Flight to Egypt (Hos 11:1; cf. Matt 2:14-15

The prophecy of the childhood of Jesus Christ found in Hos. 11:1 is disputable. The writer of the gospel of Matthew has taken this truth to be applied absolutely to Jesus Himself. Matthew indeed knew Jesus to be the Messiah. “He saw the parallels between Israel and Jesus. Both are spoken of as a son of God, a chosen servant, and a light to the Gentiles. Both are given roles of prophet, priest, and king." Nevertheless Matthew, in quoting the writings of prophet Hosea, understood the differences between Israel and Jesus. So when Matthew wrote his gospel, he believed that Jesus Christ was a fulfillment of Hos. 11:1. “Jesus is therefore the ideal “Israel,” who experienced in principle some of Israel’s experiences in coming out of Egypt, being tested in the wilderness, and then showing the power of God to a watching world.”

The context of the book of Hosea indicates that God was speaking to the nation of Israel. The phrase “when Israel was a child, then I loved him” shows that Jehovah is talking about the childhood period of Israel when the young nation was growing up in Egypt. Matthew reads Hos. 11:1 in exactly that sense and changes nothing. He says that this statement of the prophet found its fulfillment when the child Jesus dwelt in Egypt. Matthew saw that what was written in Hos.11:1 was fulfilled in the early life of Jesus. As Lenski puts it, "[It] was more than a mere coincident resemblance between the childhood of Israel as Jehovah’s son or chosen nation and the childhood of Jesus, the divine Son, both spending their early days in Egypt and thus being called back from Egypt into the Holy Land. Mere accidental coincidences amount to little. Matthew sees far more here. Mere escape from Herod was not nearly all that God had in mind for Jesus. . . . What Matthew points out is an inner and divinely intended connection between the two sojourns in Egypt. God brought about the first sojourn and made that first sojourn a factual prophecy of the second, which he also brought about. The first is thus a divinely intended type of the second."

The writings of Matthew leaves no doubt that what the prophet Hosea said has been fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Matthew emphasized this truth when he said, “it might be fulfilled” (Matt. 2:15). In other words, Matthew saw that Israel was a type of the Messiah because Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The cruelty of Pharaoh toward the Israelites is pictured as having an equal in king Herod who attempted to destroy the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God had protected His people in their exodus from the wrath of Pharaoh, in the same way God had protected His Only Begotten Son, on His way to Egypt and during His temporary residence there and even on His way back to His home town. This is to say that the Lord had shown to His people what His Son would do when He came into this world. The truth was given to the Old Testament believers so that they might know what God had planned for His people.

The Slaughter of the Innocent (Jer. 31:15; cf. Matt 2:16-18)

It was a great joy for the shepherds and the Magi to see the birth of the Saviour. They praised and glorified the Almighty God for the fulfilment of the prophecy before their eyes. Nevertheless, Matthew recorded that soon after the birth of Jesus Christ, there was great sorrow in Bethlehem. Every family had to weep for their baby boy two years old and under.

What was happening in the city of Bethlehem? Matthew recorded that Herod slaughtered the innocent (every baby boy two years old and under) (Matt 2:16). Herod did this foolish act because he realised that he had been deceived. The Magi who had promised that they would come back to him after their visit to the newborn King, never appeared. He was kept waiting like a fool for news from the magi, while they had gone another way as “being warned of God in a dream that they should not returned to Herod (Matt. 2:12). As a result, he “judged them by his own standard.” He slaughtered every baby boy in Bethlehem in order to make sure that the newborn King would die. This was the jealousy of Herod, for he knew that he was the only king that reigned in Israel. His hatred grew when he knew that the writings of the prophet Micah had prophesied that there would be a king born in Bethlehem who would lead His people (Matt. 2:6). Christ will be the only king who will lead His people to victory and prosperity. He was chosen by the Father to be the King for Israel before the foundation of the world.

The Old Testament book shows that the slaughtering of the innocent in Bethlehem had been predicted by the prophet Jeremiah hundreds of years before. In other words, it was the fulfilment of the prophesy given in Jer. 31:15 that says, “Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.” Although the context of the book of Jeremiah is talking about the calamities that would happen to Israel for her unbelief and wickedness, it was also a prophecy that would be fulfilled as recorded in the gospel of Matthew. Many people might not agree on this truth and claim that Matthew had made a mistake in this issue but the truth is he did not. One may rightly say that “the idea is not merely superficial; inconsolable weeping in Bethlehem. The inner cause of the two weepings is identical, and thus the one is poured into the other make the vessel full.”

Matthew understood the context of the book of Jeremiah and saw its fulfilment in the early life of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The name Rachel was mentioned by Jeremiah to show how eager she was to have children, but in Jer. 31:15 she is figuratively pictured as being alive, watching the wretched multitude gathering in Ramah, listening to their weeping and seeing how some of them are being killed. Matthew saw an identical event happening in Bethlehem as he quoted from the book of Jeremiah.

Therefore the prophecy in Jer. 31:15 clearly shows what would happen during the early life of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The slaughter of the innocent by king Herod was predicted in the Old Testament long before the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly Rachel is pictured as being alive once again to weep for the slaughtering of those infants, because during her lifetime, she desired so much to have children.

The Birth of Jesus Christ: Born in Bethlehem

Five hundred years before the birth of the Messiah, prophet Micah had prophesied the place of His birth. Probably only few people realised the Messiah would be born in a place called Bethlehem. Though the city of Bethlehem was a very small city, the Lord had chosen it to be the place of birth of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Messiah. Truly this is “another instance of the perfect planning of God is seen in the way the place of our Lord’s Birth, as well as its time, are pinpointed in prophecy. How precise He is in His arrangements! He never leaves anything to chance.” The priests and scribes who studied the Scriptures must have known what the Scriptures said about the birth of the Messiah. Nevertheless the New Testament writers tell us that in the time of the birth of Jesus, there was none that knew about His birth. One may ask, what was the reason for the priests and the scribes neglecting the city of Bethlehem as a possible place for the birth of the Messiah? The answer probably is because in their minds the Messiah would come from Jerusalem and not Bethlehem, the small city.

When the priests and scribes failed to believe that Bethlehem was the place of birth of the Messiah, they actually failed to know that the city of David was Bethlehem. They did not know that David was not originally from the city of Jerusalem but from Bethlehem, the smallest city in Judea. Nevertheless, the Lord had kept His promise. Prophet Micah on this matter had recorded for us precisely that He would be born in the Bethlehem Ephratah. It was necessary for this name to be written in this way in order to distinguish it from the Bethlehem which was in Zebulon. The Lord had told us what would happen hundreds of years before hand. This city of Bethlehem had also been called the city of David. As Calvin said, "There is indeed a reason, according to the perception of the flesh, why the faithful should despond; for whence does their confidence arise, except from the kingdom of David? And from what place is David to arise? Even from Bethlehem; for Bethlehem has been called the city of David; and yet it is an obscure and a small town, and can hardly be considered a common province. Since it is so, the minds of the faithful may be depressed; but this smallness shall be no hindrance to the Lord, that he should not bring forth from thence a new king."

The writers of the gospels of Luke and Matthew clearly declared that Bethlehem was the city of David. Bethlehem was not the place where Joseph and Mary were living but it was because of the census conducted in Judea that every family must go back to their own city. Thus Joseph and Mary went back to Bethlehem because they were of the house and lineage of David (Luke 2:4). It was during this time that the new King, who is called Jesus, was born in Bethlehem. Thus, the believers in the Old Testament time, knew and believed what had been written in the Scriptures about the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were looking forward for the coming of Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

The life of the Lord Jesus Christ could be seen in the Old Testament through the prophecy given to the chosen people of God. New Testament believers in our generation look back at all the events related to the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and look forward for the events leading to the Second Coming of the Messiah. In conclusion, the Old Testament believers did not only know the promise of the first coming of Christ and His lineage and position but were also able to know the manner and the place of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Birth of Jesus Christ: The Time for His Birth

The birth of Jesus Christ was preordained by God before the world began. However, the salvation plan of God for human beings was revealed to Adam and his generation only after the fall of man. The Lord was the One who had promised to send the Saviour of the world in order to redeem sinners and to reconcile them with God. For this reason, from the time God had promised Adam the coming Saviour (Gen. 3:15), the Lord had shown progressive revelation to mankind through His holy people, the prophets. The Lord gave His Word to them so that they could preach to the people what the Lord had planned for mankind.

