Leo of Judah is a biblical expression that serves as a metaphor to represent the figure of Jesus Christ, the Messiah promised in the Holy Scriptures of Christianity and Judaism.
The expression Leo of Judah does not appear in the bible, there is only one reference in the book of Revelation: "However, one of the elders said to me: Do not cry; behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, won to open the book and its seven seals”.
Lion of Judah emerged from the tribe of judah, one of the 12 tribes of Israel, named after the fourth son of Jacob. Judah is referred to in the bible as one of the sons of Jacob who received a special blessing from God, which would also affect all his descendants.
According to the family tree described in the Bible, Joseph, husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus Christ, is a direct descendant of the tribe of Judah. As such, Jesus can also be considered a descendant of the family of Judah and King David.
The term "lion" was first used in the book of Genesis, when Jacob makes the prophecies for each of his sons' tribes: "
Judah is a little lion; You rise from the prey, my son. He bends over and lies down like a lion and a lioness; who will wake you up? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall the peoples obey.” (Genesis 49:9-10).According to the biblical interpretation of the verses, the Lion of Judah would be the saving Messiah, who would rule and unify all nations under the name of God.
Generically, the figure of the "lion" is understood as "the king", "the power" or "the one who rules over others".
Currently, the expression "Lion of Judah" it is mainly used by the religious doctrine of the Rastafari (lion of judah) and among evangelicals.
Many songs, bands and religious congregations are baptized with this name, which symbolizes the whole power and strength of Jesus Christ as "king of the descendants of Judah" who are known today like Jews.
See also the meanings of Iconoclast and Christ.