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Types of Christ, Part 5, Joseph

Judah’s calling was to provide the rulers (or kings) for Israel until the coming of the messiah, who was prophetically called “Shiloh.” Genesis 49:10 says,

¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes, and to him [Shiloh] shall be the obedience of the peoples.

This asserts that Judah’s calling was not permanent but temporary, ending at the coming of the Messiah. Why? One reason is that the Messiah would be the permanent King. Judah would no longer have to provide more kings to replace the Messiah in case He died.

However, this prophecy is made more complicated by the two appearances of the Messiah that were prophesied in the two birds (Leviticus 14:4) and the two goats on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:5). In an ancient rabbinic controversy the rabbis debated the genealogy of the Messiah, asking if He would come as Messiah ben David or Messiah ben Joseph. They saw it as an either/or question, whereas Christians believe that both are correct, reflecting the two comings of Christ.

The Meaning of Shiloh

The traditional Jewish and Christian interpretation says that Shiloh is a proper name or title for the coming Messiah. The meaning would be something like “He to whom it belongs” (echoing Ezekiel 21:27, “until he comes whose right it is, and I will give it to him”). Thus: “until Shiloh comes” means “until the rightful ruler (Messiah) comes.”

The name Shiloh comes from the Hebrew word shelo, “that which is his” or “he to whom it rightfully belongs.” Some also relate the name to shalom, “peace,” perhaps implying controversy that is finally resolved. Certainly, there have been many men over the centuries who have set forth their claim to be the Messiah, and until the present day the controversy has persisted.

The Targums are Aramaic paraphrases of the Torah. Targum Onkelos on Genesis 49:10 renders Shiloh as “Messiah” — “until the Messiah comes, whose is the kingdom.” Targum Pseudo-Jonathan also identifies Shiloh with the King Messiah, who will rule all nations.

Two Messiahs in Prophecy?

Some rabbis actually believed in two separate messianic persons. They found it hard to reconcile the suffering Servant-Messiah of Isaiah 53 with the triumphant king like David. They reasoned that Messiah ben Joseph would suffer and die, while Messiah ben Judah would reign and perhaps even raise the earlier Messiah from the dead.

The Talmud (in Sukkah 52a–b) describes the death of “Messiah son of Joseph” in battle against Gog and Magog. Israel mourns his death greatly (linked to Zechariah 12:10). Afterward, Messiah ben David is revealed and brings the final redemption.

In some mystical traditions (especially in the Kabbalah, Zohar), Messiah ben Joseph is seen as a necessary precursor whose suffering paves the way for Messiah ben David’s victory. Their view allows for Christ’s first coming to suffer and die on the cross, but as the son of Joseph, not as the son of David. Hence, they invert the two messianic appearances.

In my view, Genesis 49:9 pictures the lion of Judah lying down (in death) and then being roused or raised from the dead. The dead lion theme is again pictured in Samson’s riddle (Judges 14:14). It presents the riddle of Salvation to the Philistines (representing the carnal mind). Samson’s Philistine friends could not decipher the riddle without threatening his fiancé with hellfire and brimstone (Judges 14:15).

The story speaks of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah dying, and from its dead body came honey—the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. To believe that Christ had to die in order to bring us the promise of God is the key to salvation. Yet the carnal mind cannot understand spiritual things, so it obtains the secret by threats of a burning hell. So many are saved because of the fear of hell rather than because of their love of God for the promises that He has made.

Rabbinic tradition does not acknowledge the fact that David’s kingdom was localized, while Joseph’s kingdom was worldwide. (Egypt is a type of the world.) Again, if the rabbis had understood that the New Testament controversy was a greater manifestation of Absalom overthrowing David with the help of Ahithophel, they would have seen that Messiah ben David was the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.

David’s kingdom was a lesser type of Joseph’s greater kingdom that was to come later. Furthermore, we believe that there is really only one Messiah—Jesus Christ—and that He appears twice in different capacities.

So John presents Christ in His second appearance as Messiah ben Joseph. Revelation 19:13 says,

¹³ He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Joseph is the only man in Scripture whose robe was dipped in blood. Genesis 37:31 says,

³¹ So they took Joseph’s tunic and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood.

Christians and Jews thus have differing views about the Messiah and His role in prophecy. The Jews elevate Judah above Joseph, even though Joseph’s dreams made it clear that the other tribes would ultimately bow to Joseph (Genesis 37:7, 9). This was literally fulfilled later after Joseph was elevated to power in Egypt (Genesis 42:6).

So it is acknowledged by both Jews and Christians that there are two manifestations of the Messiah. Christians believe in one Messiah coming twice, each with a different purpose and calling; many Jews believe in two distinct Messiahs. But both sides agree that Joseph and David are prophetic types of Messiah/Christ. Jews see David (holding the scepter of Judah) as remaining dominant, probably because their desire is to see a Jewish kingdom. But in my view, Judah’s scepter is temporary, as Genesis 49:10 suggests, and that Christ will come the second time as Messiah ben Joseph, who is identified by his robe dipped in blood. Christ’s kingdom will not exclude David or Judah as a whole, but it will subsume the Davidic kingdom into a greater worldwide Kingdom in the age to come.