A Slain Lamb
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev 5:6 KJV)
After John has been told about a lion that has prevailed and found worthy to open the seals of the book, what he sees instead is a lamb that had been slain. The lamb is of course symbolic of Christ.
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isa 53:7 KJV)
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (Joh 1:29 KJV)
“32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
(Act 8:32-35 KJV)
“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1Pe 1:19 KJV)
This passage is not showing a separation of Jesus from God. We saw in chapter 4 that Jesus was the one on the throne.
“5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”
(Rev 21:5-6 KJV)
We also saw this same setting in Daniel.
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” (Dan 7:9 KJV)
The Ancient of Days has the same description as Jesus.
“13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.”
(Rev 1:13-15 KJV)
The symbology of the lamb is showing the dual nature of Jesus. Jesus is both the lion and the lamb. God cannot die. In order to become our sacrifice He became a man. Jesus died in His humanity- as the lamb. This does not require multiple people within the godhead in order for Jesus to be both the lion and the lamb. Jesus is God and man- lion and lamb.
In apocalyptic writing horns are symbolic of power.
“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Dan 7:8 KJV)
“And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.” (Dan 7:20 KJV)
“And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” (Dan 7:24 KJV)
The eyes refer to the omniscience and omnipresence of Jesus as God. To further describe His dual nature we see that Jesus has the seven Spirits of God. This proves that Jesus is God Himself and not merely an anointed man. Chapter five is a beautiful passage that describes the dual nature of Jesus as the one God that became a man.