The rulers in high places (in our churches) are pictured as "roaring lions." They seek whom they may devour with their mouths
.with their deceitful words
.preaching falsehoods from the Bible which come from leaning upon their own wisdom. There are many pastors today who are skilled in doing this
they catch their prey with their words. The devil uses his ministers to devour souls
.to lead them through the wide gate and down the broad road to ruin. They keep the people of God from the True Life
..they lead those who listen to them away from love for one another to hateful ways and thoughts. There is forgiveness for such things
.for we know not what we do.
(1 Pet 5:8 KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
The roaring lion represents the wicked rulers (pastors, priests, false prophets, etc) who show no mercy to the oppressed poor people under them. The Hebrew words for ranging bear in Proverbs 28:15, also show us that they preach false doctrines out of covetousness
.with feigned words
seeking to make merchandise of us.
(Prov 28:15 KJV) As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
And again
.the false prophets are like a roaring lion
.ravening the prey (the flock of God.) They devour souls
.they have taken the treasure and precious things (the things of the Scriptures) and have deceived many with their falsehoods
.false doctrines.
(Ezek 22:25 KJV) There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
They are like wolves also
.ravening the prey
destroying souls. And for what? To get dishonest gain. They corrupt the Word of God for their own covetousness.
27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
They vex the spiritual poor and needy by misinterpreting the Word of God. They say thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken. They claim to be speaking the Truth of the Bible but the Truth had not been revealed by the Lord
.yet. They ran ahead of Christ
..not staying in the doctrine: to love one another.
29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
Again
false prophets = ravening wolves = a roaring lion. There are many today preaching in the pulpits of our churches. They seek those whom they may devour with their feigned words. Many have fallen victim to their teachings
.they are their prey.
(Mat 7:15 KJV) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Again
.Paul warned us that grievous wolves would enter in among us and not spare the flock. Many of the flock would become prey to them.
(Acts 20:29 KJV) For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
And the focus for the wolves/ lion? Mans silver, gold or apparel. They covet after things
they misuse the Scriptures for a tool to earthly things from others.
33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
The roaring lion does not properly remember the words of the Lord Jesus
.it is more blessed to give than receive.
35 I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
The wolf is a thief who enters in among us to steal, kill and destroy. Our Lord
.the Truth
comes so that we might have Life
and to have it more abundantly.
(John 10:10 KJV) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
The wolf has come and caught many in the church
.he has divided them up in denominations
.scattering the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The wolf or roaring lion handles the Word of God deceitfully
for dishonest gain
..the hidden things of dishonesty.
(2 Cor 4:2 KJV) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
The roaring lion corrupts the Word of God for his own covetousness. The Greek word for corrupt here is kapeleuo which means to retail, huckster. There are MANY who do this in our churches:
(2 Cor 2:17 KJV) For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
The roaring lion relies on his own understanding of the Bible to prove his point to those who know no better (taking advantage of the poor in spirit)
he seeks to make believers of them of his doctrines
..he seeks to make many of the flock his prisoners
he seeks to devour the souls who fall prey to him
.he seeks to make merchandise of them. The lion is a beast of great strength.
(Prov 30:30 KJV) A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
The lion secretly lies in wait for the unaware among the flock. They pose as preachers of the Word
.and their erroneous Bible teachings are the net by which they catch the spiritually poor
.those who know no better....who put their trust in man for the correct Bible interpretation and blindly accept it.
(Psa 10:9 KJV) He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
The poor fall under the lions strength:
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
The many priests, pastors, reverends, preachers of error are like lions
.greedy of their prey
lurking in secret places. They are the wicked as mentioned throughout the Bible. They are not the atheists of the world
.the sinners of the outside world. They are those in front of us in the pulpits professing to be preachers of righteousness. Their real nature of who they are is unknown to the flock under their care. They lie in wait for their prey.
(Psa 17:12 KJV) Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
But the Lord will arise and cast him down
the Bible and the people of God will be delivered from their influences.
13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
They are men of the world
.they mind the earthly things. They have had their portion in this life
..their reward in this life.
14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
They have their reward in this life
..those that do things for the glory of men. They seek glory from one another and not God. They glory in their ministries
.they glory in their church plantings
.they glory in their church buildings
.they glory in their religious schools and institutions
they glory in their religious learning
.they glory in their riches
they glory in their books
they glory in their music
.they glory in the power they have over the flock
.they glory in their good deeds which are done for the glory of men. They glory in all those things which will pass away. They have their reward is in this life. They will have no reward from the Father.
(Mat 6:2 KJV) Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
(Mat 6:5 KJV) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
(Mat 6:16 KJV) Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Those who do all of their religious works for the glory of men
.for the recognition and pride of men, have no reward of the Father which is in heaven.
(Mat 6:1 KJV) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Our Lord comes to reveal the Truth
.His words will properly interpret the Bible for us so that we may know our sins
.and to be cleansed of our sins. Let us not be ashamed of the Truth and His words in this adulterous and sinful generation.
38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
We must forsake our houses
.our churches and doctrines which are in error. We must cease from our own wisdom and receive the love for the Truth
.Jesus is the Truth.
(Mat 19:29 KJV) And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
A body was prepared
.not only the physical body of Jesus, but also all of those people of the Scriptures
they are a part of his body. In the volume of the book it is written of me. The Scriptures themselves are a part of the sacrifice for our sins. All of our missing of the mark of the Truth has been in ignorance of the Scripture of Truth.
(Heb 10:5 KJV) Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Turning to Psalms 22
we see the theme of the lion. The ravening and roaring lion has gaped upon the Scriptures (the body that was prepared as a sacrifice for sin) with their mouths
they have distorted and twisted them with their earthly-based teachings. They only understand the letter of the Scriptures.
(Psa 22:13 KJV) They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
They are poured out like water
.all the bones are out of joint. Men have corrupted the Word of God with their teachings (the water)
.the unlearned and unstable wrest all of the Scriptures
.everything is out of joint.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
Because of the lack of Truth being taught by the ravening, roaring lion
the strength of the Scriptures is dried
.the Hebrew word means to be ashamed, confused. They preach confusion
..earthly things based on earthly understanding
.the dust of death.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
They are the dogs who have compassed the Scriptures with their erroneous teachings
.they have made the Bible say what they want it to say
.not what it really is saying. They pierced his hands and his feet. The Hebrew word for pierced is the word for lion
.. 'ariy
.. like a lion, they devour the Scriptures with their mouths. The hands and feet are the Scriptures themselves
.they violently pierce them
.in keeping with the lion theme.
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. Pierced = lion
17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
But God will deliver, strengthen and help the Scriptures
.with the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Truth of the Scriptures
19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
The Scriptures will be saved from the lions mouth.
21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
