“The Lamb will be their shepherd ” (Rev 7: 14)
The language of the Book of Revelation is different from other New Testament writings. It uses a lot of symbols, imageries, signs, metaphors, and ideas form the Old Testament. The early church probably understood this strange language well. They held that this book was also a book of prophecies. Though, most of the prophecies were fulfilled during the early church time – in the historical setting of the Roman Empire – it is also a forecast of the entire life of the church, until the second coming of Christ.
Revelation was written primarily to the seven churches of Asia Minor (present day Turkey), which were facing the brunt of Domitian’s persecution of the infant church. Because of the Roman persecution, many believers compromised their faith in Christ. Thus, Saint John is encouraging the believers to repent and get back to their first and best love (faith in Christ). John is reminding them of the dire effects of human sin, especially, compromise and defection from true faith.
Secondly, John is writing this book to encourage faithful believers to continue their fight against all evil. He is reminding his people to see things beyond their physical world in which a fight against God is waged by Satan. This fight will continue until the second coming of Christ. Those who stand with God will be victorious. John invites believers to remain faithful even unto death.
Finally, the book is written for all the faithful of every generation. John is giving us help to identify the patterns in which evil functions. He discloses the events that will unfold prior to the second coming of Christ when to vindicate the faithful, God will pour out His wrath on Satan’s kingdom. Hence. this book is written to encourage, warn and rebuke.
The imagery of “the Lamb becoming our Shepherd” is a greatest consolation to all who read Revelation in their time of trials. The imagery explains the life of Jesus, who though was God became man, for our sake and was sacrificed as a ‘lamb’ for our salvation. Jesus is our Shepherd because like a true guide, He gave up His life, that we may have life for eternity.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us courage to face every tribulation that diabolic entities bring forth, for we know that the Risen Christ, our Shepherd, is always with us.
–Fr. Ranjan D’Sa OCD