Jesus is called the Lion and the Lamb because he is both powerful and sacrificial. In Revelation 5, John is told that the Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed, but when he looks, he sees a Lamb that had been slain. The Lion represents Jesus’ royal authority and victory; the Lamb represents his sacrificial death for sin. Together, these images capture who Jesus is and how he saves.
God Is on the Throne
Revelation 4 sets the scene for everything that follows. John is invited into the throne room of heaven, where God the Father reigns in glory. Around the throne, heavenly beings worship him without ceasing.
Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
Before Revelation describes the chaos and judgment to come, it shows us who is in control. No matter what happens on earth, God is on the throne, and his plan for history is unfolding exactly as he intends.
Only Jesus Can Open the Scroll
In Revelation 5, God holds a scroll sealed with seven seals. It contains his plan for the future of the world. But no one in heaven or on earth is worthy to open it, and John begins to weep.
Revelation 5:4-5 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 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.”
The title “Lion of the tribe of Judah” comes from Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:9-10, which promised a ruler from Judah’s line. Jesus is that promised King, and he alone holds the key to God’s plan.
The Lion Is the Lamb
John turns to see the Lion, but what he sees is surprising.
Revelation 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
The conquering Lion won his victory by becoming the sacrificial Lamb. John the Baptist had introduced Jesus the same way.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Jesus didn’t conquer by force. He conquered by laying down his life. The Lamb is standing, though, which means he is alive. His death and resurrection are the source of his power.
Jesus Has Created a People for God
When the Lamb takes the scroll, all of heaven erupts in a new song.
Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Through his death, Jesus has formed a global family. The worship in Revelation 5 grows until every creature in heaven and on earth joins in (Revelation 5:13). Paul describes the same day, when every person will acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Takeaway
Jesus is both the Lion and the Lamb. He is the powerful King who holds God’s plan for history, and he won that authority by sacrificing himself for us. His death created a people for God from every nation, and one day all creation will worship him.
