The apostle John was transported into heaven to receive more of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, to see the things which must happen after the Church Age. Here he was informed by one of the 24 elders around God’s throne that Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, was uniquely worthy to open the seven seals of the scroll, the title deed of Creation. Christ would legally take back possession of Creation from its usurper, the devil, who had been given sway at the fall of Mankind.
John writes:
5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5 (NKJV)
Each element of Christ’s title here is steeped in Old Testament prophesy pointing to Him. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob, called Israel, and wife Leah, and a great-grandson of Abraham. Near the end of his life, Jacob prophesied that Judah would become a powerful lion, the father of the lineage which possessed the scepter of a king. His would be the genealogy of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.
When the nation of Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt after the first Passover, and on the move in the desert, it was the leader of the tribe of Judah, Nashon, who was assigned by God to always lead them out from the camp. He also offered the first sacrifice at the installation of God’s tabernacle.
Judah’s lineage also produced King David, from whose root Messiah would spring forth. Most of Judah’s kings after David fell well short of his faithful example, but despite this, David was promised One descendant who would rule and reign on God’s throne forever.
When John looked to see this amazing Lion approach the throne of God the Father, he saw something unexpected.
6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Revelation 5:6-7 (NKJV)
Instead of a picture of the Lion of Judah, greater in power and glory than any other entity since the dawn of creation, through Whom all these others were made, John saw a humble Lamb.
Though He will come a second time to put down and replace all human and spiritual authority that had previously ruled on earth, Jesus came the first time as a loving and humble sacrificial Lamb. This was necessary because Mankind had fallen into sin, losing the holiness that would allow them to live in the presence of a holy God. To avoid eternal separation from Him, it was necessary to pay the price of atonement for this sin, and the price was the life of the sinless and beloved Son of God.
The blood of the Old Testament Passover lambs spared the life of the Israelites’ firstborn in Egypt, and the sin offerings in the tabernacle and temple provided atonement for people’s inevitable sins and shortcomings. These were all pointing to the only truly sufficient sacrifice, the death on the cross and resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ.
As the prophet Isaiah wrote of Him centuries before His birth:
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth. Isaiah 53:4-7 (NKJV)
Reflection
Dr. J Vernon McGee has summarized it this way:
The Lion refers to Christ’s second coming: Majesty, Sovereign, Judge, the Government of God.
The Lamb refers to Christ’s first coming: Meekness, Savior, Judged, the Grace of God.
Won’t you reach out to Him in faith today?
Prayer
Father God, thank You for giving Your only beloved Son because of Your love for us. Make us ready to receive Him at His return, our glorious King of the Universe. We reach out to Him in faith. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
26 …but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:26b, 27-28 (NKJV)
