By Matthew Moshe Nolan

~  For Shiloh ~

Beresheeth/Genesis 49:10: Lo-yasur shevet mi-Yehudah umechokek mibeyn raglav ad ki-yavo shiloh velo yichah am.

The scepter shall not depart from Yahudah nor a lawgiver from between His feet, until Shiloh comes; to Him shall the gathering of the nations be.

I want to make the distinction between the body and the bride – the bride (Chavah/Eve) is the bone that is taken out of the body (Ahdahm/Adam) – the body has been sick for 2,000 years and YHWH is going to restore the body by the bone/bride.

But who—or what—is Shiloh … what does Shiloh mean … and what is the implication of Shiloh in our lives?

Shiloh is all that we can be, all that YHWH has for us, all that we can attain.

Shiloh is the battleground of where hard choices are made.  Israel had to choose between YHWH’s ways or the ways of the world and paganism.

Shiloh is in our midst!  YHWH has sent us a sign of the great work He is about to perform in our generation.  Shiloh is about rebuilding our spiritual house.  This event will either be life-shattering or the axis of our life to launching us as Mishpacha/family to a new awakening.  The advent of Shiloh is a sign of our times.

Today I want to examine the blessing put upon Judah in regard to the rod of rule, the scepter, and Shiloh’s coming.  I believe Shiloh speaks to the remnant about Torah, position, anointing, healing, family, and restoration.  Shiloh’s advent is not because of the sins of the parents but to manifest the works of YHWH in this generation for a chosen people.  The question is:  Are we the chosen, obedient people?

• Ephrayim is a half-baked cake.
• Ephrayim is a silly dove (waxed poetic by Karaite Jews).
• Ephrayim will no longer envy Judah, and Judah will no longer vex Ephrayim.

Beresheeth/Genesis 49:1: And Yaakov called to his sons (now includes Ephrayim and Manasseh as sons), and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.  ² Gather yourselves together and listen, you sons of Yaakov, and listen to Yisrael your abba.  ³ Reuven, you are my bachor, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:  ⁴ Unstable as mayim, you shall not excel because you went up to your abba’s bed [Our wives get all the rooms in the house except one:  the marriage bed belongs to the man – “Wherever I lay my kippa, that’s my home.”]; then you defiled it; he went up to my couch.  ⁵ Shimeon and Lewi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their dwellings.  ⁶ O my being, come not into their secret; let not my honor be united to their congregation [some congregations will want to destroy those who teach joining Israel and undergoing brit-milah]; for in their anger they killed a man, and in their displeasure and self-will they hamstrung an ox in pleasure [dug down a wall (regarding the destruction of Shechem]. ⁷ Cursed be their anger for it was fierce, and their anger for it was cruel.  I will divide them in Yaakov and scatter them in Yisrael.  ⁸ Yahudah, you are he whom your brothers shall hallel; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your abba’s children shall bow down before you.  ⁹ Yahudah is a lion’s whelp:  from the prey, my son, you have gone up.  He stooped down, he couched as a lion; and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up?  ¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Yahudah nor a lawgiver from between His feet until Shiloh comes; to Him shall the gathering of the nations be.  ¹¹ Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine and his clothes in the dahm of grapes.  ¹² His eyes shall be red with wine and his teeth white with milk. … ¹⁸ I have waited for Your Yahshua, O YHWH.

¹⁰ Lo-yasur shevet mi-Yehudah umechokek mibeyn raglav ad ki-yavo shiloh velo yiqhah am.

The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah nor a lawgiver from among his descendants until whom it belongs comes, the obedient people.

Who is Shiloh?  Yahushua? If the scepter—the rod—would not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes, can this then speak of Yahushua when He is of the tribe of Judah?  Is Moshiach the fulfillment of this passage?  The rod is not passing from Judah if Yahshua is Shiloh.  Yahushua is of the tribe of Judah!

The Hebrew word “shiloh” is spelled sheen-lamed-heh and actually means “to whom it belongs.”  This is from the root shalah – sheen-lamed-heh – “to be safe and secure and tranquil.” Therefore, when the text says, “until Shiloh comes,” it more accurately reads, “until to Whom it belongs comes” … “and to Him shall be the obedience of the people when they come.”

The two words from the above passage are “yiqhah” which means “to obey,” and “am” which means “people.”  The words – “and to Him shall be the” – are added by the translators in order to make it say what they think it should say. Again the literal rendering of this passage says no more than “Obedient people.”

Corrected text of verse 10:

“The rod shall not depart from Yahudah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until to Whom it belongs comes obedient people.”

