Monster Energy Drink
A Biblical Theology
Monster Energy’s "Unleash the Beast" slogan promotes tapping into one’s inner power to overcome obstacles but viewed biblically, it evokes symbolism where beasts represent chaos and rebellion against God. And, of course, we need to talk about the notorious 666, supposedly displayed on the can. In Scripture, beasts in Revelation and Daniel symbolize worldly powers opposed to God's Kingdom, while Isaiah warns of the Leviathan, representing chaos. Christians must be cautious of embracing personal sovereignty that detracts from God's purpose. Instead of unleashing a beast, we are called to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, aligning with Christ. While drinking Monster Energy isn't inherently sinful, it can remind us to reject the "beast" mentality and stay focused on God's mission for our lives.
TRANSCRIPT: A Biblical Theology of Monster
The slogan for Monster Energy: “Unleash the Beast.”
The brand refers to the beast inside you that will help you achieve your goals: be your best (or better) and beat the other team. The idea is that everyone has a monster within them that can be unleashed to obtain whatever they desire in life.
In 2022, Monster Energy ran a successful campaign called “Own the Beast,” heavily promoted on social media. The campaign featured personal stories of people who had overcome challenges. It encouraged consumers to embrace their inner strength and determination, with videos and posts highlighting individuals who had conquered great obstacles in life.
“Own the beast” promotes the idea that the monster inside you is acceptable—even beneficial. It’s a tool for outpacing the competition. Consider Monster’s endorsements: NASCAR, BMX, UFC. It’s marketed heavily to gamers, especially those playing first-person shooters, where you can "own the beast" in the virtual world. Monster also has a strong presence in the music industry, supporting bands and artists worldwide, including Fetty Wap, Iggy Azalea, 21 Savage, Asking Alexandria, Anthrax, Strange Music, The Word Alive, Machine Gun Kelly, Suicidal Tendencies, Maximum the Hormone, Korn, Poppy, Papa Roach, and Five Finger Death Punch.
If you examine the bands and events they sponsor, Monster’s message goes beyond personal achievement. It suggests something more aggressive and more sinister. Their message is about taking what you want from the world by any means necessary, promoting a pragmatism that claims almost anything is justifiable as long as you get what you want out of it.
So, what a lot of people want to know,…
What is the Monster Energy logo about? Is it satanic (666)?
The traditional OG Monster Energy can features a sleek, black background with a bright, neon-green logo that creates a dramatic contrast to attract attention. The logo consists of three jagged claw marks that appear to tear through the can, visualizing the unleashing of the beast inside and symbolizing the release of your own inner power through the energy of the Monster. Bold, metallic fonts and vibrant colors enhance the can's edgy, aggressive design, aligning with the brand's theme of power and energy. The three claw marks represent the beast being released, visualizing the brand's slogan, "Unleash the Beast."
Some have argued that the Monster logo represents the mark of the beast, "666." This interpretation is drawn from Revelation 13, where the mark of the beast is contrasted with those who Christ marks for His Kingdom. The idea is that this "mark" signifies one's life being identified either by God or by the evil forces of the world. The claim is that the Monster logo’s claw marks resemble the Hebrew letter "wow" (or vav in modern Hebrew), which represents the number six and therefore forms "666." This is an example of gematria, where letters represent numbers. In Hebrew, the letters correspond to numbers, as they do not have separate characters for numerical values, as in English. For example, aleph = 1, bet = 2, gimmel = 3, dalet = 4, heh = 5, and wow = 6.
But, this is an incorrect use of Hebrew numbering. While "wow" does represent the number 6, writing "666" in Hebrew would not involve repeating the letter three times. Instead, a combination of characters would be required to represent 600, 60, and 6. For example, in 1 Kings 10:14, 666 is written using five words and thirteen characters in Hebrew. Also, Revelation 13:18, which mentions the number 666, was written in Greek, not Hebrew. All that said, there is no verifiable evidence linking Monster Energy’s branding to satanic symbolism.
