Here is one of my favorite subjects in Scripture – the discussion of the prophecies concerning the Branch, on which I have previously written ("The Branch" - Oct 29, 2014).
So we begin with this bit of Psalm 80:
Tehilliym (Psalm) 80:8-19
You have brought a vine out of Mitsrayim: you have cast out the heathen, and planted it. 9 You prepared room before it, and did cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. 11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches (yonehketh – sprouts) unto the river. 12 Why have you then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? 13 The boar out of the wood does waste it, and the wild beast of the field does devour it. 14 Return, we beseech you, O ELOHIYM TSEVA’OT: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; 15 And the vineyard which your right hand has planted, and the branch (ben – Son) that you made strong for yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. 17 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the son of Adam whom you made strong for yourself. 18 So will not we go back from you: quicken us, and we will call upon your name. 19 Turn us again, O YAHUAH ELOHIYM TSEVA’OT, cause your face to shine; and we shall be saved.
These are the words of Tehilliym, where the interpreters of the Psalms in English translate the Hebrew word ben to mean branch in this context, yet, most often is understood as son. The son and the branch are the same in this context. The psalmist goes on to discuss the man of your right hand (he sits at the right hand of the Father), and the ben Adam (son of man). Remarkable. Let’s continue.
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 4:2
In that day shall the branch (tsemach) of YAHUAH be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Yisra’el.
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 23:5-8
Behold, the days come, says YAHUAH, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch (tsemach), and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Yahudah shall be saved, and Yisra’el shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, YAHUAH TSIDQENU. 7 Therefore, behold, the days come, says YAHUAH, that they shall no more say, YAHUAH lives, which brought up the children of Yisra’el out of the land of Mitsrayim; 8 But, YAHUAH lives, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Yisra’el out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
Let’s spend some time with this prophecy. First, this prophecy discusses the rising up of a king unto David (a descendant), who shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. Does this king appear as a spirit (RUACH)? There is no reference to that. Instead, the language gives credence to the notion that this king will be a man – a descendent of David.
David, as we recall, was of the tribe of Yahudah and his second born son, Perets (Peres/Pheres). The tribe of Yahudah reckons its heritage through the mother (as distinguished from the tribe of Leviy, who reckons through the father). So, let us consider the heritage of the mother, which is found in the first chapter of Mattithyahu in the Eth Cepher.
Mattithyahu (Matthew) 1:1-15
THE cepher of the generation of YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH, the son of David, the son of Avraham. 2 Avraham begat את (eth)-Yitschaq; and Yitschaq begat את (eth)-Ya`aqov; and Ya`aqov begat את (eth)-Yahudah and his brethren; 3 And Yahudah begat Perets and Zerach of Tamar; and Perets begat Chetsron; and Chetsron begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Ammiynadav; and Ammiynadav begat Nachshon; and Nachshon begat Salmah; 5 And Salmah begat Bo`az of Rachav; and Bo`az begat Oved of Ruth; and Oved begat Yishay; 6 And Yishay begat David the king; and David the king begat Shalomah of her that had been the woman of Uriyahu; 7 And Shalomah begat Rechav`am; and Rechav`am begat Aviyahu; and Aviyahu begat Aca; 8 And Aca begat Yahushaphat; and Yahushaphat begat Yoram; and Yoram begat את (eth) Uzziyahu; 9 And Uzziyahu begat Yotham; and Yotham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Yechizqiyahu; 10 And Yechizqiyahu begat Menashsheh; and Menashsheh begat Amon; and Amon begat Yo’shiyahu; 11 And Yo’shiyahu begat Yekonyahu and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babel: 12 And after they were brought to Babel, Yekonyahu את (eth) begat She’altiy’el; and She’altiy’el begat Zerub¬bavel; 13 And Zerubbavel begat Aviyhud; and Aviyhud begat Elyaqiym; and Elyaqiym begat את (eth) Azzur; 14 And Azzur begat Tsadoq; and Tsadoq begat Yoqiym; and Yoqiym begat El’ayil; 15 And El’ayil begat El`azar; and El`azar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Ya`aqov; 16 And Ya`aqov begat Yoceph the father of Miryam, of whom was born YAHUSHA, who is called MASHIACH.
So we have conclusive evidence of the reckoning of the heritage of YAHUSHA being a Yahudi (Jewish) in the line of Perets, reckoned through the lineage of his mother. YAHUSHA is therefore reckoned in the line of David.
