He is the Lion / Revelation 19:11-21
Well, good evening once again. Great to be with you guys. My name is Mike, and it is a pleasure to get to wrap up the series that we have been in now for the last six weeks, this being our seventh. If you’re new to this journey this summer, we’ve been walking through a series called He Is. The premise of the series was to look through the Old Testament lens and say: Where is Christ? Where is the second person of the Trinity showing Himself throughout the Old Testament?
We’ve walked through this amazing picture of Christ. We saw in the first week that He is eternal. He was the God who, alongside the Father, created the heavens and the earth and all that was in it. In John 1 and Colossians 1, we saw that He was a part of the very creation mentioned in Genesis 1:2. We saw that He was the supernatural God in Joshua 5 who stood as the Commander of the Lord’s army, worthy of our worship. We saw Him several weeks ago as the very human Jesus, Immanuel, God with us—the picture of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, just as John the Baptist declared when he saw Jesus come onto the scene. We’ve seen all these facets of God, and tonight we are going to look at the Lion of God—the Lion who is coming, the Lion who will return to rule.
We are looking at a picture of Christ that I think is unfamiliar for many of us. It’s one that we don’t venture into often as believers. The picture is simply this: we have a King who is returning to rule, to judge, and to make all things right again. Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth in His second coming. He is going to rule as King, right the wrongs of humanity, judge humanity in their sin and wickedness, and establish a kingdom that will ultimately reign forever to deal with every injustice.
An Incomplete Picture of God
I’ve been amazed throughout this series as we’ve had people tagging the church walls. As you walked in, like me, it’s always a little strange to see your church tagged week after week. I walked around the building in preparation for this message, and I was looking online at some of the pictures of the graffiti walls across our campuses. I noticed a consistent theme. You see phrases like “God is grace,” “God is love,” and I think “God is my pillow” was actually written out there—that was one of my favorites. I chuckled when I saw that.
Do you know what I didn’t see? I didn’t see anyone write, “God is my wrath,” “God is vengeance,” or “God is my retribution.” You don’t see that on the walls, do you? Did any of you happen to write that out there? We don’t see that.
It’s interesting to me that we often hold a picture of God that is incomplete, and there is a real danger in that. It’s not that any of those other attributes are untrue. God is indeed grace, He is our mercy, He is our Savior, and He is light. But He is also other things. There are sides of God’s character that we frankly don’t like to talk about because they are difficult and sobering. The danger is that if we’re not careful, we tend to create a God in our own image—loving, fluffy, and kind, like a gentle lamb. We say, “I’m comfortable with that, but I don’t like this picture of wrath. I don’t like the picture of a God who comes to judge and deal with sin.” So we push that aside and only pull close what feels comfortable.
A hundred years ago, a message like this would have been taught frequently in pulpits. Preachers would have pounded the pulpit with what used to be called “fire and brimstone.” In our day of tolerance and acceptance, the wrath and judgment of God on sin is a message we shy away from. Earlier this week, I was speaking with a friend who is new to The Well, and she made a great observation. She said, “One of the first things I noticed when I walked into The Well is that you guys open the Word of God and say what it says unapologetically.” Tonight, I want us to do exactly that.
Turn with me to the book of Nahum. We are going to camp there, and then we will turn to Revelation in the New Testament to finish our time together.
When we talk about the wrath of God, two primary objections usually arise. People often ask, “If God is truly loving, why wrath? Why can’t God’s love simply supersede His wrath? Can’t He just overlook sin in His love and move on? How can He be both the Lamb and the Lion? Those two don’t seem to fit together.”
In Revelation 5, the Apostle John gets a backstage pass to the throne room of heaven, and he paints a striking picture of both the Lion and the Lamb together.
Revelation 5:5-6 (NASB)
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 open the book and its seven seals.’ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
John sees the Lion who has overcome, and right there at the center of the throne, a Lamb standing as if slain. In Jesus Christ, the Lion and the Lamb meet as one.
