B. The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah (5:5-14)
B. THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (5:5-14)
Now comes the answer. John finds that Christ, who is here called ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’, is worthy. But he is also spoken of as ‘a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain’. The cross is central. It is as Christ crucified that he is worthy.
5. One of the elders comforts John. Often it is an angel who speaks with him (e.g. 17:7; 21:9; 22:6), but an elder performs that function again in 7:13. He tells John to ‘stop wailing’, for the seals will be opened. The Lion of the tribe of Judah is an expression that occurs here only in the Bible. Judah is called ‘a lion’s cub’ (Gn. 49:9), and scions of the royal house of Judah are referred to in one passage in this way (Ezk. 19:2,3,5,6). But little use is made of the concept. Indeed the lion is Israel as a whole (Nu. 23:24; 24:9), or even the tribe of Gad (Dt. 33:20). It may even be used of the heathen, e.g. Pharaoh (Ezk. 32:2). The lion is a symbol of the Messiah in 2 Esdras 12:31-32, so it may well have been an accepted messianic designation, at least in some circles.
The Root of David is another expression not found in the Old Testament, though we read of the root of Jesse (Is. 11:1,10, LXX), and in Ecclesiasticus that God gave to David ‘a root of his stock’ (Ecclus. 47:22). All these seem to denote a ’shoot’ rather than a ‘root’; they refer to someone who has sprung from David rather than one of his ancestors. John thus means that Jesus was born of David’s line (cf. 22:16). He tells us that the Lion has triumphed. The word points to complete victory and the aorist tense may well indicate a victory once and for all.
6. John looked to see the Lion and he saw - a Lamb! This is the characteristic designation of Christ in this book, and it is all the more striking in that the word for lamb (arnion) is found twenty-nine times in Revelation and once only in the rest of the New Testament (Jn. 21:15, of the lambs Peter is to feed). When Christ is called a lamb elsewhere, the word is amnos (Jn. 1:29,36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19). There is no real difference of meaning, but the language of this book is individual. It is striking and unexpected to have such an animal chosen to symbolize Christ. Love points out that ‘None but an inspired composer of heavenly visions would ever have thought of it. When earth-bound men want symbols of power they conjure up mighty beasts and birds of prey. Russia elevates the bear, Britain the lion, France the tiger, the United States the spread eagle - all of them ravenous. It is only the Kingdom of Heaven that would dare to use as its symbol of might, not the Lion for which John was looking but the helpless Lamb, and at that, a slain lamb’.
This is true and it is important. Yet it should be added that it is not the whole story. In the apocalypses a lamb might sometimes be used to refer to a mighty conqueror, perhaps because such symbolism would scarcely be expected by the uninitiated. Thus the Maccabees are horned lambs (1 Enoch 90:9). We must also bear in mind that the lamb was the typical sacrificial victim. It was not by any means the only animal offered on the altars of antiquity, but it was offered very often. When John speaks of the Lamb as if it had been slain there can be no doubt but that he is thinking in terms of sacrifice. But he does not think of the Lamb as ‘slain’. The Lamb is ‘as though slain’, for he is very much alive. The Greek perfect tense here signifies that the Lamb was not only slain at a point of time, but that the efficacy of his death is still present in all its power.
The Lamb had seven horns. In the Old Testament the horn is frequently used as a symbol of strength (e.g. Dt.33:17). Seven is the number of perfection, so the seven horns indicate the perfect might of the Lamb. He is completely adequate for any occasion. He also had seven eyes, which are explained as the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth (cf. Zc. 4:10). This may refer to the Holy Spirit (see note on 1:4). If so, the Spirit is closely linked with Christ (cf. ‘the Spirit of Jesus’, Acts 16:7); he has the Spirit in all his fullness. But there is little reason for an allusion to the Holy Spirit here, and it is possible that John is simply ascribing omniscience to the Lamb. The seven eyes on this view denote perfection of seeing. Nothing escapes him. What John appears to be telling us in his different symbols is that Christ, of the tribe of Judah and the line of David, is supremely powerful and all-knowing, and that he has won his victory by his atoning and sacrificial death. There is a striking combination of the utmost in power and the utmost in self-giving.
