And “I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon: and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof. And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” (Rev 5:4-6).
Are we not talking about being strong and doing exploits? Shouldn’t the title of this article be “Follow the Lion”? A lion is fast, strong, and ferocious. On the other hand, a lamb is a feeble, fragile, cute thing you have to be careful not to crush. Yes, the Lamb represents Christ Jesus and symbolizes gentleness, humility, innocence, and purity.
The lamb is the animal God sets apart for the ultimate sacrifice. Its nature is contrary to the other beasts that are wild and ferocious. It’s even different from goats, which are often unruly; and swine, which are unsightly and filthy. Lambs are known for humility and gentleness.
The Holy Spirit is revealing to us in the Book of Revelation that ultimate power and strength resides in the nature of the Lamb. Jesus Christ our Lord, the Lamb of God, did not attain His position by a show of strength or self-exaltation, but because, like a lamb, He humbled Himself and was obedient to God in all things. Therefore, God the Father exalted Him.
And so the apostle John, on the Isle of Patmos, looked and saw a scroll in the hand of the One who sat on the throne. The scroll had writings in it, and on the outside was sealed with seven seals. Then he saw a powerful angel speaking with a loud voice saying,
“Who is worthy to open the book, and to lose the seals thereof?”
No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll or look inside. John, knowing the gravity of the vision, began to cry. He cried bitterly because no one was found who was qualified to open the scroll that contained our destiny. But as he was crying, one of the elders said to him, “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.” (Rev 5:5, GW).
It’s the LAMB That Sits Upon the Father’s Throne
But when John looked at the One who took the scroll to open the seal, what did he see? He saw a Lamb! He saw a lamb standing in the center near the throne with the four living creatures and the leaders. The lamb looked like he had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent all over the world. He took the scroll from the right hand of the One who sat on the throne.
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:6-10).
The Meekness of the LAMB
It was not the lion that overcame, it was the Lamb. Most people would easily believe that the Lion could overcome, but the Lamb prevailing against such insurmountable opposition might be considered a big stretch. However, the Lamb overcame.
Weakness and might, meekness and yieldedness, existed in the same being. “He was abused and punished, but he didn’t open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn’t open his mouth” (Isa 53:7).
Meekness means being calm in the face of accusation, not standing up for personal rights, and not seeking self-vindication. As a lamb to the slaughter, He put up no resistance. He was totally submissive, yet the Lamb was given dominion and power.
There is an infinite power in the Lamb that cannot be accounted for on any natural ground, for the Lamb’s strength is spiritual. In the natural world, everything about a lamb speaks of weakness and helplessness. But there is something about this Lamb that is not natural: it is divine. All the strength and mighty forces of God’s heavenly universe are bound up with, centered in, and expressed through this weak-looking fragile Lamb.
My beloved brethren, the Spirit is teaching us that if we seek the grace of the Lord Jesus to suffer wrong rather than do wrong, to accept joyfully the spoiling of our goods, to restrain our natural wrath and reaction, and hand things over to the Lord, then we will see the Lord do things that none of our wrath and strength could have done. It is when, in meekness, we let the Lord defend us, when we let go and get out of the way, that we see the mighty hand of God come to our vindication and exaltation. That’s the way of the Lamb. “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (I Pet 2:23).
This is not natural. No, human constitution is not that way. The philosophy of the world is totally contrary to the constitution of the Lamb. We know that quite well. But when God reconstitutes man according to the way of the Lamb, then the ground is prepared for the exercise of infinite power. See this little Lamb, led to the slaughter without resistance, opening not His mouth, and laying down His life for the offence of others. Yet the little Lamb overcame the world and all its unseen rulers in heavenly places.
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev 17:12-14).
Strong’s dictionary indicates that the original word translated “lamb” in the passage above and in several other passages in the Book of Revelation means “little lamb” or “lambkin” in the original. The same word is used twenty-nine times in the Book of Revelation. Behold, “a little Lamb” has prevailed. What a contradiction! The book did not say, “The lion has prevailed,” but that a lamb overcame. Nothing speaks more of weakness than a little lamb. You would not want to put much weight upon a little lamb or you’d crush the feeble thing. Though a symbol of weakness, the Lamb prevailed, manifesting the strength of a lion. In the seventeenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, John tells us about the most terrifying war that he saw while in the spirit, and how the Lamb prevailed in the greatest war ever waged.
In Christ the Lamb of God, we clearly see a complete reversal of the whole course of fallen human nature. This is human nature reconstituted to that of the Lamb, a changed nature. It is not human nature to lay down our lives, but when we’re changed to the Lamb, we can do it. Remember, the Scriptures say that “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Laying down our lives for the brethren does not mean dying a martyr’s death. Laying down our lives for the gospel of Christ is not a single act but a lifelong act, an everyday act. The world will consider the way of the Lamb as weak and stupid. The world expects you to stand up for your rights and to fight for your ends. But the Lamb laid down His life. When He was reviled, He suffered it, He endured it, He answered nothing. “As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth” (Isa 53:7).
That takes some doing; that represents a strength that is not in you and in me naturally. We have another nature. Men might say that is weak. I say there is no strength like it. You do not know what strength is until you can stand right up against the whole nature of this world and its judgments and standards and take the opposite view and the opposite course.
It was not the lion that was seen on the throne opening the seal on the scroll: it was the Lamb. It was not the Lion of the Tribe of Judah that John saw seated on the throne of God: it was the Lamb of God. It was the Lamb, the lowly, humble, innocent little Lamb, that stood on the throne of Almighty God. It was the Lamb that took the scroll from the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne and opened the seals thereof. The Lamb is worthy.
Worthy, Worthy, Is the LAMB
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever” (Rev 5:11-14).
SING:
Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb
Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb
Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb; that was slain
Glory Hallelujah,
Glory Hallelujah,
Glory Hallelujah, Praise the LORD.
The great multitude that John saw in the vision of the seventh chapter of the book of Revelation cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” They ascribed glory, honor, and power to God Almighty who was seated upon the throne and to the Lamb. And in the concluding chapters of the Book of Revelation, the Spirit referred to the throne of the Most High as “the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him” (Rev 22:1-3).
The Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world has been exalted and made to sit together with the Most High God on His throne. The throne of the Most High is referred to in the closing chapters of the Book of Revelation as “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” It’s not called the throne of God and of the lion, but of the Lamb. The humble and lowly Lamb that was sacrificed to take away the sins of the world overcame, and has been exalted and made to sit with the Almighty God on His throne.
My dear fellow Christian, our desire today must be to follow in His steps. To follow the Lamb of God. To grow in the nature of the Lamb of God so we can be infinitely strong and, like the Lamb, prevail in every battle. The way to divine and infinite strength is the “way of the Lamb.”
O Lord Jesus, teach us your ways, that we may know you. That we may know that the way up is down, and that the way to everlasting and infinite strength and power is the way of the Lamb and the cross. Help us, Lord God our Father; to You be the glory and honor and power, both now and forever, Amen.