471. [verse 3] 'And he cried with a great voice as a lion roars' signifies grievous lamentation that the Church has been taken away from Him. That by 'to cry as a lion roars' is signified grievous lamentation about the Church, and that it has been taken away from Him, is plain from the expositions in the preceding chapter, where the states of life of those who belong to the Church, which were lamentable, were examined and made manifest. [It is plain] also from these [words] in this chapter that 'the angel swore by the One living for ages of ages that time shall not be any more', by which is signified that the Church [shall be] no more; as also [from those] in the following chapter that the 'beast coming up out of the deep' killed His two witnesses; and especially from His not being acknowledged and approached, although He is the God of heaven and earth. Lamentation about these things is signified by his roaring 'as a lion', for a lion roars when he sees his enemies and their assaults, and when he sees his whelps and prey taken away. So comparatively does the Lord, when He sees His Church taken away by devils. [2] That this is signified by 'to roar as a lion' can be established from these passages:-
Like as the lion and the young lion roars over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds rush against him, so Jehovah Zebaoth comes down to serve [as a soldier] upon Mount Zion Isa. xxxi 4.
The anger of Jehovah has been kindled against His people, He has a roar like the lion's, He roars like young lions, and He growls and seizes the prey; for behold, darkness, anxiety, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof Isa. v 25-30.
Jehovah shall roar from on high, and utter a sound out of the habitation of His holiness, roaring He shall roar against His habitation Jer. xxv 29-31.
Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, and out of Jerusalem shall He utter His voice Joel iii 16 [H.B. iv 16].
I will not destroy Ephraim; they shall go after Jehovah, as a lion shall roar, because He shall roar Hosea xi 9, 10.
The lion has roared, who should not fear? The Lord Jehovih has spoken, who should not prophesy? Amos iii 7, 8.
God roars with His voice, He thunders with the voice of His majesty Job xxxvii 4, 5.
That 'roaring' signifies grievous lamentation is established from these statements:-
My bones have become old through my roaring every day Ps. xxxii 3.
I am disabled and worn out, I have roared above the roaring of my heart Ps. xxxviii 8 [H.B. 9].
Before bread is my sighing, and my roarings are poured out like the waters Job iii 24.
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