Revelation 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Yesterday we learned that Jesus is the Lamb of God and today we see Him as the Lion of Judah, the Root of David. It is quite the contrast – both Lamb and Lion, total opposites. When we think Lamb we think tender, gentle, meek, and mild – not descriptive of a lion at all! A lion is victorious, fierce, majestic and powerful.
Judah was one of Jacob’s sons and a tribe of Israel. Through this tribe came great names like David and Solomon, and eventually, Jesus. The first reference to the Lion of Judah is in Genesis 49:8-12 when Jacob tells his son Judah that he was a lion’s cub and then foretold of the eventual rule that would come through his line – pointing to a conquering king.
We have the promise from Jacob’s prophecy that the Lion of Judah would reign forever. And in today’s verse we see that the Lion of Judah triumphs. In Revelation 5:6 we also see the Lamb, looking as if it had been slain… Jesus is both the lion AND the lamb. He died for us as the Lamb and He will return victorious as the Lion.
The Root of David is also referenced in this verse. A root is a source of support for something. It anchors a plant or tree and provides life for it. From the root, life grows and thrives. And Jesus is our Root. He is a branch in David’s genealogy, but is also the Root, the Source of life and the beginning or originator.
Jesus has many names, attributes, and descriptions He is associated with, but by far my favorite has to be the Lion of Judah. We can all look forward to the might and power of our conquering King establishing the new Jerusalem on earth.
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