Your God is a Warrior (Addendum)

One post wasn't quite enough. I wanted to staple on a quick addition answering some of the more specific arguments against the idea of the warrior God.

1. “There is no lion in Revelation. John only sees a lamb.” A lot of ink has been spilled trying to make the point that the “Lion and the Lamb” duality is based on a false reading of Revelation 5. John, you see, does not actually see Christ in the form of a lion. He hears what he thinks is a lion only to turn and see a lamb. This is held up as some kind of irrefutable picture of the idea that Christ is never violent like a lion, but remains steadfastly in His lamb-like form, always and forever.

But read the text carefully:

And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. – Revelation 5:5-6

John doesn’t hear that Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is told it. The moral of the picture is not that Christ isn’t really a lion or that He used to be but isn’t anymore, but that He is a lion and a lamb simultaneously. The lion is the lamb is the lion is the lamb.

Furthermore, the notion that the metaphor of Christ as a lamb only and always denotes a peaceful, non-violent nature is itself overturned by Scripture:

Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” – Revelation 6:15-17

2. “Revelation is one big metaphor. You can’t take any of it literally.” Brian Zahnd has written, “First we must remember that all of Revelation is communicated in theatrical symbol — all of it!”

Simple question: how does he know that?

The entire Bible and the book of Revelation itself are more than capable of deploying metaphorical language to indicate symbolism when they want to. At various times throughout Revelation, John writes that things were “like” something or that he saw a vision or a sign (as opposed to an actual event). At other times, however, he does not. Sometimes he simply writes what he sees, whether or not he completely understands it.

Who are we to know beyond the shadow of any doubt that the entire book of Revelation is one big metaphorical painting containing no real, literal reality? The testimony of Scripture is certainly that there is a spiritual world above and beyond our human ability to perceive. Who’s to say that some of the seemingly outlandish things John witnessed were not actual, real, literal beings and events that we simply do not currently possess the ability to understand?

To make such a definitive statement without any kind of biblical support is a massive assumption. We should stay in our lane when it comes to biblical interpretation.

3. “Jesus was never violent and never spoke in violent language!” Really?

“I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.” – Luke 19:26-27

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And He told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” – John 2:13-17

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” - Matthew 11:20-24

“I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am He who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.” – Revelation 2:19-23

He's coming on the clouds, kings and kingdoms will bow down
And every chain will break, as broken hearts declare His praise
Who can stop the Lord Almighty?

Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah
He's roaring with power and fighting our battles
And every knee will bow before Him
Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain
For the sin of the world, His blood breaks the chains
And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb

So open up the gates, make way before the King of kings
Our God who calls the saved is here to set the captives free
Who can stop the Lord Almighty?

Who can stop the Lord Almighty?

Oh who can stop the Lord Almighty?

Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah
He's roaring with power and fighting our battles
And every knee will bow before You
Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain
For the sin of the world, His blood breaks the chains
And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb