“I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jer. xxiii, 5, 6).
The correct rendering of this passage is as follows:
“I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby they shall call themselves: The Eternal is our righteousness.”
In order to make a Messianic prophecy of this passage and give it effect, no less than eight pieces of trickery are employed: 1. The word “branch” is made to begin with a capital letter. 2. The word “king” also begins with a capital. 3. “The name” is rendered “his name.” 4. The pronoun “they,” relating to the people of Judah and Israel, is changed to “he.” 5. The word “Eternal” is translated “Lord.” 6. “The Lord our righteousness” is printed in capitals. 7. In the table of contents at the head of the chapter are the words “Christ shall rule and save them.” 8. At the top of the page are the words “Christ promised.”
11.
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, ... until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. xlix, 10).
The meaning of Shiloh being somewhat obscure, it was made to apply to Christ. It is now known that Shiloh was the national sanctuary before the Jews occupied Jerusalem. A correct translation of the passage reads as follows:
“The pre-eminence shall not depart from Judah so long as the people resort to Shiloh; and the nations shall obey him.”
But even if the writer meant “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah until Christ comes,” as claimed, the prediction was not fulfilled; for the sceptre departed from Judah six hundred years before Christ came.