λέων ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα
LEON EK TES PHYLES IOUDA
Only once in the New Testament is Jesus described as a lion. The book of Revelation (named in part for what it reveals about Christ) portrays the risen Jesus as the only one worthy to open the scroll that contains the ultimate unfolding of God's purposes for the world.
The apostle John perceived Jesus as both Lion and Lamb, who through his death and resurrection becomes the ultimate victor and conqueror. When you pray to Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, you are praying to the one with the power to banish all fear, to the one who watches over you with his fierce protecting love. You are also praying to the one who is judge of the living and the dead.
KEY SCRIPTURE
I cried bitterly because no one was found who deserved to open the scroll or look inside it. Then one of the leaders said to me, "Stop crying! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory. He can open the scroll and the seven seals on it." — Revelation 5:4–5
GOD REVEALS HIS NAME IN SCRIPTURE
GENESIS 49:8–10, REVELATION 5:5
Open your personal Bible translation and read the same passages.
Make note where you read the name JUDAH or LION.
8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down to you. 9 Judah, you are a lion cub. You have come back from the kill, my son. He lies down and rests like a lion. He is like a lioness. Who dares to disturb him? 10 A scepter will never depart from Judah nor a ruler's staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes and the people obey him.
5 Then one of the leaders said to me, "Stop crying! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory. He can open the scroll and the seven seals on it."
λέων ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα
Understanding the Name
Throughout the Bible, the lion appears as a symbol of might, and it is hardly surprising that Israel's enemies are sometimes depicted as lions. In the New Testament, Peter calls the devil a roaring lion and warns believers that he is constantly on the prowl, looking for someone to devour.
Though lions are sometimes a symbol of evil, they are also used as symbols of God's people. Near the end of his life, the patriarch Jacob prayed a blessing over his twelve sons. When it came time to bless Judah, he compared him to a lion — hence the phrase "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah" (Aryeh Lammatteh Yehudah in Hebrew, pronounced ar-YEH la-mat-TEH ye-hou-DAH, or Leon ek tes Phyles Iouda, in Greek, pronounced LE-own ek teys fu-LAIS YOU-dah). Jacob's prediction that the scepter would not depart from Judah has been traditionally applied to the Messiah.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, Yahweh is sometimes depicted as a lion who roars in judgment against the nations and against His own faithless people. But He is also depicted as a mighty lion who fights fiercely on behalf of His people. Revelation depicts the risen Christ as the mightiest of all victors. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the one found worthy to open the scrolls of history; this means that He is in charge of history and of how the world's destiny unfolds.
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