And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. - Revelation 5:5-6
The Lion is a name for God that’s a bit more hard core - one of righteous vengeance, his display of awesome power that is to be feared - the warrior aspect to Christ who will clean up the remaining bits of the job he finished on the cross, by way of his resurrection/ conquering death.
The name the Lamb is the image of Christ as the sacrifice - innocent, willing to empty himself, and appear vulnerable in his human form, to spill blood and be humiliated: he was despised and rejected, a man of sorrow acquainted with grief.
The Lion is a prophetic name, being used all the way back in the book of Genesis, when Jacob blessed his son Judah, referring to him as a Lion’s cub. This is prophetic because it is the lineage/tribe of Judah that Jesus comes through. The prophecy is confirmed in the above passage in the book of Revelation, where the Lion of Judah is the only one fit enough to open the scroll and the seven seals.
The lamb is also a prophetic name. As early as the book of Exodus, when the Lord spared his people from the plague of death placed upon Egypt, by having the blood of a spotless lamb put on the doorways of their homes. This prophecy is confirmed when John the Baptist declares in John 1:29, when he sees Jesus approaching him:
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”
Paul and the writer of Hebrews also allude to this when discussing the sacrificial system and how Christ is the once and for all sacrifice, abolishing the need to sacrifice animals anymore.
These two names are intertwined: why is the Lion of Judah the only one fit to open the scroll? As Revelation 5:5 tells us, because He has conquered. We know this is referring to Jesus, because Christ conquered sin and death, and as Jesus himself says in John 16:33:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This of course was accomplished by Jesus being the sacrificial lamb - that redemptive blood, through which the righteous judgment and wrath of God regarding our sinfulness is “passed over”, symbolized by the Passover lamb.
When we think of God as a lion - who has the ability to ravage and devour - we can appreciate His grace, mercy, patience, and love even more. And when we think of Him as the spotless lamb, He becomes approachable, tender - something to be cherished, an image that softens the heart - that breaks our heart to imagine something so precious and innocent being slaughtered, especially considering the blood shed was due to our own blemishes. Psalm 46:6 says “he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” That is a mighty roar indeed! But this is the same God, who in Psalm 23: “He makes me lie down in green pastures…he restores my soul.” We rest gently in a pastoral scene with the Lord tending to us so that we shall not fear.
Overcoming the world required Christ to be both a Lion - the king of the jungle - the King of Kings - the most dominant being, while simultaneously being the most submissive one. And is this not the kind of king anyone would desire - who would lay down his life for his people? We can truly say, as recorded in Revelation 5:12:
“saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
The Lamb is the one anointed with all these royal, kingly tributes.
- By Liz Dieleman, Promise Bible Study Creative Director, singer-songwriter and worship leader at Mosaic Church, Victoria BC.
www.theothermary.com