Studies in Revelation: Jesus the Lamb

John describes Jesus 39 times as the Lamb in his prophetic letter. He refers to him as Jesus only 12 times, as Christ only 6 times, Lord 7 times, no times as Savior. Embraced in the title Lamb is all the sacrificial system of Israel and particularly the paschal or Passover lamb, whose sacrifice by an Israelite caused the wrath of God to pass over Israel and visit the Egyptians only with the death of their firstborn.

John begins a doxology, a praise to God, in chapter 1:5 with the words, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” In line with the sacrifice of animals in Israel for forgiveness, a process of laying their hands on the animal to transfer their guilt to the animal and then slaying it instead of dying themselves, Jesus’ death was a substitutionary sacrifice that freed us from having to pay the guilt for our sins.

This is why when John is grieving that no one can open the sealed document containing all God’s punishments on mankind and one of the 24 elders directs his attention to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David as the one who can open it, John sees instead “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders” (Revelation 5:6). Not a lion, but a lamb as if slain. It is alive but it bears evidence of having been sacrificed.

Even as John the Baptist told his disciples to behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29,36), so the apostle John describes seeing the Lamb Jesus over and over throughout his visions of the end (Revelation 5:6,8,12,13; 6:3,5,7,16; 7:9,10,14,17; 12:11; 13:8,11; 14:1,4,10; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7,9; 21:9,14,22,23,27; 22:1,3).

Why is the Lamb worthy to open the seals of God’s judgment scroll? It is undoubtedly because he was slain for the sins of mankind that could have delivered anyone from God’s wrathful judgment. He didn’t come to judge but to save (John 3:17) but men loved darkness rather than light and stand condemned for their refusal to believe in Jesus (John 3:18,19). The Savior must become the Judge.