The Coming King and the Scepter of Judah
When you hear that Lion imagery, it ought to bring to mind the idea of a King. Jesus is going to return physically to this earth in His second coming as a reigning King. Right now, He sits exalted at the right hand of God the Father. The Jewish people held onto the hope of this coming King for centuries, reaching all the way back to Genesis 49. On his deathbed, Jacob spoke over his twelve sons. When he came to Judah, he pronounced this blessing:
Genesis 49:8-10 (NASB)
’Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. ’Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? ’The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him [shall be] the obedience of the peoples.
Jacob prophesied that from the tribe of Judah would come a ruler holding the royal scepter, one to whom the obedience of the nations belongs. Israel placed its greatest hope in this promise. Isaiah 11 unpacks this messianic fulfillment—they longed for a King who would execute justice and bring lasting peace over all the earth. As an oppressed people who suffered under foreign empires for centuries, they desperately wanted a King who would rescue them from bondage.
When you fast-forward to the New Testament, Jesus claims to be that very King. During His trial in Mark 14, the high priest asked Him point-blank, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus answered simply, “I am.” They immediately halted the trial, claiming they needed no further witnesses because He had declared Himself to be the Messiah.
Mark 14:61-62 (NASB)
But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed [One]?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.’
Jesus understood that He was the fulfillment of this royal promise. Now, as we open the book of Nahum, we see what this King looks like when He comes in judgment.
The Jealousy and Justice of God
Most of us don’t spend a lot of time reading Nahum. If you check your table of contents, you’re in good company. While you may not know the book of Nahum well, you know the city he was sent to address: Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. A century earlier, the prophet Jonah had been sent to this exact same city. Jonah preached a message of repentance, and God extended mercy to Nineveh because they turned from their evil ways.
Now, a hundred years later, Nahum arrives with a very different message. It is not a message of mercy; it is a message of impending wrath and judgment. In many ways, the first coming of Christ was like the ministry of Jonah—Jesus came as a suffering servant, the Lamb of God, offering grace and repentance to all who would believe. But His second coming will be like the message of Nahum. He will return as the Lion, executing justice and bringing righteous judgment.
Nahum 1:2-3 (NASB)
A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
Right out of the gate in verse 2, Nahum pulls no punches. He declares that the Lord is jealous, avenging, and full of wrath. When we hear the word jealous, we typically think of something petty or insecure. But when scripture speaks of God’s jealousy, it describes His holy desire to protect and preserve that which rightly belongs to Him. God was saying to Assyria, “You have robbed Me of My glory, and I will not share My glory with another.”
God is utterly holy. He is set apart from all sin. He is not tainted by evil in any way. Furthermore, God is completely righteous—every judgment He renders is perfect, true, and just. When the Ninevites heard Jonah’s message a century earlier, they abandoned their idols and worshipped the true God. But two generations later, they returned to their idols and placed Yahweh on a shelf alongside pagan deities.
Any worship directed toward anything other than the true King is spiritual treason. If I were to tell my wife that she is simply one among many women in my life, that would be an outrage. I am fiercely devoted to her alone. In the same way, God demands exclusive devotion because He alone is God. When we offer our ultimate devotion to created things, it is treason against the King of the universe.
Nahum tells us that the Lord reserves wrath for His enemies. The term used here implies a master of fury—this is not God throwing a temper tantrum or losing His temper. It is a measured, holy, and controlled response to evil. Because God is holy, He cannot simply wink at sin. If He were to ignore wickedness, He would be untrue to His own character.
When I was in seminary, one of my professors illustrated this principle brilliantly. Imagine a student who comes to a professor and says, “I know this major term paper has been on the syllabus for months, but I just couldn’t get it done. Can you lower the standard and give me an extension?” The professor responds, “I cannot lower the standard. To change the standard for you would be unjust to every other student and untrue to my word.” Then the professor picks up the phone, calls his wife, and says, “Honey, I know it’s our anniversary dinner tonight, but I won’t be home. I’m staying on campus.” He hangs up the phone, turns to the student, and says, “I will not lower the standard, but I will stay up with you all night in the library to help you meet it.”
