Four Sore Judgments – Famine, Evil Beasts, Sword, Pestilence

In addition to captivity and scattering during the Babylonian Captivity (type of the Great Tribulation), we find that killing of some of the people of Judah also occurred. In Ezekiel 14:12-23, we find a prophecy regarding the desolation of the land of Judah by the four sore judgments of famine, evil beasts, sword and pestilence. This prophecy warns that even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in the land, God would still cut-off man and beast due to the wickedness of the people (Eze 14:14, 16, 18, 20). These four sore judgments have a symbolic meaning that is applicable in the Great Tribulation, which is typified by the Babylonian Captivity. Please view the video below or consider the study that follows after the video.

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Ezekiel 14:12-23

What is ‘Spiritual’ Killing Symbolized by the 4 Sore Judgments?

Famine

Famine in the New Testament (G3042, limos – 12 occurrences)

Famine in the Great Tribulation (New Testament)

Famine in the Old Testament

H7456 (raeb, to hunger – 13 occurrences)

H7459 (reabom – famine – 3 occurrences)

H7457 (raeb, hungry – 19 occurrences)

H7458 (raab, famine – 101 occurrences)

Famine Causes Israel to go to Egypt

Famine in the Wilderness

Elijah’s Famine

Elisha and the 7 Year Famine

Famine in the Babylonian Captivity

Other Famines in the Old Testament

Those who Forsake God Shall Hunger in Famine

Symbolic Meaning of Famine – Scarcity of the Word of God

Evil Beasts

Ezekiel Passages

Beast in the Old Testament (H2416, chay – literally ‘living’)

Evil Living things in the Bible

Serpent

Key Verses

History of Satan as Serpent

Old Testament (H697, 24 occurrences)

Old Testament (Leviathan)

New Testament Dragon (only in Revelation)

Physical Description

Actions of the Dragon

Worship of the Dragon

Judgment on the Dragon and his angels

Beasts in Prophecy

Beasts of Daniel 7 (Babylon, Medes/Persians, Greece, Rome – Antichrist)

Beasts of Daniel 8 – Persian / Medes and Greece (Antichrist)

Beasts of Revelation 13 – Antichrist and False Prophet

Summary

Sword

New Testament

Spiritual Battle of Unsaved and Saved

Word of God

Sword in the Babylonian Captivity

Summary

Pestilence (disease)

Old Testament Occurrences (H1698, deber – 49 occurrences)

Pestilence in Egyptian Captivity

Pestilence in Babylonian Captivity

Other Occurrences of pestilence in Old Testament

A Judgment of God

New Testament Occurrences (G3061, loimos – plague – 3 occurrences)

Spiritual Meaning of Pestilence

Salvation from Pestilence

Sickness represents spiritual sickness of sin

Spiritual Healing

Summary

Ezekiel 14:12-23

The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD. (Eze 14:12-23)

What is ‘Spiritual’ Killing Symbolized by the 4 Sore Judgments?

In the Bible, we find that killing a person not only can happen physically (martyrdom), but also in a spiritual sense (spiritual martyrdom) when Christians are persecuted, hated and silenced within the church:

Christians die daily – Mat 24:9, 2 Cor 1:9, 4:10-12, 6:9,7:3, Ro 8:35-39, James 5:6, 1 John 3:15, 1 Cor 4:9, 15:31, Mat 5:21-22, Hab 1:2-4, James 2:9-11, Ps 94:1-7, 44:22, Rev 6:9, Mk 8:35
Christians Have Been Crucified with Christ – Gal 2:20, 5:24, 6:14, Ro 6:6
We are dead to sin and the law – Ro 6:6,11, Ro 8:10, 2 Tim 2:11, Ro 7:2-6, Gal 2:19, Col 2:10, 3:3 w/ 3:1-11, Ro 6:2-8, Eph 4:22
Killing by Words – Mat 5:21-22, Ro 3:13-15, Pr 11:9
Christians are living sacrifices – Rev 6:9-11, Ro 12:1-2, 6:13, 6:16, 6:19, Heb 10:22, 1 Pet 2:5, Phil 4:18, Ro 15:16, 2 Tim 4:6, Phil 2:17, John 16:2
Spiritual battle, not physical – Rev 6:3-4, Eph 6:11-12, 2 Tim 2;4, Col 1:13, 1 Pet 2:11, James 4:1
Sword between members of one’s own family – Mat 10:34-36, Lk 12:51-53
Afflicted, killed, and hated ‑ Mat 24:9, Mk 13:9, Lk 21:12
Slain for Word of God and testimony – Rev 6:9-11, 7:9-17, 11:7-10
Beast has war with saints – Rev 13:8, 6:3-4
Offended, betrayed, and hated ‑ Mat 24:10, Mk 13:12‑13, Lk 21:16‑19

