Rev.5:5,6 – 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 be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slaughtered,

This passage is the continuation of the revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle John. It started on the beach when John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. In that moment Jesus appeared in the midst of the lamp-stands in all of His glory clothed as the heavenly High Priest. In the next moment John is caught up into heaven by the Spirit where he experiences the throne and all of the worship associated with that. The center of this whole scene was an unveiling of Christ as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Here is a description from Augustine of this scene.

“Who is this, both lamb and lion? He endured death as a lamb; he devoured it as a lion. Who is this, both lamb and lion? Gentle and strong, lovable and terrifying, innocent and mighty, silent when he was being judged, roaring when he comes to judge. Or perhaps both in his passion lamb and lion, and also in his resurrection lamb and lion. Let us see him as a lamb in his passion. It was stated a moment ago: “Like a lamb in the presence of his shearer he was without voice, thus he did not open his mouth.” Let us see him as a lion in his passion; Jacob said, “You have gone up, lying down you have slept like a lion.”

This is an unfolding of the mystery of God; we see Him in His humility as a lamb to be sacrificed for our sins. This was an unveiling of His humility in becoming a man to die for the sins of the world. In this same being John sees the glory of the Son of God as the mighty lion of the tribe of Judah. This pictures the power and glory of Christ as the Son of God. No wonder John was overwhelmed, the unveiling of Christ changes everything. Seeing Him in His humility and in His glory will humble us, bring us to our knees, and transform us into worshippers of God.