PROPHECY OF THE BRANCH

WHAT IS PROPHECY?

A prophecy is a divinely inspired utterance, revelation or interpretation of divine will concerning the prophets, people or nation, social world and event to come or a prediction of the future, by the unction of the Holy Spirit.

WHAT DOES THE BRANCH REPRESENT?

Branch referred to here as a double title of Messiah that is encountered elsewhere in the Old Testament. At times it is spoken of as the “root of Jesse” which simply refers to, “An individual human king from the line of David’s father,” and hence by virtue of its context to a future Davidic king. Others still regard it as “Jesse Tree” which refers to; “A shoot coming out from the stump of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots. Jesse was the father of David, Israel’s greatest king. And Jesus is the descended from the line of David. He is the branch God promised would grow from Jesse’s family tree. Prophet Isaiah wrote, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountains, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious”(Isa. 11:1-10).

 PROPHECY OF THE BRANCH

“In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth” (Jer.33:15). One of the Messianic figures of salvation encountered in the Old Testament is “a Branch of righteousness.” Isaiah refers to a Branch who will save and purify a remnant people and make them holy; “In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped.  And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy- everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem” (Isa. 4:2, 3). Prophet Jeremiah relates the Branch figure to the covenant with David; “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will established his kingdom” (2 Sam. 7:12). He is called the righteous Branch because, as King, He will perform justice and righteousness in His coming kingdom. In the seventy-week prophecy, Daniel also describes the Messiah as the one who will bring in everlasting righteousness; “Seventy weeks are determined for Your people and for Your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty –two weeks; the streets shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, the end of it shall be with a flood, and until the end of the war desolations are determined” (Dan. 9:24-26). The Messiah is prefigured not only in His kingship, but also as a priest whose work will be to “build the temple of the Lord” (Zech. 6:12-13), “Then speak to him saying, “Thus say the Lord of host 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.”  As our priest Christ atones for our sins, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in My God for He has removes our filthy garments, and clothes us with garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isa. 61:10). The believer to whom the righteousness of Christ is now imputed, looks forward to Christ second coming, for, “new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13). 

 

JEREMIAH’S BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

“Behold the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth” (Jer. 23:5).Jeremiah includes a message of hope in his book. God would not forget His people, for a remnant would be spared, and after an exile of seventy years will be gathered back. God would fulfill His promise to David by raising up a righteous Branch, and at that time He would establish a new everlasting covenant. So certain was Jeremiah of God’s restoration that in Judah’s darkest hour, he purchased a property in Anathoth. The last word of God is always one of hope, forgiveness and restoration.

Zechariah’ prophecy concerning the Branch: “Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you for they are a wondrous sign; for behold, I am bringing My Servant the BRANCH.  For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold I will engrave its inscription,’ Says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree’” (Zech. 3:8-10).

Jesus Christ is God’s Anointed One, the Son of David and the “Root” or “Stem of Jesse”, the “Branch” who functions as Prophet when He speaks God’s word, as priest when He sacrifices Himself and as King when He rules. He is called a Prophet who fulfilled God’s promises of a Prophet, “Then those men when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This truly the Prophet who is to come to the world.” Therefore when Jesus preserved that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to a mountain by Himself alone” (Jn.6:14-15); also, “Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet” (Jn. 7:40). Paul the Apostle would quote Moses’ prophecy regarding the Branch thus, “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, “The Lord Your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear” (Act 7:37).

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be upon you all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”