Revelation
5:4,5
Revelation 5:4 and
I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to
look into it.
Revelation 5:5 And
one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and
its seven seals."
I Wept
John
as spectator saw the state of humanity, and begins to cry because he also sees
there is no hope for humanity. No man or
angel in all creation, from the beginning to the end, could respond to the
angel’s loud cry. John sees the hopeless
condition of humanity.
The Elders
One
of the 24 elders, who was seated around the throne approached John and told him
not to cry or mourn over the lost condition of humanity. The elder then begins to explain to John the
victory of the Messiah, the Redeemer of humanity.
The elder in his consoling of John, explains
to John the nature and the work of the Messiah via his titles.
The Lion of the tribe of Judah
Jacob, the twin son of Isaac was chosen to be the father
of Judah, the father of the Jews. Why was Judah, the fourth son of Jacob
(renamed Israel) chosen to be the line Jesus Christ descended from? Judah or Yehudah
in Hebrew means "praise". Leah, the first wife of
Jacob had already given birth to three sons and she conceived again,
and when she gave birth to a son, she said, "Now will I praise the
Lord: and therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing" (Genesis
29:35). With the birth of Judah, Leah finally disowned the idolatry
of her father, Laban. She finally acknowledged YAHWEH, the God of
Israel. And Judah was blessed by God.
On his deathbed Jacob blessed Judah (Genesis 49:8). Judah,
thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of
thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee" (Genesis
49:8). Yehudim means "Jews", and Jew by definition is "Messianic".
It is written in Revelation 5:5:
Genesis 49:8 "Judah,
your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons shall bow down before you.
Genesis 49:9 Judah
is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he
crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
Genesis 49:10 The
scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet, until tribute comes to him;[1] and to him shall be the
obedience of the peoples.
Lion of Judah And Judaism
LION OF JUDAH AND JUDAISM Within Judaism, the Biblical
Judah (in Hebrew: Yehuda) is the original name of the Tribe of Judah -
traditionally symbolized by a lion. In Genesis, the patriarch Jacob
("Israel") refers to his son Judah as a Gur Aryeh גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה , a "Young Lion" (Genesis 49:9)
when blessing him.[1] In
Jewish naming tradition the Hebrew name and the substitute name are often
combined as a pair, as in this case.
Lion of Judah in Christianity
In Christian tradition, the Lion of Judah
represents Jesus. Many Christian organizations and ministries use the lion of
Judah as their emblem or even their name. The phrase appears in the New
Testament Book of Revelation 5:5; "And one of the elders saith unto me,
Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath
prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."
Judah is called a Lion, because out
of Judah would come the Messiah (Shiloh) who would rule the world. In the pictures of Messiah in the Old
Testament, we see two distinct portraits, one a conquering king (Lion)
the other a suffering servant (Lamb).
The Root of David The reference to David’s root comes from
Isaiah 11:1
Prophecy about Jesus comes from David.
Isaiah 11:1 There
shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots
shall bear fruit.
Isaiah 11:10 In
that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him
shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Through prophet Zechariah also God fore told, from the
house of David, one of his inhabitants will cleanse them from sin and impurity.
Zechariah
13:1 "On that day a fountain will be opened
to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from
sin and impurity.
The Messiah would be a descendent of King David as
promised to David by Nathan the prophet. (2 Samuel 7:12-14)
2 Samuel 7:12 When
your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up
your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish
his kingdom.
The Messiah will reign on David’s throne over the earth,
this is the picture of the conquering king Messiah, the Lion aspect of king
Messiah. (Isaiah 9:7, Psalm 132;11)
Isaiah 9:7 Of
the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the
throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with
justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal
of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Psalm 132:11 The
Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will
set on your throne.