Drawing on messianic imagery from the OT and later Jewish traditions reflected in 4 Ezra, John radically redefines popular messianic hopes and expectations. The power and strength (political, military, or other) of a lion is not what is needed to defeat evil kings or kingdoms. Instead, it is the surprising vulnerability and weakness of a Lamb, who was slaughtered and resurrected, that vanquishes evil and ushers in the new creation.
