Jacob blesses his sons before dying. What's the significance? (Gen 47:28-50:26)

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BenAvraham

Senior Member
Aug 30, 2015
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#1
PARASHA: “VaYechi” (and he lived) Genesis 47:28-50:26

In this we see Jacob (Israel) in his last days, he prepares to “go the way of all men” (As king David put it), Jacob is getting ready to die. He prepares himself, and makes sure that his sons and grandsons are blessed and they know what is ahead of them. A father's blessing to his children is very important.

We see that he lives 17 years in Egypt, and strangely enough, Yosef comes to Egypt at age 17! When we add up the two “17s” we get “34”, then adding 3+4 = 7, we are back to the number “7” which is God's number, Both Jacob and Joseph were in God's perfect will and HE fulfilled HIS perfect purpose through those men. Jacob lives 147 years. Those numbers and significant also. Jacob has “12” sons all together, the “founding fathers” of what and who are the Israelis, Israelites, Jewish people today. When we add up the numbers 1 +4+7 in the number 147, we get 1+4+7= “12”. To write the number 147 using Hebrew letters we would use a “Qoph” (Q or K) “mem” (M) and a “Zayin” (z) Qoph = 100, Mem = 40, Zayin = 7, how do these numbers tell us about Jacob/Israel?

Jacob/Israel was set side “Kadosh” for YHVH's special purpose, to bring forth a “multitude of people “mem” and this people, the Jewish people would have to “fight” (Zayin) for survival, “zayin = weapon”,” mem” = “multitude, water, or chaos”

Before he dies, Jacob blesses his 12 children and his 2 grandkids, and tells them about their futures, some are bleak, not so nice (one reaps what one sows). Each name of “b'nei Israel” (children of Israel) has a symbolic meaning, what does these names mean to us as “born again believers in Yeshua HaMashiach?” well, let's see;

RUEBEN (Re'eh) “to see”, SIMEON (Sh'ma) “to hear”, LEVI (lev=heart) “united, joined together” Y'HUDAH (contains the most sacred name of God, YHVH) “praise”, DAN “judge” , NAPHTALI “wrestling” GAD “a troop comes”, ASHER “blessed” , ISSACHAR “wages”, ZEBULUN “dwelling with husband”, YOSEF “YHVH will add a son” , BENJAMIN “son of the right hand” MANASSEH “forget my toil and my father's house” (pray 4 Zion, the significance of the twelve tribes of Israel).

One interesting note in the prophecy concerning Y’hudah is the verse; “The scepter shall not depart from Y’hudah, nor a scholar from among his descendants until Shiloh arrives and his will be an assemblage of nations” 49:10

Who is “Shiloh?” We can pretty much agree that it is Messiah Yeshua. Even Rashi and Onkelos render: “until the Messiah comes to whom the kingdom belongs.”

All nations of the world will be gathered unto Messiah Yeshua when he returns to reign 1000 years, we can also see that in gematria, the name “Shiloh” (Sheen, Yod, Lamed, Hey) sum 345. The words HaShem (a title for YHVH) also sums 345, and also “Moshe” sums the same. Of course, it does, since HaShem and Moshe contain the same letters. Moshe was a type of Mashiach who redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery, as Messiah Yeshua redeemed us all from slavery to sin. Also, with the name “Shiloh” we see “Yah” (Yod, Hey) which of course is the shortened form of YHVH.

There is one interesting thing about “Yosef” it is the blessing that Israel pronounces on his favorite son. It is found in Gen 49:22; “Yosef is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall” We wonder what could this mean? If we take some of these words in the original Hebrew, we see the words; “porat” which is a boy’s name in Israel, it means; “fruitful” from the verb “Parah” which means “to bear fruit” then we have the combined words “Alei-Ayin” which, when searched in the dictionary is very hard to find an exact meaning. But in Hebrew letters, it would be spelled out; “Ayin, Lamed, Yod (then a line connecting) Ayin, Yod, Nun. (On an eye, perhaps?) From the Hebrew Bible, it reads:

