Lion and Lamb

Lion and Lamb

In Revelation 5:5 it says: “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll . . . .” And in verse 12 it says, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Jesus manifested Himself in two glorious forms—as Lion and as Lamb, and He was victorious in both these forms.

As a Lion, Jesus advanced in the power of the Spirit against all selfishness and Satan’s power. He did not fear man. Wherever He went, He proclaimed the whole truth. He shone His clear light into other people’s darkness. Read Luke 11:37, ff., and you will see Jesus as the Lion of Judah—how He attacked the Pharisees and the scribes while He was a guest in the Pharisees’ house. He chastised the Pharisees, saying that their inward part was full of greed and wickedness, and that they resembled whitewashed graves, also calling out His “Woe” over them. Read about Jesus’ entire life and how He exhorted His disciples to follow Him; for right after He spoke in the Pharisees’ house, He said to the disciples first of all: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.” Precisely where people hide their folly under a religious cover is where it will be revealed, even if things go so far that Jesus has to exhort the disciples by saying, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.” Luke 12:1, ff. Immediately afterward a man came to Jesus (verse 13) and asked Him for help in claiming his inheritance. However, Jesus saw his covetousness and said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Seeing that Jesus proceeded in this manner, it shouldn’t surprise us that He was hated. He testified of the world that their deeds were evil. He did that while He stood face to face with the individual. Therefore people raged against Him, especially those who saw their inner rottenness revealed and could not cover themselves with a religious cover.

We also need such lions in these days—followers of the Lion of Judah—who can expose everything that occurs in darkness, who have the courage to tear the cover off so that one can see the emptiness of what appears to be something and yet is nothing. But the people in these days are indulgent and full of flattery with most of them thinking that love is to be agreeable and pleasant so that you don’t offend anyone in anything. If anyone sees any foolishness, even if it is as clear as day, he is silent and lets falsehood rule and truth rest. But he doesn’t know that love rejoices in truth whether it meets with opposition or with approval.

The person who walks in the Spirit of Christ must necessarily practice the works of Christ. “He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.” Rev. 2:26. There are not many people who keep the works of Christ in this regard. They lack the lion nature of Christ. But those who have received this nature are like the young lions who roar after their prey. Ps. 104:21. It is a necessity of life for them to speak the truth, for their food is the Father’s will who has sent them. They cannot be quiet without defiling their conscience.

Jesus also overcame as a Lamb. Jesus had many enemies because He proceeded and overcame as a Lion. When the enemies of the truth arm themselves for battle, they put on slander, backbiting, and false testimonies; they put words in your mouth that you have not said; they put on self-praise as their armor and take falsehood as their sword. Thus armed, they advance against the Lion. But now something unusual happens. God has decided that they will not meet the lion nature, but a Lamb. They discover that this Jesus, who was so courageous and strong to go on the attack with the sword of the truth, has become a Lamb. When they revile Him, He does not revile in return; when they strike Him, He does not strike back. He is like a lamb, regardless of the malice they show Him. He is a sacrifice for the truth that He declared. Now the enemies seem to be victorious. But the Lamb is suffering as the just for the unjust so that if possible, He can awaken some of them to reflect on their actions and lead them to God.

This is also how Christ’s followers act. They are to manifest the lion nature as well as the lamb nature. The usual understanding is that you should manifest only the lamb nature; the lion nature is said to be unloving. However, the person who has not manifested the lion nature first cannot manifest the lamb, for the lamb is to be a sacrifice. In Isaiah 50:5-6 this nature is demonstrated by a prophecy concerning Christ: “The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.” When Jesus opened His ear for what God said, He did not rebel against the truth, and He did not turn away from speaking the truth. He went on the attack like a lion, and the result was: “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from mockery and spitting.” V. 6. This is where we can see the Lamb. This is where He was a sacrifice. The mockery of those who mocked God (the truth which God permitted Jesus to say) struck Jesus. See Romans 15:3. This is how God sends His witnesses out with the truth, and the mockery that is directed against the truth falls on the witnesses. This is the biblical way, the way of life, and blessed is he who in all these things follows Jesus. Yet the way is not burdensome. Jesus says: “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!” Luke 6:22, ff. You see that the ways of Christ are crowned with an inner peace and joy, yet with outward battles. This joy is a consequence of being obedient to the Spirit. It is glorious and rich and can only be harvested in everyday life.

May God make all of us into lions and lambs.