As we see in many places in the Bible, Christians are put to death when they suffer for the sake of Christ. In essence, they die to the fleshly desires of life as they serve Christ. In this sense the flesh has been crucified with Christ, so Christians can live in the spirit. We also find in 1 John 3:15 that whoever hates Christians is spiritually speaking a murderer. They essentially silence Christians by not accepting them or considering what they have to say. In the Great Tribulation Olivet Discourse passage, we find the following ‘killing’:

Delivered up to tribulation and killed (hated of all nations for Jesus’ sake), betrayed and hate one another – Mat 24:9-10, Mk 13:9-13, Lk 21:12-19
Nation against nations, kingdom against kingdom – Lk 21:9-10, Mat 24:6-7, Mk 13:7-8
Famines and pestilences – Lk 21:11

Famine

Famine in the New Testament (G3042, limos – 12 occurrences)

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Mat 24:7)
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mar 13:8)
But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; (Luk 4:25)
And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. (Luk 15:14)
And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (Luk 15:17)
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luk 21:11)
Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. (Act 7:11)
And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. (Act 11:28)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Rom 8:35)
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (2Co 11:27)
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:8)
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. (Rev 18:8)

Famine in the Great Tribulation (New Testament)

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Mat 24:7-8)
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mar 13:8)
But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land (Luk 4:25)
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luk 21:11)
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mar 13:8)
Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. (Act 7:11)
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:8)
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. (Rev 18:8)

Famine in the Old Testament

H7456 (raeb, to hunger – 13 occurrences)

Gen 41:55, Deut 8:3, Ps 34:10, Ps 50:12, Pro 6:30, Pro 10:3, Pro 19:15, Isa 8:21, Isa 9:20, Isa 44:12, Isa 49:10, Isa 65:13, Jer 42:14

H7459 (reabom – famine – 3 occurrences)

Gen 42:19, Gen 42:33, Ps 37:19

H7457 (raeb, hungry – 19 occurrences)

Exo 16:3, Deu 28:48, Deu 32:24, Hen 9:15, Jer 38:9, Lam 2:19, Lam 4:9, Eze 34:29, Job 18:12

H7458 (raab, famine – 101 occurrences)

Gen_12:10 (2), Gen_26:1 (2), Gen_41:27, Gen_41:30-31 (3), Gen_41:36 (2), Gen_41:50, Gen_41:56-57 (3), Gen_42:5, Gen_43:1, Gen_45:6, Gen_45:11, Gen_47:4, Gen_47:13 (2), Gen_47:20, Rth_1:1, 2Sa_21:1, 2Sa_24:13, 1Ki_8:37, 1Ki_18:2, 2Ki_6:25, 2Ki_7:4, 2Ki_8:1, 2Ki_25:3, 1Ch_21:12, 2Ch_20:9, 2Ch_32:11, Job_5:20, Psa_33:19, Psa_105:16, Isa_14:30, Isa_51:19, Jer_5:12, Jer_11:22, Jer_14:12-13 (2), Jer_14:15-16 (3), Jer_14:18, Jer_15:2 (2), Jer_16:4, Jer_18:21, Jer_21:7, Jer_24:9-10 (2), Jer_27:8, Jer_27:13, Jer_29:17-18 (2), Jer_32:24, Jer_32:36, Jer_34:17, Jer_38:2, Jer_42:16-17 (2), Jer_42:22, Jer_44:12-13 (3), Jer_44:18, Jer_44:27, Jer_52:6, Lam_5:10, Eze_5:12, Eze_5:16-17 (3), Eze_6:11-12 (2), Eze_12:15-16 (3), Eze_14:13, Eze_14:21, Eze_36:29-30 (2), Amo_8:11 (2), Gen_41:54 (2), 2Ki_4:38, 2Ch_6:28, Neh_5:3, Isa_5:13

