The Branch prophecy

Distinct Messiah Prophecies of Zechariah

Zechariah’s book of writings and prophecies are classified as a “Minor Prophet” in some Old Testament and Tenakh Bibles, yet the book bearing his name holds some of the most specific details of any prophetic book in the Scriptures.^[1] Adding credibility to the Gospels, Zechariah’s book gives validity to a number of Messiah prophecies.

Genealogies of Matthew and Luke list the lineage of Jesus as a descendant of King David, both including Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of King Jeconiah, who was the last sitting king of Israel. Zechariah further predicted that Zerubbabel would lay the foundation for the rebuilding of the Temple.^[2]

On the timeline of history, the Book of Zechariah was written during the Persian Empire under the reign of King Darius reckoned to 522–486 BC.^[3] At that time, the Jews were receiving back freedoms taken away during their captivity under the rule of Babylon.^[4]

Biblical Books of Ezra and Haggai provide extensive details of Zerubbabel’s efforts under three rulers to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s army.^[5] From Abraham to Moses to David and the many prophets thereafter, Messiah prophecies built upon each other over time revealing more specifics.^[8^]

Prophecies in the form of visions and oracles came to Zechariah with some being very straightforward and specific while others were more challenging to interpret. In one of the most specific, straightforward of any Messiah prophecy, Zechariah foretold how the Messiah would come to Jerusalem riding on a colt foal donkey , an unridden male under a year old:^[9]

^{Zech 9:9} “”Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”” _(NKJV)^[10]

Branch prophecies were issued by three prophets during the span of some 200 years. Before Jerusalem was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar, Isaiah issued a Branch prophecy and during the Babylonian Captivity, Jeremiah delivered two more Branch prophecies.

After the Babylonian captivity during rule of the Persian Empire, twice Zechariah issued Branch prophecies. One prophecy confirmed the identity of “My Servant” in Isaiah’s parashah prophecy is the Branch:

^{Zech 3:8} “…For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.”_(NKJV)

^{Zech 6:12-13} “…Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the LORD; Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.’” _(NKJV)

Christianity views Branch prophecies to be foretelling the Messiah agreeing with Jewish sage Rabbi Maimonides.^[11] Sage Rabbi Rashi discerned the Branch or Shoot prophecies of Zechariah to be about Zerubbabel.^[12]

Later in the Book of Zechariah appears another prophecy about a death in the House of David. Differing views on how the Messiah would be killed centers squarely on the meaning of one Hebrew word, daqar, translated in essentially two ways: “pierced” or “thrust through.”^[13]

^{Zech 12:10} “…and they shall look unto Me because they have thrust him through; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.” _{(Jewish Publication Society)}

Jewish Bibles translate daqar as “thrust him through” while traditional Christian Bibles translate daqar as “pierced” although it is not unanimous. Contemporary, simplified Bible translations are more closely aligned with the Jewish Bibles’ interpretation of daqar as stabbed or thrust through with a spear.^[14]

“… then they will look on Me whom they pierced.”_{(New King James Version)}

“They will look at me, whom they have stabbed.” _{(God’s Word Translation)}

“They’ll then be able to recognize me as the One they so grievously wounded–that piercing spear-thrust!” _(Message)

Rabbi Rashi agreed with other Jewish Sages that Zechariah 12:10 is a Messiah prophecy referring to Sukkah 52a.^[15] A spit among Jewish sages had occurred when Rabbi Dosa questioned the meaning of the prophecy considered, up to that point, to be about the death of the “evil inclination.”

Nearly unanimous consensus among Jewish and Christian authorities alike recognize Zechariah 12:10 as a Messiah prophecy about the Messiah who would be killed. How the Messiah was to be killed is the only debate.

Zechariah’s prophecies may be fewer in number, but some are very specific and have major implications to prophesies of the Messiah. Were his prophecies fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth?

