Back to Basics #10: BLESSINGS OF JACOB and MOSES

Notice that Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons first, then all 6 of wife Leah’s sons...and watch for the fulfilments of Genesis 49 & Deut 33, especially in End Times: 

Ephraim (double fruit) ‘shall become a multitude of nations’. Led the division of the nation of Israel, which will finally be healed. Ezekiel 37:16-22

Manasseh (causing to forget) Yup, easy to forget this seemingly insignificant older grandson whose tribe split in half, but... he gets recognised in every tribal blessing... even among the 144,000 witnesses!                                                                                                        

Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley (Manasseh territory) has seen enormous bloodshed and is where oil & gas is being searched for today. Winston Churchill: “Never in the field of human conflict have so many fought so often over so little space.”                                 Watch this space – Armageddon!

1. Lustful Reuben - ‘shall not excel’ yet ‘let him live and not die’.     Settled east of the Jordan and taken captive by Assyria
2. Cruel Simeon – ‘scattered’         Not blessed by Moses!                Warriors reduced by 63% after 38 years in wilderness
3. Cruel Levi – ‘scattered’    Never inherited Promised Land.         Dedicated to Levitical service after faithful response against idolatry at Mt. Sinai. Finally lived in 48 cities among other tribes. 
4. Judah the lion is praiseworthy.  “The sceptre 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”
5. Dan - the ‘snake in the grass’   Led Israel into idolatry           Passed over in the spiritual Chronicles and excluded from 144,000 witnesses. Possibly tribe of antichrist but a remnant will survive. 
6. Active Naphtali - uses beautiful words.  Galilee of nations will see a great light (Is 9) and produce 11 disciples/apostles. 
7. War-like Gad will be tramped by Assyria but... a remnant will triumph happy.
8. Asher will enjoy great food yet produce no judge, no hero but....there’s Anna.  No wonder Asher is happy – he gets his foot dipped in oil! Deut 33:24 The gas/oil fields
   under the Mediterranean are offshore from Haifa.
9. Both Issacher and...
10. Zebulun will dwell comfortably mixing with Gentiles.                         The home territory of Nazareth.
11. Fruitful Joseph – will enjoy ‘blessings of the deep that lies beneath’. Finally scores double blessing with Manasseh among 144,000 witnesses.
12. Ravenous Benjamin will nearly self-destroy but still enjoy shelter with Judah