Famine Causes Israel to go to Egypt

And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. (Gen 41:55)
If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: (Gen 42:19)
And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone (Gen 42:33)
And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. (Gen 41:27)
And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; (Gen 41:30)
And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very (Gen 41:31)
And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. (Gen 41:36)
And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. (Gen 41:50)
And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was (Gen 41:54)
And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. (Gen 41:56)
And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all (Gen 41:57)
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. (Gen 42:5)
And the famine was sore in the land. (Gen 43:1)
For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. (Gen 45:6)
And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. (Gen 45:11)
They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. (Gen 47:4)
And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. (Gen 47:13)
And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s. (Gen 47:20)
Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. (Act 7:11)
Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant (Psa 105:16-17)

Famine in the Wilderness

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. (Psa 107:4-6)
And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. (Exo 16:3)
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give (Neh 9:15)
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. (Psa 107:5)
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. (Psa 107:9)

Elijah’s Famine

And Elijah went to shew himself unto And there was a sore famine in Samaria. (1Ki 18:2)
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. (Jas 5:17-18)

Elisha and the 7 Year Famine

And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. (2Ki 4:38)
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. (2Ki 6:25)
If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. (2Ki 7:4)
Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven (2Ki 8:1)

Famine in the Babylonian Captivity

And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. (2Ki 25:3)
Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. (Eze 14:13-14)
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Eze 14:21)
They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: (Jer 5:12)
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: (Jer 11:22)
When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. (Jer 14:12)
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this (Jer 14:13)
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. (Jer 14:15)
And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon (Jer 14:16)
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know (Jer 14:18)
And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. (Jer 15:2)
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. (Jer 16:4)
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle. (Jer 18:21)
And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. (Jer 21:7)
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. (Jer 21:9)
And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. (Jer 24:10)
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. (Jer 27:8)
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? (Jer 27:13)
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. (Jer 29:17)
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: (Jer 29:18)
Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest (Jer 32:24)
And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; (Jer 32:36)
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. (Jer 34:17)
Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. (Jer 38:2)
My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. (Jer 38:9)
Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. (Jer 42:16)
So shall it be with all the men that se their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon (Jer 42:17)
Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn. (Jer 42:22)
And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. (Jer 44:12)
For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: (Jer 44:13)
But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. (Jer 44:18)
Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. (Jer 44:27)
And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. (Jer 52:6)
Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every (Lam 2:19)
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. (Lam 4:9)
Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible (Lam 5:10)
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after (Eze 5:12)
When I shall send upon them th evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread: (Eze 5:16)
So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon I the LORD have spoken it. (Eze 5:17)
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. (Eze 6:11)
He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. (Eze 6:12)
The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour (Eze 7:15)
But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Eze 12:16)
Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: (Eze 14:13)
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Eze 14:21)
And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. (Eze 34:29)
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon (Eze 36:29)
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. (Eze 36:30)
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed (Deu 28:48)
They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. (Deu 32:24)
Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: (Jer 42:14)
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. (Isa 5:13)
These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? (Isa 51:19)

Other Famines in the Old Testament

And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. (Gen 12:10)
And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. (Gen 26:1)
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two (Rth 1:1)
Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. (2Sa 21:1)
So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent (2Sa 24:13)
Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. (Neh 5:3)
If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; (1Ki 8:37)
Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent (1Ch 21:12)
If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: (2Ch 6:28)
If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. (2Ch 20:9)
Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? (2Ch 32:11)

Those who Forsake God Shall Hunger in Famine

And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look (Isa 8:21)
His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side. (Job 18:12)
And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: (Isa 9:20)
The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. (Isa 44:12)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: (Isa 65:13)
It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount (Isa 29:8)
And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. (Isa 14:30)

Symbolic Meaning of Famine – Scarcity of the Word of God

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find (Amo 8:11-12)
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luk 4:4)
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Mat 4:4)
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Deu 8:3)
And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isa 30:20-21)
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isa 58:7)
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: (Isa 58:10)
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isa 55:2-3)
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isa 55:10-11)
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good (Psa 34:10)
If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness (Psa 50:12)
The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked. (Pro 10:3)
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. (Pro 19:15)
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide (Isa 49:10)
In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
(Job 5:20)
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. (Psa 33:19)
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. (Psa 37:19)
And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; (Psa 107:36)
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: (Psa 146:7)
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: (Pro 25:21)
The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. (Pro 27:7)
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. (Job 22:7)
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry; (Job 24:10)
For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. (Isa 32:6)
And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; (Eze 18:7)
Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, (Eze 18:16)
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. (Psa 33:18-20)

Evil Beasts

Ezekiel Passages

So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon I the LORD have spoken it. (Eze 5:17)
If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: (Eze 14:15)
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Eze 14:21)
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Eze 33:11)
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. (Eze 34:25)
And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. (Lev 26:6)

