The Lion of Judah
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Revelation 5:6
In John’s vision as shown to him by Jesus, he saw a book being held by God on His throne. An angel called out, “Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? It seemed that no one was worthy. John wept, but one of the elders who was present told him that, indeed, there was One worthy, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David. All of a sudden, a new figure appeared in John’s sight. Did he expect to see a literal lion, mighty and roaring, casting fear among the beasts and the elders? Perhaps, but we do not know. What he did see was nothing like a big, ferocious lion. The One who was qualified to open the book appeared among those in attendance as a Lamb who had the markings of One who had been slain. We are not told exactly how He looked, but we speculate that His pure white wool was stained with blood, His hands and feet scarred, and another scar in His side. This Lamb stood strong and mighty ready to carry out His Father’s commands.
John continued to describe the Lamb as having seven horns and seven eyes. The number seven in scripture denotes perfection or completeness. Horns represent strength and power. They were also used to call people together and were symbolic of world kings and magistrates (Daniel 8:3) which would have been imperfect horns. However, the seven horns of the Lamb represent a perfect power and might, like no one ever before Him or since. The seven eyes suggest, of course, that nothing escapes Christ’s vision. The eyes also represent the Holy Spirit in His seven-fold ministry: His operation through God’s Spirit, wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2). Every ministry is carried out by the Holy Spirit perfectly and completely. With our limited knowledge, it’s difficult to know the exact meaning of the seven Spirits of God other than the Holy Spirit is the means whereby God works throughout the world. Speaking of the Holy Spirit as perfect and complete, we have the opportunity of living a circumspect (carefully attentive) Christlike life by hearing and heeding the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In simpler terms, we would mess up a lot less if we would only follow Him as He warns, leads, and teaches us.
The Lamb stepped up to the throne, reached out, and took the book from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. How could a little Lamb who had no arms and hands receive and hold a book? Was John actually seeing the likeness of a Lamb or was he speaking metaphorically? The first time John the Baptist saw Jesus (John 1:29), he called Him “the Lamb of God”. He wasn’t looking at a literal lamb. He was looking at the One who would be sacrificed for every man’s sin, God in human flesh. Whether John’s vision was one of a Lamb or of Jesus as He appeared when He ascended back to His Father, one thing is certain: He could receive the book because He was the only One qualified to take it and open the seals.
There was a sudden reaction by the four beasts and the 24 elders when Christ took the book into His hand. They all sensed this as a monumental time of transition. The world, as evil and wicked as it has been, was about to be transformed, and this transformation would begin as Jesus took the book from His Father’s right hand. The four beasts and 24 elders fell down before the Lamb to worship and praise Him. The elders had harps in their hands which they played before the Lord, songs of praise and adoration. They also had vials, or bowls full of the fragrance of incense, which represented the prayers of saints. Incense is the symbol for prayer in scripture. David wrote in Psalm 141:2, “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense” giving us the picture of the prayers of people drifting upward to heaven, bringing a refreshing fragrance to God because those who pray know that God is the giver of life and the only One who can answer prayer. Sincere prayer shows a dependence upon God. No wonder God became so angry at His people when they offered incense to idols.
What was the content of these prayers? They could have been cries for justice. In Revelation 6:10, those who had been slain for their testimony cried out for justice on all their executioners. I suppose some of the prayers of the saints were for those who were still lost in their sins and who needed to come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is one of the most important prayers that believers can pray for others who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Next time: What happened next?