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The Lineage and Position of Jesus Christ Seen from the Old Testament
by Samson Hutagalung

He is from the Tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10; ref. Luke 3:33)

Having seen the personality of the Promised Seed and “a sceptre” given to the Patriarchs, it is important to consider the Lord’s description of the sceptre which would come only from the tribe of Judah as the seed of Jacob. This implies that henceforth the line of Jacob will be the main focus from which Christ will be revealed. Genesis 49:10 tells us the lineage of the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. This prophecy was pronounced by Jacob to his son Judah before all his children towards the end of his career. This is the blessing of the father to his sons.

One may ask, why must it be Judah? The reason is because the first three children of Jacob had failed and brought shame to his father. Traditionally, this blessing was supposed to be given to Reuben, his first born, as a double blessing but he defiled his father’s bed (Gen. 35:22). The second and third sons of Jacob had also failed and were unworthy to receive this blessing. Thus the blessing was passed to the fourth son of Jacob, Judah, who was a worthy son before the Lord (Gen. 34:25-29). Despite the wickedness of Judah in defiling his daughter-in-law (Gen. 38:13-26), God still chose him to be in the lineage through which the Messiah would come.

Genesis 49:10 says, “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.” This verse tells us that Judah will be superior among his brethren. In fact, before Jacob pronounced this prophecy, Genesis 49:8 tells us that his brethren will praise Judah because “the sceptre shall not depart from Judah.” The sceptre here means “the tribal identity” because “every tribe of Israel has its own rod or staff as an ensign of authority upon which was inscribed the name of the tribe.”[1] In other words, the tribe of Judah will be superior in the history of Israel.

Another key word that needs to be considered is the word “ Shiloh.” During the time of the Patriarch, there was no place or name called “ Shiloh.” The word “ Shiloh” appears in the Bible as what the name of a place in Joshua 18:1, after the Israelites were in the Promised Land. Thus, ‘what is this Shiloh’? In order to understand this word, see also Ezekiel 21:27. In the Hebrew Bible these two verses come from the same root words “until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs.” The context of this passage shows prophet Ezekiel was referring to the coming Messiah.[2] Therefore, based on this analogy, Shiloh is the name given by God to Jacob as an identity of the Messiah.

In conclusion, the meaning of Genesis 49:10 is “the tribe of Judah will not cease to exist as a people, and Judah will have a government of its own until the Messiah appears on the scene.”[3] For this reason, there is no doubt that the passage is a messianic prediction that the Messiah will be from the tribe of Judah. The writer of the gospel according to Luke, clearly identified that Judah was in the lineage of Christ (Luke 3:33). There will be the greatest King from the tribe of Judah. He will not rule only the nation of Israel but the whole world when He comes back to this earth in His second coming and all the promises given to Abraham will be fulfilled in the Millennial kingdom. In that time, Christ will be the King of kings and Lord of lords and “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).

He is the Heir to the Throne of David (Is. 9:7; ref. Luke 1:32-33)

The promise of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament began in Genesis 3:15 and up to this point, the Spirit of God had revealed progressively that the Messiah would come from the seed of Jacob, the tribe of Judah. At this juncture, Isaiah 9:7 provides the lineage and position of the Messiah when He comes to this earth. Isaiah 9:7 says, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” The Messiah will be heir to the throne of David.

In the history of the kingdom of Judah, king David was known to be the best king and was recognised by the Lord as a man after His own heart. King David was the model to all kings that arose after him. He was the greatest king of Judah although the kingdom of David did not last long. However, despite the shortness of his reign, the Lord during David’s reign had given numerous Davidic promises and prophecies which were not fulfilled during his reign or kings after him. Such promises and prophecies can be seen as following,

Thy throne shall be established for ever” (II Sam 7:16). “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne” (Ps. 132:11). “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David” (Amos 9:11). “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David” (Is 9:7). “Thou Bethlehem [city of David]…out of thee shall he come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel….For now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:2, 4). “I will raise unto David…a King” (Jer 23:5). “In that day…the house of David shall be as God” (Zech 12:8; cf. 13:1). Over a period of 500 years, the prophecy of an eternal King, to arise from David is repeated over and over-by David himself, especially in his Psalms; by his son Solomon; and by several of the prophets.[4]

