The Lion and the Lamb / April 2003

Lion and Lamb Ministries receives calls and letters from both supporters and those inquiring. On occasion, we receive a call or letter advising us that the name of the ministry is perpetuating a common mistake. Many people use the expression of the "lion laying down with the lamb" as a representation of the millennial kingdom.
The fact is that the Scripture says something slightly different.

And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them.

Isaiah 11:6

The Scriptural pairings are the wolf with the lamb, the leopard with the kid (a small goat), and a calf (young bull) with a young lion.

The prophet Isaiah is using this picture to explain the peace that will be in the Messianic Era, what we commonly call the millennial kingdom. Isaiah goes on to finish his description of the future kingdom this way.

Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox. And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.

Isaiah 11:7-10

Isaiah’s description of the future Messianic Era is presented in a poetic language with word pictures, and at the same time, with a measure of literalness. We know the entire creation was disrupted early on and one of the objectives of the Messiah is to restore all things. This includes the rest of the creation among the animal world. Isaiah is saying that the fear between animal and man will be removed. This fear came as a result of the flood at the time of Noah.

And the fear of you [mankind] and the terror of you shall be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given.

Genesis 9:2

Isaiah gives another passage describing the future kingdom using similar language.

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying. No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed. They will build houses and inhabit them; they will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and another inhabit, they will not plant and another eat; for as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord, and their descendants with them. It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the Lord..

Isaiah 65:17-25

Again the expression is the wolf with the lamb and the emphasis is on the changes to come in the Messianic kingdom from the present day. These changes will include the animal kingdom and the way we live economically as well as our increased longevity.

When the name for Lion and Lamb Ministries was chosen, it was not because of a misunderstanding in the Scripture about the future Messianic kingdom. Considerable thought was behind the selection, and I did so after the Spirit of the Lord guided me. Lion and Lamb Ministries teaches and offers a non-traditional perspective about the Messiah and His future plans. That perspective is based upon a Hebrew understanding of the Scriptures and is contrasted with the traditional Churchianity [not a misspelling] point of view. The fact is that the name Lion and Lamb Ministries was chosen to emphasize two works of the Messiah. He came first as the Lamb of God to redeem us, but now He is coming as the Lion of Judah to restore us. However, the contrasting misunderstanding of what is to come (the lion lays down with the lamb) and the prophetic roles of Yeshua (first as the lamb, then as a lion) was the reason for the ministry name. My desire is to use the contrast of our misexpectations against the actual prophecies to bring out the truth and enlighten us to His soon coming. Simply said, the name of the ministry represented an effort to help prepare us for His coming. The newsletter for Lion and Lamb Ministries is entitled for this purpose as well. YAVOH - His is coming emphasizes the last part of the expression of the Messiah. "Hayah- He was, Hoveh - He is, and Yavoh - He is to come." It is really about the Messiah and His coming.

So, if you were thinking that the name of Lion and Lamb Ministries is a repeat of a common misunderstanding of what the Scripture actually says about the Messianic kingdom, then you are right and wrong at the same time. Now, having said all that, I have a confession to make. I have come to learn that there is even more to the meaning of the animal pairings and Isaiah’s description of the future kingdom. It addresses key aspects of the Messiah’s restoration beyond the animal kingdom. It also amplifies the key teachings and efforts of this ministry, that even I, did not fully grasp when the name was chosen. As a result, the Lord has revealed even more to me on this matter.

First, let’s read on a little further to see what else Isaiah in Chapter 11 had to say about the wolf with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, and the calf with the lion.

Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim. And they will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; together they will plunder the sons of the east; they will possess Edom and Moab; and the sons of Ammon will be subject to them. And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; and He will wave His hand over the River with His scorching wind; and He will strike it into seven streams, and make men walk over dry–shod. And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant of His people who will be left, just as there was for Israel in the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 11:11-16

This passage actually addresses the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and her neighbors, the present disunity between the House of Judah and the House of Israel in the messianic community, and the greater exodus, when all of God’s people will return to the land and the kingdom. These are the topics that Lion and Lamb Ministries has been addressing for more than seven years.

Isaiah uses the symbols of the wolf, lamb, leopard, kid, calf and lion to illustrate it. Obviously, the wolf, the leopard, and the lion are the predators while the lamb, kid, and calf are the victims. These predator threats are also used by the prophet Jeremiah in the same manner.

Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the deserts shall destroy them, a leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are numerous.

Jeremiah 5:6

But did you notice that the predators come from different locations. The lion is in the forest, the wolf is in the desert, while the leopard is near the city.