"Son of a fruitful vine is Yosef, Son of a fruitful vine is Yosef (says it twice) on an eye!" (then) "The daughters will go on along the wall"

In the basic Hebrew dictionary, I found two meanings for the word; Ayin, Lamed, Yod (Alei) one is “On” the other “Pestle” which is part of the flower. The word “Ayin” is “eye” what could we understand with this phrase? Perhaps something like “a bough that bears fruit on the eye, that goes “on” the wall, and then “over the wall” being watered by a spring. Here is one idea, we have to say; “an idea” because one can never be 100% certain of some meanings. What does the “eye” have to do with a plant? a bough? Tree? A pestle which is part of a flower which is part of a tree? Here's an idea. Some leaves from trees have the shape of eyes. A leaf is attached to the branch, and near the leaf comes fruit. The leaf provides food (through the sun) to the branch as well as through the roots (water) We need to be part of the branch, since the branch is connected to the root, and thus, we can produce "fruit" if the "eye" can symbolize a believer, as well as the branch.

Yosef will be “porat” fruitful, because of him bringing his family to Egypt, they “multiplied” in population in four-hundred years. The family began with 70 some persons, and left Egypt four-hundred and some years later with perhaps two-million! Now THAT is what I call being FRUITFUL (porat) The verse also says; “Ben Porat” or “son of fruitfulness” this is mentioned TWICE, before and after the name YOSEF. Could this mean a “double portion of fruitfulness?” again, we see 70 persons become two-million. Take even the sons of Yosef; Manasseh and Efraim, they became many and it is believed that the descendants of Efraim spread out to many nations, yet Israel claims his grandsons as “his own” meaning they are part of the 12 tribes, which is “Adat Yisrael” (Community of Israel) .

But what is a possible meaning of “Alei-Ayin?” perhaps we could say that the flowers that bloom on many trees have pestles, and the leaves, well, many are shaped like “eyes” and if the tree is connected to a spring/well of water, it will flourish. The letter “Ayin” in Hebrew symbolizes “sight” or “insight” if we take the two words “Alei-Ayin” and look at the meaning of the words from an ancient Hebrew perspective, we could see the following; “insight through instruction/direction is a done thing! (Alei) and “insight accomplished leads to life” (ayin). "Alei-Ayin" (on insight, on sight of)

What were the names of the two trees in the Garden of Eden? The Tree of Knowledge, and the Tree of Life! Is there a connection? If we, as descendants of perhaps Efraim, who descends from Yosef, if we adhere to the instruction of the Torah, we will be blessed with life, and life in abundance and we will be fruitful, not so much biologically, but in bringing “spiritual fruit” bringing others close to Messiah, through witness and teaching others HIS Word. We are then “B’nei Porat” (sons of fruitfulness) This is just an idea. We can think on this.

What do we see when we apply these meanings to our lives as “born again believers?” We can all SEE the changed lives, the miracles that have been done in believers' lives, and we HEAR of the faith of others who have been challenged by oppressive governments, we HEAR God's Word through SEEING the words in the Torah, and take them into our HEART, so that the words of Torah are JOINED TOGETHER to our lives, so that we may PRAISE the name of YHVH. We must all look at our lives and JUDGE ourselves in light of the scriptures, are we living the way YHVH wants us to live? We must judge ourselves, least we be judged, yet we will ALL incur JUDGMENT at the “Judgment seat of Messiah. Every day is a kind of “WRESTLING” match between our old nature and our renewed nature, the sinful flesh against our new “born again” selves.

PIC: "So, what's it going to be already? Heaven or Hell, Yeshua or the world? You can love them both. Make up your mind, don't be double-minded. We only have one life to live on this planet called earth. We are but sojourners, our real home is Heaven, that is if you have made the right choice. You know what that choice is!" (wise words from Mrs. Ben Avraham)


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Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
12,969
5,198
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#2
Good read thanks for posting I noticed this in revelation regarding the Lion of Judah there in jacobs blessings

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭49:8-12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I think the uniformity of Gods word is wonderfully amazing later we find out Jesus is of Judah’s tribe and the blessing of Judah was prophetic of Christ !!!