Parashah 11: Vayigash (He approached)

Parashah 11: Vayigash (He approached) - Genesis 44:18 to 47:27

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): Ezekiel 37:15-28.
B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Acts 7:9-16

Summary & Overview

TORAH
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Genesis
Genesis
Genesis
Genesis
Genesis

44:18 | Judah Pleads for Benjamin's Release

45:1 | Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
46:1 | Jacob Brings His Whole Family to Egypt
46:28 | Jacob Settles in Goshen
47:13 | The Famine in Egypt

Last weeks Torah Portion ends on a very dark note where Benyamin is
detained by Joseph, and this portion starts with Judah approaching Joseph,
pleading for Benyamin. Two portions back we looked at the two prominent
characters, Joseph and Judah who played the main parts in the story of
redemption. Joseph and Judah fulfilled the functions of the Birthright that were
split between them; Judah received the role of the father, carrying the Seed of
Messiah as prophesied, and Joseph received the role of the Priest (through
Ephraim), responsible for the function to look after the health of the household
from a spiritual point of view. Together they fulfil the full role of the Birthright,
and becoming one is curtail for the final salvation and restoration of humanity.
This is prophesied in Eze 37 where these two will be reunited and become one
stick in the hand of Messiah, and this unity will happen through the final work of
Messiah Who will be King over the whole House of Israel and the world.

Benyamin's Righteousness
The name of this portion is vayigas sgn that
means, he approached, where Judah approached
Joseph because of Benyamin, his brother, after bing
accused of stealing the cup of Joseph. This word is
first found in Scripture where Abraham approached
(nagash) Elohim, pleading on behalf of Sodom,
saying; will you destroy the righteous with the
wicked. Reading this in this context with the Torah Portion, give us the idea that
Judah knew that he and his brothers are wicked and deserve to die, but
Benyamin was righteous, and do not deserve to be punished with them.
Q Why was Benyamin seen as righteous?
Spiritual Insight: He had the cup in his bag. Benyamin did not rely on his
own righteousness; his righteousness was given to him by Joseph, who
represented Messiah. Benyamin received the cup that saved him, because
he was related to Joseph, having the same mother Rachel, who birthed them
both. This is similar to the concept of having the same Spirit, and through
sharing the same Spirit, you become one.
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If Joseph depicts Messiah and He gave His Spirit to His followers, as

represented by Benyamin, then His Spirit is associated with the cup that
made Benyamin righteous and made him related to Messiah, being born of
the Spirit that is from Messiah.
Cup is the word geviya iybg that means, cup, bowl and to be convex
(rounded, curved). As a verb, it gives us the idea of curving or forming
something so that it can contain a liquid, in this case, a cup that holds
wine. It is a silver cup and silver represents the purification process
called holiness. This shows us that the Spirit curved Benyamin, and
made him rounded and hollow so that he could contain wine or
water. This attribute of becoming useful for a particular purpose made him
righteous. The silversmith (Spirit) formed Benyamin into a silver cup so that
he can be filled with wine and presented to the King. Relating this to the
dreams Joseph interpreted, confirms why the cup bearer was saved (righteous),
but the baker was not.
Spiritual Insight: The cupbearer did not manufacture anything, he just
presented the things the King already owned, His cup and His wine. The
Baker, on the other hand, was making something of himself to give to the
King. This is a picture of someone who tries to righteous through works,
manmade traditions worshipping and serving YHVH.
The other insight we can see from this is that Judah, just like Abraham, plays an
important part in the salvation of the righteous, in the time of judgement. How is
this? Judah carried the Seed of Messiah through their bloodline, and through
Messiah, all the nations of the world (depicted by his brothers) have a chance to
be saved if they are righteous like Lot. What was accounted for Lot as
righteousness? He heard the call to leave Sodom and to follow, and he
responded and was saved. Yshua gave the same call to leave your nets and
follow, we read about the same call in Revelation, leave Babylon (come out of
Her My people), and followThis is the call that Messiah is making to all the
nations, to leave the worldly things behind and follow Him.

