Gen 38.1-30 will give us an eschatological picture of Yochanon Ha Matvil (John the Immerser) and Yeshua the Messiah. Judah has a son named Er married to Tamar, and he dies, leaving Tamar a widow. Judah’s next son Onan refuses to raise up offspring for Tamar, and he dies. Judah’s next son Shelah is too young to give to Tamar, but Judah never intends to give him to her anyway. So Tamar remains a widow. After about a year Judah’s wife dies, and after a period of mourning, Judah is going to go to his sheepshearers in Timnah, with his friend Hirah.
Tamar is told that Judah is going to Timnah, so she devises a plan. She removes her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat at the crossroad of Enaim on the road to Timnah. She saw that Shelah had grown up and Judah had no intention of giving him to her to raise up offspring. So, Judah doesn’t know it, but he is going to perform the “Yevom” or Levirate Marriage.
When Judah sees her he thinks she is a harlot because she had covered her face and did not recognize her. So he goes over to her and asks for her services. In return, she will get a kid from the flock. So she agrees, and Judah goes into her. Judah leaves his signet ring on a cord, and his staff as a pledge until he returns with the kid. Then she arose and departed and put on her widow’s garments, and when Judah sent the kid to her by his friend to her, he could not find her.
Three months goes by and Tamar has conceived and showing, that Judah was told that Tamar has played the harlot because she was regarded as engaged to Shelah and was now seen as an unfaithful wife. Judah has her judged and she is going to be put to death. But Tamar shows the signet ring on a cord, and the staff of Judah, and says whoever owns these is the father. Judah says that she is more righteous than he is because he did not give his son Shelah to her to raise up descendants for her dead husband Er. Now, here is the eschatological picture.
And when it came about at the time she was giving birth that there were twins. In Gen 25.24 with Jacob and Esau, the word “twins” is spelled defectively in Hebrew, but here with full letters because both will prove to be righteous, and one will be the ancestor of Yeshua. While she was giving birth, one put his hand out and the midwife took the hand and tied a scarlet thread, a type of the blood), on his hand saying, “This one came out first.”
But it came about as he drew his hand back, his brother came out. The midwife said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Peretz, which is related to the word, “poretz” meaning a breachmaker. Adam’s sin caused a breach, so he is a picture of Elijah/John the Immerser who will come and open up a breach, or door, before the Messiah comes, removong the stones that hinder repentance (Isa 40.3; 62.10; Mic 2.12-13).
Afterward, his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and he was named Zerach, meaning “dawning or rising (Mal 4.2; Luke 1.78, 2.34).” This word is related to “zeroach” meaning “arm” and these are terms for the Messiah. So what we have eschatologically is this. Adam’s sin caused a breach of sin, but the second Adam came and brought salvation. The name Zerach is related to “zeroah” meaning “arm” in Isa 53.1 where it says, “Who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm (zeroach) of the Lord been revealed.” So, “zeroach” is a term for the Messiah. Adam’s sin caused a breach, and the birth of Peretz alludes to John the Immerser. But then Yeshua the Messiah came with his own blood, seen as the scarlet thread on Zerach, and will bring redemption. This story tells us that the breachmaker “poretz” comes first and makes a path for the coming of the “zeroach” of the Lord who is the Messiah.
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