Chimeras are coming ∙
In my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast – terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. – Daniel 7:7
Revelation 13:2 This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.
In ancient Greek mythology, the Chimera was a fictitious beast with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a snake’s tail. Various types of such composite creatures, composed of mismatched parts, appear throughout the Ancient Near East’s mythology. Once considered mere products of human imagination, these chimeras are gradually becoming a reality.
Chimeras are hybrids formed from distinct species. In experimental embryology, hybrids are created by grafting an embryonic part of one animal onto another. Scientists achieved a significant breakthrough in 2017 when they created the first human-pig hybrid (Journal Cell, January 26, 2017). By 2021, both China and the US had produced embryos containing both human and monkey cells. But why this research? The intention isn’t to create new mixed-species beings but to develop a method for growing human organs for transplantation.
The Scriptures contain a plethora of fantastic composite beasts seen in dreams and visions. These accounts often portray angelic entities or servants of darkness. They are often supersized, wild-looking chimeras of creatures that do not exist on planet Earth. Their uniqueness pushes them beyond our experience and the limits of our imagination, making them indescribable.
These intimidating, frequently terrifying images seem to leap off the pages of Scripture. But what is their purpose? Why are they included?
These imposing, often terrifying images seem to jump out of the pages of Scripture. Why are they present?
Pause momentarily and think about how we emphasize things when we write. We use hyperbole, underlining, capital letters, italics, or bold characters. People in ancient times understood ethereal, abstract concepts such as omnipotence and omniscience. However, they were limited in their ability to express metaphysical ideas.
So, they used concrete images of things known to them in the natural world, such as eagles, lions, leopards, bears, or dragon-like creatures, to express the inexpressible. For example, a leopard represented speed, a bull represented strength, and a lion majesty. The Ancient Near East was replete with composite creatures: part human, part angel, and part beast. Consider the cherubim described in Ezekiel 1:14.
These extraordinary creatures are intended to provoke the reader to pause, stop, and reflect on what is written.
“In the absence of abstract philosophical tools, these images expressed the transcendent divine attributes of omnipotence and omniscience. Carrying the divine throne, the four-headed cherubim declare that Yahweh has the strength and majesty of the lion, the swiftness and mobility of the eagle, the procreative power of the bull, and the wisdom and reason of humankind” (Daniel Isaac Block).
REFLECT & PRAY
1 Thessalonians 5:3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
Father thank You for communicating to us in ways that we can begin to understand the inexplicable.
INSIGHT
Revelation 13:1-2
1 Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.
2 This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.
Picture in your mind the chimera John described in his vision in Revelation 14. John was on the shore, and he saw a strange, unusual beast begin to emerge from the sea, lumbering towards him. First, he saw the ten horns bursting through the water’s surface. Soon, a head emerged with ten horns. What a bizarre image. Then, the first head was followed by a second, a third, etc., until seven heads appeared.
“John saw the body emerge as this beast came ever nearer to the shore; this body was lithe and strong, shaped like that of a leopard and with a leopard’s spots. Then, as the beast continued to wade ashore, he saw its feet, but these were not feline feet but the feet of a bear. Finally, when this strange composite beast was on dry land, it opened its mouth and roared like a lion” (M. S. Mills).
Such a composite creature is purely fictional. What does it symbolize? For believers who interpret the biblical prophecy of the end times literally, this beast signifies the Antichrist, also known as the Beast. The evil one empowers the Antichrist to carry out their apocalyptic plans for planet Earth.
Revelation 13:2 The dragon [Satan] gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.
The inhabitants of Earth were beguiled, enamored, and captivated. They fell into a state of infatuation and fascination. They were seduced into worshipping the Beast and the Dragon. This had been the adversary’s scheme from the beginning. And now, for a brief period, he will have his way.
Revelation 13:4-8
4 They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
5 Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months.
6 And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling – that is, those who dwell in heaven.
7 And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.
8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast.
How does the Antichrist carry this off?
In 1953, Arnold Toynbee, an English historian, wrote, “By forcing on mankind more and more lethal weapons, and at the same time making the world more and more interdependent economically, technology has brought mankind to such a degree of distress that we are ripe for deifying any new Caesar who might succeed in bringing the world unity and peace.”
“That is all Antichrist will need to offer the world when he comes. He will say, “I am going to give you peace,” and the people will say, “Hallelujah!” and put him into office. That is the way we do it in the United States, where we are supposed to be a very cultured, educated, sophisticated, and civilized nation. The world will put Antichrist into power.”
Bishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote, “The Antichrist will come disguised as the great humanitarian. He will talk peace, prosperity, and plenty, not as a means to lead us to God, but as ends in themselves. He will explain guilt away psychologically . . ., make men shrink in shame if their fellowmen say they are not broad-minded and liberal. He will spread the lie that men will never be better until they make society better;”
“He will identify tolerance with indifference to right and wrong, truth and error; he will spread the lie that men will never be better until they make society better and thus have selfishness to provide fuel for the next revolution . . .; he will invoke religion to destroy religion; he will even speak of Christ and say that he was the greatest man who ever lived; his mission, he will say, will be to liberate men from the servitudes of superstition and Fascism, which he will never define. . ..”
“In the midst of all his seeming love for humanity and his glib talk of freedom and equality, he will have one great secret which he will tell to no one: he will not believe in God. Because his religion will be brotherhood without the fatherhood of God, he will deceive even the elect. . ..”
“In desperate need for God, he will induce modern man in his loneliness and frustration to hunger more and more for membership in a community that will give man enlargement of purpose, without any need of personal amendment and without admission of personal guilt. . . (Time magazine, Feb. 03, 1947).
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5
4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.
5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 10-26-1
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 