“and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."”
(Revelation 5:5)
The suspense and John's sorrow are broken by the voice of one of the elders, answering the angel's question: "the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven scrolls". When Israel bestowed a final blessing on his sons, he compared Judah with a lion and foresaw a perpetual royal dynasty from Judah's line (Gen. 49:8-12). God's selection of David as king in place of the Benjamite Saul set the fulfillment of Israel's prophesy in motion. Though the exile would make it seem that David's dynasty had been cut off, like a tree sawn down, leaving only root and stump, Isaiah foresaw a fresh shoot from the stump of David's father Jesse, a fruitful branch springing from a root that seemed lifeless and hopeless (Isa. 11:1,10).
These promises were finally to reach fulfillment in "Jesus the Anointed (King), Son of David, Son of Abraham" (Matt. 1:1). In view of David's well-known prowess as the warrior-champion of God's people (1 Sam. 16), the elder's announcement that this Lion-King has overcome comes as no surprise. Surely Judah's fierce lion is a victor worthy to open the scroll!
(Dennis Johnson)
No comments:
Post a Comment