11. The Tamed Lion

Shut the jaws of lions...

11. The Tamed Lion. The anointed woman, with the uraeus symbolizing victory over evil spirits, represents those who are pure. This is her key in being able to open and close the mouth of the lion without fear. The lion is used in Scripture to symbolize both Good and Evil. Christ is called "the lion of the tribe of Judah" in the book of Revelation, and Satan is referred to by Peter as a "roaring lion." The pure, the true, have learned, to quote the book of Hebrews, that God is "holy, harmless, undefiled…" To many, who view the Almighty as an angry powerful being intent upon sending plague and judgment on mankind, it may come as a surprising revelation that God is called "harmless." He/She is so often pictured as vengeful and powerful that this Biblical revelation comes as a surprise…but the righteous have always known this. David exclaimed to God, "Thy gentleness has made me great…" God is gentle, and harmless. God is love. God is good. With Daniel, the righteous can shut the mouths of lions, the taunts of Satan. They can close his mouth because they know of God’s mercy and Satan’s accusations---true as they might be—fall flat before the truth of the gospel. True believers know the love and forgiveness of the Redeemer.

They are thus not worried that at the return of the Lord the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" will be eating their flesh as some torturous lion. But Scripture does say that many people WILL be in great fear when the Lord is about to return during the time of earth's final conflagrations. The book of Revelation says:

"Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the rich people, the powerful people, the slaves, and the free people hid themselves in caves and in the rocks on the mountains. {16} They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us. Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb! {17} The great day for their anger has come, and who can stand against it?"

They see the final tribulations of earth as being brought by an angry God. They are fearful that His wrath is coming for them. They have not learned, like the woman in tarot card 11, The Lion, that the lion of the tribe of Judah is "harmless." They have not learned the lesson of His complete goodness and fairness, they have not learned of His love for the race of man.

Perhaps they have resisted the gospel story that mentions His great sacrifice on their behalf. Perhaps they do not know that He gave His life for them.

The great sacrifice...