The prophets use these word pictures to communicate much more. Let us examine each symbol and its use elsewhere in Scripture. It will become apparent that much more is being spoken in Isaiah’s original prophecy.

WOLF

The wolf is not only a threat to a shepherd and his flock in the desert, but in an entirely different way, the wolf is the symbol of the tribe of Benjamin. Jacob gave a blessing to Benjamin this way.

Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil.

Genesis 49:27

But Benjamin is also a powerful prophetic picture of the Messiah by the meaning of his name. If you will recall, Benjamin was the son named by Jacob. All of the other sons were named by the mothers Leah and Rachel. Rachel lost her life giving birth to Benjamin and attempted to name him Ben-oni, which means "son of my sorrows." But, Jacob asserted himself and named him instead, Benjamin, which means "son of my right hand."

And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben–oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

Genesis 35:18

This double naming of Benjamin was prophetic of the Messiah’s two comings. First, He came to present Himself as the man of sorrows.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:4

When He ascended to the Father, He became the Son of the right hand.

LAMB

The lamb is the most dramatic symbol of the Messiah in the Scripture. From the promise of Abraham to Isaac and us, the promised Son of God is pictured as a lamb that will be provided by God Himself.

And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

Genesis 22:8

When the children of Israel escaped from Pharaoh and Egypt, their freedom was a result of the Passover Lamb.

The prophet Isaiah explained the sacrifice of the Messiah as the sacrifice of a lamb.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.

Isaiah 53:7

Many more Scriptures could be shared here, but most believers already know the work of Messiah Yeshua as a lamb. Therefore, we will move on to the other examples.

LEOPARD

The leopard is a predator near cities. The leopard is not used as a symbol of a tribe or people. Instead, the leopard’s spots are used to teach that good can not change to evil, nor evil to good.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil.

Jeremiah 13:23

With that said, the leopard is used as the body part in the three part beast representing the antimessiah.

And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

Revelation 13:2

Therefore, the main characteristic of the antimessiah is symbolized by the fact that he can not change his true nature. The antimessiah is evil and not good.

KID

The kid is a young goat. Like lambs, kids were used both for temple service and as the primary meat of a meal. Most Americans are not aware of this, but the predominant meat eaten in the world is not beef; rather, it is goat. The kid is the choice meat for this meal. When Judah hired Tamar (posing as a harlot), he offered to pay for her services with a kid. He ended up giving her a pledge to guarantee its delivery.

He said, therefore, "I will send you a kid from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until you send it?"

Genesis 38:17

Throughout Scripture the kid is the subject of festive meals. In fact, its use as a festive meal is part of the instructions in proper eating. Three times Moses instructs that the kid is not to be boiled in the mother’s milk (Exo 23:19, Exo 34:26, Deu 14:21). Some in Rabbinical Judaism use this to prohibit the eating of meat and dairy in the same meal. I disagree. Abraham and Sarah served meat and curds to the Lord at the oaks of Mamre. Instead, I believe the instruction has to do with the sanctity of life. The Lord does not permit a ewe and its kid nor a ewe and its lamb to be sacrificed on the same day; therefore, we should not use the very symbol of life (the mother’s milk) to used in the death of the kid. Setting that instruction aside, let’s examine how a kid is used in festive merry making and feasting.

In the story of the prodigal son the subject of the calf and a kid for a merry meal are compared. If you remember the basic story, the prodigal son demanded his inheritance, left his father’s house, and went off squandering it. The prodigal son found himself in a desperate situation feeding pigs as a servant. He concluded that it would be better if he returned to his father’s house even if he had to serve as a servant. When the prodigal son did return, he was greeted with great joy. His father called for the serving of a whole calf as a festive meal and his oldest son was also summoned.

And he said to him, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound."

Luke 15:27

However, if you also recall, the oldest son was upset with his father’s generosity and joy of the prodigal returning.

But he answered and said to his father, "Look! For so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots, you killed the fattened calf for him."

Luke 15:29-30

The oldest complained that he had served faithfully and had not behaved as the prodigal son. He then compared the fact that the father served a calf (much greater value) for his return when he himself had never even had a kid for a festive meal with his friends. In a few moments, we will see why the father chose the calf over a kid for the prodigal son. To conclude the story of the prodigal son, the father answered his oldest son with wisdom.

And he said to him, "My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found."