The ruler-ship departs from Judah when the obedient people to Whom the leadership belongs show up!  This is an amazing statement that has huge implications for the obedient people!  We are on the threshold of new and great things:  We are the people, the dispersed of Ephrayim who have been redeemed by Moshiach, taught obedience to His Torah, thus granting us access to the Malki-Tzedik priesthood and – for the first time in two thousand years – we are beginning to show up at YHWH’s Moedim … some albeit at the wrong time, but YHWH is about to change all that as He teaches us how to lead His people in reading times and seasons, Shabbatim, months and years.

The tribe of Judah always marched first in the wilderness.

Bamidbar/Numbers 2:9: All that were numbered in the camp of Yahudah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, throughout their divisions.  These shall set out first.

Judah always led the way when the sons of Israel wandered in the wilderness.  The change takes place when they crossed the Jordan – Judah lost the rights to lead!  Moshe Rabainu, of Levi, led in the wilderness.  Joshua, of Ephraim, led into the land.  This is exactly what we read in Beresheet 49:10.  Judah would give up the rod when it came time for those to whom it belonged to receive it.  Judah had rights to lead the way in the wilderness, but Judah lost those rights when the promise of Deuteronomy 6:23 was being fulfilled: “He brought us out from there in order to bring us in.” When YHWH brought Yisrael into the land, He had Yahoshua (Joshua) from the tribe of Ephrayim, not Judah, leading the way.  It was Yahoshua, not Judah’s rights to the rod.  Judah’s right to lead was relegated to the wilderness period.

Here’s another example of Judah giving away the scepter, a prophetic shadow picture of Judah giving away his right to ruler-ship and it being given to one who “is more righteous” than he.

Beresheeth 38:17: She said, Will you give me a pledge until you send it?  ¹⁸ And he said, What pledge shall I give you?  And she said, Your signet, and your bracelets, and your staff that is in your hand.  And he gave it her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. … ²⁵ Please discern whose are these:  the signet, and bracelets, and staff.  ²⁶ And Yahudah acknowledged them and said, She has been more tzadik than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah (Sheen Lamed Heh = Shiloah) my son.

“She is more righteous than I.” Why?  Because she fulfilled the Torah.  And if she had not acted, there would have been no zera in Judah and that tribe would have come to an end – including the way for Yahshua’s birth.  Just as today if the remnant of Ephrayim does not act, neither can Yahushua come again.  Shelah’s name was actually Shiloh!  (Both words are from the same root word, “shalah.”)  Tamar was not given to Shelah.  Meaning, the one in legal possession of the rod of rule, Tamar, cannot be given to a harlot mixture.  Shelah’s mother was a Canaanite, a cursed mix.  Those who have the legal right to rule must be found more righteous than Judah and not of a corrupted, mixed, spiritual, pagan race.  The rod must go to one who can bring forth the required pure seed – Tamar, who is more righteous (Torah) than Judah and able to bring forth Perez – Moshiach.  The rod belongs to those who hold the testimony of Yahushua and keep His Torah – the Malki-Tzedik remnant.  This is going to be proclaimed by a prophet from Shiloh.  Judah gave up the rod, the right to lead; and that right was proclaimed by a Shilonite and went to an Ephraimite.  If we continue to cling to the ways and calendars of men, we’ll lose our right to lead in the kingdom of YHWH, and that right will go to them “to whom it belongs,” – the Ephraimite Remnant.

Judah gave away his rod to Tamar, the granddaughter of Shem, the first Malki-Tzedik, just as Judah has given away his rod of rule to those in the Malki-Tzedik priesthood.

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 8:20: To the Torah and to the testimony:  If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them.

“Shiloh” / “until who it belongs” was located where? … in Ephraim.

Tehillim/Psalms 78:58: For they provoked Him to anger with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.  ⁵⁹ When Elohim heard all this, He was angry, and greatly abhorred Yisrael:  ⁶⁰ So that He forsook the tent at Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men;  ⁶¹ and delivered His strength into exiles, and His tifereth into the enemy’s hand.

The Passing-Over Principle

Ishmael to Isaac, Esav to Yaakov, Reuven to Yoseph.  Eli was Kohen Ha Gadol and the priesthood passed over two – his two sons – and rested upon an Ephraimite – Samuel.  Because Israel was stiff-necked and obstinate toward YHWH’s word, the Philistines came and carried of the ark to the Temple of Dagon and it never returned to Shiloh again.  The advent of Shiloh in our day is for the mishpocha.  The mishpocha, just as in days past, are going to have an opportunity to either turn from our own ways and understanding, or repeat history and reject Torah and be taken captive by everything that Dagon stands for.  Embracing Shiloh and covenant or embracing Dagon and worldly understanding.  Will we walk by emunah as YHWH desires?  Or, like Israel and Judah, will we walk by sight and become blinded to all the miracles around us, our eyes clouded, red by wine?