As the Lord had revealed Himself through His Word from generation to generation, the promise of the coming Saviour was not forgotten. On the contrary, He had revealed to His chosen people step by step things concerning the Saviour that they might believe in Him. Although the Old Testament Scriptures do not provide clear details of God’s plan of salvation as in the New Testament, they do provide several types that point to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. In no way the Old Testament believers could miss the point of what they believed. If Abraham who was chosen by the Lord and through whom the nation of Israel existed, believed and rejoiced looking forward to the day of Jesus Christ, then the generations after him would have believed in the same way, for the Lord Himself had revealed His plan more clearly to them.

One aspect of the promised coming of the Saviour given in the Old Testament is the time of His birth, when He would take the form of a human being to save mankind. The time of the Messiah’s birth was given to Prophet Daniel while he was still in captivity, in Babylon. The Lord gave His word when Daniel “was having devotion on the recent writings of Jeremiah (Dan. 9:2) when he realises that God said that Judah must go into captivity for seventy years. Now, that time has almost expired, Daniel turns to God in prayer and fasting, “confessing [his] sin and the sin of [his] people Israel and making [his] request to the Lord [his] God for his holy will” (v.20).” When Daniel realised God’s plan for Judah, the Lord Himself instructed Daniel by giving him the right answer to what he had prayed and thought about (Dan. 9:23-24).

Nevertheless the climax of the prophecy given to Daniel in this time is in Dan. 9:25-27 which says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” This passage tells us that there will be sixty-nine weeks of prophetic weeks before the Messiah will be cut off and the temple of God will be destroyed. This is to say that there will be a 483-year gap between the time of the decree for rebuilding the city and wall of Jerusalem in 444 B.C to the death of the Messiah. The common belief is that Jesus Christ began His ministry at the age of thirty in A.D 26 and he ended His ministry on His crucifixion in A.D 30.

Thus, the study of this subject shows that the Old Testament people must have known when the Messiah would be born. Although they might not be able to pinpoint the exact date of His birth, they were able to know the approximate time period of last few weeks of the 69 weeks. In reality, when the Messiah was born in Bethlehem there was not even one from the midst of Israel who knew the exact time of His birth. King Herod, the priest and scribes thought about the issue only after the Magi had come from the east to Jerusalem seeking to worship the newborn King.

Under the command of King Herod, the chief priests and scribes searched the Scriptures, and finally realised that the promised new King would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Nevertheless the response of these people was rather cold. They had no interest in this new King. On the contrary, King Herod tried to kill the Messiah through the massacre of babies (Matt. 2:16).

The Birth of Jesus Christ: Born of a Virgin

Having seen the prophecies of the lineage and position of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Old Testament scriptures, this chapter would discuss the details of the birth of Jesus Christ. Truly the Old Testament Scriptures have provided for our learning what the Lord has promised concerning His begotten Son. The plan of salvation the Lord has promised for mankind, beginning in the Garden of Eden, would surely come to pass. However, no matter how firm the Scriptures may be, there will be some that reject this truth. In fact among the evangelical theologians many have rejected this truth which will be discussed in this chapter. Nevertheless, they still claim to be defenders of faith and Christianity.

Is. 7:14 is well known as the prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. It says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This prophecy actually refers to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ as clearly seen in the words of the angel Gabriel who was sent to Mary to declare that she would conceive in her womb and bring forth a son, who would be called Jesus (Luke 1:31). In the same way, the angel Gabriel also appeared and spoke to Joseph concerning the conception of Mary, his spouse. She would bear a son and his name would be called, Jesus (Matthew 1:21). In this regard, Matthew with the help of the Holy Spirit understood that the prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfilment of Is. 7:14. Matthew wrote, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:23).

A careful study of Is. 7:14 gives us the true fulfilment of this verse. It says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign” (v. 14a). The sign mentioned here was true. The Lord kept His promise. The sign was both heavenly and earthly. “A sign both in heaven and earth, namely, the promised Messiah; who being the Lord from heaven, would take flesh of a virgin on earth; and who as man, being buried in the heart of the earth, would be raised from thence, and ascend up to heaven.” The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was truly a sign to the whole world because He was born of a virgin.

