Verse 8 says, “Judah, your brothers will praise you; / ...Your father’s sons will bow down before you.” This indicates that Judah’s brothers would praise and worship him for his victory and reigning. That praise and worship were rendered to Judah by his brothers signifies that praise and worship will be rendered to Christ by God’s people. Christ is worthy to receive praise and worship from all of us who are saved by His grace.
Verse 10 says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, / Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, / Until Shiloh comes, / And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” This prophetic blessing also concerns Christ. Christ’s victory brings in Christ’s kingdom. In His victorious resurrection Christ received all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18), and after His ascension He also received the kingdom. The fact that the nations today use Christ’s calendar is proof that they are under the jurisdiction of Christ. Christ is the Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5b).
The scepter in verse 10 is a symbol of the kingdom, and it denotes kingship, signifying Christ’s kingdom, Christ’s kingship. For the scepter never to depart from Judah means the kingship will never depart from Christ. Staff is synonymous with scepter, and it refers to the ruler’s staff. Christ is the Ruler who has the authority, the staff and scepter of the kingship. The ruler’s staff will not depart from between his feet. The words between his feet are a poetic term denoting seed or posterity. This means that Judah has the kingship, and rulers will come out of his posterity. Christ is also his descendant, who became the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He has won the victory and is exercising His kingship. When Christ comes again as Shiloh, the Peace-giver, He will be the Prince of peace, who will bring peace to the whole earth. At that time the whole earth will enjoy peace; nations will not lift the sword against nations, nor will they learn war anymore (Isa. 2:4). When we are under the heavenly ruling of Christ in the church life today, we enjoy Him as Shiloh, as our Peace-giver.
The last part of verse 10 says, “To Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” The peoples here are equivalent to the nations. At the second coming of Christ, all nations will come to Christ and obey Him, submitting themselves under His kingship, in peace and security. They will come and appear before Him to receive God’s instructions (Isa. 2:2-3; 11:10). Then the kingdom on earth will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15).
Among the eleven types in Genesis which we have covered in these lessons, only Sarah and Hagar are types of two covenants, the covenant of promise and the covenant of law, while all the rest are types and portrayals either of Christ or of Christ and the church.
The lion of Judah and Shiloh typify Christ’s victory and peace. The lion of Judah typifies Christ as the ultimate Overcomer, who has accomplished everything God required of Him. He took away sin, solved the problem of the world, defeated Satan, abolished death, and eliminated every negative thing. The young lion signifies Christ in His freshness and strength overcoming all the enemies; He rescued us from Satan’s captivity and took us to Himself. The couching lion signifies that Christ in His skillfulness is resting in the enjoyment of the fruit of His victory; now He is enjoying His rest and satisfaction in the heavens. The lioness signifies that Christ in His strong producing produces many overcomers to deal with the enemy, Satan. Judah’s hand would be on the neck of his enemies and no one would dare to rouse him up; his brothers would praise and worship him. All these things signify that Christ has the power to capture the enemy that all things may be subjected under His feet and subdued under His terrifying power; in His victory and reigning He will receive praise and worship from God’s people.
Shiloh typifies Christ as the Peace-giver. In His victorious resurrection Christ has received all authority in heaven and on earth, and after His ascension He has also received the kingdom. When Christ comes again as Shiloh, the Peace-giver, He will be the Prince of peace, who will bring peace to the whole earth. Moreover, all nations will come to Christ and obey Him, submitting themselves under His kingship, in peace and security. Then the kingdom on earth will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.