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 7:12: But go now to My place that was in Shiloh, where I put My Name at first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Yisrael. ¹³ And now, because you have done all these works, says YHWH, and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking but you did not hear, and I called to you but you answered not;  ¹⁴ Therefore, will I do to this Bayit, which is called by My Name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your ahvot, as I have done to Shiloh.  ¹⁵ And I will cast you out of My sight as I have cast out all your brothers, even the whole zera of Efrayim.

Passing over the first (Shiloh) and then the second (Jerusalem) and resting on the third, which is of the first (restored and resurrected Shiloh). He passed over Shiloh/Ephraim, He passed over Jerusalem/Judah, and He will take the third.  So what is the third place He will take?  He returns to Shiloh!

“The rod shall not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes …”

There was death (Shiloh) and burial (Judah); there will be resurrection, too (the restoration of Shiloh)!  YHWH passes over the first and the second, and takes the third (just as, YHWH passed over the two evil sons of Eli and took Samuel, just as He passes over the 2,000-year period of “church” history and takes the Ephraim – Samuel Remnant in the third period.)

Yahoshua/Joshua 18:1: And the whole congregation of the children of Yisrael assembled together at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle of the congregation there, and the land was subdued before them.  ² And there remained among the children of Yisrael seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.

Romiya/Romans 9:4: Y’Israelites; to whom pertains the adoption, and the tifereth, and the covenants, and the giving of the Torah, and the worship, and the promises;  ⁵ Who are the ahvot, from whom Moshiach came in the flesh, who is the tikvah over all, YHWH the Blessed One le-olam-va-ed.  ⁶ Not as though the word of YHWH has failed in Yisrael.  For they are not all still Yisrael, who are from Yisrael.  ⁷ Neither, because they are the zera of Avraham, are they all b’nai Yisrael; but In Yitzchak shall your zera be called.  ⁸ That is, those who are children of the flesh, these are not the b’nai YHWH; but the b’nai-brit are counted as the zera.

Some Israelites have not yet received and embraced their inheritance!  Seven = perfect family restoration.

Beresheeth/Genesis 49 – The Foal and Vine Prophesy

In Beresheeth 49:11, Judah “ties his foal to the vine.”  What vine?  The olive tree?  No!  He tied his foal, the foal that Yahushua came into Jerusalem upon, to the cursed tree of the knowledge of good and evil that became the vine of experimental knowledge.  Judah’s foal is tied to the tree of good and evil and he can’t affect Yahushua’s return.  Judaism choose to tie itself to the rabbis, and his stepsister Christianity tied themselves and their chance to bring forth the Son of Elohim to their good-and-evil works too, so they can’t bring forth Moshiach either.  So who will affect Moshiach’s return?  The Remnant!  The two-part witness (Torah and Testimony).  We’re instructed to go and untie the foal and bring it to Yahushua as his talmidim (Mattityahu/Matthew 21:1-7).  This foal is released from its former owners and taken by the talmidim.  This is a foal that has never been ridden, a new thing, the Bride that is released from working a vine that is withering, in order to bring about the Kohen Ha Gadol … Yahushua’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

^V.11 He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the dahm of grapes.

Why the repetition with clothes and garments – aren’t they the same?  We know in Scripture that blood and grapes are synonymous.  Two events are being prophesied here, two events that Judah was the main conspirator in, both surrounding Yosef – the lesser Yosef and the greater Yosef.  (1) Judah washed Yosef’s garments in wine – the covering of goat’s blood.  (2) Judah was involved with a cup of grapes which represented the blood of redemption – the third cup of Pesach.  The cup of redemption where Yosef was stripped and judged!

^V.12 His eyes shall be red with wine [Judah’s sight will be clouded by wine, unable to see with his eyes the red blood of Yahushua, blind in part], and his teeth “white” with milk.

Judah’s teeth shall be “Laban” as milk.  Laban withheld what was rightfully Israel’s, just as Judah has, like Laban withheld from his mouth – his teeth tightly clenched – the testimony of Yahushua, who is rightfully Israel’s!  ARE YOU GETTING THIS?

“I have led you forty years” – SOD = forty Jubilees = 2000 years in the wilderness.