The Lamb is located ‘in the middle of the throne and the four living ones, and in the middle of the elders’. The throne and the living ones are linked, with another ‘in the middle’ before ’the elders’. John may mean that the Lamb was between the throne and the living ones on the one hand and the elders on the other (in v.7 he ’came’ to take the book). But perhaps more probably the two instances of ‘in the middle’ are parallel. The Lamb is in the centre of all John has named.
7. The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Kiddle sees in this ‘a thought impossible to visualize, but magnificent as a symbol of the death of Christ and its results. In his own way, John is expressing the perfect harmony between the will of God and the will of Christ’. This important point is made throughout the book.
8. The Lamb’s action evokes a great outburst of praise and worship. Though the seven-sealed book is not yet opened all the hosts of heaven discern that it will be and in anticipation break out into a mighty chorus of praise. The four living ones and the twenty-four elders prostrate themselves before the Lamb. Each has a harp, an instrument which in this book is associated with the praise of God.
They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are then described as the prayers of the saints (cf. Ps. 141:2). On earth the saints are despised and accounted as of no importance. In heaven their prayers are precious, being brought into the very presence of God himself, while the bowls in which they are offered are golden. John often brings out the reversal of values in heaven from those accepted by his earthly (and earthy!) contemporaries. That the Lamb is worshipped is evidence of his full divinity, for in this book God alone is worshipped (22:9).
9-10.
They sang a new song (cf. 14:3; Pss. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10). The word ode is ‘the general word for a song, whether accompanied or unaccompanied, whether of praise or on any other subject’.83 In the New Testament, however, it is always used of sacred song. The word new has a way of recurring in Revelation. It applies to the new name (2:17; 3:12), to the new Jerusalem (3:12; 21:2), to the new heaven and the new earth (21:1), and finally there is the resounding declaration that God makes all things new (21:5). In so far as the Greek term kainos can be differentiated from the other word for new, neos (which does not occur in Revelation), it signifies ‘fresh’ as against ’recent’. It is concerned with quality rather than date. The use of the term here raises the intriguing question of what is meant by a ’new’ song in heaven. Are songs renewed there from time to time? This particular song arises from the opening of the seals as its first words show. The Lamb’s saving word has created a new situation and this elicits a new outburst of praise. No song meant for another situation quite fits this. So the song is new.
You are worthy takes up the word ‘worthy’ in verse 2. There the angels spoke of opening the book and loosing its seals; here the Lamb takes the book and opens its seals, but the meaning is the same. Worthy may be an acclamation taken from the secular world, as it does not appear to be used in religious texts.84 It certainly ascribes excellence to the Lamb. His worthiness is now not reckoned in terms of his power or of the majesty of his Person, but of his death for us. You were slain (’sacrificed’, JB), and . . . purchased men points to the once-for-all action on Calvary (this is the most natural way of taking the aorists). The purchase price is given: with your blood. Sinners are purchased for God. Redemption is not aimless; they are bought so that they may belong to God (cf 1 Cor. 6:19-20).
The universal scope of redemption is brought out by piling up expressions to show that the redeemed come from no restricted group but from all over the world. John is fond of linking every tribe and language and people and nation (see 7:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; cf. 10:11; 17:15). An interesting point of style is that John’s word order is not the same in any two examples. The expression resembles the ‘peoples, nations and men of every language’ (Dn. 3:4,7,29; etc.), and indeed some think that John is quoting Daniel. But, though our four terms are all found in either LXX or Theodotion’s translation, neither version has them all. Again, for the most part Daniel has three members whereas John has four. John is probably using an expression of his own, though one suggested by the language of Scripture.
