Shiloh Gathering Every Year
What Is the History and Meaning of the Word Shiloh?
The word Shiloh is used 32 times in the Old Testament to refer to a location—a city and one other time to refer to the Messiah. The first mention of Shiloh is found in Genesis 49:10 as Jacob is giving blessings to each of his sons. When he blesses Judah on his deathbed he says: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Here, Jacob is referring to a person—the person who would bring peace and tranquility.
If you ask most people about Shiloh, you’ll likely get blank stares. Some will point out Angelina Jolie’s child. Some will reference the actor Shiloh Fernandez. Others will reference the Civil War Battle in Tennessee. Music buffs might mention a Neil Diamond song. But Christians need to understand that Shiloh is a parable about our spiritual lives.
Shiloh is a person, place, and promise with Biblical roots. It has significant Biblical history that has gone largely unnoticed for hundreds of years until recently because people in Israel are divided between preserving history and paving a road over the location. Why is this important and what should Christians know about Shiloh in the Bible?
Shiloh as a Promise
Here, the name Shiloh would have derived from shālâ, “to be at ease,” and would mean something like “the peace-giver.” However, a great linguistic debate continues to this day about the precise meaning as others believe it may actually mean, “the rightful Messiah,” or “the Messiah of righteousness”. Ezekiel 21:27 echoes the meaning of Genesis 49:10 too. Those who read Genesis assumed that royal power belonged forever to the house of David which was the tribe of Judah—the tribe Jesus descended from.
Worshippers At the Shiloh's Altar