Beast in the Old Testament (H2416, chay – literally ‘living’)

Chay (H2416) simply means living and is used 500+ times. All creatures, whether on the land or in the water is ‘living’:
- And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was (Gen 1:21)
- And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was (Gen 1:24)

Evil Living things in the Bible

We find several examples of evil living creatures which can represent Satan, his ministers which include false prophets or false shepherds. Here is a list of some example beasts that represent those who kill / scatter God’s people:

Serpent

Key Verses

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (Gen 3:1)
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (Gen 3:2)
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (Gen 3:4)
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. (Gen 3:13)
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: (Gen 3:14)
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. (Gen 49:17)
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; (Psa 58:4)
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah. (Psa 140:3)
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. (Pro 23:32)
Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. (Isa 14:29)
The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood. (Jer 46:22)
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. (Amo 5:19)
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee. (Mic 7:17)
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2Co 11:3)
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12:9)
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Rev 12:14)
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. (Rev 12:15)
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (Rev 20:2)

History of Satan as Serpent

The Deceptive Serpent in the Garden of Eden and in the Book of Revelation
- Gen 3:1 – More subtle (prudent / crafty) that any other beast of the field
- Gen 3:1 – Questioned God’s word – ‘shall you not eat of every tree of the garden?’
- Gen 3:4 – You shall surely not die (deception) since God meant spiritually die, not physically die
- Gen 3:5 – your eyes will be opened and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (deception)
- Gen 3:13 – Woman said that the serpent deceived her
  - 2 Cor 11:3 – As the serpent beguiled Eve, through his subtlety so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ
- Gen 3:14, Is 65:25 – Then serpent was cursed by God, go on its belly, eat the dust of the earth
- Gen 3:15 – enmity between the woman’s Seed and serpent’s seed, the Seed shall bruise your head, but you shall bruise his heel
- Revelation references
  - Rev 12:9, 20:2 – Refers to that ‘old’ serpent (i.e., he has a long history of working evil in the world)
  - Rev 12:9 – deceives whole world
  - Rev 12:14 – Woman nourished for 3 and ½ times from the face of the serpent
  - Rev 12:15 – Serpent cast out water like a flood from his mouth after the woman that she may be carried away by the flood (false gospels)
- Dan shall be as a serpent by the way
  - Gen 49:17 – Bites the horses heels so his rider shall fall backward
  - Rev 7:1-8 – Dan as a tribe excluded from the 144,000
  - 1 Ki 12:28-30 – Jeroboam put an idol in Dan, became a sin
- False teaching / deception
  - Wicked / evil speak lies from the womb
    - Ps 58:4 – Poison is like that of a serpent (Ps 58:3-4)
    - Ps 140:3 – Sharpened tongues like a serpent
  - Wine (drunkenness)
    - Pr 23:31-32 – at last, it bites as a serpent
  - An adulteress woman (false church)
    - Pr 30:20-21 – The way of serpent on a rock
  - Ecc 10:8 – He who breaks a hedge / wall, shall be bitten by a serpent
  - Ecc 10:11 – A babbler is like a serpent that bites without enchantment
  - Mat 23:33 – Pharisees and Scribes (false teachers) like serpents, a generation of vipers, how can they escape hell
- During Great Tribulation, there will be great deception
  - Rev 9:19 – Locusts had power in their mouths and in their tails; tails like serpents

Lion

Old Testament

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: (1Sa 17:34)
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living (1Sa 17:36)
David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. (1Sa 17:37)
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. (2Sa 1:23)
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. (1Ki 13:24)
And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet (1Ki 13:25)
And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him. (1Ki 13:26)
And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass. (1Ki 13:28)
Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. (1Ki 20:36)
And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. (2Ki 17:25)
Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. (2Ki 17:26)
The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken. (Job 4:10)
Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. (Psa 7:2)
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. (Psa 10:9)
Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. (Psa 17:12)
They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring (Psa 22:13)
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (Psa 22:16)
Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. (Psa 22:21)
As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor (Pro 28:15)
And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: (Isa 21:8)
For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill (Isa 31:4)
No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: (Isa 35:9)
I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. (Isa 38:13)
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. (Isa 65:25)
In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying (Jer 2:30)
The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. (Jer 4:7)
Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. (Jer 5:6)
Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated (Jer 12:8)
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? (Jer 49:19)
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. (Jer 50:17)
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? (Jer 50:44)
They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions’ (Jer 51:38)
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. (Lam 3:10)
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. (Eze 1:10)
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. (Eze 10:14)
And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. (Eze 19:2)
And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured (Eze 19:6)
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 (Eze 22:25)
All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. (Dan 6:7)
Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth (Dan 6:12)
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. (Dan 6:16)
Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of (Dan 6:19)
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? (Dan 6:20)
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no (Dan 6:22)
And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. (Dan 6:24)
He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. (Dan 6:27)
The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. (Dan 7:4)
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. (Joe 1:6)
Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. (Amo 3:12)
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit (Amo 5:19)
The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. (Nah 2:12)
Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. (Zep 3:3)

