Do You Know The Lion Who is the Lamb?

From the heart of Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible Teacher & Expositor. We read, “Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Revelation 5:4-7). As John looks around the throne room, no one steps forward. None of the created beings in all the universe cosmos are worthy to open the scroll and unlock the mystery of God’s eternal purposes. When none are found worthy, John tells us that he began to weep greatly. His weeping is for a world lost in chaos with no prospect for being made right. If no one can open the scroll, there is no hope for the future of humanity. Only the Lion who is the Lamb is found worthy to reveal the purposes, plans, and ways of God. The imagery of Jesus as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God emphasizes and symbolizes His multifaceted role in the Scriptures. Jesus is a powerful, victorious King (the Lion), yet He also embodies sacrifice and humility (the Lamb). This dual imagery highlights His conquest over sin and death through His own suffering and sacrifice. But Revelation 5 does not say that Jesus is at times a lion and at times a lamb. It calls us to hold these two images as one: The Lion is the Lamb who was slain. Revelation 5 declares that God’s way of triumph is the way of the crucified Lamb. God gains victory through weakness. God triumphs through the foolishness of the cross. The victory of the Lion is through the Lamb who was slain! Apostle John, the writer of Revelation, declares that The Lion who is the Lamb is not a contradiction; He is the revelation of the mystery of God, who overcomes the powers of the world through the weakness of the cross. Be encouraged!