Tag: 12 tribes

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Lifeline for the world: Blessings of Israel’s 12 tribes, Solomon and the 12 disciples (Genesis 49; 1Kings 2; John 13–17)

Lifeline for the world: Blessings of Israel's 12 tribes, King Solomon and 12 disciples (Genesis 49; 1Kings 2; John 13-17)

One of the key lessons from the blessings of the 12 founders of the tribes of Israel in Torah reading ויחי Vayechi (“he lived,” Gen. 47:28–50:26) is that ancestry doesn’t mean much if each generation doesn’t carry on the legacy handed down. We can learn from these blessings and from the final messages of King David for Solomon (1Kings 2:1–12) and of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) for the Twelve (John 13–17) what Heaven wants us to pass on to our children and to the world.

We all have to choose spiritually and physically (belief in action) to follow what is right to receive the blessings that God has for us to further the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

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Discussions Torah

Why character of Israel’s 12 tribes matters for the ‘end of days’ (Genesis 49)

When some learn about the connection between the 12 tribes of Israel and the “end of days,” they can obsess over finding out their modern identities and whether one is part of said tribe. Yet a more important lesson from the blessings for the 12 sons of Israel in the Torah passage ויחי Vayechi (“he lived,” Gen. 47:28–50:26) is the character of each of the peoples that are the sons’ legacy.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 28:10–32:2: Underestimating the strength of the ‘weak’

"Jacob's Dream" by William Blake, c. 1805
William Blake, "Jacob's Dream," Wikimedia Commons , c. 1805

When the righteous look like they are going to be beaten and overcome by evil, watch out. In the Torah passage Vayetze (“he went out,” Genesis 28:10-32:2), we encounter Ya’akov’s fleeing Eysau’s death threat to Laban’s house then fleeing death threats of his brothers-in-law. Truly, the party who appears to be weaker actually is stronger. Although we are surrounded by those who will call us fools because we believe in God, we will witness our vindication, just as Ya’akov did, if we are patient.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 7 — heart of God in the 12 offerings of the 12 tribes

This chapter gives us an example of unity and diversity. Each tribe had its function in regards to the dedication of the temple but each tribe was required to bring the exact same number of items in a set pattern over the course of 12 days. Within the tribe of Levi, each family had their functions and received different gifts to fulfill that function. Their individual functions did not dilute their unity as the people of Israel. All the tribes had to participate to accomplish the dedication of the altar.

This chapter is one of those chapters we read and question the modern day relevance. There’s lots of accounting in this chapter, giving an account of individual tribal offerings and adding them up overall. It also gives the names of individual tribal leaders we don’t know.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Matthew 24 — ‘appointed times’ provide a roadmap for the end of time

Sometimes we have an idea that the only purpose of prophesy is to predict the future. God is telling us, through a human agent, what He is doing. The true prophet is not guessing or extrapolating from context, he is simply stating a fact. Matthew 24, Revelation 6 and Revelation 12 show us how the “appointed times” are a roadmap for the end of time.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 44-45 — Yosef reveals the true selves of the brothers

Yosef’s (Joseph) scheme to discover how his brothers really felt about Benjamin (and by extension, himself) came to a head. The “revealer of what is concealed” forced his brothers to reveal their own secrets, not only to him but to their father.

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Discussions Torah

Rachel vs. Leah and the names of the 12 sons of Israel (Genesis 30)

Rachel v. Leah: The names of the 12 Sons of Israel

Rachel envied her sister, Leah, and Leah hated Rachel because Ya’akov (Jacob) loved her. The names of the his 12 sons reflect this tug of war between the sisters and contain prophecies to be fulfilled hundreds of years later.