New Testament

Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (2Ti 4:17)
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, (Heb 11:33)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1Pe 5:8)
And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. (Rev 9:8)
And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and (Rev 9:17)
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great (Rev 13:2)

Locusts

Old Testament (H697, 24 occurrences)

Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
(Exo 10:4)
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. (Exo 10:12)
And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. (Exo 10:13)
And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be (Exo 10:14)
And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. (Exo 10:19)
Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. (Lev 11:22)
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume (Deu 28:38)
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy (Jdg 6:5)
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. (Jdg 7:12)
If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; (1Ki 8:37)
If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: (2Ch 6:28)
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is (Job 39:20)
He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust. (Psa 78:46)
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, (Psa 105:34)
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. (Psa 109:23)
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; (Pro 30:27)
They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are (Jer 46:23)
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller (Joe 1:4)
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (Joe 2:25)
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. (Nah 3:15)
Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they (Nah 3:17)

New Testament (G200)

And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild (Mat 3:4)
And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; (Mar 1:6)
And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have (Rev 9:3)
And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (Rev 9:7)

Wolf

Old Testament

Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. (Gen 49:27)
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead (Isa 11:6)
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. (Isa 65:25)
Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. (Jer 5:6)
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. (Eze 22:27)
Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. (Hab 1:8)
Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. (Zep 3:3)

New Testament

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening (Mat 7:15)
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as (Mat 10:16)
Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among (Luk 10:3)
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 (Joh 10:12)
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the (Act 20:29)

Old Testament (Leviathan)

God’s Discourse to Job – Only God can control the Leviathan (Satan is still a servant to God and under His overarching control)
- Job 41:1 – Can thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
- Job 41:2 – Can thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
- Job 41:3 – Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
- Job 41:4 – Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
- Job 41:5 – Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
- Job 41:6 – Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
- Job 41:7 – Can thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
- Job 41:8 – Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
- Job 41:9 – Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
- Job 41:10 – None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
Ps 74:14 – God breaks the heads of Leviathan and gives him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness
- People in wilderness are God’s church (Rev 12:6, 12:14)
Ps 104:26 – Leviathan that plays in the sea
- The sea a picture of hell (Ps 78:53, 106:10‑11, Rev 15:2, Ex 38:8, 1 Ki 7:23)
Is 27:1 – Judgment by God on Leviathan, the crooked serpent

New Testament Dragon (only in Revelation)

Rev 12:9, 20:2 – Two Names (Devil and Satan) and two allegorical descriptions (dragon and serpent)

Physical Description

Rev 12:3 – Great red dragon with 7 heads, 10 horns and 7 crowns on its heads

Actions of the Dragon

Rev 12:4 – His tail drew down the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth
Rev 12:4 – The dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born
Rev 12:7 – War in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels
Rev 12:9 – The dragon…which deceives the whole world
Rev 12:10 – …which accused them before our God day and night
Rev 12:12 – the devil has come down having great wrath, because he knows his time is short
Rev 13:2 – The dragon gives his power, his seat and great authority to the Beast
Rev 16:13-14, 16 – Three unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet – they are spirits of devils (demons), working miracles and go forth to gather the kings of the earth to the battel of that great day of God almighty…gathered together into a place called in Hebrew tongue Armageddon

Worship of the Dragon

Rev 13:4 – And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast…
Rev 13:11 – Another beast came out of the earth with 2 horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon

Judgment on the Dragon and his angels

Rev 12:8 – prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven
Rev 12:9 – The great dragon was cast out and his angels were cast out with him
Rev 12:10 – …for the accuser of our brethren is cast down
Rev 12:11- They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony…
Rev 20:2 – …laid hold of the dragon…and bound him a thousand years (church age)

Beasts in Prophecy

Beasts of Daniel 7 (Babylon, Medes/Persians, Greece, Rome – Antichrist)