The manner of reign of the heir to the throne of David that is described in Isaiah 9:7, has no precedent. For this reason the fulfilment of this prophecy can be seen only in the reign of the King Messiah when He establishes His Kingdom. The Lord had promised David that the kingdom of the Messiah would stand forever as will be fulfilled during the millennial kingdom. Walvoord rightly remarks, “this kingdom will be distinguished as one of justice and righteousness (cf. 11:3-5). The kingdom will be realised by the power of God–‘The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this’ (9:7).”[5]

In addition, Isaiah 9:6 provides the names which are worthy to be given only to the Messiah, the everlasting King. Prophet Isaiah said that the name of the Messiah would be called “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty god, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” In the gospel of Luke, the angel who appeared to Mary said that Jesus who would be born would be called the Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32). Furthermore the angel said, “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32b-3). In the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, this promise was not fulfilled. However, what the Lord had promised would surely come to pass when Jesus Christ comes again. He will rule from the throne of David (cf. 2 Sam. 7:13, 16). In fact every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will rule together with Him in the millennial kingdom.

He is the Anointed and Eternal One (Ps. 45:6-7; Ps. 102:25-27; ref. Heb. 1:8-12)

The prophecies of the lineage and position of the Messiah are indisputable. The Old Testament scriptures lay out the foundation of such prophecies which were completely fulfilled in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Several passages such as Psalm 45:6-7; Psalm 102:25-27 are referring to Christ alone as the writer of Hebrews (Heb. 1:8-12). In this passage, Christ is described as King Messiah whose throne is distinguished from the throne of this world because the duration of His reign is endless.[6] There was no king or throne that ever existed as the Messiah’s. King Solomon was the most victorious king that ever existed in the history of this world, nevertheless his kingdom was incomparable to the Messiah’s kingdom.

Psalm 45:6-7 depicts not only the duration of the kingdom of the Messiah but also the manner in which He will reign over the world. The characteristics of His reign are fully spelled out in this passage, “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness.”  Who has ever reigned this world with these characteristics? It is only to be found in the One who will rule the world forever and ever. The throne had been promised to Him, and it would come to pass because He is the anointed One. Calvin said that the coming king is not any common or ordinary king “but of that illustrious sovereign, whose throne God had promised should endure as long as the sun and moon continued to shine in the heavens.”[7]

In addition, the Psalmist in Psalm 102:25-27 continues to expound the greatness of the King Messiah. The personality of the King is incomparable with all those kings that had ever reigned in this world. He says, “Of old hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” In the same way, the writer of Hebrews describes the unchanging personality of Christ when he says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever” (Heb. 13:8). The apostle with the help of the Holy Spirit as the Revealer of the truth, rightly understood and explained that Hebrews 1:8-12 was referring to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is indisputable. Thus Clarke rightly remarks, “On this I shall make a very short remark, but it shall be conclusive: If the apostle did not believe Jesus Christ to be the true and eternal God, he has utterly misapplied this Scripture.”[8] Therefore this study proves that the Lord Jesus Christ is the anointed King that will reign the world forever, for He is eternal.

[1]Herbert Lockery, All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), 54.

[2]Kaiser gave the good discussion on the meaning of Shiloh in Genesis 49:10 in the light Ezekiel 21:27. Kaiser. The Messiah In the Old Testament, 51-2.

[3]Kaiser proposes the reading and interpretation of Genesis 49:10 as following: “The sceptre [an insignia of dominion] shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet [i.e., “from him”], until he [i.e., the Messiah] comes to whom it [i.e., the rule, reign, and/or dominion] belongs.” Thus Judah will continue to govern until Messiah comes. Ibid, 52-3.

[4]Lockery, All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, 55.

[5]Walvoord. Every Prophecy of the Bible, 96.

[6]George Horne, Commentary on the Psalms, (New Jersey: Old Paths Publications, 1997), 200.

[7]Calvin, Psalm, (Software), 708-9.

[8]Clarke, Pslam, (Software), 770.