6 Significant Animals We See in Scripture

The serpent is depicted at the very start of God’s word and at the very end, but it also appears throughout the Bible. The serpent, also referred to as a snake or viper, is consistently portrayed in a negative context, often as a symbol of evil, temptation, cunning, and deceit.

In Genesis 3:1-7, the serpent is identified as “crafty” and tempts Eve, the first woman, to disobey God’s command and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve does, and urges the man to eat also. Their actions get them cursed and kicked out of the Garden of Eden, and God also curses the serpent. Most people view the serpent as Satan, the devil, especially since at the end of the Bible, the serpent is again mentioned four times in the book of Revelation, which reveals how God triumphs in the end of days. This time, God directly identifies the serpent as “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9).

The serpent is mentioned elsewhere, too: Deuteronomy 32:33, Job 20:14, 20:16 and 26:13, Psalm 91:13 and 140:3, Isaiah 14:29, 27:1 and 65:25, Jeremiah 46:22 and 51:34, Amos 9:3 and 2 Corinthians 11:3. Each reference is a negative one. For instance, as Deuteronomy 32:33 proclaims, “Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.”

God also mentions snakes throughout the Bible at least 36 times, also in negative contexts. Once, God punished his people through venomous snakes, which he sent among them, biting and killing them (Numbers 21:6).

The word “viper” is also used at least 14 times throughout Scripture. At one point, Jesus calls the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:34).

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The lion is also mentioned throughout Scripture, yet unlike the serpent, references to the lion are positive, though fierce. The lion typically symbolizes kingship, power, courage, strength, and might — sometimes justice and authority as well. Jesus himself, the ultimate king, is referred to as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” in Revelation 5:5.  

There are at least 119 lion references throughout the Bible. In his prophecy about Jesus, the prophet Isaiah shares that one day “the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). In Revelation, when John is shown a vision of the throne in heaven, he sees four living creatures surrounding the throne, and one is “like a lion” (Revelation 4:6). The Bible tells us, “Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).

In Judges 14, Samson is so strong and filled with the Spirit of the Lord that he’s able to tear a mighty lion apart with his hands (Judges 14:6). In Daniel 6, God sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions after the prophet was thrown into a lion’s den, and Daniel survived and led the king to the Lord.

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The lamb is another animal featured prominently in Scripture, and Jesus is not only called the lion but also the lamb. In fact, when John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching, he declared before the crowd, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Lambs symbolize gentleness, innocence, and sacrifice.

A lamb was a frequent sacrifice offered to the Lord in the Old Testament. In fact, when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, God sent a grown-up version of a lamb, a ram, at the last moment to serve as a substitute for Isaac’s death (Genesis 22).

A lamb was also one of the prescribed sacrifices Jews were to offer the Lord in obedience to his commands and as a sin offering (Exodus 13:13, Exodus 29:38, Leviticus 3:7, Leviticus 9:3, Numbers 6:1). Solomon sacrificed a thousand male lambs when he became king (1 Chronicles 29:21).

Lambs also symbolize gentle tenderness. In Isaiah 40:11, God is portrayed as a shepherd who lovingly cares for his flock, gathering the lambs close and leading them.

And at the end of days, God tells us through Isaiah that “the wolf and the lamb will feed together” — perfect peace will reign (Isaiah 65:25).

In Luke 10:3, Jesus sent out his disciples to do his work, telling them, “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

And in 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul refers to Jesus as “Christ, our Passover lamb, (who) has been sacrificed.”

Further, sheep are often used throughout Scripture — at least 200 times. God often compares his people to sheep. It’s easy to understand, even if we bristle at the comparison. Sheep, like humans, are helpless and flighty but deeply loyal and true, and they are happiest when they know their shepherd.

Jesus, speaking of his followers, said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

It’s an apt analogy.

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The bear is another animal featured in Scripture, though not as prominently as some of the others. Bears represent wildness, power, and strength throughout Scripture.

For instance, when the prophet Elisha was taunted by some youths who mocked him, calling him “baldy” and urging him to go away, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then, the Bible tells us, “Two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys” (2 Kings 2:24).

These are wild, terrible beasts whose power can both kill, and bring justice upon those who do evil.

And in 1 Samuel 17:34-36, David — the future king of Israel — shares how he regularly killed wild animals such as bears and lions when he was a shepherd protecting his father’s flock, noting he will do much the same to the giant Goliath. He does indeed do this.

Yet in Isaiah 11:7, Scripture again tells us that in the end of days, “the cow will feed with the bear,” showing how two seemingly opposite creates will coexist in harmony.

The bear is also mentioned in Revelation, when the evil dragon will greet a powerful beast emerging from the sea who will terrify many. This beast will have a mouth like a lion and feet like a bear — powerful, frightening strength and might causing many to tremble and cower in fear.

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Birds are frequently mentioned in the Bible. In fact, when God created the first creatures, he simultaneously created the birds and the water creatures, then declared, “It was good” (Genesis 1:20-21). Unlike other creatures, God created birds with the unique ability to fly, which gives them freedom and a perspective that only comes with elevation. Yet birds are also delicate creatures with tiny hollow bones; they are quite fragile and require tender care.

When Jesus talks about the care God gives, it helps to understand how delicate and tender these creatures truly are. As he says in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Indeed, Jesus says, God provides and cares for us, too.    

Certain birds are mentioned specifically in Scripture. The dove, for instance, is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, representing God’s peace and grace. After the flood, Noah sent a dove to seek land, and eventually the dove returned with an olive leaf — also a symbol of peace — which told him the waters would soon recede, and they would again live upon the land (Genesis 8:10-12).

Later, in the New Testament, the Bible tells us that after Jesus was baptized, “He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him” (Matthew 3:16).

Another bird frequently mentioned is an eagle, symbolizing strength, power, and vision. In Revelation 4:7, along with the lion, a creature much like a flying eagle gathered with others round the throne in heaven singing praises to the Lord. Later, when a woman protected by God was pursued by the devil, represented by a dragon, we’re told, “The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach” (Revelation 12:14).

The raven is another bird featured in Scripture positively. The Lord provided for the prophet Elijah during a time of drought and famine, sending ravens to supply him with food where he sheltered (1 Kings 17:4).

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Finally, we see fish featured in Scripture. A mainstay of that culture’s diet, people relied on fish for provision. When God was sending signs to Pharoah through Moses, urging Pharoah to let the Israelites leave that land, God turned the water in the Nile River to blood. As Exodus 7:21 explains, “The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water.”

Later, when the prophet Jonah fled the Lord, who wanted him to preach repentance to the Ninevites, we’re told God provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah (Jonah 1:17). Jonah remained in the belly of that fish for three days until he turned to God and went to the Ninevites.

Many of the disciples that Jesus called were fishermen, including Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John. At one point, Jesus told them to let down their nets in deep water. When they obeyed and their nets were filled with an overflowing abundance of fish, Jesus told them, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people” (Luke 5:10). They left their trade and followed him from then on.

Jesus ate broiled fish after his resurrection to show the disciples he truly was returned to life (Luke 24:42-43).

Indeed, fish symbolize the people themselves — the followers of Christ. They are abundant, yet also live and die. They are part of the ongoing story of faith and God’s redemptive power in all of us.

These are only six of the many animals mentioned throughout Scripture. Donkeys, camels, dogs, deer, ants, pigs, oxen, and goats don’t even begin to round out the list.

Consider going to an online Bible and doing a search of the various animals that come to mind and consider what God is trying to tell you through that reference.

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