Revelation Series

March 05, 2022

We have finally arrived at the awesome book of Revelation.

I didn’t always love Revelation. Like so many, who have sat through endless Evangelistic Series on Daniel and Revelation, I was afraid and confused by all the imagery ---- the 4-living beings, the scrolls, the seals, the trumpet plagues, the beasts, the 7 last plagues, the Mark of the Beast, the 144,000, The Dragon…… etc., etc., etc.

The mind can literally be boggled by the enormous amount of information and endless interpretations.

But now I love, love, love this book. What changed? I came to understand 2 things:

• Revelation is not as complicated as we make it out to be.

• What Revelation is REALLY about is actually quite amazing.

Which brings us to My Favorite Thing ---- “Behold the LION!”

Have you ever, while watching a nature program, thought to yourself, “what is that?”?

The Aye-Aye

The Water Opossum

The Saiga Antelope

The Quokka

No doubt you have because there are some really weird animals out there.

But I bet you have never asked that question when the camera came to rest on a male lion…

There is no confusion about a male lion.

Only he can produce that earth-shaking roar! Only he has that great shaggy mane.

His strength, power and majesty are unchallenged. He is the King…

One of the most striking and powerful names for Jesus in Scripture is that of the "Lion of Judah", a title rooted in the book of Genesis:

• Genesis 49:8-10 - 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 You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-- who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.

It is in the book of Revelation that John paints a picture of this great Lion, who chose to die as a Lamb, and who has earned the right to open the scroll to reveal the story of the resolution to the Great Controversy between good and evil.

It is this Lion who will come in the clouds of glory – 1:7

It is this Lion who declared Himself to be “the Alpha and Omega… the Almighty” – 1:8

It is this Lion whom John sees walking amongst His churches – 1:11-20

As the enthronement scene of Revelation 5 unfolded, we find John weeping: "I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.”

Will the misery of earth’s history never end?

How can it if no one is able open the scroll?

"Do not weep!" the elder commanded. "Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He IS able to open the scroll!"

• Ellen White {CTr 315} - The Saviour was presented to John under the symbols of the “Lion of the tribe of Juda,” and “a Lamb as it had been slain.” Here the whole work of redemption was expressed. These symbols represent the union of omnipotent power and self-sacrificing love. As the Lion of Judah, Christ will defend His chosen ones and bring them off victorious, because they accepted Him as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Christ the slain Lamb—who was despised, rejected, the victim of Satan’s wrath, of human abuse and cruelty—how tender was His sympathy with His people who were in the world! And according to the infinite depths of His humiliation and sacrifice as the Lamb of God will be His power in glory as the Lion of Judah, for the deliverance of His people.

To John were opened the great events of the future that were to shake the thrones of kings and cause all earthly powers to tremble. He beheld the close of all earthly scenes, the ushering in of His reign who is to be King of kings, and whose kingdom shall endure forever. . . . He saw Christ receiving the adoration of all the hosts of heaven and heard the promise that whatever tribulation might come upon God’s people, if they would but patiently endure they should be more than conquerors through Him that loved them. . . . He was now prepared to witness the thrilling scenes in the great conflict between those who keep the commandments of God and those who make void His law.

Worried about what the future holds?

Behold the Lion – He has triumphed!

Worried about the Trumpet Plagues?