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In this message we come to the last group of Jacob's twelve sons mentioned in his prophecy with blessing, the group composed of Joseph and Benjamin (Gen. 49:22-27). The twelve tribes of the sons of Jacob in the Old Testament are always grouped together. In Numbers 2 we see the arrangement of the twelve tribes around the tabernacle: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun on the east; Reuben, Simeon, and Gad on the south; Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin on the west; and Dan, Asher, and Naphtali on the north.
Among the twelve sons of Jacob, only three were types of Christ: Judah, Joseph, and Benjamin. Judah was a type of Christ as the overcoming victorious Lion. Joseph was a type of Christ as the beloved Son of the Father bringing all the riches to feed the world. Benjamin was a type of the ascended, exalted Christ. When he was born, his mother called him Benoni, which means "son of sorrow," but his father changed his name to Benjamin, which means "son of the right hand." Therefore, Judah, Joseph, and Benjamin typify Christ in a full way. Although Reuben was the firstborn, he lost the birthright because of his defilement. Hence, in God's administration, Judah took the lead. However, without Joseph and Benjamin, the history and significance of the twelve tribes of Jacob would have no conclusion. Joseph and Benjamin provide an adequate, full conclusion of the history of the twelve sons of Jacob.
The twelve sons of Jacob are a complete type of God's people, including all of us. We have seen that the history of God's people begins with sinners, for we were all sinners like Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. Reuben was full of lust, and Simeon and Levi were full of anger. Thus, the history of God's people began with sinners who were full of lust and anger. Then came Christ, typified by Judah. Later Naphtali appeared as a hind set loose and giving beautiful words. If the history of God's people ended with Naphtali, it would be good, but not adequate. For an adequate conclusion both Joseph and Benjamin are needed.
This history of God's people begins with sinners. Eventually these sinners are transformed into Levis with the priesthood and even into Judahs with the kingship. Then Naphtali, the resurrected Christ, brings forth beautiful words. This means that we once were Reubens and Simeons, but we need to be transformed into Levis, Judahs, and Naphtalis. Furthermore, we must go on to become Josephs and Benjamins.
Before we consider the significant aspects of Joseph and Benjamin, I wish to point out that Joseph and Benjamin, two sons born of one mother, Rachel, are two aspects of one person. When Jacob saw Rachel, he fell in love with her, and his heart was set on her. However, he did not firstly marry Rachel, but Leah, who brought forth six sons. Although children had also been born to the maids of Rachel and Leah, Rachel herself did not bear any children until ten sons had been born. Only then did Rachel give birth to Joseph, whose very name indicated that another was to be added. This signifies that in himself there was no completion with Joseph; there was the need of another part. Benjamin, therefore, was Joseph's completion. Thus, Joseph and Benjamin are one. If you read the Old Testament, you will see that it places Joseph and Benjamin together as a unit. Eventually, Joseph received the birthright and through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, inherited the double portion of the land. In this way Joseph became two tribes, the tribe of Ephraim and the tribe of Manasseh. Furthermore, the tribe of Manasseh received two portions of the land: one half of this tribe received land on the east of the Jordan River, and the other half received land on the west. Joseph and Benjamin are one. The fact that Joseph was the eleventh son and Benjamin, the twelfth indicates that they were close to each other in sequence. Thus, among the twelve sons, Joseph and Benjamin were the last pair. Later they became the three tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, which were encamped at the rear of God's dwelling place. Judah was the leading tribe in the front of the tabernacle, but Joseph was at the rear.
Let us now consider the significant aspects of this group. Joseph was very faithful, and he was absolutely victorious. According to the record of the Old Testament, Joseph was the first perfect person. No one who preceded him, including Noah, was perfect. But in Joseph we can find no fault; he was utterly perfect in his behavior. Joseph was perfect because he was altogether victorious. Furthermore, the Old Testament likens Joseph to an ox full of strength (Deut. 33:17, Heb.). He was not a fierce lion or a threatening wolf, but an ox full of strength. As an ox, Joseph had two horns: Ephraim and Manasseh. With these two horns Joseph will push the peoples together to the ends of the earth. This indicates that Joseph is strong in victory.
Joseph also trusted in God and believed in Him. Because Joseph was perfect and victorious, and because he trusted in God, God blessed him. No one in the Bible received a blessing greater than that given to Joseph. As we shall see, he was blessed with ten items in time and in space, with everything from eternity past to eternity future and from heaven to earth. Joseph received everything. The entire universe became a blessing to him.