Updated February 1, 2024.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] Jewish Publication Society (JPS) translation. 1917. Benyamin Pilant. 1997. <http://www.breslov.com/bible> NET Bible (NET) translation. <https://net.bible.org>
[2] I Chronicles 3:17-19; Zechariah 4:6-10; Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38. CR Ezra 3:2, 8, 4:2-3, 5:2; Haggai 1:1, 14, 2:20-23. Dolphin, Lambert. “The Genealogy from Adam to Jesus Christ” Idolphin.org. 2011. <http://ldolphin.org/2adams.html>
[3] Zechariah 1:1. NetBible.org. Footnote #2. <http://classic.net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Zec&chapter=1#n2> “Darius I.” EncyclopediaBrittanica. 2022. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Darius-I>
[4] Zechariah 1:1.
[5] Ezra 1-7; Haggai 1-2.
[6] Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Book II, Chapter 4. 1883. Philogos.org. <https://philologos.org/__eb-lat>
[7] Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Trans. and commentary. William Whitson. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. Book XI, Chapter III.8 and IV.1-2, 7. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
[8] Genesis 41:1-14; Numbers 24:15-17; 2 Samuel 12:1-13; 1 Kings 20:35-42; Psalms 78:1-3; Daniel 2:27-28, 4:4-10, chapters 8 & 10; Isaiah chapter 5; Hosea 12:10.
[9] Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi commentary. Zechariah 9:9. Rash commentary. https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16213/showrashi/true> “Understanding Donkey Behavior.” The Donkey Sanctuary. 2018. <https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/sites/sanctuary/files/document/142-1404405754-donkey_health_and_welfare_19.pdf>
[10] Matthew 21:1-8; Luke 19:29-36; John 12:12-16. “Zechariah Texts Quoted in the New Testament Regarding Jesus’ Ministry.” ESV.org. 2020. <https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/chart-38-01>
[11] Maimonides, “Letter to the South (Yemen)”. p 374. The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters. <https://books.google.com/books?id=YxdbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP1&hl=en#v=onepage&q=advent&f=false>
[12] The Complete Jewish Bible – with Rashi Commentary. Zechariah 6:12 Rashi commentary. <http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/63255/jewish/The-Bible-with-Rashi.htm> Plaut, Gunther. “Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: Back in the Land.” MyJewishLearning.com. n.d. <http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Prophets/Latter_Prophets/The_12_Minor_Prophets/Haggai_Zechariah_Malachi.shtml>
[13] “daqar.” Net.bible.org. Hebrew text. <http://classic.net.bible.org/search.php?search=hebrew_strict_index:01856> Sapir, Avinoam. LSI Laboratory for Scientific Interrogation, Inc. n.d. <http://www.lsiscan.com/index.htm> “SCAN – Scientific Content Analysis (Statement Analysis).” Advanced Polygraph. 2011. <http://www.advancedpolygraph.com.au/scan.htm> “Introduction to Text Analysis: About Text Analysis.” Duke University | Libraries. 2017. <https://guides.library.duke.edu/text_analysis> “What Is the Definition of Textual Analysis?” Reference.com. 2018. <https://www.reference.com/education/definition-textual-analysis-a95087916fcb24cb> Pfarrer, Mike “What is content analysis?” University of Georgia | Terry College of Business. 2012. <http://www.terry.uga.edu/management/contentanalysis>
[14] Contemporary English Verson; Good News Translation; God’s Word translation; Zechariah 12:10. BibleHub.com. 2020. <https://biblehub.com/zechariah/12-10.htm> The Message; Bible in Basic English. Zechariah 12:10. NetBible.org. 2020. <http://classic.net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Zec&chapter=12&verse=10&gt
[15] Complete English Talmud. Halakhah.com. Tzee Zahavy trans. 2009. <https://www.halakhah.com/rst/moed/16b%20-%20Succah%20-%2029b-56b.pdf> Sukkah 52a. Sefaria.org. n.d. <https://www.sefaria.org/Sukkah.52a.1?lang=bi>

Jeconiah’s Curse, Amazing Promise & Impossible Challenge

Jeconiah’s so-called curse is cited in agnostic and atheist theories as evidence against the legitimacy of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. Ironically, the evidence is based on Biblical prophecies foretelling the Messiah must be born in the royal House of David which is then used to claim the prophecy cannot be fulfilled because of Jeconiah’s curse.^[1]

Adversaries can sometimes make for strange bedfellows. Judaism has no choice but to side with Christianity on this allegation because, if true, prophecies foretelling the Messiah would come from the House of David – Jesus nor anyone else whom Judaism teaches is the Messiah – can never be.

