Until Shiloh Come – Part four

“Whose Right It Is”

Let us note briefly another alternative to the meaning of “Shiloh.” This may be seen in the Septuagint translation of Gen. 49:10, and it is substantiated by Paul’s quotation of it in Gal. 3:19.

“A ruler shall not fail from Judah . . . until there come the things stored up for him . . .” (LXX).

Paul, referring to this, writes:

“Till the seed should come to whom the promise was made …”

And finally, Ezekiel also supports this idea too, for in Ezek. 21:27, he speaks of the Shiloh and uses words similar to Gen. 49:10:

“It (the kingdom) shall be no more, until he come (compare ‘until Shiloh come’) whose right it is (i.e., ‘to whom the promise was made’), and I will give it him.”

Thus, these other inspired writers, working under the Spirit’s guidance, have alluded to this verse, and have replaced the word “Shiloh” with these phrases:

1. “The things stored up;”
2. “He to whom the promise was made;” and
3. “He whose right it is”

Again, such secondary meanings and allusions as these must stand alongside — not replace — the primary meaning of peace. But altogether, they present a fuller picture than we might otherwise see of the significance of “Shiloh.” Christ was the “Peace” of God, bringing forgiveness and hope to his fellowmen. He was Sent into the world with this wonderful offer, and in the main he was rejected. But he is now waiting in heaven, having promised to come again, when he will bring peace in a fuller sense than ever before, when “he comes whose right it is” — to ascend the throne of his father David and to receive the kingdom which has been stored up for him.

This is the type of kingdom which “Shiloh” will bring — a kingdom of peace and unity.

“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one” (Zech. 14:9).

In that age, there will be given to the people “a pure language” — that they may call upon the Lord in singleness of understanding, and serve Him with one consent (Zeph. 3:9).

Isaiah speaks often of the blessings of this kingdom:

“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” (Isa. 9:7).

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins” (Isa. 11:1-5).

The Gathering of the People

The very last phrase of Gen. 49:10 still requires comment:

“Unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

The word translated “gathering” here appears only one other time in the Bible. It is used in Prov. 30:17, where its meaning is clearly seen to be obedience. This must therefore be the preferred meaning here in Genesis.

The word “people” is actually plural — “peoples” — the traditional Hebrew expression for the Gentiles, or nations — in contrast to the one nation Israel. Thus, this last phrase of Gen. 49:10 is a very fitting conclusion, for it literally says:

“To him (Shiloh) shall be the obedience of the Gentiles.”

The gospel was preached in the beginning to Abraham, for God spoke of a seed to come:

“In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:8).

Paul explains this in Gal. 3:29:

“If ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

The gospel preached by Christ and his disciples brought about the obedience of many of the Gentiles, called out of the nations to bear God’s name (Acts 15: 14). But there remains a much greater realization of this promise of the Gentiles’ obedience. This may be seen in Isa. 55:4, 5, where both fulfillment’s are spoken of:

1. “I have given him (Christ) for a witness to the people . . . thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not:” Through the preaching of Paul and others, a nation out of the Gentiles is called to obey the Truth and to accept the “hope of Israel.” (This is the first part of the Gentiles’ obedience, but the second part is also quite important, and follows closely in this same verse.)
2. “And nations that knew not thee shall run into thee because of the Lord thy God:” When “Shiloh” reigns in Jerusalem, all nations will gather together, in obedience to serve God, from the least to the greatest. This second, and greater, obedience of the Gentiles, is the subject of Zechariah’s prophecy:

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts: it shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusa­lem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you” (8:20-23).

(Is this not Christ, whose healing skirt was once grasped by a prayerful woman, and whose very name “Imman­uel” means “God is with you ?”)

At last, the Gentiles will cease to fight against God — as did Egypt, Babylon, and Moab — and as do Russian and the “Christian” and Moslem nations now. For they will recognize the Jews as God’s special people, the “apple of His eye,” and they will accept the “hope of Israel” for their own:

“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the na­tions which came against Jerusa­lem shall even go up from year to year to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16).

And finally, as we all pray, the peaceful reign of Shiloh will bring into being the ultimate purpose of God:

“As surely as I live, saith the Lord, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Num. 14:21).