God does not lower His standard of holiness for anyone. Yet in our culture, we tend to minimize sin. When celebrities or athletes commit grave moral failures, the advice is usually: issue a public apology, lay low for a year, and time will heal everything. We treat sin lightly, but God does not operate that way. Deep down, we don’t actually want a God who shrugs at evil. We want a God who refuses to overlook the horrific atrocities, violence, and injustices of this world. His wrath is not the opposite of His love; His wrath is the righteous expression of His holy love against everything that destroys what He loves.
The Reality of Our Condition
It is easy to look at the ancient Assyrians—known for their brutal cruelty—and say, “They deserved God’s judgment. And the worst criminals in our society deserve God’s judgment. But surely not me. I haven’t committed genocide. I’m a decent person.”
We love to construct straw-man arguments to place ourselves outside the line of fire. But how does Scripture describe our condition apart from Christ?
Romans 5:10 (NASB)
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Paul does not mince words. Apart from Christ, we were enemies of God. The same holy judgment that stood against Assyria stands against every person who has broken God’s law.
Romans 3:10-18 (NASB)
as it is written, ‘THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.’ ‘THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,’ ‘THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS’; ‘WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS’; ‘THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.’ ‘THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.’
Paul traces humanity’s condition back to the fall in Genesis 3. We are born with a sinful nature, and we validate that nature through our own willful choices of disobedience. Sin breaks our relationship with God and harms our relationship with others.
Romans 1:18 (NASB)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Romans 2:5 (NASB)
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
People often ask, “How could a loving God send innocent people to hell?” But Scripture reveals that there is no such thing as an innocent person. The real question is: How could a holy God welcome any guilty sinner into heaven? On our own merit, none of us can stand before Him.
The Power, Patience, and Shelter of God
Nahum goes on to describe the awe-inspiring power of God in creation:
Nahum 1:3-6 (NASB)
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms of Lebanon wither. Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it. Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him.
Nahum asks, “Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger?” The answer is no one. God’s judgment fell upon the Assyrians in 612 BC, and their empire was wiped out just as Nahum prophesied.
So why has God delayed His final judgment on this world? Why has Christ not returned to execute justice over these past two thousand years? Nahum gives us the answer:
Nahum 1:7 (NASB)
The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
God is patient. He is slow to anger. He has stayed His hand of final judgment so that more people might hear the gospel, turn from their sin, and find refuge in Him. But make no mistake: do not confuse God’s patience with forgetfulness. Do not mistake His goodness for weakness, and do not assume His forbearance means indifference. Judgment is coming.
The Rider on the White Horse
In Revelation 19, the Apostle John describes the return of the King:
Revelation 19:11-16 (NASB)
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and on His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [on Him] which no one knows except Himself. [He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’
This is not the picture of the gentle baby in the manger. This is the King of kings and Lord of lords returning to wage war against wickedness and bring an end to evil. God’s justice is necessary, and it is good.
In C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when the children ask if Aslan the lion is safe, Mr. Beaver replies, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Jesus is not a tame King, but He is good. He will execute justice in perfect righteousness.
Here is the great news of the gospel for every person who trusts in Jesus: if you have placed your faith in Christ, you do not need to fear the wrath of God.
Romans 3:25-26 (NASB)
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. [This was] to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, [I say], of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
On the cross, Jesus became our propitiation—He satisfied the holy wrath of God in our place. Christ took the full cup of God’s judgment against our sin so that we could receive His mercy.
If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, that judgment has not been removed from your account. But right now, in this moment of God’s patience, there is a stronghold where you can take refuge. There is a shelter from the storm, and His name is Jesus Christ. While there is still time, turn from your sin and place your trust in the King of kings.
Let’s pray.
Father, it is deeply sobering to reflect upon the judgment and wrath that our sin deserved. We recognize that in our rebellion, we were enemies of Your holiness. Yet in Your profound love and goodness, You provided a way of salvation. You poured out the wrath we deserved onto Your Son on the cross so that we might be reconciled to You.
Lord, make this truth real and urgent to our hearts tonight. Help us see the beauty of Your holiness and the depth of Your grace. For anyone here who has not surrendered their life to Jesus, draw them into Your shelter tonight. We place our hope and our trust in the Lion of Judah, our King of kings and Lord of lords. In Jesus’ name, Amen.