Setting the scene, Jehoiakim, king of Judah, drew the wrath of God for his evil ways as well as his son, Jeconiah (aka Coniah or Jehoiachin), for following in his footsteps.^[2] God sent the prophet Jeremiah with a message of judgment to the kingdom – death for Jehoaikim (aka Josiah), but for Jeconiah…

^{Jer. 22:30} This is what the LORD says: “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule any more in Judah.”_(NIV)

Jeconiah was condemned by God to be a man as if he had no sons, nor would of his descendants ever sit on the Throne of David. He served as King for all of 3 months before being taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar and spent the remainder of his days in Babylonian captivity.^[3] Jeconiah was the last of the sitting kings in the royal succession of David.

Eventually Jeconiah fathered sons during his Babylonian captivity, the first son being Salathiel.^[4] His name bears witness to Jeconiah’s fate where, according to the Talmud, he was called by a name meaning to be conceived in prison while standing up.^[5] Jeconiah was imprisoned 37 years – his sons grew up without him…as if he had no sons.^[6]

Jewish Rabbis and the Talmud teach that God pardoned Jeconiah and Biblical history provides corroborating evidence.^[7] They point to the fact that Jeconiah was released from prison by Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Evil-Merodach, who gave Jeconiah a seat of honor and dined with him daily.^[8]

After Jerusalem had been crushed by Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah as his puppet king of Israel. As brother of Jeconiah, he had learned nothing from the judgments of his father and brother spending the next decade ignoring and offending both God and Nebuchadnezzar.^[9] Zedekiah even confined the prophet Jeremiah in an outdoor prison courtyard for prophesying doom at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^[10]

Much more than just bad news, the condemnation judgement by God sets up His amazing promise. It is the strongest of the evidence that Jeconiah’s curse was forgiven by God.

Prophecies issued by Jeremiah demonstrated that the judgement had a limited shelf life. Just five verses after God’s judgement of Jeconiah, Jeremiah’s next prophecy makes clear David’s royal lineage had not ended. God explicitly promised that another King would arise from the Branch of David:

^{Jer 23:5} “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.”_(NASB)

During his outdoor imprisonment, Jeremiah prophesied again that Israel and Judah would be restored. The prophet issued his second of the Branch of David prophecies saying the throne of David would never end:

^{Jer. 33:14-15} “‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfil the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.’”

^v.17 “For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, …”_(NIV)

Emphasizing the trustworthiness of His incredible promise to Israel and Judah that He would raise up a Branch from the House of David, God issued an impossible challenge based on the steadfastness of astronomy:

^{Jer. 33:20-21}“”Thus says the LORD, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne…”_(NASB)

Scrolling forward two generations, Zerubbabel, “The son of Salathiel, of the posterity of David,” is called out by Jewish historian Josephus as a Hebrew leader of great prominence who served as a body guard for Persian King Cyrus.^[11] Zerubbabel solicited Cyrus to allow the rebuilding of the Temple and return of its vessels from Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest. Astonishingly, the Temple vessels had survived both the Babylonian captivity and the Persian invasion.

Cyrus not only granted the request by decree, he appointed Zerubbabel as the governor to lead the Hebrews out of captivity back to Jerusalem, rebuild the city, and join the High Priest in rebuilding the Temple.^[12] Through the prophet Haggai, God blessed Zerubbabel for his leadership.^[13]

Zerubbabel of the royal lineage of David, grandson of King Jeconiah, is mentioned 11 times in four books of the Old Testament, one of the few Hebrew figures to receive such recognition. He is also named in both genealogies of the Gospels Matthew and Luke.^[14]

King Hezekiah signet ring impression 13th century BC.