The Whisper of Judah

When Judah approached Joseph, he said he would like to speak a word in
Josephs ears. This is an interesting way of approaching an authority figure,
making a petition in a time of distress. It was as if Judah wanted to whisper in
Josephs ear.
Q - Where do we see something similar when two brothers met?
It was at the time of Jacobs trouble when Jacob approached the leader of the
400 men (Esau) and Esau kissed him in the neck. As discussed earlier, this is a
prophetic picture, pointing to a time prior to Messiahs second coming, where
there is a time of distress (tribulation). This links to the prophetic context of this
Torah Portion, where Joseph (Messiah) will meet His brothers and reveal
Himself to them as Messiah, during a time of distress. We saw the same action
between Jacob and Esau, coming close for an embrace, prophetically indicating
the reuniting of the two sticks.

Eze 37:15-17 Again the word of YHVH came to me, saying, 16 As for
you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: For Judah and
for the children of Israel, his companions. Then take another stick and
write on it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of
Israel, his companions. 17 Then join them one to another for yourself into
one stick, and they will become one in your hand.
In the time of Jacob, the reuniting of the brothers are associated with a kiss and
bite marks in the neck, but here, the brothers met with a whisper in the ear of
Joseph, an area very close to the neck. Remember this is a very tense moment
for Judah and his brothers.
Ear is the word ozen ]za that comes from the root word azan, that means to
give ear and to listen. This word is first found in Scripture in Gen 4:23
where Lamech confessed to his two wives that he killed a man just like
Cain did. Lamech said that Cain would be avenged seven times if
someone killed him, but he would be avenged seventy times seven
(490).
Q - Is this related to the counting of seven seven-year periods that
equals 49 years (Jubilee)?
The answer is yes, because every Hebrew number in multiples of ten, share the
same meaning. For example; 1 has the same meaning as 10, 100 and 1000. In
the same way is 49 related to 490, linking these two thoughts. Lamech was the
6th descendant of Cain and Lamech killed someone by accident (some say it is
his son Tubalcain, skilled in creating art effects and weapons in brass and iron).
Prophetic Application: The murder of Abel was the first great sin committed
outside of the Garden. YHVH placed a mark upon Cain to show that Cain
was not to be touched or killed for the sin he committed, making this mark a
covering that protected and preserved Cain.
Q What is the significance of Lamechs relation to Cain?
The answer is found in this passage where Lamech will be avenged, 490
times. This shows that Lamech will be covered for the sin he committed, just
as Cain was, until the time associated with 490 or 49, that is the time of the
Jubilee. Jubilee is the celebration that fall on every 50th year and is the time
all slaves are set free, all debt are cancelled, and everyone who lost their
land, could receive it back.
The time of Jacobs Trouble reveals the same prophetic pattern as the time of
Judas whisper and Lamechs covering. All of this points to the
end time where Messiah will be revealed, at the time of a
Jubilee, where captives will be set free, all debts (sin) will be
forgiven, and the people will return to the Land they lost.
The same mark that was on Cain also came on Lamech, six
generations after, making Lamech the seventh generation after
Cain. This prophetically points to 6000 years, leading to the
seventh Millennium, at the the time of Jubilee, having the
mark that covers, until Messiah reveals Himself to man.

This connects the two prophetic pictures; the Kiss of Esau and the whisper
of Judah, pointing to the same event called the Tribulation, where Messiah
will be revealed to His brothers (Jews) and to the world.

Judahs Righteousness
We read in Gen 44:9 that Josephs brothers said that the
one that has the silver cup must die, and they will become
his servants. The cup was found in Binyamins bag and
Judah pleaded for Benyamins life, explaining why
Benyamin had to live and return to his land, because of
their father, Jacob. Judah uses a fascinating way to
describe the bond between Jacob and Benyamin; he used
the phrase nephesh kosher nephesh, that means his soul is s bound up with
the lads soul.
Nephesh is the part of the human soul that relates to the physical. Kosher

