Animals in the Bible

Animals In The Bible

Animals in the Bible? Hey, kids, we know you love animals. Do you have a pet at home? What is it? Small or big?

Did you know there are many animals mentioned in the Bible? Actually, there are more than 55.

Did you also know that each animal has a symbolic meaning? That means that we can look at each animal not only from a natural standpoint, but also try to figure out what it represents spiritually and how we can learn valuable lessons from each and everyone of them.

 Here we have listed some of the most famous animals in the Bible:

Have you seen an ant? Of course you have. They are everywhere around us. They are so small, but live in large groups. Also, these little creatures are one of the smartest animals in the Bible, because they are very hard working ones and therefore are a symbol of being diligent, industrious and wise in preparing for the future ahead of time. That's what we ourselves must be, right? Proverbs 30:25 says: "Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer."

THE BEAR

Bears represent the big and strong animals in the Bible. They are some of the biggest creatures the Lord has created. They are wild and very dangerous beasts. Therefore, bears in the Bible are symbolic of cruel, strong and bad people.    Daniel 7:5 says: "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!"

If you have ever seen a flower in a field, you have most probably seen a bee - a representative of the insect family of animals in the Bible. Bees are also very hard working and they produce one of the sweetest things you have ever eaten. Guessed it? Of course - honey. So, bees symbolize sweetness, but also, they symbolize the power to sting. When David was fleeing from his enemies, he said: "They surrounded me like bees..." (Psalm 118:12)

THE BUTTERFLY

The butterfly is not among the specifically mentioned animals in the Bible, but it is definitely a very good symbol, because, as you know, these beautiful creatures experience an extremely amazing process before they turn into butterflies. First they are carterpillars - something not so pretty looking. They hide in a cocoon though and after some time, a butterfly comes out. Can you believe it? Yes, that's one of the biggest miracles the Lord has done. It is very similar to the way the Lord recreates our spirits when we receive Him as our Lord and Savior.

The calves are probaly the happiest animals in the Bible. That's why, when the Bible wants to describe a person who is so happy that he is even dancing and jumping up and down, sometimes it used the symbol of the calf. For instance, in Malachi 4:2, God's Word says: "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall."

THE CAMEL

The camels are the only animals in the Bible and altogether, which can walk on the hot sands of the desert without getting burned. That's why the people of old have used camels when they wanted to transport anything through the desert. Well, you guessed it - the camel is a symbol of a servant and a burden bearer - someone called to help us when it gets "really hot".

The deer is so beautiful and so fast - one of the most gracious and fastest wild animals in the Bible. So, they are a good symbol of beauty and swiftness. Psalm 18:33 says: "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights." See? We should all represent God's beauty and graciousness, and we should always be swift to obey the Lord and His Word. We are sure of course, that you want absolutely the same thing. Let's have a very quick word of prayer together. What do you say? OK? OK, here we go: "Lord, please help us always be obedient to Your will. Lead us and guide us with Your Word and by Your Spirit. Amen!"

THE DOG

You see how good this dog looks? Yea, it looks very friendly and he is, indeed, one of the best friends of the people, in life, but as a Biblical symbol, dogs represent unbelievers and bad people. So, if your read in your Bible something about dogs, please beware - the Bible is probably going to be warning us about something. For example, we can see David again, resembling bad folks to dogs: "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me," (Psalm 22:16).

On one hand, the donkey, like the camel, can symbolize strength and service (Remember that exactly a donkey was used by the Lord Jesus when He entered Jerusalem), but on the other hand, it can also symbolize stubbornness and self-will, as everybody knows donkeys are what we would classify as the stubborn animals in the Bible. That also can speak of us as people of God - sometimes we are willing to obey and serve the Lord, while other times we refuse to do so. Let's always choose the first, right?

THE DOVE

Well, the dove is so gracious when you look at it, isn't it? It is so gracious indeed, that you can not even attribute the name - animals in the Bible, to it. It's no wonder that the Lord has chosen exactly the Dove to be a symbol of the Holy Spirit, Who, also is very gentle, gracious and at the same time - very powerful. The Bible says that when Jesus was ready to start serving the Lord, the Holy Spirit came bodily upon Him in the form of a beautiful dove (Matthew 3:16).

There are no living dragons of course, and this is not one of the real animals in the Bible - it's more like a fairy tale creature and you know that for sure. When the Bible mentions a dragon, it is always speaking of our greatest enemy - satan. There are many Scriptures in the Book of Revelation (The last book in the Bible) where the symbol of the dragon is mentioned, among which are our favorites: Revelation 12:7 & 9, which speak about the dragon being our enemy, and 20:2 - speaking about the way satan will be defeated completely. Hallelujah!)