Later, in the Brit Chadasha, two thousand swine went running down a steep bank into the sea when Legion entered into them.  Two thousand swine, representing 2,000 years of mixing the unclean ways of man with the teachings of Moshiach that will come to an end with the restoration that Shiloh brings.  She’s the sign!  Are we the people to whom the rod of rule belongs?  Are we going to really obey His Torah?  Are we going to be obedient to Yahushua and go to Shiloh to receive all He has for us?  Look to the Brit Chadasha for our example.

Yochannan/John 9:1: And as YAHSHUA passed by, He saw a man who was blind from his birth.  ² And His talmidim asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?  ³ YAHSHUA answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of YHWH should be made manifest through him. [Sometimes in seemingly tragic circumstances YHWH will want to use a family to manifest His great works, and only a elect family can arise to such a challenge, In our text the child was victorious, but the parents succumbed to the pressures of the world.] ⁴ I must do the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night comes, when no man can do works.  ⁵ As long as I am in the olam hazeh, I am the Light of the olam hazeh.  ⁶ When He had spoken this, He spat on the ground, and made clay with the saliva, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,  ⁷ And said to him, Go, wash in the Mikvah of Shiloach (Shiloh – the waters of Shilo -the same Hebrew word, the man is instructed to go and visit SHILOH) which is by interpretation, Sent – he went on his derech therefore, and washed, and came back seeing. [Visiting Shiloh enables the blind to see the things of YHWH – “All Israel is blind in part.”] ⁸ The neighbors, therefore, and those who before had seen him blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?  ⁹ Some said, This is that man: others said, No he only resembles him: but he said, I am the one.  ¹⁰ Therefore they said to him, How were your eyes opened? [Yahushua does the healing, but by visiting Shiloh Yahushua enables you to see!] ¹¹ He answered and said, A Man they call YAHSHUA made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, Go to the Mikvah of Shiloach, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received my sight. [I don’t understand what the heck is going on here, I’m tripping and falling all over the place, I can’t see two steps in front of my face, but I’m going to walk in obedience by faith. I’m going to Shiloh] ¹² Then they said to him, Where is He? He said, I don’t know.  ¹³ They brought to the Prushim him that was blind before.  ¹⁴ And it was Shabbat when YAHSHUA made the clay, and opened his eyes.  ¹⁵ Then again the Prushim asked him how he had received his sight. He said to them, He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and do see.  ¹⁶ Therefore said some of the Prushim, This Man is not from YHWH, because He does not shomer the Shabbat!  Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such nisim? And there was a division among them. [The division between brothers and sisters comes when some hold to Scripture and others hold to familiarity and tradition – the Talmud states: A man can’t build on the Shabbat, A man can’t make pottery and create on the Shabbat and a man can’t behave in a common manner: spitting on the Shabbat – Yahushua is testing them to see if they are going to condemn Him based upon familiarity and tradition or follow Him based upon YHWH’s word and healing powers]. ¹⁷ They said to the blind man again, what do you say about Him, who has opened your eyes? He said to them, I say He is a Navi.  ¹⁸ But the Yahudim did not believe him, who had been blind, and received his sight, until they called in the parents of him that had received his sight.  ¹⁹ And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?  ²⁰ His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:  ²¹ But by what means he now sees, we don’t know; or who has opened his eyes we don’t know: he is bar mitzvah;(Are we willing to stand up and proclaim YHWH?)  ask him: he can speak for himself.  ²² These words spoke his parents, because they feared the Yahudim: for the Yahudim had agreed already, that if any man did confess that He was the Moshiach, he would then be put out of the synagogue. [If we continue in this walk of True Name, Torah, Shabbatim, and Hanukkah, even if there are miracles, some will want to distance themselves from us.] ²³ Because of this his parents said, He is bar mitzvah; ask him.  ²⁴ Then they again called the man that was blind, and said to him, Give YHWH the tehilla: we know that this Man is a sinner.  ²⁵ He answered and said, Whether He is a sinner, or not, I don’t know: one thing I know, that, before I was blind, but now I see ²⁶ Then said they to him again, What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?  ²⁷ He answered them, I have told you already, and you do not hear: why do you want to hear it again? Do you also desire to be His talmidim?

To conclude:  Now follow me, this is important!

Shiloh is a body – a body of water here in our text, but nonetheless still A BODY.  Shiloh is a body that Moshiach sends a man who yet to see – by faith to complete his healing.

Yahushua is performing the miracle, but by faith the man who cannot yet see was to go and visit Shiloh, TO RECEIVE ALL THAT MOSHIACH WAS TRYING TO GIVE HIM – the restoration and a new vision.

What Moshiach is trying to give him is only found by visiting Shiloh – by visiting that body!

Let us never forget that a miracle happened here.