My NT 101 students (whom I haven't had a chance to actually instruct yet) have been set an essay on the Christology of the Book of Revelation. Central to that subject must obviously be the Lamb Christology in the book. Steve Moyise has a good section on this in ch. 8 of his Evoking Scripture. Moyise summarizes Thomas Slater's summery (Christ and Community: A Socio-Historical Study of the Christology of Revelation [1999]) of the Lamb image in the book:
- The Lamb is worthy to open the scroll by virtue of its sacrificial death;
- The Lamb inaugurates the events that lead to victory and salvation for the people of God;
- The Lamb makes war on the enemies of God's people and defeats them;
- The Lamb holds the book of life with the names of the 'saved';
- The Lamb protects the community from harm; and
- The Lamb shares divine honours with God.
The theme is introduced in Rev. 5.6 and occurs a further nine times in Revelation 5-7 and seven times in Revelation 21-22. For those interested in the theme further, they should consult Loren L. Johns, The Lamb Christology of the Apocalypse of John (2003).
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