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After using Joseph as a type to portray what Christ is, His sufferings, and His being made the Leader with authority and the Savior in life, Genesis goes on to use the lion of Judah and Shiloh as types to reveal Christ’s victory and peace.
Genesis 49 gives a record of the mature Jacob’s prophesying with blessing concerning his twelve sons. In Jacob’s prophecy he likened Judah to a lion (v. 9). The lion of Judah typifies Christ as the ultimate Overcomer. Revelation 5:5 reveals that Christ as the Lion of the tribe of Judah has overcome. He has accomplished everything that God required of Him. He took away sin, solved the problem of the world, defeated Satan, abolished death, and eliminated every negative thing.
Verse 9 says, “Judah is a young lion; / From the prey, my son, you have gone up.” The young lion signifies Christ in His freshness and strength overcoming all the enemies. The lion stayed on the mountain, but he came down from the mountain to capture his prey as food. After he seized his prey, he went back to the mountain to enjoy it. When Christ was on earth and was crucified on the cross, He was a young lion seizing the prey. Ephesians 4:8 says, “Having ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive.” Those taken captive refers to the redeemed saints, who were taken captive by Satan before being saved by Christ’s death and resurrection. In His ascension Christ led them captive; that is, He rescued them from Satan’s captivity and took them to Himself. This indicates that He conquered and overcame Satan, who had captured them by sin and death. As the young lion, He has overcome all His enemies.
Verse 9 goes on to say, “He couches, he stretches out like a lion.” The couching lion signifies Christ in His skillfulness resting in the enjoyment of the fruit of His victory. The young lion in his freshness is for fighting and for gaining the victory. The couching lion is skillful, indicating that he has gained the victory and devoured the prey and that he is now resting in satisfaction. Christ is now the One enjoying His rest in the heavens. After gaining the victory and enjoying the prey, He is satisfied. This rest and satisfaction is the issue of Christ’s victory.
Verse 9 also says that Judah was like a lioness. The lioness signifies that Christ in His strong producing has produced many overcomers. Hence, Christ is not only the fighting lion and the resting lion but also the producing lioness. We are lion cubs produced by Him, and the church is lion country. Toward men we are lambs following the Lamb; but toward Satan we are lion cubs. We are overcomers produced by the overcoming Christ.
Verse 8 says, “Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.” Judah’s hand being on the neck of the enemies indicates that he has the power to capture the enemies, making them powerless to resist and thus gaining the final victory over them. Christ as the Lion of the tribe of Judah is the ultimate Overcomer.
The last part of verse 9 says, “Who will rouse him up?” Some versions say, “Who dares to rouse him?” No one daring to rouse him up indicates that his terrifying power subdues everything. After His death and resurrection Christ has received all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). Furthermore, God has exalted Him to the highest place (Phil. 2:9), far above all rule and authority and power and lordship (Eph. 1:21). Hence, all things are subjected under His feet (v. 22), subdued under His terrifying power.
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.
