The Tribe of Judah is symbolized. The Lion of Judah represents the triumphant Jesus & his never-ending Kingdom (Gen 49: 8-12).
The Lion is symbolic of its majesty & strength & of its royalty (Prov 30:30), its courage & boldness (Prov 28:1) & its cruelty (Ps 22:13). Judah’s name signifies praise (Gen 29:35).
What made the tribe of Judah significant is that: 1. It should be victorious & successful in war. Jesus Christ overcame & conquered the principalities & powers. 2. It should be superior to the rest of the tribes and have dominion over them (Ps 60:7). 3. It should be a strong & courageous tribe & become very formidable, & should make war, for the sake of peace. 4. It should be the royal tribe, from which the Messiah would come.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah. Jesus is the lawgiver & reigns over the whole earth. 5.
It should be a very fruitful tribe – In Him there is nourishment and refreshment for the soul Isa 55:1, Isa 11:1-2. Revelation 5:8-10 & 6:12-17 declare Jesus as the Lion of Judah, who sits on the throne and judges the whole world. Jer 23:5-6