In his classic book The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop says the origin of the worship of Dagon, the ancient god of grain and agriculture honored by the Amorites and Philistines, was “founded upon a legend, that, at a remote period the past, when men were sunk in barbarism, there came up a BEAST CALLED OANNES FROM THE RED SEA, or Persian Gulf—half-man, half-fish—that civilized the Babylonians, taught them arts and sciences, and instructed them in politics and religion. The worship of Dagon was introduced by the very parties—Nimrod, of course, excepted—who had previously seduced the world into the worship of fire.”

Biblically, Nimrod is a type of the Antichrist. Leviathan—incorrectly thought by some to be a sea monster—is a title for Satan. Isaiah 27:1 identifies him as “the dragon that is in the sea.” The verse reads, “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.”

Job 40 refers to the Antichrist as the “behemoth” who “eateth grass as an ox.” The passage goes on to inform, “Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
[17] He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
[18] His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
[19] He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
[20] Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
[21] He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
[22] The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
[23] Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
[24] He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.”

Earlier, in Job 38:39, God had talked to Job about the animal kingdom and the fact man was designed to have dominion over the animals but couldn’t because of sin’s corruption, and if you count down the animals mentioned by name, the behemoth is the 13^th one. Biblically, thirteen is the number of rebellion.

Jordan says, “Under the name behemoth, if you’ve got a Scofield Reference Bible, there’s the little note that says, ‘the elephant as some think,’ because nobody can figure out what the behemoth is. The Hebrew word for behemoth means ‘a compound or composite beast.’ That’s a beast made up of more than one. You know where there are any of those in the Bible?

“Did you ever read Daniel 7 where those beasts Daniel sees—the lion, the bear, the leopard and so forth—represent the kingdoms of the Antichrist? Did you ever read over there in Revelation 13 where the Antichrist is the ‘leopard with the mouth of a lion and the feet of a bear’? It’s got all those beasts put together.

“Did you ever read in Hosea 13, describing the Antichrist, where he’s the lion, the bear, the beasts? He’s all these beasts in one.”

*****

In once of the most descriptive Bible passages about Satan, God asks Job in Job 41, “Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
[2] Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
[3] Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
[4] Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
[5] Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
[6] Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
[7] Canst thou fill his skin with barbed iron? or his head with fish spears?
[8] Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
[9] Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
[10] None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
[11] Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
[12] I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
[13] Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
[14] Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
[15] His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
[16] One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
[17] They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
[18] By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
[19] Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
[20] Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
[21] His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
[22] In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
[23] The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
[24] His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
[25] When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
[26] The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
[27] He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
[28] The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
[29] Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
[30] Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
[31] He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
[32] He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
[33] Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
[34] He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.”

*****

Jordan says, “In chapter 41, where He talks about Satan, there’s one point where He says, ‘If you could really see the guy you’d just faint flat-out on the carpet.’

“I used to know a preacher down in Alabama—he was a denominational preacher and he thought he was the cat’s meow. I was in a meeting one time and he was talking, ‘Boy, I wish Satan would just come in the back door here and I’d tie a knot in his tail.’

“I saw him a couple of days later and I said, ‘You know, if a big old man-eating lion came in the back door of your church building you’d have had a new door and you’d be the one who made it! Gonna tie a knot in the devil’s tail. Are you nuts?!’

“God says if you saw him—really saw him—you wouldn’t be able to stand it. You’d be a brown-pantser.

“Now, in the chapter, those stones are also found over in Ezekiel 28 where it’s talking about his spiritual power. It says his bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. You go to Daniel 2 and that last (Antichrist) kingdom is ‘clay and iron’ and iron is associated with satanic activity in Scripture in the political sense.

“Chapter 40 says ‘he is the chief of the ways of God.’ At the end of chapter 41, it says that ‘upon earth there is not his like who’s made without fear. He beholdeth all high things: he is king of all the children of pride.’

“This is a worthy adversary, folks, and there’s not a way in the world you’re ever going to beat him. Verse 19 says ‘he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.’

You know why in Revelation 19 it says Jesus Christ comes back and a two-edged sword goes out of his mouth?

“Because that’s what it’s going to take to destroy this guy. It’s gonna take the power of the Word of God and nothing else. And there’s nothing else that will defeat him in the prophetic program or in the mystery program.

“There’s nothing else that will defeat him in your life. Not your abilities, not your wisdom, not your resources . . . it’s only in the resources that are in that Book that put you in contact and in personal communion with the resources God gave you in His Son Jesus Christ.”