Benjamin is described as a tearing wolf (49:27, Heb.). Also, God's dwelling place is with Benjamin (Deut. 33:12). Thus, Jacob's prophecy with blessing ends with the fullness of the universal blessing and with God's dwelling place. The end of Genesis 49 requires Revelation 21 and 22 for its complete development.
Genesis 49:22 says, "A son of a fruitful tree is Joseph, a son of a fruitful tree by a fountain; whose branches run over the wall" (Heb.). Firstly, Joseph is a son of a fruitful tree. This son is, of course, the bough of a tree. If Joseph is the bough, the son, then the fruitful tree must be Jacob. According to the record of the Bible, no one prior to Jacob had twelve sons. (Twelve is the number of eternal completion.) The fact that Jacob had twelve sons means that he was very fruitful. Jacob was the son of Isaac, and Isaac was the son of Abraham, the father of the called race. In the Bible God is called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Exo. 3:6; Matt. 22:32). This title is also the title of the Triune God. The God of Abraham refers to God the Father, the God of Isaac refers to God the Son, and the God of Jacob refers to God the Spirit. As we have pointed out, we should not consider Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as three persons, but as three aspects of one person. In like manner, the three of the Triune God are three in one. Jacob signifies the coming of the Spirit, the third of the Triune God. The Father was in the Son, and the Son became the Spirit. Thus, the Spirit is the issue of our God.
If we touch the spirit of the Bible, we shall see that, as a fruitful person, Jacob signifies the producing God. God is the fruitful tree. This is proved by the fifteenth chapter of John, where Christ says that He is the vine tree. Christ as the embodiment of God is the producing tree. Christ truly is fruitful. Here in Genesis 49 we see a son of this tree. The Son of God is the branching out of God. For this reason, in the Old Testament Christ is called the Branch (Jer. 23:5; Zech. 6:12). The Bible is deep, profound, and far beyond our understanding. On the one hand, the Bible says that Christ is a tree and, on the other hand, it says that He is the branch. Is He then the tree or the branch? He is both. As the embodiment of God, He is the tree, but as the branching out of God, He is the branch. Joseph, a type of Christ, was also the son of a fruitful tree, the branching out of God. Joseph was God's branching out. As we all know, the branch of a tree is part of the tree. Thus, Joseph, the son of Jacob, was part of Jacob, the fruitful father. Speaking typically, Joseph was Christ as the Son of God who was the branching out of the fruitful God.
Verse 22 says that Joseph is a son of a fruitful tree by a fountain. The fountain is God. The tree is God; the fountain is also God; everything is God. Jacob, a type of the fruitful tree, lived by God as the fountain. A tree requires water. If it has water, it will grow fruitfully. Jacob realized that all his fruitfulness came from God as the fountain. Here we are told that Joseph, as the son of Jacob, branches out all the riches of this tree that come from the fountain.
The son, the bough, of this fruitful tree has branches that run over the wall. Chapter forty-nine is filled with figurative speech. In verse 22 we have a garden, a wall, and a tree inside the wall. The bough of this tree has many branches, and these branches run over the wall. According to the figure, this means that Jacob was moving out beyond the wall. He was not limited to the good land, but he ran out over the wall to Egypt, spreading beyond the limits of the good land into another region. Today, Christ as the very Joseph within us is spreading over the restricting wall. The wall cannot restrict Joseph's spreading; it cannot limit the branching out of this bough. We have this Joseph within us. This means that we have Christ within us as today's Joseph. Our Joseph has many branches which are running over the wall. These branches run over all limitations, for example, the limitations of family, school, or the restrictions of the opposition. No matter how high the wall may be, Joseph's branches will run over it. No matter how high the opposing wall may be, the very Christ within us will run over the wall by means of the many branches.
Verse 23 says, "The archers have bitterly harassed him, and shot at him, and lay in wait for him" (Heb.). This refers to Joseph's suffering. His brothers were like archers who attacked him and shot arrows at him. When they were shepherding the flock of their father, Joseph was sent by their father to visit them, and they were actually lying in wait for him. When he came, they seized him.
However, Joseph's brothers did not gain the victory over him. Verse 24 says, "But his bow remained firm, and the arms of his hands were made strong and agile by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel)" (Heb.). Joseph's brothers were not victorious because Joseph's bow remained firm and the arms of his hands were made strong and agile by the mighty One of Jacob. This mighty One of Jacob was Jacob's shepherd and his stone. Jacob had a shepherd who took care of him, and he had a stone on which to stand. Both this Shepherd and this rock were the mighty One of Jacob. Joseph was made strong through this mighty One of his father.