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

(Dan 7:1-28)

Beasts of Daniel 8 – Persian / Medes and Greece (Antichrist)

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. (Dan 8:1-27)

Beasts of Revelation 13 – Antichrist and False Prophet

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Rev 13:1-18)

Summary

A symbol of Satan and his ministers (antichrist, unsaved teachers / shepherds) who try to lead the flock astray

Evil Beasts (Eze 14:15, see also Eze 5:16-17, Lev 26:22, 1 Ki 20:36 (lion), 2 Ki 17:25, Jer 15:3, Eze 34:5, Hos 2:12, Ez 29:5, 33:26‑29, Jer 7:33, )
- Spiritually represents the ministers of Satan – e.g., Rev 13:1-10, 17:6, Titus 1:12, Acts 28:4,
- John 10:12 (wolf among sheep either catches them or scatters them)
- 1 Pet 5:8 (lion), Is 35:9 (lion as a ravenous beast)
- Eze 34:5 (no shepherd, beast present – see also Jer 23:1-2)
- Rev 13:14-15, 20:4 (image of the beast)
- Rev 13:16-18, 20:4 (mark of the beast)
- Satan as the serpent (Gen 3:1), etc.

Sword

New Testament

Spiritual Battle of Unsaved and Saved

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Mat 10:34)
And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. (Mat 26:51)
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. (Mat 26:52)
And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. (Mar 14:47)
(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luk 2:35)
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luk 21:24)
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Luk 22:36)
When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? (Luk 22:49)
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. (Joh 18:10)
Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? (Joh 18:11)
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. (Act 12:2)
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. (Act 16:27)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Rom 8:35)
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. (Rom 13:4)
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Heb 11:34)
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Heb 11:37)
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Rev 6:4)
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:8)
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Rev 13:10)

Word of God

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Eph 6:17)
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. (Rev 1:16)
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; (Rev 2:12)
Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Rev 2:16)
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (Rev 13:14)
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Rev 19:15)
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Rev 19:21)