On the other hand, many have considered Is. 7:14 as not referring to Jesus Himself but Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz. This interpretation is common among the Jewish writers, but sadly it is also among the evangelical theologians. The question asked is: How valid is this interpretation? Sion answers that the promised Son mentioned in Is. 7:14 can only be interpreted as referring to Jesus Himself. Pounds said, "This son is not to be understood of Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, by his wife, as some Jewish writers interpret it. Jarchi refutes interpretation, by observing that Hezekiah was nine years old when his father began to reign. Since this being was, as he says, the fourth year of his reign, he must be at this time thirteen years of age…. Besides, his mother could not be called a “virgin.” For the same reason it cannot be understood of any other son of his either by his wife…or by some young woman. Moreover, no other son of his was ever lord of Judea, as this Immanuel is represented to be, in Isaiah 8:8, ‘the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.’"

The birth of a son from a virgin is truly a great sign. That is why Isaiah wrote that it is worthy to behold as it has no precedent. As Pounds said, “For a virgin to conceive would fulfil the necessary meaning of the sign in the context of chapter seven. This sign would be a tremendous encouragement to the faith of the remnant of Israel. It would also bring judgment and condemnation to the unfaithful in David’s household. Thus, judgment and salvation are evident in the promised sign.” However the enemies of the gospel have tried their level best to destroy this truth by giving a wrong meaning to the word ‘virgin.’ They claim that a virgin here is not necessarily a woman who has never slept with a man. They consider a virgin here to be a young woman. On the other hand, Sion has observed, "To this may be added, that not only the Evangelist Matthew renders the word by parqeno", “a virgin”; but the Septuagint interpreters, who were Jews, so rendered the word hundreds of years before him. And this best agrees with the Hebrew word, which comes from the root alam, which signifies to “hide” or “cover.” For virgins are covered and unknown to men. In the eastern country virgins were usually kept recluse, and were shut up from the public company and conversation of men. And now this was the sign that was to be given, and a miraculous one it was, that the Messiah should be born of a pure and incorrupt virgin. Therefore a “behold” is prefixed to it, as a note of admiration. And what else could be this sign or wonder? Not surely that a young married woman, either Ahaz’s or Isaiah’s wife, should be with a child, which is nothing surprising, and of which there are repeated instances every day."

When Mary heard the message from the angel concerning her conception, she felt upset knowing that she was a virgin and knew no man (Luke 1:34). Nevertheless the angel convinced her that the Son that she would bear would be great for He is the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:31-33). Based on the writings of Matthew, Matthew did not have any problem accepting the prophecy given by God to the prophet Isaiah, but rather Matthew understood what the prophet had written. He had seen its fulfilment before his eyes. Truly Jesus Christ is the Immanuel promised by God to His people. He is the Saviour of the world that will save sinners. Christians should not have any problem resolving the issue of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is worth remembering what Pounds wrote, "If you have a problem with the “virgin” conceiving and bearing a child that should be nothing in comparison to the thought of Immanuel—God with us in the flesh. That is the greatest feat. How else could the “Word become flesh and dwell among us” than by means of a virgin becoming pregnant and bearing a son? God in the flesh means “God with us.” The child to be born will be called Immanuel; therefore, the translation “virgin” is demanded in the sentence. It is nothing short of a miracle, and that is exactly where the problem lies with those who want to reject “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14."

The Lineage and Position of Jesus Christ: The Anointed and Eternal One

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 Ps. 45:6-7; Ps. 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. 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.

Ps. 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.”

In addition, the Psalmist in Ps. 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 Heb. 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.” Therefore this study proves that the Lord Jesus Christ is the anointed King that will reign the world forever, for He is eternal.

The Lineage and Position of Jesus Christ: The Heir of the Throne of David

The promise of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament began in Gen. 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, Is. 9:7 provides the lineage and position of the Messiah when He comes to this earth. Is. 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."

The manner of reign of the heir to the throne of David that is described in Is. 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).”

In addition, Is. 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.

The Leanage and Position of Jesus Christ: From the Tribe of Judah

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. Gen. 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.

Gen. 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, Gen. 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.” 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 Josh. 18:1, after the Israelites were in the Promised Land. Thus, ‘what is this Shiloh’? In order to understand this word, see also Eze. 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. 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 Gen. 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.” 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).