But just because the Monster company didn’t intentionally design the can around satanic symbols doesn’t mean there’s no implicit symbolism.
Is there satanic symbolism to Monster Energy?
Again, in Revelation 13, the beast rises out of the sea, symbolizing embodied evil emerging from the depths of unordered chaos. The Apostle John describes two beasts—one from the sea and one from the earth. The first beast is often associated with political or worldly powers opposed to God, and the number "666" appears as the symbolic mark of the beast. Revelation essentially describes the gates of hell being opened, with the beast, personified chaos, being unleashed.
In Daniel 7, four beasts emerge from the sea, representing different empires or kingdoms. This differentiates between the evil beasts, symbolizing the empires of the world—or, in New Testament terms, the Kingdom of the world—and the Kingdom of God: chaos and evil versus ordered righteousness. We shouldn’t be surprised to see beasts representing worldly power. People often think of wickedness as involving morose, blood-sacrifice rituals, or extreme pagan practices. But the beast simply represents the pursuit of power apart from God—world empires set against the Kingdom of God.
We see this clearly with the ancient serpent, the dragon of Revelation 12, appearing in the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve. He’s not doing anything super crazy, yet the deception is so sinister. The serpent robs God of power by tempting Eve with her own sense of personal sovereignty, luring her into rebellion against God.
Isaiah 27:1 describes another beast, the Leviathan, a great sea creature representing chaos and evil: “In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.” Here, Yahweh judges the beasts for their rebellion, likely referring to the casting of evil into the lake of fire at the end.
What’s significant here is that the beast represents a sense of personal sovereignty that detracts from God’s sovereignty—something that aligns with the branding of Monster Energy, which promotes harnessing personal power to overcome obstacles in life.
So then…
Should Christians stay away from Monster energy?
There are several important things to consider here. First and foremost, God controls the beasts—whether Leviathan, Behemoth, or dragons. The real danger is not the beast itself, but that you become the beast, embodying the ideology of self-sovereignty, which detracts from God's purpose for your life. When this happens, you begin to find satisfaction in the works of your own hands instead of in God. Hosea warns of this when he says people would say, "my God" to the works of their own hands (Hosea 14:3). It is a caution against idolatry and misplaced trust in one’s own achievements rather than in the Creator.
The principle at play in the beast symbolism is to recognize the danger within yourself—not to unleash it. The Apostle Paul, drawing from the wisdom of the Psalms and Isaiah, warns in Romans 3 that all of us are sinners who, by nature, do not seek God. Without the fear of God, our natural inclination is to speak and act for personal gain, even if it means deceiving or oppressing others. There is a real danger for Christians in embodying the "beast" mentality, where the goal becomes to extract everything you can from life, even at the expense of others.
However, as Christians, we are called to pursue inner transformation by the Holy Spirit, through the church, and by the grace presented in the sacraments. The goal is not merely to suppress the beast within but to eradicate it entirely. Our inner selves should be sanctified, made righteous, and trained to follow Christ. Our desires should be molded to reflect Christ’s heart so that we love what He loves. In that way, we don’t unleash a beast within us but rather the love of Christ that transforms us and blesses others.
So, should a Christian stay away from Monster Energy? My answer is no, not necessarily, but not because the drink itself is inherently evil. If anything, if you're willing to analyze it this deeply, drinking Monster could serve as a reminder of the ongoing battle between the flesh and the spirit, reminding us to abide in Christ and pursue the things of God. There’s a kind of legalism in saying you shouldn’t drink it just because of the branding. Ecclesiastes encourages us to eat and drink and give thanks to God for whatever we have.
But at the same time, Ecclesiastes also gives warnings. In Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 it says, "What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity." The author describes the person who constantly consumes artificial energy to work more and more, building their own kingdom on earth, only to find it leads to vanity. His work is burdensome, his heart troubled, and he gets no rest. So, if drinking Monster helps you fulfill God’s calling for your life, then that is fine. But don’t let that mission slip away into a mindset where your identity is wrapped up in your work, leading to a life of emptiness and vanity.
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