delivered and protected from the lions.  Otherwise we are prey and are devoured.  You will see where Paul spoke of his own deliverance in 2 Timothy later in this post.   Paul described it as being rescued from the mouth of the lion, the exact same words David spoke to Saul here.  Hello, are you starting to see this in the Word?  We are supposed to be like David, we are at war with lions and we cannot ignore them, we must fight them but not with our weapons but the weapons Jesus has left with us.  If the Spirit of God is truly IN US,  we have the power and authority to trample them, they are no match for the power of God just like Goliath as before David.

I AM NOT REWRITING THE BIBLE HERE.  THIS IS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS PROPERLY DIVIDED.  WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THE OLD TESTAMENT IS A HISTORY BOOK.  WAKE UP AND RECEIVE THE WISDOM OF GOD.  THE NEW TESTAMENT CONFIRMS ALL THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN.

Disobedient Prophet

I just pasted the punch line in here about this story, but I want you to see what lions are in the Scriptures.   This prophet disobeyed (sinned) a direct command from God not go eat or drink, yet he rebelled against God.  His sinful rebellion brought immediate judgment by the Lord using lions, which is a type for the powers of darkness.

1 Kings 13:26 Now when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him.”   Here is another unrelated story with the same punch line about SIN.

1 Kings 20:36 Then he said to him, “Because you have not listened to the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion will kill you.” And as soon as he had departed from him a lion found him and killed him

Folks, these are not stories about lions.  They are stories about the powers of darkness and judgment.  Once you get this, and it goes way beyond lions and includes many other types — you will find yourself having a New Bible, one free of demonic deception.  Other types for the powers of darkness are arrows, quivers, bend the bow, the sea, roaring sea, and tree cutters.  Please don’t go ask your pastor or get your friends to vote on it.  The vast majority (the “many” of Matthew 24:5) are deceived.  They worship god with impure hearts, while they believe with their lips, they are walking double minded and lack understanding of the TRUTH.  Many are blind as bats and if you follow a blind man and their wisdom they will lead you straight to the pit.  All revelation comes from God.  Seek the ONE TEACHER and pray for wisdom if you have doubts.  Deceivers, most of them unwitting deceivers that do not know they are deceived will turn you away from the truth.

Book of Job

The Book of Job is an amazing expose on the powers of darkness, Satan and God’s righteous judgments.  Very few people see the real message in this Book.  There are very many references to lions in JOB; but here is one and this is God speaking to Job of His Mighty Power than man cannot comprehend.

Job 38:39  Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, ⁴⁰When they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in their lair?

God is speaking as this whole Book is on the powers of darkness, His lions.  God feeds His lions, He satisfies their appetites.  God works all things for the greater good, even sending lions to harass us, test us, attack us and bring judgment upon us for sin.  God sends them to bring us to repentance.

The Psalms

There are very many references to lions in the Psalms.  In this Psalm, the writer speaks to the persecution and trials they are facing.  Per Judges 2, God sends forth His lions to test our faith and bring judgment.  Lions are all over the world, the power of darkness are everywhere.  Our place of safety is with Jesus, we must be in the Ark not just on the peripheal.  Notice the references to arrows (fiery darts) and swords and the pit these lions “they” are digging.  Lions come to kill, steal and destroy our souls.  God wants us to overcome and requires us to overcome them to enter His kingdom.

Psalm 57:4-6

My soul is among lions;
         I must lie among those who breathe forth fire,
         Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows
         And their tongue a sharp sword.
    ⁵Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
         Let Your glory be above all the earth.
    ⁶They have prepared a net for my steps;
         My soul is bowed down;
         They dug a pit before me;

Psalm 104:20-22

You appoint darkness and it becomes night,
         In which all the beasts of the forest prowl about.
    ²¹The young lions roar after their prey
         And seek their food from God.
    ²²When the sun rises they withdraw (when we get true light in us, the lions flee)
         And lie down in their dens.

God creates light and He creates darkness.  I have written on that lately.  God makes all the beasts including lions and God gives them their food.  This passage peaks to His Mighty Army, not the animals of earth, the language is written in parable so the wise in the flesh will not see it.  When the Son rises up within us, meaning we are IN CHRIST, the lions lie down and do not bother us.  That is the same things James said, Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee.

Isaiah’s Parable of the Vineyard

Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent;
         The hoofs of its horses seem like flint and its chariot wheels like a whirlwind.
    ²⁹Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions;
         It growls as it seizes the prey
         And carries it off with no one to deliver it.
    ³⁰And it will growl over it in that day like the roaring of the sea
         If one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress;
         Even the light is darkened by its clouds.

This is a parable of the fallen church and its false doctrines and the judgment that befalls it.  It is speaking out the end times, the Day of the Lord.  This is speaking to us my friends.  Arrows are flying everywhere, everyone is riding horses (walking in the flesh) and the lions are roaring because they have seized a lot of prey.  That is what lions do when they conquer.  We need to get delivered from this and that starts with knowledge of the truth.  If you don’t think you have a problem, guess what you are right and you will never be healed.

Jeremiah 5:4-6:  Lament over godlessness in the church 

They have refused to repent.
    ⁴Then I said, “They are only the poor,
         They are foolish;
         For they do not know the way of the LORD
         Or the ordinance of their God.
    ⁵“I will go to the great
         And will speak to them,
         For they know the way of the LORD
         And the ordinance of their God “
         But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke
         And burst the bonds.
    ⁶Therefore a lion from the forest will slay them,
 

Jeremiah 51:37-38 End Time Judgment of Babylon Church

   Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals,
         An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.
    ³⁸“They will roar together like young lions,
         They will growl like lions’ cubs

This is the catastrophe that lurks around the corner. It will come upon us like a thief and very few will be sober, alert and will be watching.  We need to revert to the wisdom of Solomon and fear God and keep His commandments.  The lions are here, they are devouring most everyone and the judgment of God does not slumber any longer.