rsq means to bind tightly together. Kosher is also found in a previous Torah
Portion where we saw the scarlet thread bound on the hand of Tamars son,
Zerah. His hand came out first at the birth of her twin sons.
From a Hebraic perspective, looking at the Hebrew poetry, connecting the
thoughts of Zerah and the binding of the scarlet thread, and the thought of the
bond between Jacob and Benyamin during this stressful situation.
There were two stressful situations; the first was where Tamar had a traumatic
experience giving birth, and Benyamin experienced the traumatic situation being
falsely accused, facing death. Tamar gave birth to twins, Zerah (shining) and
Pehrets (breach). This confirms the traumatic experience she had if Pehrets /
Perez was a breach baby. This would have placed great risk to her and the
babys lives and could even led to the death of Perez or the mother. This links
Benyamin to Pehrets and not Zerah, both facing a traumatic, life-threatening
event.
Not only that, Benyamin means son of my sorrow, the name was given by his
mother Rachel, just before she died giving birth to him. This implies that
Benyamin was a breach baby as well, (pehrets), that led to her death. Perez,
the son of Judah, became the line through which king David was born, nine
generations later, who became the line through which Messiah was promised.
Benyamin also means son of my right hand, is the name his father Jacob gave
him and the death or Rachel, made the bond between them even stronger.
Tamar nearly lost Perez at birth, and this would have brought a strong bond
between her and Perez, similar to the bond between Benyamin and Jacob. This
links Jacob and Tamar, both having strong bonds with their children. What is
interesting is that Judah was the father of Perez, and he interceded for
Benyamin as if it was his own son. This situation created a strong bond between
Judah and Benyamin and it is as if the bond between Jacob and Benyamin now
formed between these two brothers.
We previously discussed Benyamins righteousness and here we see a picture
of Judahs righteousness, interceding for his brother Benyamin for the sake of
his father Jacob. Judahs selfless act is driven by the love for his father.
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The old Judah would have handed Benyamin over to the Egyptians, just like he
did with his brother Joseph. This shows that Judah reprinted and became
selfless, willing to put his neck on the line for someone else. This is one of the
characteristics of Messiah he demonstrated and was accounted to him as
righteousness.
Spiritual Insight: Judah (the Jews) are going through difficult times so that
the old Judah can die and the new Judah can be formed and shaped. Their
righteousness is based on the love they have for the Father and their
willingness to intercede for Benyamin (the nations), because they realise the
strong bond between YHVH and the nations. Their downfall is their selfish
faith, thinking that they have a special relationship with YHVH and no other
nation have the right to become part of the Household of YHVH. As seen
here, this attitude will change as YHVH expose them to times of distress,
especially the Great Tribulation, so that they can repent and see Messiah.
The day they open up their hearts to the nations, that is the day Messiah will
be revealed to them.

The Smell of Suffering

Judah begged Joseph to make him a slave and let Benyamin go. We must be
selfless as well as wise. The brothers nearly killed their father, whom they loved
dearly, in their attempt to get rid of Joseph. Judah understood the impact this
would have on their father and he decided rather to become a slave, than to see
their father suffer all over again. Judah loved his father more than his own
freedom. He probably thought back at the time when they sold their brother
Joseph as a slave, and he was willing to pay a similar price.
Suffering is underrated in the good that it does, and
overrated in the pain involved. It takes time and suffering
to bring change in peoples lives and looking at Joseph;
he suffered the most of all his brothers. This suffering
changed Joseph, and this change led him to be elevated
above the situation that formed him. This caused Joseph
to forgive his brothers because the love he had for them
was greater than his power and authority he had, that
could be used to destroy them.
Smyrna is one of the 7 Assemblies mentioned in Revelation chapter 3 and they
were the only church who did not receive a reproof because they were the
Assembly that was persecuted the most and experienced the greatest suffering
of all the others. Smyrna comes from the word that means myrrh, and myrrh
only produces a sweet smell when it is crushed.
Spiritual Insight: When suffering comes, it is not always the Devil that is out
there to get you, it is YHVH in disguise, shaping you for a great future, being
part of His Plan. In this story, we never heard Satan mentioned even once.
Do not give glory to Satan when things go bad, rather see YHVH behind the
situation because He is ultimately in control of your life and everything in this
world. Give glory to Him in your suffering because He is closer than you think.
The One with all the power chooses to forgive rather than to revenge Himself,
and this is motivated by love.
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This is why Yshua is able to forgive us, not because we are great and
wonderful, but because of the love He has for us. He loves us more than His
suffering and all the evil that has been done to Him.
Rom 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we
know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character;
and character, hope.

