The Prophecy of the Scepter

One part of the prophetic verse, in Genesis 49:10, there is a Messianic prophecy:

"scepter shall not depart from Judah" until "Shiloh comes". 

Shiloh according to Biblical Hebrew Scholars, the verse based on the usage in Genesis 49:10, is messianic that points to the Messiah.  It was meant in the context of the verse to mean "the One who will be sent" and "the Bearer of Rest" who will replace the scepter of the tribe Judah.  It is confirmed in the same verse "to Him shall be the obedience of the people".  There is also more on verse 11 discussed at the end of this topic, that is fascinating.

We know that the first king of the nation of Israel was Saul who was from the Tribe of Benjamin.  After Saul came the most famous and well-known of the Israel, King David, who was from the Tribe of Judah.  King David had much to write in the Psalms about the future Messiah.  Additionally, King David was part of the Royal Blood-Line of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunate Christian Legend

 "Woe unto us for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come!".  

This quote is attributed to a writing in a Talmudic source such as the Babylonian Talmud (PDF searchable) that:

1. Does not exist.
2. Apparently is from a fictional Rabbi Rachmon, who was invented by a 13th Century priest named Raymundus Martin. 

The explanation of the legend states that at the time after the birth of Jesus Christ, the Roman authorities took away the authority of the Sanhedrin to administer capital punishment, namely execution away from them. 

When the Romans had taken away the ability, the legend goes on to state that the Sanhedrin went about the city of Jerusalem dressed in sack cloth, ashes on their faces and chanting this statement listed above.  The implication of this legend states that those who participated in this march around the City of Jerusalem thought that the Word of God had been supposedly been broken because the Messiah had not come.  The unfortunate false information about this legend, goes on further to state:

"They didn't know that there was a small Jewish boy in a carpenter's shop that was the Messiah, so the Word of God was not broken."

While the taking away of the authority to administer capital punishment by the Romans is true and confirmed in the scriptures, this was not the only time that Israel did not have the right to administer capital punishment amongst their own people.  In fact, there are four other points to consider:

1. The Romans had conquered and ruled the area of Israel for many years before Jesus Christ birth.
2. When Jesus Christ was walking in the streets on Jerusalem the Sanhedrin tried to get Jesus Christ to participate in the stoning of the Adulteress Woman in John 8:1-30, which did not happen and Jesus Christ forgave the woman.  This means that public stoning was still being performed, albeit illegally per the Romans edict.
3. The Avenger of Blood practice was still occurring, because Israel did not have a type of modern-day police force.
4. The Sanhedrin did lose the right to execute someone by the Temple Guards and execution by a trial held by the Sanhedrin.  The Crucifixion showed that trials by the Sanhedrin were still being held, where the outcomes were given to the Roman authority for carrying out an execution where the Roman authority could refuse to do so.

Other historical documentation of the authority of Sanhedrin to administer capital punishment during the period of time when the Romans ruled over Israel is recorded in: Josephus, "Wars of the Jews", Book 2, Chapter 8  (Click here for excerpt screen capture)

When this author first heard this legend, it did not make sense: 

• Why would the Sanhedrin do such a thing, when it would affect their power-base as leaders in the community?  It would be political-suicide to go around stating that their leadership in a religion is based on a religion that failed. 
• The Sanhedrin depended upon tithes, offerings and gifts from the community to live.  Announcing their religion failed would cause financial problems.
• The majority of the Sanhedrin, at the time of Jesus Christ walking the streets of Jerusalem, were described as self-righteous men whose real father was Lucifer, John 8:44, so it also is very doubtful that they would do anything would damage their perception, inflated egos, by the people in Jerusalem.
• If the event were true, and the Sanhedrin men were sincere, then they would have announced the "woe unto us" where it would have been recorded in the Gospels, which it is not.

Note that Israel, as a nation, failed to recognize their Messiah on Palm Sunday which was prophesied in the Book of Daniel as the exact day which the Messiah would present Himself.   Jesus Christ held them accountable as discussed in the Coming Prince, where Israel as a nation, will finally recognize their Messiah in the Tribulation Period.  There were many people in Israel who did recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah and they are part of the formation of the Church.

Did Israel always have the Ability to Administer Capital Punishment?

Regarding the Legend, did the Sanhedrin or the King of Israel always have the ability to administer capital punishment?  Was there always a king from the tribe of Judah ruling?  The quick and obvious answer is no to both questions. 

During the history of Israel as a Nation, the Sanhedrin, did have authority to administer capital punishment, but other times they did not.  There are some Biblical Scholars that point out that they did not have the right to administer capital punishment during some of the periods when Israel was ruled by other nations.  During these periods, there may have been a King of Israel of the tribe of Judah, albeit not ruling. 

1. During one example period of history, Israel was under the subjugation of King Nebuchadnezzar.  There was an Israeli King and the Sanhedrin where in power in Jerusalem, but later King Nebuchadnezzar had the Jerusalem destroyed in 587 BC where the people there were taken away.  This is recorded in Jeremiah 52.
2. In a second example, the period of time from 175 to 164 BC, the 8th king of the Seleucid Dynasty, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, ruled Israel for many years where Epiphanes forbade the owning, reading and practicing anything to do with the Torah, under penalty of death, which would have removed Jewish religious courts that pronounced death upon someone.  Epiphanes at one point sacrificed a pig inside the Holy of Holies in the Temple that is described as the first Abomination of Desolation.

When the Sanhedrin lost their right to administer capital punishment to Rome, around 6 to 7 AD, as also noted in a Josephus references, then the Sanhedrin did not have the ability to have Jesus Christ stoned to death as confirmed in John 18:31.  God knew the history in advance and the loss was by His Design because Jesus Christ had to be executed by another method to fulfill many prophecies such as the model given in the Bronze Serpent event.

Was the loss of Capital Punishment Regained?

No explanation needed why this is wrong to believe and hold on to something in faith that is not true.  The non-believing world is too often subjected to false information that turns them away from the Truth of Jesus Christ!  

A quick Internet Search will show a few Jewish based sites that ridicule articles on the Legend with the summation that Christians are always using false information and interpreting scriptures wrong.  This author finds this embarrassing for the Christian Faith.

What Did Jacob's Prophecy Mean?

It was:

• Not linked to the right to administer capital punishment.
• Not linked to a king from the tribe of Judah sitting on a throne before the Messiah came, but rather the authority which the Tribe Judah had and was given.

Notice in the scriptural verse:

1. The "lawgiver from between his feet" indicates the passing of authority from generation to generation through the tribe of Judah.  When Jesus Christ began His public walk with the Apostles, Jesus Christ established that He was the Law Giver and gave us a New Law that superseded the Mosaic Laws.
2. The "scepter shall not depart from Judah", indicates that the Messiah, "Shiloh", will be the last and the permanent by the scriptural verse interpretation of Genesis 49:10 indicating "the One who will be sent" and "the Bearer of Rest".
3. The "Him shall be the obedience of the people", in Genesis 49:10, indicates many wonderful, marvelous, spiritual and Godly aspects. 
   (a) Jesus Christ will be the ruler of those who will choose Him as their Savior, which includes Israel and the Gentiles.
   (b) Jesus Christ will be the Faithful One.
4. The awesome and fascinating reference of the "donkey's colt" in Genesis 49:11, is a parallel reference to the prophecy of the Messiah Jesus Christ presenting Himself to Israel in Zechariah 9:9, confirmed in John 12:15 and arranged by Jesus Christ as read in Matthew 21:2-7.  Jesus Christ presented Himself to Israel on the exact day that the Angel Gabriel told Daniel, as discussed in the Coming Prince.

What to read next?