Ezekiel 19:2-4 A Lament for Fallen Israel

What was your mother? (the church)
         A lioness among lions!
         She lay down among young lions,
         She reared her cubs.
    ³‘When she brought up one of her cubs,
         He became a lion,
         And he learned to tear his prey;
         He devoured men.

This speaks to the fallen church that is a dwelling place of demons as spoken of in Revelation 17-19 amongst other places.  These churches are run by lions and many other lions have been birthed and all they do is shed innocent blood by killing people with religious lies.  Wake up and come out of “her” now so you will not be a partaker of her plagues. 

Conspiracy of the Lions

I am just showing you a relatively few passages despite the length of this post.  I want to make sure you GET IT and if you have read this far I know you are seeking truth.  I hope you find it in your heart.  Here is a stunning passage from Ezekiel that defines the conspiracy of the fallen church that is run by lions that are going to soon be roaring in their conquest.

Ezekiel 22:24-26 Son of man, say to her (The church), ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on (no Holy Spirit) in the day of indignation.’ ²⁵“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst (run and led by demons) like a roaring lion tearing the prey They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things (God’s people); they have made many widows (lost people) in the midst of her. ²⁶“Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

There are additional references to lions in Ezekiel that properly divided will shake to the core many of the common understandings about Prophecy.  

Daniel in the Lions Den

I am not going to even put any Scripture in here about the lions den, because if you don’t see it by now, you won’t see it if I add more.  But to suffice it to say that the story of the lions den was a spiritual message to all of us about how we overcome sin and the devil.  If you go look at Daniel’s prayer, He praises God for shutting the mouths of the lions.  You see the lions we face are the religious lies that devour our souls if we put that seed into our heart.  Doctrines such as Once Saved Always Saved, Obedience = WORKS are all lies that come from lions.  The person speaking them is deceived about the spirit that is leading them to believe another gospel.  They are blinded and love of sin of some kind is at the root of the lie.

Understand that we are all in a lion’s den in this life, we are all aliens in a hostile land of wilderness.  If we are IN CHRIST, we will be protected from the lions, but if we live in sin and rebellion to God, then we will be devoured.  Go read the story, I bet you will see some things you never saw before.

Minor Prophets

Lions are referenced throughout these prophetic books that speak to judgment and the end of times.  Here is one such passage from Amos 3.  All things happen for a reason that God has ordained. The lions are roaring, I hear them and I see their conquest of God’s people and it is horrifying.  Few will find the narrow gate yet many have followed after lions and did not engage them in battle.

Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?
    ⁴Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
         Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?

New Testament

Lions are mentioned a lot less in the New Testament but they are still there as the verse from Peter earlier reminded us.  Hear what Paul told Timothy about his redemption and rescue from the mouth of the lions.

2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.

Remember Paul when he was Saul?  He was a religious zealot, a Pharisee of the Pharisees he called himself.  Saul thought he was doing good and serving God when he went about killing Christians and destroying the early church.  He was possessed by lions and was listening to lies and following the wrong spirits until Jesus came forcefully to deliver him and bring grace.  Jesus rescued Paul from the false religion and lies spoken out of the mouths of lions.  Most of the church is in bed with lions, following the lies that are spoken by honored supposed godly men of today.  But just like Paul, the religious big shot of his day, these honored men are under delusion and in love with sin.  

The writer of Hebrews spoke of many of the stories I covered in this post that mentioned lions.  He was speaking of the great faith of these men and how the power of God worked in them to deliver God’s people from the powers of darkness.  Interesting that one of their acts was to shut the mouths of lions.  This means to silence the lies that the devil speaks and bring the truth that sets us free into the hearts of the people.  The truth is Jesus and His Word.

Hebrews 11:32-34 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

The Angel and Little Book

I will end with one of the verses from the book of Revelation that speaks to lions in the unfolding judgment of God.

Revelation 10:1-4 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;  ²and he had in his hand a little book which was open He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; ³and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.  ⁴When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.”

Here is what God showed me this passage refers to.  This strong angel is Satan himself.  He comes disguised as an Angel of Light yet he is the angel of darkness.  He roars like a lion and he stands on the sea and the earth.  God did not want the secrets of the powers of darkness to be revealed until the time of the very end, which is now and very soon.  I don’t know what the thunders of pearl said, but whatever it was, God did not want it recorded in this Book.  The little book is sweet yet turns to bitterness once it is eaten.  This book represents the lies of Satan, the cotton candy gospel, the sugar coated view of God, the sweet wine of false teaching.  It attracts flesh and tickles ears but once ingested, it destroys from the inside.  The Apostle John was shown how this works and recorded the event for our understanding and awakening in the end.

My Exhortation

I have covered a tremendous amount of ground in this post.  Very few readers will have even read to this point, but if you made it here, I believe your eyes have been opened a little more to some truth.  Please go study this issue yourself, using the internet tools we have available to do word searches on words like lions.  Read these passages in full context, ponder what they mean and pray to God for wisdom and understanding.  Set aside whatever traditions you may believe for the moment and ask God to speak into your heart the truth. 

The lions are in our very midst, we are surrounded by them.  Lions are attacking me daily as they are unhappy their cover is now being blown.  Fear not the lions.  Fear the one who made the lions and sends them.  Fear God alone.   Seek truth and the freedom from lions that follows. 

May God Bless You Richly!