Joseph Reveals Himself

After Judah had spoken to Joseph, Joseph could
contain himself anymore and revealed himself to his
brothers. Judahs act of mercy and selflessness moved
Joseph, and these are the same things that move
YHVH. Show mercy and act selfless, and you will see
YHVH reveal Himself to you.
Gen 45:1-5 Then Joseph could not refrain
himself before all them that stood by him; and he
cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with
him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept
aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph
said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his
brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And
they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into
Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that
you sold me hither: for Elohim did send me before you to preserve life.
Everybody was sent out of the room except his brothers before Joseph revealed
himself to his family. He told his brothers not to be angry with themselves; he
knew what they did, and they knew it all the better and repented. Joseph told
them that it was all YHVHs plan to save them.
At the right time, Yshua will one day reveal Himself to His brothers, and they
will have a flashback through history and understand exactly why they had to go
through the things they did as a nation. It will be like an instant understanding
and revelation of His Salvation plan and how they all played a part in it. YHVH
closed their eyes so that the nations can come in.
Rom 11:7-10 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the
elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:
God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear, To this very day. 9 And David says:
Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a
recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.
Psa 69:22-23 Let their table become a snare before them, and their
well-being a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
Isaiah 29:10 For YHVH has poured out on you. The spirit of deep sleep,
and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your
heads, namely, the seers.
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The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is
sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, Read this,
please. And he says, I cannot, for it is sealed.
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Q What book is sealed and which prophecy are they not able to see because of
their blindness?
It is the prophecy recorded in Daniel chapter 12, and this prophecy will be sealed
till the time of the end, where many will go back and forth, and knowledge will
increase.
Q When will the eyes of Judah (Jews) be opened?
This is prophesied in the Book of Zec 12 that leads to Zec 14, that foretell the
time of judgement and the second work of Messiah, prior to the restoration of His
House on the Mountain of YHVH.
Zec 12:10-14 And I will pour on the house of David and on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they
will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one
mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a
firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like
the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land
shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by
itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by
itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by
itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and
their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by
itself, and their wives by themselves.
All the generations mentioned here; the house of David, of Nathan, of Levi and
of Shimei, they all will see the Messiah. The name that not seems to fit is Shimei
because he was only mentioned in the Book of Samuel and never again. Shimei
was a Benjaminite, related to king Saul, who went out cursing and throwing
stones and David and his men (2 Sam 16:5-13). Later on in 2 Sam 19:16-23,
Shimei fell before king David and repented of his previous actions. King David
forgave him and spared his life (saved him). This is a perfect example of those
who rejected Messiah the first time, being blinded, and their eyes will be
opened. When they see Him, they will fall to the ground, just like Simei and
repent before the King they cursed and rejected. Then King Messiah will spare
their lives and save them.
Zec 13:1-6 In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David
and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. 2 It
shall be in that day, says YHVH of hosts, that I will cut off the names of
the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will
also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. 3 It
shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and
mother who begot him will say to him, You shall not live, because you
have spoken lies in the name of YHVH. And his father and mother who
begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. 4 And it shall be
in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he
prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. 5 But he
will say, I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep
cattle from my youth.
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6 And

