The Lion Symbol

       There are many lion images in scripture and Christian literature that refer to Christ. Below are just a few of the most popular:

• The biblical Judah (in Hebrew: Yehuda) is the original name of the Tribe of Judah, which is traditionally symbolized by a lion. 
• In Genesis, the patriarch Jacob ("Israel") gave that symbol to his tribe when he refers to his son Judah as a Gur Aryeh גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה, "Young Lion" (Genesis 49:9) when blessing him. 
• In Jewish naming tradition the Hebrew name and the substitute name are often combined as a pair, as in this case. The Lion of Judah was used as a Jewish symbol for many years, and as Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, in 1950 it was included in the Emblem of Jerusalem.
• In Christian tradition, Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second gospel is symbolized by a lion - a figure of courage and monarchy. 
• It also represents Jesus' Resurrection (because lions were believed to sleep with open eyes, a comparison with Christ in the tomb), and Christ as king. 
• The prophet Amos said (Amos, 3, 8): "The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?", i.e., when the gift of prophecy comes upon a person, he has no choice but to speak out.
• Several Biblical accounts document the presence of lions, and cultural perception of them in ancient Palestine. The best known Biblical account featuring lions comes from the Book of Daniel (chapter 6), where Daniel is thrown into a den of lions and miraculously survives.
• A lesser known Biblical account features Samson who kills a lion with his bare hands, later sees bees nesting in its carcass, and poses a riddle based on this unusual incident to test the faithfulness of his fiancee (Judges 14).
• Aslan is the main character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. He is "the Great Lion" of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books. He is also the only character to appear in all seven books of the series. Aslan is Turkish for "lion". Lewis often capitalizes the word lion in reference to Aslan, since he represents Jesus Christ.
• The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolizes bravery, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness, and valour, because historically it has been regarded as the king of beasts.

Lion of Judah in medallion.

Scripture References for Lion Chrismons:

• "Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen. " Psalm 22:21 (HCSB)
• "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty." Daniel 6:22 (NIV)
• "But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death." 2 Timothy 4:17 (NLT)
• "And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight." Hebrews 11:32-34 (ESV)

More About Lions:

• In the Den of Lions by Liam Goligher
• Daniel Facing the Lion's Den by Spurgeon
• Daniel in The Lions's Den by Pastor H. B. Charles Jr.
• The Lion's Roar - Alistair Begg
• Bible versus about Satan as Roaring Lion 
• How to Tame Lions