THE LION HAS CONQUERED
I once saw an interesting series on television with the title, “When I get to heaven.” A bishop interviewed various personalities about their religious lives and experiences and their expectation of heaven. There was a variety of views but very little was anchored to the only source that is at all authoritative – the Bible, and especially the book of Revelation. It’s a record of visions seen by the Apostle John. It’s been compared to a magnificent sound film. It’s a series of colourful pictures accompanied by sounds, voices and songs. It’s one of these vivid pictures that we’re to focus our attention is upon where we hear the words: ’The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered’ (Rev 5:5). Let’s look first at the:
SCENE that caused John to exclaim: ’the Lion has conquered’. The vision that the Apostle John witnessed is set at the centre of the universe, in heaven. He had to try to describe the indescribable. What he describes in terms of physical, material forms are his means of conveying spiritual truths to Christians from the beginning of the Church at the Day of Pentecost to the Day of the Lord when time gives way to eternity. We mustn’t make the mistake of taking what are obviously symbols or figures of speech as literal descriptions of heavenly things. There can be a great difference between work produced by a photographer and an artist.
Ask both of them to capture a scene and what is the result? The camera operates mechanically and the finished result is predictable dependent on the light, exposure and so on. But an artist communicates an impression of the image he has seen, trying to convey a message. That’s what John has given us in his picture in words inspired by the Holy Spirit. What did John see in his vision? ’I saw a throne in heaven,’ he writes. John’s readers were familiar with earthly thrones - it was these earthly powers that were giving the Christians a hard time. John himself was enduring exile at the hand of Caesar but the throne that John sees is in heaven - it’s a throne above every throne.
John tells us that there was ’One seated upon the throne’ (4:2). There on the throne sits in majesty, God the Father. Of course God can’t be described for he is a Spirit, so John gives a word picture of precious stones sending out rays of brilliant light symbolising God’s holiness, justice and mercy. Here is where the real power-centre of the universe is - a throne, the seat of a king, God himself. How John’s heart must have been filled with awe and wonder at this spectacle accompanied by lightning and thunder. How can anyone be flippant in God’s presence? One of the characteristics of John’s writing is the reverence that is shown - he never dares to be familiar with God. There’s nothing here of the modern trend to treating God as ’Almatey’ - no, he was and is God Almighty.
John proceeds to describe the heavenly beings that surround the throne. There are 24 elders and 4 ’living creatures’ that are constantly rendering homage to God. Who are these created beings? Many suggestions have been offered but perhaps the most likely is that the elders are representatives of the whole church both of Old and New Testament saints which one day in glory will worship in the presence of God himself. The living creatures possibly are the cherubim, one of the highest orders of angels. But the identity of these groups around the throne is of secondary importance compared with the function they perform. They fall down before the living God, worship and throw their crowns before him. All these are ways of giving him the chief place, expressing the truth that he alone reigns. John recorded their song; ’You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and dominion’ (4:11). What a vision! What a scene! What a song! What an example to us of true worship!
I’m sure John’s worship of God was never the same again for John after witnessing the scene in his vision? Every time he sang a hymn his thoughts would surely turn to the angelic hosts ceaselessly, day and night, offering worship: ’Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and is to come’ (4:8). John would never be satisfied in the future with the mere repetition of words in his prayer life after seeing in his vision how the living creatures rendered praise and honour and thanksgiving to the Occupant of the throne.
It was this reality of God which he wanted to convey to his readers in the 7 churches of Asia. Very few, if any of them had seen Jesus in the flesh. Hostility and indifference, materialism and false teaching pressed them in. Some of the believers had lost their first love of Christ and others were in danger of having the light of Christian witness snuffed out of their lives. How like our situation today. We’re nearly 2000 years on from the life of Jesus on earth - if we’re not careful he can be toned down in our thinking to merely a historical figure, quite remote from the reality of our daily lives. How could John redirect the attention of these Christians from the grim and sordid world in which they lived to their heritage of co-heirs with the risen, glorified Saviour? Surely the vision would be a stimulus to continued faith and loyalty to Christ. That’s the vision God would have us capture.