one will say to him, What are these wounds in your hands? Then he
will answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
This prophecy refers back to the One Who was called a prophet, but He wanted
to keep it a secret. In the end, His mother and father, the ones who gave Him
life, pierced and killed Him, accusing Him of being a false prophet. This is a
prophecy of Messiah who will be pierced by His mother and father?
Q Who was His mother and father?
Zec 12:12-13 gives us the answer; He came from the household of Nathan
(mother) and the household of Levi (father). Nathan was the son of David, who
became the bloodline of Messiah. Nathan is next mentioned in Luke 3:23-38,
giving the genealogy of Messiah Yshua. The genealogy starts with God
(interesting beginning), and 34 generations later list David, Solomon and
Nathan. Thereafter came 40 generations in between David to Joseph. This
genealogy differs from the one recorded in Matthew and is said to be the
genealogy of Miriam (Mary) and not Joseph.
Q Why was Joseph mentioned instead of Miriam (Mary)?
The reason Mary is not implicitly mentioned by name is because the ancient
Hebrews never permitted the name of a woman to enter the genealogical tables,
thus listing Joseph, Yshuas adoption father, instead of His mother Mary.
A fascinating thing about this is that Nathan was last mentioned in Scripture in
Zec 12, and the next time in Luke, revealing Yshuas genealogy. This links
Nathan to the bloodline of Messiah and not Solomon his brother, as mentioned
in Matthews genealogy, that was Josephs bloodline.
Q - Why do you think Nathan is mentioned in Zec 12 for the last time in the
TaNaK?
Prophetic Application: The prophecy in Zec 12 continues into Zec 13, that
talks about the prophet they accused to be false, Who were pierced by His
mother and father. Nathan being mentioned in Zec 12:12, relates to the
Prophets mother and the descendants of Nathan, who are the tribe of Judah,
fulfilling the prophecy that Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah, who
were known as Jews.
The father is referred to by Zec 12:13 where it mention the descendants of
Levi. The Levites, in the time of Yshua, were the spiritual fathers called the
Pharisees, who accused Him of being a false prophet. They did not have the
authority to kill Him and handed Him over to the Roman authorities to be
executed on their behalf. The Roman authorities did not find grounds to
execute Him, and they gave the decision over to the Jewish people in order to
keep the peace. The Jewish people had the option who they want to execute
and who they want to set free, they chose Yshua to be executed. With this
Zec 12 is fulfilled where the Prophet is pierced by His mother (Jews / Nathan)
and by His father (Pharisees / Levi).
The house of David was also mentioned in Zec 12:12, and David includes
both sons, Nathan and Solomon, that represented the majority of the Jews of
that time, being the mother that pierced the Prophet Who is Messiah.
Nathans and Solomons descendants eyes will be opened, and they all will
see whom they pierced, similar to the time when Joseph revealed himself to
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his brothers. They will all ask; What are these wounds in your hands? Then
he will answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

Genealogy Confusion
Truth should always be confirmed by two or more witnesses and the two
genealogies listed in the Matthew and Luke, are two different genealogies, not
confirming the same, and cannot be used to convince anyone that Yshua is the
Messiah. What is valuable regarding these listings is that it was relevant for the
people living in Yshuas time, who could actually confirm if it was true, we
cannot because we do not have access to Mary and her family to confirm this.
My take on it is that they required that evidence to convince them of Messiah,
and they probably had access to this information. We have the prophets and the
actions of Yshua recorded in the Berit Chadashah (NT) and this is the
information we have to confirm that Yshua is the Messiah.
Anything can be used to prove the Messiah if you want to prove it and on the
same token can anything be used to disproof the Messiah, if you want to
disprove it. The key is balanced truth and to look at the whole picture to see if it
is true and if the truth can defend itself without your help. The question I have is
why are there prophecies that says that Israels eyes will be blinded, not to see
Messiah and are these prophecies fulfilled or not? This is even in the prophetic
picture of Joseph and his brothers. We should take everything into
consideration, not just a one-sided view to prove a point, but have a holistic view
of all the prophecies to seek the balanced truth regarding Messiah.

