20151119 Thursday, November 12 2015
Ezekiel 19: The Lion's Whelp Prophecy

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Judah is a lion's whelp ... The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be"

Near the end of his life, Jacob, who the LORD renamed as Israel (see A Biography Of Jacob: When Jacob Became Israel), delivered a prophecy that declared events and circumstances that would happen through the descendants of each of his sons, the tribal patriarchs of Israel (see Jacob's Prophecy To Israel).

The prophecy for Judah, whereby "Judah is a lion's whelp," was specifically Messianic. As we will see, even though Jacob was Judah's father, he was not declaring himself to be the "lion" (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour).

"49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days." (Genesis 49:1 KJV)

"49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." (Genesis 49:1-10 KJV)

The LORD's Messianic promise began with Abraham (see A Biography Of Abraham: The Genealogy Of Abram and A Biography Of Abraham: From Ur To Canaan) - as is also stated in the genealogy of the Messiah.

"22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Genesis 22:18 KJV)

"1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations." (Matthew 1:17 KJV)

King David was chosen to establish the "executive branch" of the Messianic prophecy (see King David's Zion Prophecy) - which was established for, and was fulfilled by, the Messiah. Note carefully also that the Messiah is referred to as both a "lion" and a "lamb" - a further application of how, when the Kingdom of God has been established by the Messiah when He returns (see What Gospel Did Jesus Preach?), the Messiah's mandate as lion and lamb will be unified with their accomplishment.

"5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying,

Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 5:12 Saying with a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever." (Revelation 5:1-14 KJV)

As we read above in the genealogy of the Messiah, the Messianic line continued through the Babylonian exile - through humans that kept the seed alive, while they themselves had fallen (see How The Messianic Line Survived In Babylon). The lion's "whelps" in this prophecy in Ezekiel refer to those vessels of the genealogy, princes of Judah who would themselves never reign.

"19:1 Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 19:2 And say,

What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. 19:3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 19:4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

19:5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 19:6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men. 19:7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring. 19:8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. 19:9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

19:10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. 19:11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. 19:12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. 19:13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. 19:14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule.

This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation." (Ezekiel 19:1-14 KJV)

Fact Finder: What happened when the "Lion" arrived in heaven after His Sacrifice as the "Lamb"?
See What Happened When The Messiah Arrived In Heaven? and Who Sits At The Right Hand Of God?