Ⅲ
"I saw in the midst of the throne...a Lamb standing as having just been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth"— Rev. 5:6; 1:4; 3:1:
A
In chapter 5 is the scene in the heavens after Christ ascended there:
１
He was recommended to the apostle John as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but He appeared to John as the Lamb.
２
As the Lion, He is the Fighter against the enemy; as the Lamb, He is the Redeemer for us.
３
He fought to redeem us, and He won the battle over the enemy and accomplished redemption for us.
４
To the enemy He is a Lion, and to us He is a Lamb; hence, He is the Lion- Lamb.
B
As far as redemption is concerned, Christ sat down at the right hand of God in the heavens after His ascension (Heb. 1:3; 10:12), whereas regarding the carrying out of God's administration, He is still standing in His ascension.
C
Having just been slain indicates that the Lamb had just been slain and also that the scene in the heavens that is depicted in Revelation 5 took place immediately after Christ's ascension into the heavens.
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 5:6-7 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 having just 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 scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits upon the throne.In Revelation 5:5-10 we see that we may experience and enjoy Christ as the Lion-Lamb. From 5:1 through 6:1, we see the vision of Him as the Lion- Lamb in the midst of God's throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the twenty-four elders of the universe, opening the seven seals of God's universal administration…To the enemy, He is the Lion; to us, the redeemed ones, He is the dear, precious Lamb [Rev. 5:5-6]. Christ is the Lamb accomplishing God's redemption and the Lion fighting for God's kingdom. For God's redemption, He is a Lamb; for God's kingdom, He is a fighting Lion, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He fought to redeem us, and He won the battle over the enemy and accomplished redemption for us. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 4225)
Today’s Reading
In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (1:29), but in Revelation one of the elders said, “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (5:5). In the Gospel of John we see that Christ came in the flesh as the Lamb of God mainly to take away the sin of the world, but in Revelation we see that Christ is the Lion-Lamb not only to take away sin but also to overcome and defeat His enemies.As the Lamb, Christ has accomplished redemption, having cleansed us from our sins. As the Lion, He has dealt with Satan. He is adequate to meet our needs and to solve our problems. Now sin is over, Satan has been terminated, and we have been redeemed and rescued from the usurping hand of the enemy.
If we love the Lord, He is the Lamb to us, but to those who do not love Him, He is the Lion. He is the Lamb to us and the Lion to the enemy, the world, and the sinful things. Since we do love Him and He is the Lamb to us, why must He also be a Lion? This is because there are still many negative things in us. He died on the cross as the Lamb of God to redeem us, but even after being redeemed, we are still mixed with many negative things. Therefore, He must also be the Lion to deal with these things.
The expression having just been slain in verse 6 indicates that the Lamb had just been slain and also that the scene in the heavens that is depicted in this chapter took place immediately after Christ's ascension into the heavens. After Christ passed through death, resurrection, and ascension, He stood in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures. There was a resurrected Lamb standing before the throne in heaven. This Lion-Lamb was standing, not sitting, and His seven eyes were flashing. This indicates that His work was not finished…As far as redemption is concerned, Christ sat down at the right hand of God in the heavens after His ascension (Heb. 1:3; 10:12); however, regarding the carrying out of God's administration, He is still standing in His ascension.
The redeeming Lamb is now standing at the center of the universe, before God's throne. This reveals that the Redeemer is now in God's administration. He is the Administrator of the universe, executing God's economy…The whole universe is watching this scene. The four living creatures, the twenty- four elders, myriads of angels, and all other creatures are wide-awake, alert, and observing. These are the circumstances in which they proclaim, “To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13). There is a Lion-Lamb standing in the center of the universe with seven flashing, burning eyes. He saves us from our silence, coldness, and laziness. Our vision must be uplifted to see this Lamb accomplishing a work of eternally vast dimensions. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4225-4226, 4236-4237)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 416