Elevation of Man
Gen 45:9 Hurry, and go up to my father, and say unto him, This is what
your son Joseph says, God has made me lord of all Egypt: come down
unto me, tarry not:
After Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he told them to go and bring their
father to Egypt. We find an interesting choice of words used in the two phrases
go up to my father and come down to me, that highlights something
interesting. We will now take a closer look to see what is hidden below the
surface.
Go up is the word alah hli that means to elevate or
ascend, and in this context means, to ascend to the
father. Alah is first found in Scripture in Gen 2:6 in the
context of the creation of man, where a mist went up and
came down to water the whole earth. We see the
principle of going up and then come down. (We
previously looked at this concept in Parashah 7 p.12,
where we looked at the angels ascending, depicting
Messiah).
Q Where else have we seen something that went up and then came down?
It was with Jacobs dream where the angels first went up and then came down
in the ladder that extended from the earth up to heaven. Reading Gen 45:9 in a
spiritual sense, we see that we go up is to the Father to get closer to Him, and
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the water (mist) is coming down to earth, releasing its essence of life. The water
represents the Word of YHVH that came down from the Father; that is Messiah
Who reveals His Word of YHVH to man. He is our Mediator, releasing the
essence of life to us that originates from the Father.
Come down is the word yarad dry that means to descend, fell, sank, light off
(darkness), mostly negative meanings. This shows us that Israels relocation to
Egypt will cause them to go down, causing their downfall, as shown in history
where they became slaves in Egypt. In saying this, it was still YHVHs will for
them to come down to Egypt in order to multiply and become a nation in the
melting pot of Egypt. This would make them one or echad through suffering, as
we previously saw in the meaning of Smyrna, the only Assembly that was
persecuted. They are an example what YHVH wants His people to be like and
they were formed through suffering. Having something in common with
someone else makes you one with them. Having the same faith is good, but
sharing the same sufferings makes this bond even stronger, nephesh kosher
nephesh.
Yarad is first found in Scripture in Gen 11:5, where YHVH came down to see
what the children of man are doing, when they build the Tower of Babel. A tower
is a symbol of pride and to come down is a sign of humility, a sign that those
who are arrogant, will be humbled by the One coming down, the One Who
humbled Himself (Messiah). Remember, everywhere YHVH was in contact with
man, it was through Messiah, Who is the Mediator. He is the holy Arm of
YHVH Who access into this world because man would not be able to stand in
the presence of YHVHs holiness.
Q Do we (man) need a tower to ascend, to draw closer to YHVH?
Man created various towers throughout history and still do, trying to reach
YHVH. They do this as mechanisms to seek to elevate themselves to become
like YHVH, not to meet with Him and have a relationship with Him necessarily.
This is the first lie the Serpent told man, saying;you shall be as Elohim
(gods)
This deception has reached our generation where there are teachers today,
preaching from the mouth of the Serpent, saying that we will become gods.
Watch out for these teachers and associated teachings that bend YHVHs Word
to deceive the elect. The fruit of these teachings are, that man will be elevated,
will be royalty, will be rich. Them serving God is actually all about them, having
their best lives now. They live purpose driven lives, not being led by YHVHs
Spirit and lusts after things of the flesh and the world. They seek after a greater
anointing through alternative ways. They even lay on the graves of deceased
saints in order to receive the anointing of those men and women, instead of
getting it from the source of life, that is YHVHs Spirit.
This is called grave sucking or mantle grabbing
and many believers fall into this trap seeking a greater
anointing, a greater manifestation and greater power
of the Holy Spirit. These are doctrines of demons
and deceiving spirits that lead people to be filled with
a false spirit thy call holy. Do not be ignorant and do
not climb up this tower man created because YHVH
will come down to see what you are doing and He will
not be pleased.
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Changing Garments
Gen 45:22 He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of
garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of
silver and five changes of garments.
Q - Joseph gave all his brothers new garments, why?
Spiritual Insight: The first mention of someone receiving
clothing from someone else is in Gen 3:21 where YHVH gave
Adam and Eve garments to cover their nakedness after they
sinned. It was as if YHVH wanted to cover them as a sign to
extend grace to them. In the same way is Joseph, representing
Messiah, extending grace and covering to His brothers after they repented.
These new garments covered their sin, and they did not revisit the past and
held grudges. This is why we need to forgive one another and cover each
others sin (nackedmness), not revisiting the past or reveal your neighbour's
sin to others.
The other insight we glean from this is that the object that caused jealousy in
the first place, Josephs coat of many colours, (long coat), is the very thing
that is given to them as a gift, similar to the gift Joseph received from his
father.
Q What do these garments represent?
Isa 69:10 I will rejoice greatly in YHVH, My soul will exult in my
Elohim; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has
wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself
with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Rev 19:8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and
clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
A Garment is like a skin, and your skin is the border of your body that can be
seen by other people, in other words, your actions are revealed through your
body and your body is covered by skin that is covered by your clothing. This
gives a garment two functions; it shows or represents your actions and covers
your nakedness or sin. The Garment YHVH gives us is a Garment that is based
on His Word. As you align your actions with His Word, you symbolically put on
the garment. When someone then looks at you, then they see your actions
communicating YHVHs Word, without you saying anything.
This garment Messiah (Joseph) gives you, is called a robe of righteousness. If
you put it on, then you are forgiven and covered just like Adam and Eve. If you
refuse to put on Messiah, or His Word, then you are not covered by the
Garment of Salvation in the time of His judgement. The issue is that you
cannot rely on your own ability to do His Word 100%, creating your own garment
of salvation (like the baker), that is why we need His Garment, that is perfect
and provides the necessary covering. This is why you cannot be saved by your
own skin (own righteousness) but need His Robe of Righteousness and a
Garment of Salvation.
Q What else does a Garment represent?