THE EAGLE

The eagle is a very interesting bird and much can be said about it, as well as many lessons can be learned by observing it. The animals in the Bible include the birds (like the dove we saw above), of which the eagle represents strength and swiftness. The eagles also have a unique way to renew their strength and that's why Isaiah 40:31 says that "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

There are so many different kinds of fish, as there are so many different people. Fish, as another segment of the animals in the Bible, represent people. Some people are good, others are not. Jesus spoke several parables using the fish symbol, and one of them was the parable about separating the good from the bad fish. In much the same way, when we throw our "net" (e.g. when we speak with other kids about the Lord), some of them respond well, while others react harshly. We can not avoid that. What we can do is pray to the Lord that He makes us good "fishers" of kids (Please read Matthew 4:19).

THE FOX

Well, as a major representative of the animals in the Bible, we think there's no need for us to tell you what the fox is a symbol of. We are sure you already know very well. And who has not heard fairy tales with foxes? Always, the fox is representing someone sly and cunning. The Lord Jesus even called the evil king Herod a fox (Luke 13:32), because he was a very cunning person and was all the time trying to figure out in what way he could catch Jesus and kill Him. Of course, Jesus could not be caught, because God protected Him. In the same way, our enemies, who might be very sly and cunning, will never be able to catch us and harm us in any way, because the Lord is with us and is protecting us.

Well, one more of the animals in the Bible, which looks so cute on a picture, but is a symbol of something bad. The frog in the Bible has been used as a representation of demon spirits - the spiritual enemies of God. The book of Revelation 16:13 clearly states that the evil spirits that the apostle John saw in a vision to come out of the mouth of the dragon looked like frogs. These spirits had the mission to go to different people on the earth and make them enemies of God as well, just like they were. The good news, again, is that the book of Revelation ends with our complete victory over the dragon and all his cohorts.

THE GRASSHOPPER

The grasshopper is a symbol of two things: 1). It is a symbol of smallness - When the Israelites saw the giants in the Promised Land, they considered themselves so small, that they compared themselves to grasshoppers. They were really afraid of their enemies. It's very important that we never consider ourselves as grasshoppers compared to our enemies. 2). On the other hand, when the grasshoppers are many (a large multitude of them), they are a symbol of something very powerful and destructive. They can completely ruin the harvest in a given plot of land. Yet, even then, the Bible says that the Lord can restore to us what the locusts have eaten (spiritually speaking).

Almost every family living in the countryside has hens and chickens. So, we have seen hens many times. One thing that we can tell right away is that the hen is very protective of her little chickens. She gathers them under her wings, she protects them and she leads them. In Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:37, the Bible records Jesus' words about Jerusalem, where He compares His love and affection towards Jerusalem, with the way a hen gathers and keeps her children.

THE HORSE

The horse is one of the magnificent animals in the Bible. He is a symbol of spiritual strength, power, support, and swiftness. Our Lord Jesus can be seen riding on a white horse in the book of Revelation. The enemies of Jesus were also on different horses, so the horse can sometimes represent the power of evil forces or the power of the flesh. That's why Proverbs 21:31 says: "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD." In other words, we can not win in life through our own strength - we need the Lord to help us.

The lamb is one of the animals in the Bible that is clearly identified as a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was called: "The Lamb of God". John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus coming towards him, exclaimed: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!". Lambs were the sacrificial animals in the Bible (Old Testament), which the people presented before God for their sins. Later Jesus would become the Perfect Sacrifice, once and for all, so all of us can now be saved. Aren't you glad He became the sacrificial lamb?

THE LION

We chose a very funny picture of a lion here, but in reality, the lion is called the King of animals. Well, this is the second of the animals in the Bible, which is representing the Lord Jesus, this time, not as our sacrifice, but as our King and Lord. The lion is a majesic creature, symbolizing dominance and authority. That's why Jesus is called: The King of kings and Lord of lords. You also know that satan - the enemy of God - counterfeits everything the Lord is doing, so the Bible uses the lion symbol to sometimes describe satan as well - one going around and seeking prey (1 Peter 5:8).

Do you know what a moth is? It is a very tiny little creature, like a small night butterfly, but can have very destructive powers. It "eats" and can make large holes in our clothing for example. Jesus used this to symbolize the disastrous forces of this world, but He also gave us - the Christians - the remedy. He said if our heart is focused in the right direction (seeking Him and how to please Him, and not our own will and desires - Matthew 6:19-20 & Luke 12:33), then we will not be affected by those evil powers, because they will be powerless against us.

THE OWL

The owl is one of the animals in the Bible and not only in the Bible, that represent wisdom, but also it has a dark, night side to it. It is a creature of the darkness and we don't know anybody who does not get chills when they think about an owl. That's why it rightfully represents evil spirits, which also operate wherever there is a spiritual dakness. Scared? No, don't be. The Lord is called LIGHT and Jesus called us The Light of the world, so there's nothing to worry about. Light has always and will always defeat darkness. Praise the Lord!

