Revelation 5:5: And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

John was saddened in Revelation 5:1-4 because he saw no man that could open the book with seven seals. However, one of the 24 Elders said to John: Weep not.¹ The 24 Elders were awaiting resurrection in celestial paradise² and knew better than John in the flesh³ that their redemption to celestial glory⁴ was assured through the atonement of Jesus Christ.⁵

The Lion of the tribe of Juda refers to Jesus Christ.⁶ This name describes Christ's power and majesty to rule⁷ as a lion metaphorically rules as king of the beasts.⁸ Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel),⁹ and Christ was born through Judah's lineage.¹⁰ The lion has been the emblem for the tribe of Judah¹¹ since at least the time that Jacob gave Judah his patriarchal blessing and called him a lion's whelp.¹² In that same blessing, Jacob prophesied that Judah's lineage would rule Israel until Christ's first coming.¹³ The blessing also referred to Christ as Shiloh,¹⁴ which means peacemaker.¹⁵ At the Second Coming, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples will gather¹⁶ to the latter-day Shiloh (Christ)¹⁷ on both sides of the veil of death.¹⁸

Christ was born into the royal line of David, the second king of ancient Israel.¹⁹ Christ is, therefore, a branch in David's family tree.²⁰ Christ is also called the Root of David²¹ because he is also David's Lord.²² This refers to the premortal Jehovah (Jesus Christ),²³ who was the root or source of the vast Davidic kingdom.²⁴ Christ is also the root or source of spiritual nourishment to his people.²⁵

Christ prevailed to open the book with seven seals through his atonement.²⁶ He prevailed in the sense that he conquered²⁷ death and hell²⁸ and made redemption possible for all of creation.²⁹ By loosing the seven seals, Christ reveals the saving works and mysteries of God throughout earth's history, which are made certain by Christ's successful atonement.³⁰

Revelation 5:6: And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

One of the 24 Elders told John that the conquering lion from the tribe of Judah could open the book and loose the seven seals.³¹ But then, instead of a lion, John saw³² the image of Jesus Christ as a Lamb³³ slain from the foundation of the earth.³⁴ John identified Christ as the sacrificial Lamb as it had been slain.³⁵ In other words, the Lamb bore the marks or tokens of its sacrificial death even though the Lamb stood erect in John's vision³⁶ and was very much alive.³⁷ The symbolism perfectly reflects how the living Christ bore the marks of death in his hands, feet, and side after his resurrection.³⁸

A slain lamb has long represented the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.³⁹ He willingly died to complete the atonement with the humility and meekness of a lowly and innocent lamb.⁴⁰ His lamb-like sacrifice exemplifies the doctrine that weak things of the earth are made strong to carry out the purposes of God.⁴¹

John's vision of celestial paradise places the Lamb in the midst of the throne, the four beasts, and the 24 Elders.⁴² The Lamb was not on God's throne,⁴³ but centered in the midst of celestial paradise⁴⁴ because Christ's atoning sacrifice is central to the entire plan of salvation.⁴⁵ Since Christ is the mediator between God and man⁴⁶ and makes intercession for them,⁴⁷ the Lamb is probably placed between God's throne and all other creations represented in John's vision of paradise.⁴⁸

The Joseph Smith Translation changes the image of the Lamb in Revelation 5:6 from having seven horns and seven eyes of the seven spirits to "twelve horns and twelve eyes, which are the twelve servants of God, sent forth into all the earth."⁴⁹ The 12 horns correspond to the sacred number 12, which is the priesthood number. The horns represent infinite power.⁵⁰ The perfect and sacred number of seven eyes represent omniscience.⁵¹ The horns represent the power and authority of Christ's servants to administer the affairs of his kingdom in all the earth.⁵² This authority is resident in the twelve apostles who are sent forth⁵³ to be especial witnesses of Jesus Christ in all the earth.⁵⁴ They are the foundation of Christ's church,⁵⁵ with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.⁵⁶

Revelation 5:7: And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

John saw the Lamb take the book with seven seals (past tense)⁵⁷ from the right hand of God the Father who sits upon the throne.⁵⁸ Some scholars struggle with this apocalyptic imagery,⁵⁹ and question how a lamb could take the book from the Father.⁶⁰ Apocalyptic visions frequently defy earthly perceptions of space, time, and even logic.⁶¹

The image of a lamb that is also a lion expresses all that Christ was, is, and will yet be.⁶² Christ was a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.⁶³ This metaphor corresponds to the statement made by Christ to his Father in the grand council in heaven,⁶⁴ saying: "Here am I, send me."⁶⁵ That historic event repeats itself in John's vision when the same lamb took and received the sealed book from the right hand of the Father as a renewal of that premortal covenant.⁶⁶

Christ was and is the only one worthy⁶⁷ to finish the work of redemption⁶⁸ that still remains to be done even after his atonement in the meridian of time.⁶⁹ These redemptive works include the cleansing of the earth at the Second Coming⁷⁰ and the resurrection that will accompany that event,⁷¹ followed by the binding of Satan for a thousand years,⁷² Satan's defeat during the little season after the millennium,⁷³ the final judgment at the end of the earth,⁷⁴ and the glorification of the earth.⁷⁵ All these redemptive events are revealed in the book that Christ took from the right hand of his Father and they are explained in the Book of Revelation. Christ takes the book from the Father in Revelation 5:7 to symbolize his execution of God's will.⁷⁶ The Father sends forth the Lamb of God to carry out all these redemptive works by opening each of the symbolic seven seals.⁷⁷