The Lion of the tribe of Judah! The root of David! Look carefully, John! Over there – someone at the centre of the throne! John has seen the Eternal One there, The One, the Person of the Almighty. When he now looks carefully he sees Someone else—not the Lion of Judah, not a lion but a lamb, standing as if slain. Christ’s worthiness to break the seals and to look inside the scroll and to unfold it is based on the victory He won, having become a man. The Word became flesh and lived among us. He is the Lamb of the Passover.1 He is the Lamb, the suffering servant of the Lord. As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.2 He was cut off from the land of the living, He was assigned a grave with the rich in His death. He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin and He poured out His life in death. He was numbered with the transgressors, for He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.3 References to the victorious Messiah from Isaiah 11, the reigning Son of man from Daniel 7 and the suffering servant of the Lord from Isaiah 53 have never been linked to each other in Judaism. They were regarded as two different figures, and suffering was never linked to the Messiah, the victorious King, but only to a suffering servant of the Lord. Some Jewish traditions even expected two Servants of the Lord. A suffering one and a victorious one. Isaiah knew better, however: “the One whom the people despise will be honoured by kings and princes.4 He brings fire over his assailers, their torment comes from His hand.”5
Just as there were many who were appalled at Him, so many nations will jump up, and kings will shut their mouth because of Him.6 We see in Jesus that He is both the suffering servant and the victorious son of man, the Messiah, the son of David.
He remains a stumbling block to many Jews for the time being, and foolishness to Gentiles—non-Jews.7 However, John says through the mouth of Nathanael: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel!”8 John the Baptist had declared: “See, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”9 And after His resurrection the Lord Jesus Himself said: “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His Glory?”10
Philip shows the Ethiopian eunuch whom Isaiah 53 is speaking about,11 and Peter knows that he is redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.12 It is not stated or explained why only the Lamb that was slain can be the Lion of Judah, but there is no doubt that this is so. He has been slain, His throat cut, He gave His blood out of His own free will, but He is alive and He reigns. God will provide a Lamb for Himself.13 After His resurrection his disciples enthusiastically asked him in Acts 1:6 “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the Kingdom to Israel?” They asked that because they saw and knew for sure that He had risen from the dead and consequently would live forever! And had not the angel Gabriel promised to His mother Mary, that this child would sit on the throne of His father David in Jerusalem and that He would reign over the house of Jacob/Israel, and that His Kingdom would be forever? The only answer they got at that moment was: One day, yes! But not yet. When? I don’t know He says. “He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8. This was also mentioned in Matthew 24:36: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Before the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel, the Lord would send His Jewish friends and disciples – becoming Apostles – into the world to the nations. Because the Lord wanted to gather a chosen people for His name from the Gentile world, by preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to all nations. When that process has been completed, then the Kingdom will be restored to Israel.
• The seven eyes of the Lord are the seven eyes of the Lamb and the seven Spirits of God. They are eyes like flames of fire,14 and the seven Spirits of God appear like flaming torches.15 The relationship of the Spirit to the Father on the throne is one of fire.
• In relationship to the Son, to the Lamb, the Spirit is sent out into the world with various assignments—to live in men’s hearts (Galatians 4:6), to teach (John 14:26), to testify of Jesus (John 15:26), and to remain with the disciples— and even to be in them, so that their fellowship with Jesus will be even more intimate than when He was physically with them (John 16:7). Jesus Himself will come to them in the ‘persona’ of the Holy Spirit (John 14:18).
• The heart of the throne of God is formed by three: the Father, the Son (the Lamb) and the (seven) Spirit(s). Around it there are three concentric circles of celestial beings: the four living beings, the twenty-four elders and the millions of angels.
• A persona (plural: personae or personas), in the word’s everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. ‘In persona Christi’ is a Latin phrase meaning “in the person of Christ”, an important concept in Roman Catholicism and, in varying degrees, to other Christian traditions. In the ‘Trinity’ God reveals Himself in three ‘Personae’, but remains one Person.
Bible References:
1. Exodus 12 2.Isaiah 53:7 3.Isaiah 53:8 read Isaiah 53 in full 4.Isaiah 49:7 5.Isaiah 50:11 6.Isaiah 52:13–15 NIV 7.1 Corinthians 1:23 8.John 1:50 NIV 9.John 1:29 NIV 10.Luke 24:4-9; 25–27 NIV 11.Acts 8:32–35 12.1 Peter 1:19–21 13.Genesis 22:8 14.Revelation 1:14 15.Revelation 4:5