The song goes on to record that the Lamb has made the redeemed a kingdom and priests (see note on 1:6). We should not miss ‘to our God’ (NIV inserts serve). For the second time in the little song we are reminded that the redeemed belong to God. And in the same breath with this stress on their lowly place comes an indication of their high dignity ’they reign (or will reign, as NIV) on the earth.’ Theirs is to be a world-wide dominion (cf. Lk. 22:30). Some see a reference to the millenarian reign, but this is not necessary. The song looks for the vindication and ultimate triumph of the suffering saints of God. It is not concerned with specific details of how and when. We should probably read the present tense rather than the future, but the difference in this context is not great. The present perhaps gives a greater touch of certainty to the glorious day of triumph (cf. the present in Mt. 5:3).
11. As John goes on with his songs, we might have expected ‘I heard’, but he first says I looked. This is a book about visions, and there are continuing references to what is ‘seen’. But John did hear, too. Though there are many singers he speaks of the voice, which perhaps points to the unity of their song. The angels encircle the throne and the living ones and the elders. They are in an important place but not the centre. Expression is piled on expression to bring out their number (cf. Dn. 7:10). We should resist any temptation to multiply out the figures in an attempt to reach a precise number. John is concerned simply to indicate that the total was vast. In fact what he means is ‘innumerable’.
12. The words of the angels are introduced in the Greek with ‘saying’ (cf. RSV), as in 4:8,10; 5:13, though all look like songs. Indeed, up till now the only specific reference to singing is in verse 9. But as the actual words of their song are there introduced with ’saying’, it is plain that this verb is consistent with song as well as speech. The structure and content of the other passages show that they should likewise be understood as songs, as is the case with the present passage.85 Like the preceding one this song begins with Worthy.
For the Lamb and was slain, see note on verse 6. A slight difference is that there the Lamb was ‘looking as if ... slain’ while here there is no ’as if. The fact of the slaying is allowed to stand out. The angels use seven expressions (the perfect number is probably significant) to indicate the wonder of the Lamb. The first four are qualities he possesses, the last three express the attitude of people to him. Though there is no quotationthere are resemblances to the praise of God in 1 Chronicles 29:10-12. Almost all the qualities here are ascribed to Christ elsewhere in the New Testament: power (1 Cor. 1:24), wealth (2 Cor. 8:9; Eph. 3:8), wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24), strength (Eph. 6:10; 2 Thes. 1:9), honour (Heb. 2:9; cf. Phil. 2:11), and glory (Jn. 1:14; Heb. 2:9). ’Blessing’ (NIV praise) is not specifically used of him, but the corresponding verb is (Mk. 11:9-10; cf. Rom. 15:29).
13. Now the whole creation joins in the song. Every creature is explicit enough, but John spells it out by mentioning specifically heaven, earth, the subterranean regions and the sea. All that is in them is redundant, but it serves to emphasize that all are included in the mighty chorus of praise. John’s vision is not concerned with an obscure being of no great importance. In the last resort there is no creature, wherever found, which does not recognize the superior worth of the Lamb.
The qualities selected for mention in this song are not the same as those in the preceding one, and those retained are in a different order. The word for power is different (kratos here, but dynamis there). In the former the whole seven are grouped under a single article in the Greek, whereas here each of the four has its own article to give separate emphasis. Here there is no mention of ‘worthy’, for it is not the achievement of redemption that is hymned, but the Persons themselves. But we should not unduly stress the niceties of what one song inserts and another omits. There is a certain exuberance about both which recks not of exact calculation. They are simply the fervent outpouring of hearts full of adoration and love and praise for all that God has done through the Lamb. This song ends by linking him who sits on the throne with the Lamb. The two are joined in a way which is characteristic of this book (6:16; 7:9,10,17; 14:1,4; 21:22,23; 22:1,3). There cannot be the slightest doubt that the Lamb is to be reckoned with God and as God.
14. The four living ones add their Amen. They began the chorus of praise (4:8) and it is fitting that they should close it. The twenty-four elders, as they have done before, prostrate themselves in worship. John does not say whether they worshipped God or the Lamb and there is no need to. In this passage the two are not differentiated.
Chapters 4 and 5 proclaim in vivid and confident terms that the world’s destiny is not under the control of some blind fate. We are all in the hands of a loving Father and a Saviour who died for us.