Sword in the Babylonian Captivity

In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying (Jer 2:30)
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul. (Jer 4:10)
They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: (Jer 5:12)
And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword. (Jer 5:17)
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. (Jer 6:25)
I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed (Jer 9:16)
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: (Jer 11:22)
The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. (Jer 12:12)
When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. (Jer 14:12)
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this (Jer 14:13)
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. (Jer 14:15)
And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon (Jer 14:16)
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know (Jer 14:18)
And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. (Jer 15:2)
And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. (Jer 15:3)
She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD. (Jer 15:9)
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. (Jer 16:4)
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle. (Jer 18:21)
And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. (Jer 19:7)
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. (Jer 20:4)
And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. (Jer 21:7)
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. (Jer 21:9)
And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. (Jer 24:10)
And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among (Jer 25:16)
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among (Jer 25:27)
For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts. (Jer 25:29)
A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. (Jer 25:31)
And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common (Jer 26:23)
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. (Jer 27:8)
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? (Jer 27:13)
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them)the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. (Jer 29:17)
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: (Jer 29:18)
Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. (Jer 31:2)
Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest (Jer 32:24)
And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; (Jer 32:36)
For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; (Jer 33:4)
Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword: (Jer 34:4)
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. (Jer 34:17)
Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. (Jer 38:2)
For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD. (Jer 39:18)
Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. (Jer 41:2)
Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. (Jer 42:16)
So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon (Jer 42:17)
Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn. (Jer 42:22)
And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.
(Jer 43:11)
And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. (Jer 44:12)
For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: (Jer 44:13)
But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. (Jer 44:18)
Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. (Jer 44:27)
Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. (Jer 44:28)
For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river (Jer 46:10)
Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about (Jer 46:14)
He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing (Jer 46:16)
thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still. (Jer 47:6)
There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue (Jer 48:2)
Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. (Jer 48:10)
For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them: (Jer 49:37)
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land. (Jer 50:16)
A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise (Jer 50:35)
A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed. (Jer 50:36)
A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed. (Jer 50:37)
Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind. (Jer 51:50)
Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. (Lam 1:20)
The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not (Lam 2:21)
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. (Lam 4:9)
We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness. (Lam 5:9)
Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after (Eze 5:2)
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after (Eze 5:12)
So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon I the LORD have spoken it. (Eze 5:17)
And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. (Eze 6:3)
Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. (Eze 6:8)
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. (Eze 6:11)
He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. (Eze 6:12)
The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour (Eze 7:15)
Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord (Eze 11:8)
Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. (Eze 11:10)
And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after (Eze 12:14)
But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Eze 12:16)
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it: (Eze 14:17)
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Eze 14:21)
They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. (Eze 16:40)
And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken (Eze 17:21)
And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. (Eze 21:3)
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north: (Eze 21:4)
That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more. (Eze 21:5)
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished: (Eze 21:9)
And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. (Eze 21:11)
Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy (Eze 21:12)
Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord (Eze 21:13)
Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers. (Eze 21:14)
I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter. (Eze 21:15)
Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city. (Eze 21:19)
Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced. (Eze 21:20)
And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering: (Eze 21:28)
These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her. (Eze 23:10)
And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. (Eze 23:25)
And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. (Eze 23:47)
Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword. (Eze 24:21)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. (Eze 25:13)
And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Eze 26:6)
He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against (Eze 26:8)
With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground. (Eze 26:11)
Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. (Eze 28:7)
For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Eze 28:23)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of (Eze 29:8)
And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.
(Eze 30:4)
Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.
(Eze 30:5)
Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord (Eze 30:6)
He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain. (Eze 30:11)
The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity. (Eze 30:17)
Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword. (Eze 30:21)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. (Eze 30:22)
And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded (Eze 30:24)
But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt. (Eze 30:25)
They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen. (Eze 31:17)
To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord (Eze 31:18)
Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall. (Eze 32:10)
For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon (Eze 32:11)
By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. (Eze 32:12)
They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes. (Eze 32:20)
The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. (Eze 32:21)
Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword: (Eze 32:22)
Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living. (Eze 32:23)
There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit. (Eze 32:24)
They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be (Eze 32:25)
There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. (Eze 32:26)
And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. (Eze 32:27)
Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword. (Eze 32:28)
There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit. (Eze 32:29)
There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit. (Eze 32:30)
Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord (Eze 32:31)
For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord (Eze 32:32)
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: (Eze 33:2)
If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; (Eze 33:3)
Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. (Eze 33:4)
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s (Eze 33:6)
Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall ye possess the land? (Eze 33:26)
Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. (Eze 33:27)
Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: (Eze 35:5)
And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. (Eze 35:8)
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: (Eze 38:4)
After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. (Eze 38:8)
And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. (Eze 38:21)
And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. (Eze 39:23)
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many (Dan 11:33)

Summary

Sword (Eze 14:17, see also Jer 15:2-3, Eze 5:12, 5:17, Eze 221:3-4, 9-15, Eze 29:8, Lev 26:25, Jer 25:9, etc.)
- Represents spiritual warfare (e.g., Rev 13:7, 13:15, Eph 6:17, 2 Cor 10:3-5)
- Satan uses the Bible – Mat 4:6
- Bible is sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17) but God only reveals spiritual truth to His people (1 Cor 2:10, Mat 13:10-17) through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16)
- Killing by words / tongue ‑ 1 John 3:15, Mat 5:21‑22, Pr 11:9, Ro 3:13‑15, Jer 9:3, 18:18, Ps 140:3, Ro 3:13, James 3:8, Pr 18:21, Ps 52:4, 57:4, 59:7, 64:3, 120:2

- Christians die daily – Mat 24:9, 2 Cor 1:9, 4:10-12, 6:9,7:3, Ro 8:35-39, James 5:6, 1 John 3:15, 1 Cor 4:9, 15:31, Mat 5:21-22, Hab 1:2-4, James 2:9-11, Ps 94:1-7, 44:22, Rev 6:9, Mk 8:35
- Christians are living sacrifices – Rev 6:9-11, Ro 12:1-2, 6:13, 6:16, 6:19, Heb 10:22, 1 Pet 2:5, Phil 4:18, Ro 15:16, 2 Tim 4:6, Phil 2:17, John 16:2
- Spiritual battle, not physical – Rev 6:3-4, Eph 6:11-12, 2 Tim 2:4, Col 1:13, 1 Pet 2:11, James 4:1
- Sword between members of one’s own family – Mat 10:34-36, Lk 12:51-53
- Afflicted, killed, and hated ‑ Mat 24:9, Mk 13:9, Lk 21:12
- Slain for Word of God and testimony – Rev 6:9-11, 7:9-17, 11:7-10
- Beast has war with saints – Rev 13:8, 6:3-4

Offended, betrayed, and hated ‑ Mat 24:10, Mk 13:12‑13, Lk 21:16‑19

Pestilence (disease)

Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. (Eze 14:19-20)

Old Testament Occurrences (H1698, deber – 49 occurrences)

Pestilence in Egyptian Captivity

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. (Exo 5:3)
Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous (Exo 9:3)
For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. (Exo 9:15)

Pestilence in Babylonian Captivity

And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Lev 26:25)
I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than (Num 14:12)
The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess (Deu 28:21)
When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. (Jer 14:12)
And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great (Jer 21:6)
And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. (Jer 21:7)
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. (Jer 21:9)
And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. (Jer 24:10)
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. (Jer 27:8)
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? (Jer 27:13)
The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. (Jer 28:8)
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. (Jer 29:17)
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: (Jer 29:18)
Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest (Jer 32:24)
And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; (Jer 32:36)
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. (Jer 34:17)
Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. (Jer 38:2)
So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon (Jer 42:17)
Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn. (Jer 42:22)
For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: (Jer 44:13)
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after (Eze 5:12)
So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon I the LORD have spoken it. (Eze 5:17)
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. (Eze 6:11)
He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. (Eze 6:12)
The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour (Eze 7:15)
But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Eze 12:16)
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: (Eze 14:19)
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Eze 14:21)
For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Eze 28:23)
Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. (Eze 33:27)
And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. (Eze 38:22)

Other Occurrences of pestilence in Old Testament

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent (2Sa 24:13)
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand (2Sa 24:15)
If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; (1Ki 8:37)
Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent (1Ch 21:12)
So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand (1Ch 21:14)
If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: (2Ch 6:28)
If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; (2Ch 7:13)
If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. (2Ch 20:9)
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. (Hos 13:14)
I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. (Amo 4:10)
Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. (Hab 3:5)

A Judgment of God

And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Lev 26:25)
Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent (1Ch 21:12)
So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon (Jer 42:17)
So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon I the LORD have spoken it. (Eze 5:17)
He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; (Psa 78:50)
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. (Psa 91:6)

New Testament Occurrences (G3061, loimos – plague – 3 occurrences)

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Mat 24:7)
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from (Luk 21:11)
For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: (Act 24:5)

Spiritual Meaning of Pestilence

Salvation from Pestilence

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
(Psa 91:3)

Sickness represents spiritual sickness of sin

Mat 8:17, Eze 34:4, Ps 102:4, Pr 13:12, Ps 38:2-3, Is 1:4-6, Jer 8:22, Jer 30:12, Is 53:4-5, 1 Tim 1:10, 2 Tim 1:13, 4:3, Titus 1:9,13, 2:1-2, 1 Cor 11:26-30, Jer 31:8, Ps 41:4, Ps 103:1-4, 1 Pet 2:24, John 9:39, 12:40, Is 35:5-6, Acts 28:7, Mal 4:2)

Spiritual Healing

Healing is Salvation ‑ Jer 31:8, John 9:39, 12:40, Is 35:5‑6, 53:3‑5, Acts 28:27, Mal 4:2, Ps 107:20, 19:22, Jer 8:22, Ps 30:2, 33:6, Job 5:18, Ex 23:25
Healing of the nations ‑ Ps 147:3, Is 6:10, 57:18‑19, Jer 17:14, Mal 4:2, Hos 14:4, Ez 47:8‑11, Rev 22:2
Healed from sickness of iniquity ‑ Is 57:19
Heals bruise / wound of sin ‑ Is 30:6, Jer 30:14‑17, Micah 1:9, Nah 3:19, Deut 32:39, Is 53:5
Heal unfaithfulness ‑ Jer 3:22
Heal soul from sin ‑ Ps 41:4
Heal iniquity, Heal diseases ‑ Ps 103:1‑4
Healed from transgression ‑ Is 53:5, 1 Pet 2:24
Heal from disease ‑ Ex 15:26
Heal brokenhearted ‑ Ps 147:3

Summary

Although the above four sore judgments physically occurred to Israel, they can also be summarized spiritually as follows as activities that occur during the Great Tribulation:

Famine – no bread of life, no Word of God, lack of Bible teaching (replaced with other false doctrines / teaching – idol of wisdom)
Evil Beasts – Satan’s ministers desolating the land (wolves in the midst of the sheep – John 10:12) – results in catching sheep and devouring them or scattering them
Sword – spiritual warfare, the righteous being persecuted, divided, hated and/or silenced
Pestilence – Pestilence – The church is a sin-sick environment