Luke 15:31-32

Yeshua’s choice of the calf over the kid in this story is actually a prophetic teaching. It is really the story of Ephraim returning to the God of Israel and his older brother Judah resenting the Lord’s favor upon Ephraim.

CALF

Second only to the lamb, the calf is the strongest animal symbol associated with Israel. The strongest animal in Biblical times used by the patriarchs was the oxen. The symbol of the oxen was used for Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manassah. It is from this relationship that a calf also symbolizes the tribe of Ephraim as used by the prophets. Joseph and Ephraim become almost synonymous for the prophets from the blessing that Jacob puts on Joseph. Jacob blessed Joseph as a fruitful bough. Ephraim’s name means fruitful and bountiful. Jacob had previously elevated Ephraim and Manassah to the equivalent rank of being his own sons.

And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.

Genesis 48:5

In fact, Jacob’s blessing upon Ephraim and Manasseh is the standard of every father blessing his own sons. To this day, observant fathers on Sabbath bless their sons with the same blessing.

And he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel shall pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

Genesis 48:20

Isn’t ironic that also today, in the controversy of the two-house teaching, that some Messianic Jews use the term "Ephraimite" to represent the worst kind of heresy and cultic belief. At the same time, they bless their sons with, "May God make you like Ephraim…" In my opinion, this reflects how far they have departed from understanding the Scripture in an attempt to accuse their own brethren.

Ephraim is not without sin on their own account. Part of the reason why the prophets refer to Ephraim as a calf is as a reminder of Israel’s great sin in the wilderness with the golden calf.

The prophet Hosea, the first prophet sent to the House of Israel led by the tribe of Ephraim, infers that the misbehavior of Ephraim is like unto the golden calf in the wilderness. The tribal lands of Ephraim are in the regions of Samaria.

For from Israel is even this! A craftsman made it, so it is not God; surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.

Hosea 8:6

The prophet Jeremiah, a prophet to Judah, refers to Ephraim and says there is a day coming when Ephraim will cry out to the Lord repenting of his unrestrained behavior.

I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for Thou art the Lord my God."

Jeremiah 31:18

Therefore, the calf has come to serve Israel with three meanings: the past behavior of sin in the wilderness, the mutiny of Ephraim in leading the House of Israel away from Judah, and the tribe of Ephraim itself, the son of Joseph.

LION

Like the lamb, the lion is a well known symbol for the tribe of Judah and the Messiah coming from that tribe. The term "The Lion of Judah" is clearly associated with the Messiah and His authority as King.

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."

Revelation 5:5

Jacob was the first to associate a lion with Judah. Judah became the dominant and leading tribe of all Israel. Judah was not only be the tribe of kings, but was the vanguard force in battle, and the leading tribe in the exodus.

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?

Genesis 49:9

The prophet Micah also speaks of a future time when the tribe of Judah will lead all of Israel in another exodus at the end of the ages. The picture of a lion having authority over its surroundings is the message given.

And the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which, if he passes through, tramples down and tears, and there is none to rescue.

Micah 5:8

The pairing of the Wolf and the Lamb.

What can we understand by the pairing of the wolf and the lamb as a future picture of the Messianic kingdom and era? First, we see Benjamin (the son of the right hand) coming to terms with the sacrificed Lamb of God. We see the two roles of the Messiah at peace with one another.

It is clear to me that the resolution of the conflict between my unbelieving Jewish brethren and the Messiah has to do with the name of Benjamin. The last son, the one born at the death of Rachel, is the centerpiece of the conflict. Yeshua Himself addressed this point when He asked those opposed to Him to answer this question.

Yeshua asked, "What do you think about the Messiah, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David." He said to them, "Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet?"’ "If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?" And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

Matthew 22:42-46

Benjamin, like Messiah, is the son of the right side. Benjamin is also the wolf, who will lay down with the Lamb in the kingdom. The controversy of who is the son of the right side and who is the lamb of God will be resolved. Yeshua will be King of all in the kingdom.

The pairing of the Leopard and the Kid.

The leopard and the kid are very unique in symbolizing the time of the Messianic Kingdom. Clearly, the power of the enemy must be removed to have peace in the kingdom. Evil must be defeated. Before there can be feasting in the Kingdom, the beast with the body of the leopard must be eliminated. Maybe this is why the antimessiah and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire at the start of the Messianic Era, but Satan is only bound in the bottomless pit.

And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

Revelation 19:20

After the millennial reign, then the devil is cast into the same place.

