Found this in doing my Revelation study with our Adult Sunday School class at Living Stones. There are a lot of parallels between Revelation chapter 5 and chapter 7. One of the coolest is hearing and seeing. In chapter 5 the elder tells John about the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David who has conquored. When John looks, however, he sees a lamb that has been slaughtered.

In chapter 7 we hear about an army of 144,000. Beale argues quite convincingly following Bauckham that this is an army. (See Rev. 14:1-5 on the 144,000 too) When he looks, however, he sees the multitude in verse 9.

To me this is powerful. Earlier in Revelation John writes to the 7 churches and as we see in the churches outward appearances are deceiving. The churches that appear flourishing are often chastized, and the churches that appear weak and struggling are often praised. Why is this?

In Jesus we hear about a lion, but when we look at him, he is meek and humble. We hear about the lion defeating sin and death but when we see him on the cross he is the sacrificial lamb.

The church follows its master. We hear about this army of God, myriad upon myriads marching trumphantly to the celebration of the kingdom of God, but when we see her, she’s a lamb, suffering, struggling, beseiged, always seemingly just barely hanging on. Always in jeopardy, always at risk. And then the audacious truth, this is how she conquers, just like her leader.

Hear the lion, see the lamb.