CELEBRATING THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH

And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold, the LION of the Tribe of JUDAH, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.– Revelation 5:5

The title of “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” testifies to the faithfulness of our Covenant-keeping God, whose Word is “Yes and Amen” (2Cor.1:20). It is a title that bridges between the books of Genesis, 2 Samuel, Hosea, and Revelation, without losing its essence. Notice: “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” prevailed where others could not. This title portrays Triumph! Though settled in the book of Revelation, this unique title of Jesus derives from an Old Testament reference to God: “For I will be like a LION to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue” (Hos.5:14). Symbolically, the Lion is the King of Beasts; the one who bows to none other; the bold and fierce one, who is to be feared, revered, and honoured.

Perhaps more prophetic is the prediction of aged Jacob that Judah, his fourth son, would be like a lion, and that the later kings of Israel, including Christ Himself, would come from this tribe: “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you.  Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen.49:8-10). The Covenant-keeping God kept and confirmed Jacob’s prophetic blessings.

Much later, God told David, who also was of the tribe of Judah, that his kingdom would be eternal and his household would rule forever (2 Sam.7:8-17). Fast forward to the New Testament, Luke 1:30-33 reports how the angel Gabriel explained to Mary, who was also of the house of David, that her virgin-born son would inherit all the Old Testament promises as found in Genesis 49 and 2Samuel 7. God kept His Word; the sceptre did not depart from Judah, nor the Law-giver from between his feet! Most interesting however, is how Revelation 5:5 leads to one of the most powerful paradoxes in the Scriptures. When John turned to see the LION of Judah, what he saw was a slain LAMB (Rev.5:6). In a triumphant heaven that was filled with the might and majesty of God, displayed here before John was our eternal Sacrifice.

The Slain Lamb is also the Triumphant Lion. He sacrificed His Life for our eternal Redemption. John saw Christ in His past work, as the LAMB who came to redeem His people; but more importantly, in His future work, as the LION, who shall come again to reign over all. The paradox is perhaps incomplete without reference to the righteous in Christ: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are BOLD as a LION” (Pro.28:1). I celebrate the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who alone is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals. He has begotten me into the fold of the bold, the courageous, the victorious, and the triumphant, and engraved my Name in the Lamb’s Book of Life! The Lion of the Tribe of Judah causes all weeping to end!