THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH


Do you know that the Americans almost installed a modern-day possible claimant to the phrase "lion of the tribe of Judah?" You don’t know but want the answer? Then go on reading this article.

The recent political exercise of the Americans in their country shows Joseph Libermann being handpicked by Al Gore as his running mate for the Vice Presidency of the United States. Had he won, then he would have been the first politician of Jewish descent to occupy the second highest position in the United States. Assuming further that he became president, he then will deserve the title that this article has bannered on the upper page.

Of course, this is now water under the bridge. But the political fortunes of Libermann has not yet ended so, permit me then to continue on this hypothesis.

All of us Freemasons who were raised in regular lodges are familiar with the phrase that King Solomon uttered upon arriving at Hiram Abiff’s grave which states:

"My brother Hiram of Tyre, your suggestion is both good and timely. When human strength and wisdom fails, there is yet strength in the lion of the tribe of Judah, etc. etc."

We know that there are three known personalities on the scene; King Solomon, Hiram of Tyre and Hiram Abiff. Hiram Abiff cannot be the lion of the tribe of Judah as he was already dead and therefore no longer possess strength. Neither could it be Hiram of Tyre as he is a king of a different country. Which therefore leaves us King Solomon as the likely candidate for the phrase "Lion of the tribe of Judah."

To continue on the hypothesis, it will then be necessary to answer the following questions.

I. BIBLICAL BASIS

Is there a Biblical basis for the phrase "Lion of the Tribe of Judah?"
Are there other references that can support the phrase?
What does "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" signify?
Let us now venture on the Book of the Holy Writings.

Revelation 5:5 states- And one of the elders saith to me: "Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and too loosen the seven seals thereof."

As explanatory note, the Book of Revelation is the last book of the New Testament written by a man named John. Some Church Fathers, notably Tertullian, Justinian and Ireneaus believe that he is the same John (the Evangelist) who wrote the Fourth Gospel. But other Church Fathers believe that they are different persons because of the contrasting writing styles and methodology. It is unmistakable however that the "Lion" being alluded to is Jesus Christ as the Book of Revelation largely foretells his second coming.

Hosea 5:14 on the other hand, states- For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away and none shall rescue him.

Who then is Hosea?

Hosea is a minor prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel who lived during the reign of Jareboam II at about the years 786- 746 BC. During Hosea’s time four kings ruled the southern kingdom of Judah in succession, namely Uzzhiah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Being of the northern kingdom, Hosea definitely is not from the tribe of Judah; and therefore his statement is merely a hyperbole, which is nothing but an exaggeration

In Genesis 49:8 it says- Judah, thou art whom the brethren shall praise; thine hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down to thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp, from the prey, my son, thou art gone up; he stooped down, he crouched like a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, etc. etc.

Authorship of the Book of Genesis is credited to Moses. Not that he personally wrote Genesis but that he is believed to be the person mainly responsible for the compilation of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Holy Bible.

It is interesting to note that the person Moses anointed as his successor was Joshua, of the tribe of Joseph and not Caleb of the tribe of Judah. The unpronounced rivalry between the tribes of Judah and Joseph would drag on to the last days until the northern kingdom was erased from the map of the Middle East. But let us leave this topic alone lest we might digress on our main topic.

II. ALBERT PIKE’S MORALS AND DOGMA

Having gone through the Book of the Holy Writings, let us now venture into another source document- the immortal Morals and Dogma of Albert Pike

Page 641 says- That the lion of the house of Judah is the strong grip, never to be broken, with which Christ, of the royal line of that house, has clasped to himself the whole human race, and embraces them in his wide arms as closely and affectionately as brethren embrace each other on the five points of fellowship.

On Page 210, its says- The lion that guarded the Ark and held in his mouth the key wherewith to open it, figuratively represents Solomon, the lion of the tribe of Judah, who preserved and communicated the key to the true knowledge of God, of his laws, and of the profound mysteries of the moral and physical universe.

On Page 461 it also says- The lion is the device of Judah, and Jacob compares him to that animal whose constellation in the heavens is the domicile of the sun, the lion of the tribe of Judah by whose grip, when that of the apprentice and fellowcraft, of Aquarius of the winter solstice, and of Cancer at the Vernal equinox, has not succeeded in raising him, Khurum was lifted out of the grave.

III. WHAT THEN DOES THE PHRASE SIGNIFY?

Let’s now involve ourselves in a little analysis.

Judah- can mean the name of a person or a place. As a person, he is the fourth son of Jacob. As a place,it refers to the southern kingdom of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital and where King Solomon’s temple was erected. The northern kingdom retained its original name Israel with its capital in Samaria which is also called Ephraim.

It is likely that the word Judah refers to the person and not the place because the kingdom of Judah consists of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, while the northern kingdom is composed of the ten other tribes that is ruled by the Ephraimites. Had it been otherwise, then the phrase would have been "lion of the kingdom of Judah!"

Tribe- as taken in the biblical context, it means a group of people who share common ascendancy, specifically, the original twelve tribes of Israel so named after the twelve sons of Jacob, namely, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah Isaachar, Zebulun, Dan, Napthali, Asher, Gad, Joseph and Benjamin.

Lion- literally speaking, the lion is the animal which in the Philippines is seen only in the zoo. In mainland Asia and Europe however where this animal abounds, the lion is called the king of the jungle and it is in this figurative sense that the word is used. It is also in this context that a person who possesses kingly or special leadership attributes is called a lion. Thus when Jacob said that Judah is a lion’s whelp, he meant that of the twelve brothers, it was his fourth son Jacob who possessed leadership skills.

Let me now offer a substitution of words:

Lion - King

Of the tribe of Tribe of Judah - of the Jews

"Lion of the tribe of Judah" therefore means

"King of the Jews"

Which now gets us back to Jesus Christ because these words appeared in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in describing Jesus. This phrase was inscribed by Pontius Pilate above the head of Jesus in Latin which says:

IESUS NAZARENUS, REX IUDAREUM

Which in the King’s language means:

Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

Biologically speaking, however, Jesus is not a member of the tribe of Judah. Since he is not a son of Joseph, he therefore is not a descendant of Judah. It is in the legal context that Jesus is considered a member of the tribe of Judah because he is an adopted son of Joseph, adoption being a normal hereditary custom.

VI. BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO KING SOLOMON?

Having translated the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" as King of the Jews, it should now follow that King Solomon is also a lion of the same tribe, he being the son and successor of David, the first king of the tribe of Judah. They were later succeeded by Rehoboam, Abijah, etc. etc. Of course, the honor of being coroneted King was first conferred upon Saul, but he was a Benjamenite, not a Jew.

VII. AND FINALLY, ANOTHER LION

The word "lion" is not only used to describe Judah nor Ephraim,. It is also appended to another creature. Let us get back to the Holy Writings.

1 Peter-5:8 says: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

And getting back to Joseph Libermann, he is still up there in the Senate showing his worth as a politician. He might just deserve the title later that no Jew of modern times previously earned.

But of course, if you are a Republican, you will see to it that he is not successful.

And before we close, there already is a previous claimant to the throne, the Priory de Sion!


- posted by Kherwal @ 2:02 PM