We’ve looked at the general scene through the eyes of John. But now his attention becomes focused on what he ’saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne’ (5:1) - it was a:
SCROLL written on the inside and on the outside, entirely sealed with 7 seals. It represents God’s eternal plan for the world’s destiny. It symbolised God’s purpose for his creation in all ages and for all eternity. When you buy a house you receive a document known as a Conveyance which is your Title Deeds to the property. The scroll in God’s hand could be said to be the Title Deeds to the created earth. The Bible is the account of the struggle over who really owns the world. Certainly, Satan and his hosts have long challenged God’s right and God’s control.
But the scroll was as yet unopened. Its 7 parts were each secured by seal. John sees an angel making a universal proclamation. The angel throws out the big question: ’Who is qualified to start cleaning up the mess the world is in?’ ’Who is worthy to break the seals and to open the scroll?’ (5:2). The voice is loud and strong so that every creature in the entire universe may hear. But John listened in vain for a reply for no one in heaven, earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll. He was filled with grief because this would leave poor planet Earth in the clutches of evil. Like his Master before him he was overcome by sadness over lost mankind. I wonder if we have that same concern for lost humanity?
The drama of the vision quickens. One of the elders drew John’s attention to what was happening: ’Weep not’ the elder said comforting John, ’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’ (5:5). ’The Lion has conquered’. That was the wonderful message of cheer given to the despondent John. But what is the connection between Judah and David and a Lion? This goes back to the founding fathers of the nation of Israel.
When the patriarch Jacob was giving his final blessing to his sons just before he died he referred to his son Judah in terms of a lion, and it was from this tribe that King David came, and of course Jesus is ’great David’s Greater Son.’ The reference points back into history to the provision for sinful man that God made in the Messiah. John is seeing revealed before all Jesus, the conqueror, the Lion of Judah, the Root of David’s son. He has earned the right to open the scroll and to break the seal.
John in his vision looks to see the one who is described as the ’Lion of Judah’, but what does he see? You would expect a reference to ’the Lion’ but instead you read of ’a Lamb’. When countries have an animal as a symbol of power they chose the mighty beasts and birds of prey. Britain has a lion, Russia the bear, the United States the eagle, all of them ravenous. It’s only the Kingdom of Heaven that would dare to choose as its symbol of might, the helpless Lamb. What a commentary on the difference of values between heaven and Earth!
John was astonished to say the least! He had looked to see who had conquered, expecting to find the Lion but saw a Lamb! And it was no ordinary lamb. The Lamb stands ’looking as if it had been slain’ (5:6) and yet it was very much alive! How symbolic! The Lord Jesus Christ was indeed ’the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29). And in order to accomplish this great task he ’was led like a lamb to the slaughter’ (Isa 53:7). But, praise God, death couldn’t hold its prey and God raised him up triumphantly. But in his resurrected and glorified body he still bears the marks of his passion. The doubtful disciple Thomas was invited to check for himself that our Lord carries the marks of the nails in his hands and the gash of the spear in his side. John pictures our Saviour in heaven standing as ’having been slaughtered’, indicating that his death has abiding value.
The lamb has 7 horns and 7 eyes. Here we have Old Testament symbols of perfection and power. Jesus is completely adequate for every occasion. His 7 eyes are explained by John as the 7 spirits of God sent forth in all the Earth so not only has he perfect strength, he has perfection of seeing. Nothing escapes him. What John is telling us through these startling symbols of the Lion and the Lamb is that Christ is supremely powerful and all knowing, and that he has won his victory by his atoning and sacrificial death. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
Here is a tremendous picture of Christ. He’s the fulfilment of all the hopes and dreams of Israel, for he’s the Lion of Judah and the Root of David. He’s the one whose sacrifice availed for men, and who still bears the marks of it in heavenly places. But the tragedy has turned to triumph and the shame to glory. He’s the one whose all-conquering might none can withstand and whose all-seeing eye none can escape. What a comfort to the Christian facing opposition, persecution or loneliness.
