“But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals'”
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Revelation 5:5-7).
As we move through our narrative in Revelation chapter five, it may be helpful to view this scene from the perspective of John, our author. For instance, John learned that the Lion of the tribe of Judah had prevailed to open the scroll possessed by the One who was seated on the throne. Given that description, John likely expected to encounter a being of immense power and strength. That assessment would prove accurate, but not in the way he may have expected.
For example, we’re told, “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne…” (NIV). This was far from the image of a powerful lion. Nevertheless, this reference is more readily understood when we remember that the New Testament often portrays Jesus as a lamb. More than two dozen of those references appear in the book of Revelation alone. He also functions as the Kinsman Redeemer for humanity referenced earlier.
While we may ordinarily sympathize with a lamb that appeared as if it had been slain, this Lamb was different: “He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth” (CSB). This brings us to another interpretive crossroad within the book of Revelation, for each reader must prayerfully determine how to understand and apply this passage.
Many artistic renderings of these verses depict the lifelike image of a seven-eyed, seven-horned sacrificial lamb. But as we choose our interpretive path through the Book of Revelation, we should pause to remember that the number seven is often used to represent the idea of perfection or completion. This seems to present a better interpretive option as we consider this passage from Revelation 5:6.
We should also avoid isolating this passage from its first-century historical context. From a first century perspective, the sight of an ox or bull with lethal horns presented a formidable image of power and strength. Thus, the word “horn” came to represent those qualities. The imagery of seven horns can thus be used to symbolize the idea of immeasurable power. In a similar manner, we can understand these references to “eyes” and the “seven Spirits of God” as symbolic references to the Lamb’s omniscience.
Image Attribution : Pratyya Ghosh, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