The pig, unlike the one we have pictured on the right, is one of the dirtiest animals in the world (as well as probably the dirtiest of all the animals in the Bible). Even if you wash a pig and put a golden ribbon on his neck, the first thing he would do when he sees a muddy pond would be to jump in it and wallow. Well, that clearly shows you the spiritual symbol - unclean people. Hey, do you know why many people are like that? Because they don't know any better. In other words - they are ignorant. God's Word though, when compared to a mirror, shows us all our spiritual complexion, so we can see the areas that need cleaning and when we clean them, we will be without dirty spots and stains - just the way the Lord wants us to be.

THE RABBIT

The rabbit is part of these animals in the Bible, that has the unique ability to find a place of safety while running from his enemies. He is very wise and very quick to run, change his direction and hide. So, it is a symbol of our ability to outwit any enemy that comes our way. Even the wise writer of Proverbs the 30th chapter, wonders and says: "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: ...coneys (or rabbits) are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags (or on the rocks)" Well, we too, like rabbits, have little power of our own, but the Lord gives us the wisdom and ability how to build our home (our life) on the Rock - Jesus Christ, so no enemy can reach us.

Chapter 22 in Genesis is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible. It describes the story of how Abraham obeyed God and was ready to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. When the Lord saw the obedience of Abraham, He stopped him and showed him a ram, which he was to take and sacrifice instead of his son. Many years later, God Himself would sacrifice His own Son - Jesus, on the cross, to take away our sins (e.g. to substitute us), so we don't have to be "sacrificed". The ram is a symbol of that great substitution that the Lord accomplished for us.

THE RAVEN

The raven, again contrary to the nice funny picture we have placed here, is not a good symbol in the Bible. Raven are birds generally connected with famine and the work of evil spirits, though once, the Lord used exactly ravens to bring food (bread and meat twice a day) to Elijah for many days (1 Kings 17:4-6). The Bible also says that if we love the Lord, He can turn any bad situation in such a way, that we benefit from it and not get hurt by it. So, let's focus on loving the Lord and doing His will and He will make everything to work for and not against us.

WOW! The scorpion is from those animals in the Bible, that are poisonous and therefore can have no good symbolism in them. Scorpions sting and bring pain and death to everything they come in contact with. Did we say Everything? We meant everything not protected by God. Jesus told us in the Gospel of Luke though, that this does not include us - His children, because He said there that He will give us power to tread upon snakes and scorpions. Aren't you so glad we are on the winning side. With each animal which symbolizes something bad, the Lord also reminds us of His power over that evil thing, so we can always be peaceful in Him. Hallelujah!

THE SHEEP

Ha - finally some of the animals in the Bible that symbolize us as children of God. Jesus called Himself our Shepherd and we are all His sheep. Even in the Old Testament David called the Lord: "My Shepherd". So, it has always been in God's heart to guard over us, to lead us and guide us, as the shepherd is guiding, leading and watching over his sheep, protecting them from all wild animals. Do you remember the wild animals we read about above (like the bear and the lion)? They try to steal sheep from the flock, but with a shepherd like ours (Jesus), they can never steal and harm us.

Nobody likes snakes, right? We don't either. They symbolize evil in all its forms. You remember that it was a snake the devil used to trick Adam and Eve. He is still trying to trick people into so many stupid things, so they can not follow and serve the Lord. The good news? The Lord said to Adam and Eve that the evil snake (satan and his army of demons) will try to harm us, but we will eventually defeat him (Genesis 3:15).

THE SPIDER

Spiders spin webs. In those webs they can catch different things like flies, mosquitoes, and the like. Evil people are the same - they are all the time scheming, planning and strategizing how to do something bad, so they can catch somebody in their "web". So, beware of such and never have anything to do with them. Always pray for the Lord's protection over yourselves. The Lord is the one protecting us from all evil,  as the famous "The Lord's prayer" in Matthew 6:9-13 states.

Wolves' favorite food, of course, are the sheep, so the wolf is a symbol of the Lord's enemies, which want to devour the sheep - the children of God. Bad news for the wolves - they will starve to death, because the Lord is the Good Shepherd and He is watching over His own sheep day and night, so nothing bad happens to them. If you are not sure whether you are the Lord's sheep or not, let's settle this right away. Repeat after us this simple prayer, outloud:

Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and make me Your sheep. Give me Your peace. Give me Your strength and power, so I will not be not afraid. I want to stop disobeying God and want to follow Him. Thank You for dying for me on the cross and being raised from the dead.  I want You as my Lord and Savior. I believe in You. Amen!

Animal information provided by Nikola Dimitrov.

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