The God of Joseph's father helped him and the all-sufficient One blessed him. Verse 25 says, "Even by the God of thy father, who helpeth thee; and by the All-sufficient, who blesseth thee" (Heb.). When we combine the blessings mentioned in 49:25-26 with those in Deuteronomy 33:13-16, we see that the blessings bestowed upon Joseph were of ten aspects. First, he was blessed with the precious things of heaven (Deut. 33:13). Certainly some of the blessings of the precious things of heaven should include rain and snow. Second, he was blessed with the dew. Third, he was blessed with the blessing of the deep that lies beneath. This refers to the springs, fountains, and waters underneath the earth. Fourth, he was blessed by the precious fruits brought forth by the sun (Deut. 33:14). After that, as the fifth blessing, he had the blessing of the precious things put forth by the moon. We need both the sun, which typifies Christ, and the moon, which typifies the church. Some fruits are brought forth by Christ, and some precious things are put forth by the church. All these were among the blessings bestowed upon Joseph. The sixth blessing Joseph received was the blessing of the best things of the ancient mountains, and the seventh was the precious things of the eternal hills (Deut. 33:15, Heb.). In all these blessings all of time and space is included. From ancient times to eternity, all of time is included, and from heaven to earth, including the deep under the earth, all of space is included. This indicates that all the good things in the universe have become blessings to Joseph. The eighth blessing includes the precious things of the earth and its fullness (Deut. 33:16). Certainly this must include minerals such as gold and silver. The ninth blessing is seen in Genesis 49:25: "Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb." The blessings of the womb are for begetting, and the blessings of the breasts are for nourishing. These refer to the producing of life. This is the only blessing that is of life. The tenth blessing is "the good will of him that dwelt in the bush" (Deut. 33:16). Later we shall see that the One who dwelt in the bush (Exo. 3:4) will dwell in the temple, in the church, and then in the New Jerusalem. All the bushes will be transformed into precious stones. Formerly, God dwelt among the bushes, but eventually He will dwell among the precious stones in the New Jerusalem. This is the very desire of God's heart, His good will. All these things are included in the universal blessing bestowed upon Joseph.
The greatest blessing is the dwelling of the One who dwelt in the bush. God's dwelling among us is the foremost blessing. Suppose your father gives you many things and then leaves you and goes away. This would not be very good. The Father has given us so much, but eventually He gives us His ultimate blessing --His dwelling. As we read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we see that God has given us many good things. But what God finally gives us is His dwelling.
All these blessings are Christ's inheritance. Hebrews 1:2 says that God has appointed Christ Heir of all things. All the good things throughout time and space are the inheritance of Christ. This is God's blessing to Christ. And we are Christ's partners participating in His inheritance. Joseph here represents Christ. All the blessings of the Father go to Him. In the New Testament we are told that all things have been given to the Son. These are the blessings in space, in time, and in life. All this is Christ's inheritance, and we, His partners, join Him to inherit all these blessings. It is not simply a matter of salvation or of the kingdom. All the things in time from ancient times to eternity, everything in space from heaven to underneath the earth, and all the producing and nourishing aspects of life are the blessings bestowed upon Christ.
This Christ was the One separate from His brothers (49:26). The Hebrew word rendered "separate" is also the word for Nazarite. According to Numbers 6, certain Israelite males were separated from the others to live absolutely for God. Joseph was such a one. He was the first Nazarite in the Bible, separate from his brothers, and Christ became the real Nazarite, separate from all the people. Thus, Joseph typified Christ as the Nazarite, the One who was separated from the common people to live wholly for God. This separated One has received the blessing of the whole universe. The universal blessing is bestowed upon the crown of the head of such a Nazarite.
Deuteronomy 33:17 says, "His majesty is like the firstborn of his ox, and his horns are like the horns of a wild ox: with them he shall push the peoples together to the ends of the earth: and these are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh" (Heb.). Joseph was strong, like the firstborn of the ox. This ox has two horns. One was Ephraim, and the other was Manasseh. With these two horns the ox pushes together the peoples to the ends of the earth. This also is a picture of Christ. Christ is a strong ox with two horns, pushing the peoples together as He desires. This will take place at the Lord's coming back. Today the peoples are scattered and spreading. But the day will come when Christ as the strong ox will push the peoples together. He may say, "Russians and other nations, don't spread yourselves out. I shall push you together to the ends of the earth." Remember, Genesis 49 is a prophetic record of the entire history of God's people, beginning with sinners and ending with the Christ who inherits all things and takes over the whole earth. Christ is not only fruitful, victorious, and blessed to the uttermost; He is also full of strength to push the peoples on earth according to His purpose.
