A Title of Christ in Revelation: The Lamb

A Title of Christ in Revelation: The Lamb.

“The revelation of Jesus Christ…” (Rev. 1:1). John the Divine left no doubt about the purpose of his Book of Revelation. His very first words in his prologue were that his vision was an unveiling of Jesus. His baffling and otherworldly writings in this book were not primarily about future events, or the destiny of human life on planet earth, or all those mysterious activities in the heavenly sphere. John was writing first and foremost about the Person of Christ, and he intended everything in the book to point back to Him. Revelation was a lifting of the veil on the full identity and activity of Christ. It is a revelation of Jesus, from God, concerning Christ Himself. The Godhead is both the primary source of John’s vision and its main subject. Everything in this extended vision that came to John straight from heaven is to be understood through the prism of Christ. Regardless of how dramatic, puzzling or profound its contents, everything in John’s vision is intended to help us discover more of Christ and deepen our knowledge of and love for Him. All these events in Revelation that seem to pique the reader’s curiosity are nonetheless streams that are meant to lead us back to the River of Life. Perhaps it would do us all well if we continue to remind ourselves of Paul’s declaration as we read John’s vision… “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

“Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels on every side of the throne, and of the living creatures and the elders, and they numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, saying in a loud voice, ‘Deserving is the Lamb that was sacrificed, to receive all the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and majesty and blessing!” (Revelation 5:11-12).

If there is one dominant title given to Christ in Revelation, it is that of Lamb. John uses it 29 times in his vision of the Apocalypse. We are privileged to see much of the Lamb in John’s vision of heaven:

1. In the middle of the heavenly throne, looking as though it had been slain (5:6);
2. With seven horns and seven eyes. Horns are a symbol of power and authority, and the seven number symbolizes perfection. Eyes signify watchfulness and comprehension. The Lamb that was slain has perfect authority, and is constantly watchful and full of understanding (5:6);
3. As the only One in the universe who is worthy to open God’s holy scroll (5:8-10);
4. The object of high praise and worship by “every creature in heaven and on earth” as well as myriads of angels (5:11-13);
5. The object of great fear on the part of the rulers and great ones in hiding, fearing the fiery passion of the Lamb (6:16-17);
6. The One who was worshiped by great multitudes from all the nations (7:9);
7. The One who will lead the people, shepherding them to living fountains of waters (7:17);
8. The Author of the Lamb’s Book of Life (13:8);
9. The One standing on Mount Zion, listening to the New Song sung by those “who follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (14:1-4);
10. The recipient of a song sung by the triumphant believers, singing “the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb” (15:3-4);
11. The victor in a war with the Beast, proving that the Lamb is “Lord of lords and King of kings” (17:14);
12. The One held in honor at the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (19:9);
13. As the One who was the true Temple in the New Jerusalem (21:22);
14. As the One providing the sole source of light in the New Jerusalem (21:23);
15. On the throne in the new Garden of Eden, providing “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal” (22:1).

When John the Baptist shouted out that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was referring to the Passover lamb, the defining moment in Jewish history (Exodus 12). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, John is saying that, just as the blood of the perfect, unblemished male lamb provided a way to escape judgment and experience redemption from slavery in Egypt, Jesus will soon provide for redemption through His very own sacrificial blood. The lamb became the primary sacrificial animal in Mosiac Law, a lamb sacrificed in the Temple every morning and evening for the sins of the people (Ex. 29). For centuries, a lamb’s life had to be sacrificed for the penalty of sin. And now the Messiah, Jesus Christ, offering His pure blood as sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:18-19). “Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, therefore let us keep the feast.” (1 Corinthians 5:7).