Rulership Not Lost. This calamitous end for the kingdom of Judah, however, did not mean that the scepter and commander’s staff had departed from the tribe for all time. According to Jacob’s deathbed prophecy, the tribe of Judah was to produce the permanent royal heir, Shiloh (meaning “He Whose It Is; He To Whom It Belongs”). (Ge 49:10) Appropriately, therefore, before the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah, Jehovah, through Ezekiel, directed these words to Zedekiah: “Remove the turban, and lift off the crown. This will not be the same. Put on high even what is low, and bring low even the high one. A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I shall make it. As for this also, it will certainly become no one’s until he comes who has the legal right, and I must give it to him.” (Eze 21:26, 27) The one having the legal right, as indicated by the angel Gabriel’s announcement to the virgin Jewess Mary some 600 years later, is none other than Jesus, the Son of God. (Lu 1:31-33) It is, therefore, fitting that Jesus Christ bears the title “the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah.”​—Re 5:5.

After the Exile. In 537 B.C.E., when Cyrus’ decree permitting the Israelites to return to the land of Judah and there rebuild the temple went into effect, apparently representatives from the various tribes came back to their homeland. (Ezr 1:1-4; Isa 11:11, 12) In fulfillment of Ezekiel 21:27, never did a king of the Davidic line administer the affairs of the repatriated people.