Interestingly, Jeconiah’s judgement and the blessing of Zerubbabel each use a signet ring metaphor. A ruler typically wore a unique gold signet ring bearing his name that was used to seal documents such as decrees – the seal was considered more authentic than a signature.^[15]

^{Jer. 22:24} “”As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.”_(NIV)

^{Hag. 2:23} “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”_(NIV)

Was the royal lineage David ended by “Jeconiah’s curse” disqualifying Jesus as the “Righteous Branch.”

Updated June 16 2023.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:
[1] Willruth, Bart. “The Gospel of Matthew Debunks the Messiahship of Jesus.” Debunking Christianity. 2009. <http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2009/06/gospel-of-matthew-debunks-messiahship.html> Lippard, Jim. “The Fabulous Prophecies Of The Messiah.” Atheist Community of Austin. 1993. <https://atheist-community.org/resources/online-articles/145-the-fabulous-prophecies-of-the-messiah> Irenaeus of Lyons. Against Heresies. Book III, Chapters XXI, XXII. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Volume I. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 2005. <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.iv.html>
[2] Jeremiah 22. Net.bible.org. Jeremiah 22:24 footnote #42. CR Jeremiah 24, 27-29, 52; 1 Chronicles 3; 2 Chronicles 36; Esther 2; 2 Kings 24, 25; Ezekiel 1.
[3] 2 Kings 24.
[4] I Chronicles 3.
[5] Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Ed. Isidore Epstein. 1935-1948. Sanhedrin 37b-38a. <https://israelect.com/Come-and-Hear/talmud/index.html>
[6] Jeremiah 52.
[7] Isaiah 9:, 11. Jehoiachin.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2017. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8543-jeconiah> “The Problem of the Curse on Jeconiah in Relation to the Genealogy of Jesus.” Jews for Jesus. 2018. <https://jewsforjesus.org/answers/the-problem-of-the-curse-on-jeconiah-in-relation-to-the-genealogy-of-jesus-issues-prophecy>
[8] Jeremiah 52; 2 Kings 25. Rashi, Shlomo Yitzchaki. The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Yirmiyahu – Jeremiah 22:24 commentary. <https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16019#showrashi=true>
[9] Jeremiah 52; Chronicles 36.
[10] II Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 27, 29, 37. Bakon, Shimon. “Zedekiah: The Last King of Judah”, Jewish Bible Quarterly. Vol. 36, No. 2, 2008. <http://jbq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/362/362_zedekiah.pdf>
[11] Haggai 1-2. Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XI, Chapters I, III-IV. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false> “Zerubbabel.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. “Zerubbabel.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2014. “Zerubbabel.” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Online. 2018. <http://www.internationalstandardbible.com/Z/zerubbabel.html
[12] Ezra 1, 6.
[13] Haggai 2.
[14] I Chronicles 3; Nehemiah 12; Ezra 3, 5; Haggai. 1, 2; Matthew 1; Luke 3. “Zerubbabel.” Jewish Encyclopedia. “Zerubbabel.” Jewish Virtual Library. Josephus. Antiquities. Book XI, Chapter III (spelled Zorobabel).
[15] “A brief history of signet rings.” The History Press. 2018. < https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/a-brief-history-of-signet-rings > Davis, Ashley. “The History Behind … Signet Rings.” National Jeweler. 2018. < https://www.nationaljeweler.com/fashion/antique-estate-jewelry/4637-the-history-behind-signet-rings-2 > Seal of Hezekiah. UPI.com. image. 13th century BC. <https://cdnph.upi.com/sv/ph/og/i/7091449076877/2015/1/14490824662433/v1.5/Rare-mark-of-the-seal-of-biblical-era-Judean-king-found.jpg>