Entry
Leviathan / Face your demons
What did Jesus mean
Face your demons.
Where did Jesus say this
John 3:14 — “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”
Matthew 10:16 — “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Matthew 23:33 — “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Words Behind the Words
Serpent — In Hebrew, the word is nachash, which translates to “snake.” But it is also a verb, meaning “hiss, whisper, read omens, enchant.” The serpent IS “the enchanter” and “the whisperer.” Consider it a whispering voice that enchants.
Leviathan — In Hebrew, the word is livyathan. The root word lavah means “to twist, coil, or wind.” The name of the “creature” describes it — the twisting one, like a twister you get caught in. From lavah there are several offshoots:
- Levi (a name) = “joined” (think… Tribe of Levi, Levites, joined to God)
- Livyah = “wreath / garland” (a twisted thing)
- Leviathan = “the coiled one”
Dragon — In Hebrew, the word is tannin, and in Greek, drakōn. In Greek, the word means “to see clearly, to gaze with a piercing stare.” This sounds reminiscent of the Satan (the accuser), whose job it is to watch, accuse, and test.
Rahab — In Hebrew, the word is rahav. The root word means “to storm, rage, or act arrogantly.” Consider it “the Raging one,” or simply, “Pride.” It is also a nickname for Egypt.
Isaiah 30:7 — “Egypt’s help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her ‘Rahab who sits still.’”
Biblical context
All of these monsters are the same monster, just with different names. Hebrew poetry is full of parallelism. Where one monster is, so is another (because they are one and the same).
- Isaiah 27:1 — “In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”
- Psalm 74:13–14 — “Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.”
- Isaiah 51:9 — “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?”
As another layer, these “monsters” are also used in exchange for the Devil or Satan. As we’ve covered before, Satan means accuser, and Devil means slanderer.
Satan, in particular, was a job in God’s court (think of it as a prosecutor, not some fiery figure below us). The job of Satan was a role, like holding an office.
Devil, on the other hand, is diabolos. This word breaks into dia (across, through, between) and ballō (to throw, cast). So we’re literally talking about someone who throws themselves between — hurling accusations, falsely accusing, slandering.
- Revelation 12:9 — “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.”
- Revelation 20:2 — “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”
What Jesus did not mean
Jesus (and God) did not mean there is a literal sea monster or Game of Thrones style dragon out there.
They also did not mean that these “monsters” are metaphors for a cosmic boogeyman you can blame for all your troubles.
They also did not mean that a Leviathan, a dragon, or a serpent is another form of some fiery figure below us.
Let’s break down the verses so you understand them clearly.
John 3:14 — “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”
Translation: You’ve already been bitten by the serpent, and the venom is already inside of you. If you want to overcome the serpent (your demons, accuser, ego), you must look at your serpent head-on. Otherwise, you will never be cured. You can’t act like it’s not there. As Moses lifted up his serpent pole to cure his people, you must look at me as your cure. I will help you overcome your serpent.
Matthew 10:16 — “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Translation: You are my followers, and I am sending you out into a predatory system. In order to survive, you must have the same intelligence as a serpent (don’t be naive, read the room, understand the system), but with no fangs (stay clean and receptive). Don’t collapse to one side.
Matthew 23:33 — “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Context: The word for hell here is Gehenna — a real valley outside Jerusalem where they sacrificed children to the god Molech.
Translation: The venom has been bred and inherited by another generation. You have become the serpent fully. You are now the satan, the dragon, the Leviathan. People like you cannot escape the fires that end it.
Where to start
Stop reaching for mystical, magical, far-fetched readings of the Bible, and read them for what they are. Understand the words behind the words so you can find the lessons within them.
Benefits
You can stop being manipulated and start healing yourself with Jesus at your side.