Judah (Tribe)

History

Allotment with Benjamin

When the ancient Kingdom of Israel was divided after Solomon’s death, Benjamin was left with the Tribe of Judah for the purpose of them becoming lightbearers of the message of Christ. Eleven of the twelve apostles were of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul of Tarsus, called much later, was also of Benjamin (Rom. 11:1). The apostles of this tribe were fulfilling their duties as the light-bearers to Israel.

1 Kings 11:36 And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.

The son spoken of in this verse is Rehoboam, who was the first king of the Kingdom of Judah.

Messiah

It was prophesied that the scepter would never depart from Judah, and that the Messiah would come from the loins of David: himself being a Judahite.

Micah 5: “1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.”

In Micah we see prophesied that the ruler of Israel woulf come from Bethlehem, and be of the tribe of Judah, and that He would be smitten. The prophecy in Micah also reveals, by necessity, that the ruler is Yahweh Himself, because it states that – while he is coming in the future – he is also one “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”, which can only describe God Himself.