Next question: did he become a king? He most certainly did. Consider the presentation of YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH at the time of his death.
Yahuchanan (John) 19:13-20
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought YAHUSHA forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Ivriyt, Gabbatha. 14 And it was the preparation of the Pecach, and about the sixth hour: and he said unto the Yahudiym, Behold your King! 15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took YAHUSHA, and led him away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Ivriyt Gulgoleth: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and YAHUSHA in the midst. 19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, YAHUSHA OF NATSARIYTH THE KING OF THE YAHUDIYM. 20 This title then read many of the Yahudiym: for the place where YAHUSHA was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Ivriyt, and Yavaniy, and Latin.
יהושוע
הנצארי
ומלק
היהודים
(yod) YAHUSHUA (heh) HaNetzeri (vav) v’Malek (heh) H’Yahudiym
Of course, this became problematic when the acronym יהוה was revealed in this coronation. In this passage, expressed by the eye witness Yohuchanan, YAHUSHA is presented first to the leadership of the Yahudiym by Pilate saying “Behold! Your king!” After his presentment under the authority of Rome, and prior to his death, he is proclaimed in writing in the three official languages of the Empire that YAHUSHA was the king of the Yahudiym. This, therefore, became a reality as a matter of Roman law, and was therefore binding on all of the earth. The throne of David was then reinstated over the kingdom of Yahudah, but without the blood corruption of the line. More importantly for us who accept HAMASHIACH as the ben Elohiym, at the moment of his death He was proclaimed YAHUSHA YAHUAH. I will let that sit for a moment.
Now, consider that the phrase in Hebrew also reflects that in addition to being the one from Nazareth (Netzeroth – the city of branches), he is also declared to be the branch – Ha’Netzeri.
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 60:21
Your people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever, the Branch (ha’netzer) of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH – the BRANCH; the duly ordained and lawful king of the Yahudiym (malek ha’melekiym); there has never been another since his crowning.
So, to finalize this discussion, let’s take a look at the tsemach tsadiqa (the Branch of Righteousness):
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 33:11-13
The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise את (eth)-YAHUAH TSEVA’OT: for YAHUAH is good; for his mercy endures forever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of YAHUAH. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, says YAHUAH. 12 Thus says YAHUAH TSEVA’OT; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the Negev, and in the land of Binyamiyn, and in the places about Yerushalayim, and in the cities of Yahudah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that tells them, says YAHUAH. 14 Behold, the days come, says YAHUAH, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Yisra’el and to the house of Yahudah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of Righteousness (tsemach tsediqa) to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Yahudah be saved, and Yerushalayim shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, YAHUAH TSIDQENU.
These prophecies (save the first in the Psalm) all appear to relate to the second exodus! Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) brings the prophecy to bear for them that have escaped of Yisra’el! You recall that the MASHIACH’S call is to the lost sheep of the house of Yisra’el (Mattithyahu (Matt.) 15:24); and that the commission of the Talmidiym (Apostles) is to go to the lost sheep of the house of Yisra’el (Mattithyahu (Matt.) 10:6).
Yirmeyahu also tells us that his prophecy in Chapter 23 is directed to the house of Yisra’el out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
Bear in mind that the house of Yisra’el has not yet returned home. The birthright to the land was passed not to Yahudah, Leviy, or Benyamin, but to Ephrayim and Menasheh, the sons of Yoceph. The house of Yahudah, it is prophesied, will return first to dwell safely on the coastlands, but the land grant itself belongs to the birthright of Yisra’el in the hands of Ephrayim and Menasheh. See Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 48:15-22 and also:
Dvrei Hayamiym (I Chronicles) 5:1-2
NOW the sons of Re’uven the firstborn of Yisra’el, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Yoceph the son of Yisra’el: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. 2 For Yahudah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Yoceph’s:)
When we take a closer look at this idea of the branch we find that the tsemach tsediqa – the Branch of Righteousness, will grow up in David (a descendant of David), and shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. This good thing will happen for both the house of Yisra’el and the house of Yahudah.
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 33:14-15
Behold, the days come, says YAHUAH, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Yisra’el and to the house of Yahudah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of Righteousness (tsemach tsediqa) to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Yahudah be saved, and Yerushalayim shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, YAHUAH TSIDQENU.
YAHUAH TSIDQENU – YAH our righteousness.