The lion is the king of the jungle. The fearless one who sees nothing but lunch at the sight of the elephant. He rules the wild and dominates his domain. The fear of his majesty is the beginning of wisdom in the world and realm of the four footed ones. What a true representation of Israel’s messiah King(Genesis 49:9-10)! He alone is the One who is worthy to open the seal of God’s mysteries concerning the future of our universe in Rev 5:5.

This mighty King worshipped by the Elders and Angels of Heaven is also the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the whole world. A lamb, so meek and mild, so dumb and numb in danger! It’s so amazing that the Lion could also be the lamb. Yes, the Lion as King is He, but Lamb as our sacrifice for sin He is also (Rev 13.8).

A nominal Christian once developed greater apathy after going to Israel on pilgrimage. Jesus Christ is not the centre of Jewish life nor is He the recognized Saviour of the majority, he observed. Who could blame them, when He came the first time as a Lamb? Their expectations of their Messiah at a time the Roman Empire dominated them and the Emperor colonized them through Pontius Pilate, was not that of a baby born in a manger or a prophet yielding himself to the cruel death of crucifixion reserved for the worst of all criminals. He did not look like the One they had read about in the prophecies of Isaiah (Isaiah 32:1, 55:4). The nation awaited his arrival with pump and pageantry, with strength and military might.

The same book of Isaiah however presents a Lamb that is rejected, tried and judged, beaten and abandoned, oppressed and ultimately killed (Isaiah 53). Contrary Jewish teachings however depict the entire nation of Israel as the suffering servant persecuted for the rest of the world. Of course, some other Jewish teachers cannot ignore the reference to an individual and not a nation and therefore see the suffering servant as a future Messiah, but not Jesus of Nazareth.

They deliberately ignore the historical accuracies with Jesus Christ and the fulfilled 332 prophecies about the Messiah throughout the Law and the prophets. The chances of so much prophecies being fulfilled in one man are almost zero, yet, it’s a fact of history about our Lord and Saviour. Many references point to Christ’s humble birth, vicarious suffering on the cross of Calvary and His death. However, it is just irreconcilable for the Jews that a conquering King would be so mild and even so weak as to succumb to the shameful death Christ suffered.

The Messiah was designed to come twice. First as a Lamb that would be slain for the sins of the world. It was in death that new life would spring forth, and in weakness strength appear. Greatness would be born out of smallness and victory out of defeat. The King obtained His kingdom by conquering sin and Satan through the work of redemption. When next He returns, Israel will receive him as their King. The growing antisemitism in our world today will not diminish till it culminates in the ultimate battle of Armageddon.

The might of the United States of America will not be sufficient to deliver victory to Israel when Russia, China and parts of Europe combine with the Arab world to fight the small nation that will never go back to the borders given her by the United Nations in 1948. It is the Messiah with ten thousands of his saints that will help Israel win the war and install the Messiah as their King and consequently the King of the world (Jude 1:14-15, Zechariah 14, Revelation 19).

Meanwhile, you and I will not wait till the battle of Armageddon. We welcome the Lion and the Lamb today. As the Lamb, He has been sacrificed for our sins and and purchased eternal redemption for us (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:12-13). As the Lion, He has conquered sin and death for us. He rules over principalities and powers through us. We have his authority as Lion cubs to rule and reign with Him in our affairs and the various spheres of this life to which He has sent us.

As the whole world celebrates His birth in the most popular holiday of the year, we join the Maggi that came from the East in holy awe and worship Him (Matthew 2). We join the angels who appeared to the lowly shepherds in adoration (Luke 2:9-14). We worship the Lion and the Lamb.

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!””Revelation 11:15 NKJV

Victor Adeyemi