For centuries, the Russians, inhabitants of a cold region, have been trying to spread to the south, to the Mediterranean Sea. When they tried to reach the Persian Gulf, the British fought them back. Then they built the Siberian railroad to the Far East in order to reach the sea, and after that they constructed the Manchurian railroad to the Pacific. But the British helped the Japanese to defeat them. Today the Russians are trying to penetrate the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. For this reason, Egypt is very important. The hidden intention of the Russians is to take over the good land, including Jerusalem. But eventually Christ, the strong ox, will come with two horns and push the Russians back to the northern region. He may say, "Russians, your destiny is to live in a cold region. Do not try to come down to the Mediterranean Sea, which is reserved eternally for My people." This strong ox will push back the Russians and other peoples to the uttermost. If you think I am speaking nonsense, I ask you to wait and see. Sooner or later, this will happen. The crucial center of international relations today is the Middle East, and many nations want to spread into that region. But Joseph, the strong ox, will come with the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh to push the peoples back to the ends of the earth. He may say, "Get away from the Mediterranean Sea. This region is for My people. You must not come here!"
Now we come to the two main points concerning Benjamin. Genesis 49:27 says, "Benjamin is a tearing wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and in the evening he shall divide the spoil" (Heb.). In Hebrew the word translated "tearing" means "to tear into pieces." For years I was troubled by the word "wolf" in this verse. Although a lion or a tiger seems positive, a wolf is not positive. However, Christ is not only the overcoming lion, but also the tearing wolf. Benjamin, a tearing wolf, is also a type of Christ. Therefore, the reference to a wolf here is positive, not negative. In the morning he will devour the prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoil, that is, prepare the spoil for the next morning's meal. This means that Christ is not only the overcoming One, but also the tearing One, the One who eats His enemy.
Speaking of Benjamin, Deuteronomy 33:12 says, "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders." The words "by him" indicate that Benjamin will be the Lord's neighbor. He will dwell next door to the Lord. Because he will dwell next door to the Lord, he will dwell in safety. Certainly anyone who dwells by the Lord will dwell in safety. This verse also says that the Lord will cover, overshadow, Benjamin all day long and even dwell between his shoulders. Here we need to point out that Jerusalem was not located in the territory of Judah, but in the territory of Benjamin (Judg. 1:21). If you consult a map, you will see that the territory of Benjamin lies with two shoulders toward the south and that between these two shoulders of Benjamin was Jerusalem, where the temple, the Lord's dwelling, was located.
The Lord's dwelling was a cover that overshadowed Benjamin all the day long, as the Lord will overshadow His people in eternity with His tabernacle (Rev. 7:15). Today the church as the Lord's dwelling is also a cover that overshadows the church people.
Among the twelve sons of Jacob, the first was a sinner, and the last became the dwelling of God. In Genesis chapter three we all were sinners, but at the end of the Bible, in Revelation 21 and 22, we all become Benjamin, the dwelling of God. This is the reason I said that, without Joseph and Benjamin, there would not be an adequate conclusion of the history of God's people. But with Joseph we see that Christ receives the all-inclusive blessing of the universe, and with Benjamin we see that God is dwelling among His chosen people. This is the New Jerusalem and the new heaven and new earth. The new heaven and new earth are the sphere in which every blessing is bestowed upon Christ. Everything in this new sphere will be part of the blessing granted to Christ, and within this sphere will be a certain place, the New Jerusalem, which will be God's eternal dwelling. All this is pictured by the lives of Joseph and Benjamin.
Today we are in the church life, and ultimately we shall be in the New Jerusalem. Do you know who will be there? Joseph and Benjamin. In the proper church life today there is no Reuben or Simeon. Eventually, in the church life there will be only Joseph and Benjamin, the blessing of the Lord and the dwelling of God. The time will come when the church will be just Joseph and Benjamin. The church will be under His blessing universally and it will be His dwelling. The conclusion of the entire Bible as the record of the history of God's people is the universal blessing and the eternal habitation of God. The new heaven and the new earth with the New Jerusalem portray the universal blessing inherited by Christ and God's habitation. We shall go all the way from Reuben to Benjamin, from sinners to God's habitation. Joseph is a sign of God's full blessing, and Benjamin is a sign of God's eternal dwelling. In the churches today we have a miniature of the things to come in the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem; for we are enjoying the foretaste of the full blessing, and we are God's dwelling. In a sense, we all are Josephs and Benjamins. We are a blessed people, and we are the dwelling of God. This is Joseph and Benjamin.
