Is Leviathan a Dinosaur?
Job 41 describes one of the most curious creatures told about in the Bible – Leviathan.
Since the discovery of dinosaur fossils, certain segments of the
faith have postulated that Leviathan is a plesiosaur – a type of aquatic dinosaur.
Operating under this assumption, certain groups and institutions have used this
as substance to the idea that the Bible records times when man and dinosaurs co-existed on
the earth, with the consequence being that the geological time tables need to be restructured.
Interpreting Leviathan as a plesiosaur or similar creature certainly does have attractive points.
Leviathan is described as a sea creature (v.1; Psalm 104:26) having
“outer armor,” (v.13), “terrifying teeth,” (v.14), scales, (v.15), a
strong neck (v.22), and a general aura of intimidation and awe.
Though these attributes seem fairly consistent with number of possible
candidates from the age of the dinosaurs, we run into a curiosity in verses 18-21:
“His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth.
Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His
breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.” (Job 41:18-21)
This passages seems to describe Leviathan as a fire-breather, something more akin to
medieval legend than an actual animal. Many of the same groups that defend Leviathan as
being an actual creature capitulate that this must also be a real attribute of this animal.
However, to properly understand what Leviathan is or was, we must consider the whole of the
Biblical text. Job 41 is not the only place where this creature is described.
Psalm 74 and Isaiah 27 also reference Leviathan.
In verses 13 and 14 of Psalm 74, we read:
“You divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.” (Psalm 74:13-14)
In addition to everything we have read in Job,
this verse tells us that Leviathan is a multi-headed creature. Moreover, Psalm 74
described God as having conquered Leviathan, giving him as food for the animals. This
destruction of Leviathan begins a poetic retelling of creation that extends through verse 17.
Isaiah 27:1 says of Leviathan:
“In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent,
With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent;
And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.” (Isaiah 27:1)
Whereas Psalm 74 describes God as having already defeated Leviathan,
Isaiah 27 prophecies that God will defeat Leviathan in the eschaton – the day of the LORD.
Why would God be picking a fight with a plesiosaur to kickstart creation? And how is
it that God has already defeated Leviathan, but must defeat it again in the eschaton?
These questions, coupled with the description of seemingly mythological
attributes like multiple-heads and the ability to breath fire
begins to point us in a different direction regarding the true identity of Leviathan.
Rather than being an ancient aquatic reptile,
Leviathan is the zoomorphic representation of the forces of chaos and destruction
that God is subduing to create and maintain the cosmos. The revelation of the Bible
uses Leviathan as a literary device to describe God’s omnipotence and authority.
This is why Leviathan is described as a sea monster. In Genesis 1,
the creative acts of God proceed out of the primordial waters of verse 2.
In Psalm 74, Leviathan is the personification of the destructive forces represented by these
waters (a.k.a. “the deep”). It is only by God’s awesome power that these forces of
chaos and destruction are subdued and brought into order. Psalm 74:13-14 give the poetic
interpretation of the this first act of creation – God ordering what otherwise refuses to be ordered.
We see this understanding substantiated in Job 7:12:
“Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?”
This verse is part of Job’s petition towards God, as to why he has been the object of so
much suffering. He is rhetorically asking God if his life has caused so much chaos and destruction
(as the sea or Leviathan) that he must be ruined to restore order and peace.
Job revisits God’s power and authority over Leviathan and the sea,
as well as over all of creation in chapter 26:
“The departed spirits tremble Under the waters and their inhabitants.
Naked is Sheol before Him, and Abaddon has no covering.
He stretches out the north over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing. He wraps up the
waters in His clouds, and the cloud does not burst under them. He obscures the face of the full moon
and spreads His cloud over it. He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters
at the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble and are amazed at His rebuke.
He quieted the sea with His power, and by His understanding He shattered Rahab. By His
breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.” (Job 26:5-13)
These forces of chaos are not entirely absent from the creation, however. The phrase,
“fleeing serpent,” in verse 13 is the same as in Isaiah 27:1 – נחשׁ ברח.
In addition, the serpentine reference of Leviathan parallels the serpent in Genesis 3: נחשׁ.
(The serpent of Genesis 3 being an agent of chaos and rebellion akin to Leviathan.)
Only in the eschaton – the Day of the LORD – will chaos and destruction be done away with for good,
as God brings His people into His eternal kingdom, where they will finally have true peace and rest.
Though motivated by good intentions, assuming Leviathan is a plesiosaur or some other great
aquatic reptile does more harm than good when taken in the context of the entirety
of what the Bible says about this creature. Rather than being a flesh and blood animal,
Leviathan is a common literary device used to give imagery to God’s great power and authority.