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The garment represents the mantel or the anointing, that

is your appointment, to fulfil a particular function or
functions in the Household of YHVH. Joseph received a
special garment that made his brothers jealous, but this
mantle or anointing led to their salvation at the end. In the
same way, should we not become jealous of each others
giftings or mantels, but learn to work with one another to
maintain all the functions required in the Household of
YHVH or Body of Messiah.
We sometimes see someone whom YHVH anointed and long to walk in the
same anointing that might cause disappointment and even envy. This was the
case with Benyamin receiving five times more than his brothers. This means
that he received five talents instead of only one or two and had a greater
responsibility. Our job is to know which talents or garments YHVH gave us, and
make sure we wear them all, so that there will be fruit that comes from the
anointing He trusted each and every one with.

Benyamin, son of My Right Hand

We have looked at the prophetic symbolism of who
Joseph is and who the Brothers are, but we never
looked at who Benyamin represent. Remember that
Benyamin was the focus of most of the tests Joseph
gave his brothers, and he is very significant in the
reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers.
Q Who does Benyamin represent prophetically?
Benyamin means son of my right hand, that name was given to Benyamin by
his father. We have previously learned that Messiah is called the Holy Arm of
YHVH (Isa 52:10 Parashah 7, P.12), and that the hand is an extension of the
Arm, Who is Messiah. This means that Benyamin, being the right hand of the
Father, is functioning in relation to the Holy Arm of the Father, Who is Messiah,
making them similar in nature and function relating to the work of Messiah.
Benyamin represents believers who embrace the whole of Scripture, just like
Messiah (He is the Word) and they believe that Yshua is the Messiah, fulfilling
the 62-week prophecy. They began in the first century as Jews who recognised
that Yshua as the Messiah and later extended out, including Gentile believers,
as the message of Messiah and the Gospel reached the nations through Pauls
ministry. Some do not realise that Paul was from the tribe of Benyamin (Phil 3:5)
confirming this prophetic symbolism revealed in the time of Joseph through
Benyamin. Benyamin received 5 times greater portion of food as well as 5 times
more garments than his brothers as well as a cup, that was thought of like a cup
of divination.
Q - What do these symbols represent?
Food, in a spiritual sense, always represents the Word
of YHVH and is given to man as part of YHVHs
Restoration Plan of which salvation, is contained in the
first work of Messiah. This is beautifully portrayed by
Josephs life, no question.
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Benyamin received more food or more revelation regarding the Work of

