The Lion of Judah

by Henry Mate

In ancient Israel, the tribe of Judah was identified by a lion.  This was the banner, standard, symbol, or flag that identified Judah from the other tribes when they encamped around the Tabernacle.  It is representative of their strength and is also associated with Messiah Himself who was destined to be born from this tribal lineage.   

They lead the whole House of Israel back home from Egypt.

Numbers 10:12-14, And the children of Yisra’ĕl departed, setting out from the Wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud dwelt on it in the Wilderness of Paran. Thus they departed the first time, according to the mouth of יהוה by the hand of Mosheh. And the banner of the camp of the children of Yehuḏah departed first according to their divisions. And over their army was Naḥshon, son of Amminaḏaḇ.  (The Scriptures, TS2009)

And when the death of Jacob neared, he gathered his sons to tell them what will happen to them in the later days.

Genesis 49:1, And Yaʽaqoḇ called his sons and said, “Gather together, so that I declare to you what is to befall you in the last days:

To Judah he said, V8-10,  You, Yehuḏah, your brothers praise you; your hand is on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children bow down before you. Yehuḏah is a lion’s cub; from the prey you have gone up, my son! He bowed down, he crouched like a lion. And like a lion, who does rouse him?  The sceptre shall not turn aside from Yehuḏah, nor an Inscriber from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to Him is the obedience of peoples.

Who is Shiloh?

Shiloh, is an epithet of the Messiah. Yehovah’s people have both the Torah and the Scepter. Who then is the real lion of Judah?

Revelations 5:5, And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Yehuḏah, athe Root of Dawiḏ, overcame to open the scroll and to loosen its seven seals.

The root of David is Yehshua.

Revelations 5:9-12, And they sang a renewed song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals, because You were slain, and have redeemed us to Elohim by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,  and made us sovereigns and priests to our Elohim, and we shall reign upon the earth.  And I looked, and I heard the voice of many messengers around the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders. And the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!”

The Lion leads the pak.  The set-apart saints will rule with the lion of Judah forever.

Yehovah says to Him:

Isaiah 51:16, And I have put My Words in your mouth, and with the shadow of My hand I have covered you, to plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and to say to Tsiyon, ‘You are My people.’  

We must be assured we have grabbed ahold of these promises.  They are equally ours brethren.

Galatians 2:19-21, For through Torah I died to Torah, in order to live to Elohim. I have been impaled with Messiah, and I no longer live, but Messiah lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh I live by belief in the Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  I do not set aside the favour of Elohim, for if righteousness is through Torah, then Messiah died for naught.

Therefore let us imitate Yehshua in our faith and actions.

I Peter 2:21-24, For to this you were called, because Messiah also suffered for us,  leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, who, being reviled, did not revile in return; suffering, did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His body on the timber, so that we, having died to sins, might live unto righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed.

That’s the Lion of Judah!