Leo, The Lion of Judah

Messiah’s Triumph

The Riddle of the Sphinx is the mystery of where does time begin and where does it end? Our Lord Jesus makes this clear, when He declares in Revelation 22:13 (KJV) "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." The Sphinx was the picture of a man's head and the body of the lion. This marked the beginning and ending of time. In Egypt, this is the season of fall - the fall of man. The fall of man marked the beginning of what we experience as time. But at this point we received a wonderful promise known as the protoevangelium:

Genesis 3:15 KJV And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This promise is made in Leo, to Eve, represented here by Virgo. In biblical astronomy the division of time is between Virgo - the fall of man but with the hope of Messiah being born to save mankind, and Leo, the culmination of the Messiah's work to restore all things, symbolically linking Virgo (the woman/Eve) and Leo (the lion, Judah). We see its fulfillment by our Messiah Jesus in Revelation 22 when the harvest of the ages, judgement, and time is completed and all things are made new.

This brings us to the other wheel of time - the wheel within the wheel referred to in Ezekiel: the Jewish calendar of feasts which according to Exodus begins in the spring due to Passover. This is the time of the Lamb which is the beginning of new life and being born again by the blood of the Lamb. So our Lord is The Lion of Judah and The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Each of the holy feasts were prophetic appointed times, serving as dress rehearsals for what God had planned. These two wheels or calendars, mark the prophetic story of salvation. One is the witness from heaven in the starry pictures and one is the witness from the earth in the prophetic feasts.

Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

These heavenly and earthly witnesses converge in Leo's story.

The Living Creatures around the throne of God in Ezekiel 1 are seen in these heavenly pictures: Leo the face of the Lion, Aquarius the face of the man, Taurus the face of the Ox, and the Eagle. (The Eagle has been traditionally associated with Scorpio. But in my own studies of Cancer using the star catalog references, the heavenly picture presents itself in Bible passages as an Eagle or Hawk, The Mercy Seat, or even a Well - but that is for another lesson. Cancer being the Eagle is my interpretation). These Living Creatures with these four faces had a wheel within a wheel and were the throne-bearers of God. While these are real cherubim, their symbolism, which is woven into the heavenly pictures, represents God's rule over earth.

In Job, God describes this power and authority He has written into His government of heaven and earth:

Job 38:1-41 KJV

(1) Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

(2) Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

(3) Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

(4) Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

(5) Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

(6) Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

(7) When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

(8) Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

(9) When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

(10) And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

(11) And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

(12) Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

(13) That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

(14) It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

(15) And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

(16) Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

(17) Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

(18) Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

(19) Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

(20) That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

(21) Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

(22) Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

(23) Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

(24) By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

(25) Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

(26) To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

(27) To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

(28) Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

(29) Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

(30) The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

(31) Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

(32) Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

(33) Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

(34) Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

(35) Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

(36) Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

(37) Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

(38) When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

(39) Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

(40) When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

(41) Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

Genesis 49:8-10 KJV Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. (9) Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? (10) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

So the Mazzaroth, mentioned here, is the Hebrew for what we know as the zodiac. The purpose of these pictures is for us to "remember the things of old" and to understand that God's counsel shall stand.

Isaiah 46:9-10 KJV Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

In the constellation Leo, there are three decans which assist in the story of the constellation. This word is phonetically similar to the position of deacon in the church. Deacons in the church are servants to the congregation. Leo has three decans: Hydra the serpent, Corvus the Raven, and Crater the cup. Leo declares the end from the beginning covering both the protoevangelium and the book of Revelation where it is said:

Revelation 5:1-5 KJV And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? (3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. (4) And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. (5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Quiet Time Poems Mazzaroth Blogspot has charts for each sign which makes studying the meaning of the constellation and its decans very easy. It's a compilation of the research of theologians such as Bullinger and Seiss who have written entire books on this subject and are still available in print today. To summarize, according to theologians E.W. Bullinger and Joseph A. Seiss, Leo represents the triumphant Messiah, the Lion of Judah, conquering His enemies and establishing His kingdom. As the culminating sign in the zodiac cycle, it symbolizes Christ's ultimate victory over evil. Leo's three decans reinforce this theme: Hydra (the Serpent): The multi-headed enemy fleeing and slain, depicting the destruction of Satan and sin. Crater (the Cup): The bowl of divine wrath poured out upon the wicked, signifying judgment. Corvus (the Raven): The bird tearing at the serpent's flesh, illustrating the complete consumption and defeat of evil forces. There is also a modern constellation associated with Leo: Leo Minor which works its way into this story.

This chart includes prominent star names. Please take some time to look up the scriptures and study them. They will be very helpful for remembering the story God intended us to contemplate when we see the constellations in the night sky. Only a few of these original names have survived. Most have been replaced with catalog numbers. This is where our study differs. We will be using these catalog numbers along with these traditional Biblical interpretations to conduct our treasure hunts. If you would like to understand this journey, please check out my original article on this subject:

This story of our ultimate victory in Christ—symbolized by Leo the Lion conquering evil in the heavens, as a divine promise etched in the stars since creation—encourages me deeply in a few ways. First, it reminds me that God's plan is eternal and unchanging, declaring "the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10 KJV). His sovereignty circles above like a constant guardian. It's a visual whisper from the Creator: Just as Leo's triumph over Hydra echoes the protoevangelium (Genesis 3:15) and Revelation's Lion opening the seals (Rev 5:5), my own battles are already won through Christ. It lifts my eyes from earthly struggles to heavenly assurance, fueling hope that "all things are made new" (Rev 21:5).