Messiah, in order to function in the same role as the first Work of Messiah;
extending salvation to the rest of the world. This is also captured in the life of
Joseph, where He was a great leader in Egypt providing food to the nations.
This is why believers depicted by Benyamin, have the fullness of the Truth,
including the Torah and the Festivals, that allows them to be equipped for this
task being the right hand.
Garments, as discussed earlier, garments represent the
anointing and the appointment that equips believers to
have different gifts, allowing them to represent Messiah as
a collective Body. Remember Judah (Jews) and the rest of
his brothers only receive a fifth of the food and the
garments. At the end, this will provoke Israel (Judah / Jews)
to jealousy, and this will be one of the necessary steps that
must happen before their eyes to be opened.
Rom 11:10-11 Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their
backs be bent forever. 11 I ask then, did they stumble so as to lose their
share? Absolutely not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has
come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.
This is why believers like Benyamin, celebrate the Festivals and study the
Torah, eating the same food as their brother Judah, that allows them to
potentially sit at the same table. If you reject these things (food), then you cave
nothing in common and how will Judah be provoked to jealousy and see
Messiah?
The Cup generally contains wine that was presented to the King, in
reference to the dream. Wine is mentioned in the prophecy given to
Judah by his father Jacob, before he died.
Gen 49:10-11 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. 11 Binding his
donkey to the vine, And his donkeys colt to the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood
of grapes.
This makes the connection between wine and blood that is in
context with Judah, a donkey and a vine. Evidence is found in the
Deas Sea Scroll 4Q372 (c. 200 BCE), regarding Messiah ben Joseph, also
known as the suffering Servant. This Scroll describes features a suffering,
righteous Joseph king-figure, who cries out to YHVH in his death-throes as My
father, citing the suffering-messiah Psalms 89 and 22, and predicts that he will
arise again to do justice and righteousness.
In the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 98b Menahem ben Hezekiah is also mentioned
along with a list of other names of the Messiah suggested by different rabbis. Again
he is not referred to directly as the Messiah ben Joseph. Menahems name translates
as the Comforter. The Rabbis also called the Messiah the leper scholar, using a pun
related to a disciple of Rabbi Judah haNasi who was smitten by leperosy. The passage
states that he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him a
leper smitten by G-d.
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Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 52a records of a dispute between Rabbi Dosa ben
Harkinas and other unnamed rabbis. Rabbi Dosa takes Zechariah 12:10 to apply to
the mourning for Messiah ben Joseph, while the rabbis think the mourning is for the
evil inclination. The talmudic redactor sides with Rabbi Dosa: the mourning is for
Messiah ben Joseph. (Mourning the Evil Inclination, he adds, would be absurd.) It
then speaks of how Messiah ben Joseph's death frightens Messiah ben David, so that
he urgently prays for his life to be spared.
The Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 5:2 also mentions Messiah ben Joseph.
Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 52b presents the Four Craftsmen. Each may have a role
to play in the ushering in the messianic age they are listed as Elijah, Messiah ben
David, Righteous Priest and Messiah ben Joseph.
We see evidence from the great Rabbis throughout history, that Messiah ben
Joseph is known as the Comforter, the One Who died and carried our grief and
our sorrows. Messiah ben Joseph is also the One Who will come as one of the
four craftsman Who will usher in the Messianic age. These include the
Righteous Priest (as discussed in Parashah Taldot p.9), Messiah ben David,
referring to His second work as a builder of Jerusalem and King over the whole
earth (Zec 14:8-11), and Elijah, the one who will come prior to the Messiah (Mal
4:5).
The cup holding the wine is symbolic of the Blood of
Messiah ben Joseph, revealing His death and
resurrection, as symbolised by the dream of the wine
bearer, who was thrown in jail and released three days
later. The cup contains wine that is related to the Vine,
Who is Messiah. His followers are part of the Vine and
bear fruit that is used to make wine; that is presented
back to the King.
John 15:5-6 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who
remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you
can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that
is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into
the fire, and burned.
These fruits are known as the fruit of the Spirit that is a result of the Gifts of the
Spirit. Everything we do that is by the Will of the Father, are the fruits that will be
used to create wine to glorify and bless the Father with. This wine does not
come from you; His Spirit provides you with the fruit, and you are a branch who
receive your life essence from the Vine, Who is Messiah. Just like the wine
bearer presented nothing of himself unto the King, that made him righteous, so
will you be declared righteous when you present His wine that comes from His
fruit that is sustained by His Vine (Word).
If you chose not to be part of the Vine, then you are like the baker, baking bread
that lacks the fruit of the Spirit and the Vine, having only the Word or Torah, and
without the Spirit, is a dead letter that kills.

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