And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 20:10

The antimessiah and the false prophet are described as beasts (body of the leopard), whereas, Satan is the dragon. During the Messianic Era, the leopard lays down (is at peace) with the kid. The beast is eliminated prior to the leopard laying down with the kid. Therefore the leopard laying with the kid is a fitting picture of the Kingdom to come, when evil has been defeated and the time of feasting has begun.

The pairing of the Calf and the Lion.

According to the Jewish sages, this is the big one. They say that the calf represents Ephraim and the lion represents Judah. Restoration can not come to Israel until Ephraim and Judah are reunited and restored to one another. It is as Isaiah said earlier.

And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim.

The prophet Ezekiel describes the rejoining of Ephraim and Judah as two sticks being joined into one.

And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, "For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions;" then take another stick and write on it, "For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions." Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. And when the sons of your people speak to you saying, "Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?" say to them, "Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.’"

Ezekiel 37:16-19

The Messianic Kingdom is primarily called a kingdom because the Messiah, the King, is with us. This is how Ezekiel continues his description of the reunion.

And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them.

Ezekiel 37:24

The two houses of Israel are rejoined with their Gentile companions, the Messiah is ruling as King and dwelling with them. This is when the Messiah gives us His final covenant in the Kingdom.

And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.

Ezekiel 37:26

Today, many Messianic Jewish leaders do not understand the teaching of the two houses of Israel. They consider the subject to be heresy and a cultic teaching. Some even say that the two houses were joined prior to the coming of the Messiah after the Babylonian return. They fail to understand that one of the key proofs of Yeshua’s Messiahship is that He is to gather all the exiles of Israel, to rejoin the House of Israel to the House of Judah. This is why Yeshua repeatedly said, "I have come for the lost sheep of the House of Israel," while talking to the House of Judah. This is why He called Himself the good shepherd.

Today the conflict and separation of the two houses still goes on, but in the kingdom, all Israel will be saved and gathered back to the land. In that day, the calf of Ephraim will lay down with the lion of Judah.

The picture of the Little Boy Leading them.

Many believers struggle with the definition of the Kingdom, whether it is earthly or heavenly. Many Christians have been told that the kingdom is heavenly. Many believe they die and simply go to heaven. But those believers who still see the God of Israel fulfilling His promises given by the prophets look forward to an earthly kingdom, located in the promised land, with the Messiah dwelling in Jerusalem. Jerusalem to them is the city of the King, with a future temple. They expect, as the prophets have said, for the fulfillment of the original promise of the "Greater Israel," from the Western sea to the river Euphrates. They see a future land of fruitfulness and blessing. For them, the kingdom of God has three elements and each must be physically present: the King, the servants of the King, and the promised land. But there is still one aspect of the kingdom that is greater than these three elements.

It is children! The Messianic Kingdom will have no end to its increase! It is as the Messiah Himself said, "You suffer for the children to come to me, for such is the Kingdom!"

A small child leading the former predators and victims is the final picture of the kingdom to come. Many believers have been told that we will reign with the Messiah in the kingdom. I agree. But who will we be reigning over? It won’t be mortals or leftover Jews from the previous age as suggested by churchmen. It will be children!

The prophet Isaiah describes the future Messianic Kingdom and concludes with the role that children will have in it.

Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, a joy from generation to generation. You will also suck the milk of nations, and will suck the breast of kings; then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators, and righteousness your overseers. Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory. Your sun will set no more, neither will your moon wane; for you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be finished. Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. The smallest one will become a clan, and the least one a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.

Isaiah 60:15-22

Simply said, the future Kingdom will be one where the conflict of nations will be over. The conflict of Judah and Ephraim will be resolved and we will be reunited. The conflict with all of the world will be settled. The Lord will be King, we will all know the Lord, and the increase of children will abound. We will be at peace and a child (the increase of the Kingdom) will be the dominant (leading issue).

No longer will the wolf, the leopard, and lion be predators to the lamb, the kid, and the calf. Ezekiel sums it up all very nicely explaining how peace, dwelling with the Lord, and the increase of our children will fit together.

And I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.

Ezekiel 34:25-26

I am looking forward to that day!

YAVOH, He is Coming is a monthly newsletter published as an outreach ministry of Lion and Lamb Ministries
The ministry is a non-profit organization with an end time prophetic message in a Messianic Jewish context.
Subscription to YAVOH, He is Coming is without cost and supported only by donation.

Permission is granted to reprint any article in YAVOH, He is Coming with attribution given to YAVOH, He is Coming.

Editor - Monte Judah
Electronic Editor - Ephraim Judah

Lion and Lamb Ministries
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