We’ve looked at the Scene describing John’s inspired vision, focused our attention on the Scroll and the conqueror. Now John goes on to disclose the:
SIGNIFICANCE of what took place. The Lamb came and took the scroll from God’s hand. What a magnificent moment this is. One has been found who is worthy to take the scroll representing God’s plan and purposes for all eternity. That one is Christ, and here in symbolic form we see him ascend into heaven and receiving authority to rule the universe according to God’s eternal decree.
Here we have a brief glimpse of the coronation of the ascended Christ. We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour; the King has come into his kingdom. This doesn’t mean that God the Father leaves the throne but it does mean that Christ reigns together with the Father. God governs the universe through the Lamb. That is Christ’s reward for his redemptive work. All the requirements that God has set for his Son have been fully met; God’s justice and love met in the death of Christ. Here is a sequel to God’s testimony of Jesus on the mount of transfiguration, ’This is my Son, whom I love’ (Mark 9:7).
Here’s the paradox that lies at the heart of the Bible. God’s victory was achieved by One who had been killed. God’s Messiah transformed apparent defeat into eternal victory as he bore the sins of the world. It’s this victory-in-defeat which qualified the Lion-Lamb to take the scroll from the hand of God and to begin to rule over history.
John then goes on to relate the significance of Christ’s achievement to the onlookers of the heavenly vision. What did they think of the Lion who had conquered? How did they react? No sooner had the Lamb taken the scroll signifying his acceptance of office as king of the universe than there is a great outburst of praise. Worship is reserved for God only and the fact that Christ is worshipped is evidence of his full divinity - he is God the Son and the heavenly witnesses give him his due. A new song is sung. It’s new because never before has such a great and glorious deliverance been accomplished. ’You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation’ (5:9). It’s a song of redemption. It points to the once-for-all action by our Saviour on Calvary. It makes clear the cost to him of purchasing lost sinners - it was his blood, his death, that we might live.
John looks at the vision before him again: it is a sight which staggers the imagination. He becomes aware of the greatest chorus of praise the universe can ever hear. It comes in three waves, starting with the living creatures and the elders. The wave of praise is taken up by the angelic hosts surrounding the throne. Then the ever-widening circle of praise reaches out to every created being in the universe. Doesn’t it make you long for that day? ’Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’ (5:12). I want to be there when that song is sung!
Before John’s vision is completed he makes known its importance to the human race of the great drama in heaven. ’Every creature’ he wrote, ’in heaven and in earth and under the earth’ (5:13) rendered homage to the Lamb. The song testified to the innumerable company of the redeemed ’from every tribe and language and people and nation’ (5:9). There’s nothing narrow about this redemption; it’s worldwide in its scope and embraces every group. Those in heaven are the church triumphant while believers on Earth make up the church militant.
The significance of the conquering Lion to the believer is tremendous. When the scroll is opened it will be by the Lamb, and will mean that the universe is governed in the interest of the church. If the scroll of God’s redemptive purposes had to remain unopened there would be no protection for God’s people in the hour of trial; no judgements upon a persecuted world, no new heaven and Earth.
Praise God, ’the Lion of Judah’ as the suffering Lamb of God, has conquered. God has appointed him as head of the church with power over all beings. His will is carried out in the universe. As a result, believers needn’t fear in times of tribulation and persecution. Satan may appear strong, the church vastly outnumbered, but never forget that the Lamb reigns!
We should notice that in John’s vision it was every creature on Earth and under the Earth who paid tribute to the Lamb. Christ’s great victory over sin has a fearful significance to the unbeliever as well. One day even Christ’s enemies will bow in recognition of who he is. Every created intelligence will have to acclaim him (Phil 2:11). The redeemed will do this joyfully but the unbeliever will do it with remorse. How sad this will be especially for those who have had every opportunity of trusting in Jesus as Saviour. This is a choice that comes to us all. Whether we like it or not Christ is triumphant - ’the Lion has conquered’.
In the Coronation Service of the British Monarch there is a moment when the Archbishop presents the King or Queen to the people and asks if they will have the monarch reign over them, then a great shout does up, ’God save the King!’ as the people make their choice. A greater choice is given to us - to let him come into our life, as we trust him as our Saviour. If we already acknowledge him as Lord we must ever seek to know and love and serve him better. ’The Lion has conquered’ - may he reign in all our hearts.
