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2. Vayechi Vayechi “and he lived” Genesis 47:28 – 50:26 Luke 4:31 – 5:11
The 12th Torah Portion Reading
12th reading in the Book of Genesis
Last reading in the Book of Genesis
Genesis 47:28 – 50:26
1 Kings 2:1-12
Luke 4:31 – 5:11

3. The Shadows of the Messiah
Vayechi
The Shadows of the Messiah
Titles of Messiah
• Lion of the Tribe of Judah - Revelation 5:5
• The Scepter (Shevet) - Genesis 49:10
• Iron Scepter (Rod of Iron) - Psalm 2:9
• The Ruler's Staff - Genesis 49: 10
• Shiloh - Genesis 49:10
• He Who Comes Riding on a Donkey-Zechariah 9:9
• Salvation - Genesis 49:18

4. The Shadows of the Messiah
Vayechi
The Shadows of the Messiah
Titles of Messiah
• Hope of Israel- Genesis 49:18
• The Shepherd - Genesis 49:24
• The Stone of Israel- Genesis 49:24
• The One distinguished among his brothers -
Genesis 49:25
• Nazirite - Genesis 49:25

5. Jacob Lived
Genesis 47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the length Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years.
The final Torah portion from Genesis begins with the words "Jacob lived," but the contents of the parashah tell about Jacob's death. This portion deals with Jacob passing the inheritance, blessing. and covenant continuity to his sons, the sons of Israel. The sons of Israel the man, the sons of Israel the nation. In Shadows of the Messiah, with Jacob's blessings over his sons Judah and Joseph because those prophecies have the most direct bearing on Messiah in the Torah.

6. The Last Days
Genesis 49: 1 Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.
Jacob assembled his sons to give them his parting blessings, just as his grandfather Abraham blessed Isaac and Isaac blessed Jacob. In the Torah, blessings have prophetic significance. They contain more than just well wishes. They speak of prophetic destinies.
When Jacob assembled his sons to bless them before his death, he promised to reveal "what will befall you in the days to come." The Hebrew behind the phrase "days to come" (acharit hayamim) also translates as "last days." Jacob's prophecies stretched all the way through the history of Israel and into the last days.
As Jacob looked into the future to bless his sons regarding their tribal destinies, he sought insights into the coming of the Messiah and the final redemption, as he says, "For Your salvation (yeshu'ah), I wait O LORD" (Genesis 49:18). Although he poured out his most lavish blessing over his favored son, Joseph, the prophetic Spirit also compelled him to give the authority of kingship to his son Judah. The blessings over Judah and Joseph require detailed attention because they concern Messiah.

7. The Confession of His Brothers
Genesis 49:8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you.
Jacob prophesied over his son Judah, saying, "Your brothers shall praise you." Jacob meant, “They will praise you because all Israel will be called Jews after your name. Furthermore, from you will come King Messiah who will redeem Israel, speedily in our days.”
The Hebrew verb yadah , translated here as "praise," can also mean "to give thanks" or "to confess.“ It denotes the utterance of a statement that might be a confession of sin, a confession of thanksgiving, a confession of praise, or some other verbal admission. Therefore, the passage could be translated as "Judah, your brothers shall confess you." In the most literal sense, the statement implies that the other tribes will acknowledge the headship of the tribe of Judah. The prophecy came to pass in the days of King David. Under the leadership of the Davidic house, the tribe of Judah ascended to a position of prominence over the tribes.
In the future, the house of David will rise again with the coming of Messiah son of David. He will stand at the head of the tribe of Judah. His brothers, the Jewish people, will acknowledge Him and confess Him. In that day, "every tongue will confess thatYeshua Messiah is Lord" (Philippians 2:11). Then Jacob's prophecy will find its complete fulfillment, as the Torah says, "Your brothers shall confess you“ (Genesis 49:8): "Not only his brothers will acknowledge his kingship, but the rest of the nations will also acknowledge him."

8. Prevailing Over His enemies
Genesis 49:8 Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.
Jacob assured Judah that his descendants would prevail over their enemies. Again, the prophecy looks toward the Davidic monarchy for its fulfillment. Through the conquests of David, the tribe of Judah put down the enemies of Israel on every side.
In the future the tribe of Judah will again prevail over its enemies. Messiah son of David will fight on Israel's behalf and defeat her enemies in the great war of Gog and Magog, as described in Ezekiel and Zechariah 14. Those prophecies depict a confederation of nations assembling to make war on the people of Israel in the latter days. God intervenes, comes to the assistance of His people, and destroys the invading armies. The victory over Gog and Magog initiates the Messianic Era:

9. His Father’s Sons
Genesis 49:8 Your father's sons shall bow down to you.
When Isaac blessed Jacob, he said to him, "May your mother's sons bow down to you" (Genesis 27:29).
When Jacob passed this blessing on to Judah, however, he said, "Your father's sons shall bow down to you."
Why did Jacob deviate from his father's blessing? Why didn't he say, "May your mother's sons bow down before you"?
The sages explain that since Isaac had only one wife, he could say, "May your mother's sons bow down before you."
Since Jacob had four wives, the term "your mother's sons" would not include all of his children. In order to ensure that he included all the children of Israel, he said, "Your father's sons shall bow down to you." Jacob carefully worded the blessing to make all Israel subject to Judah.
In the future all Israel will bow before Messiah, the king who will rise from the tribe of Judah. All the Jewish people will submit to Him, as Paul says, "All Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26). All the children of His heavenly Father will bow down to Him: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). Through faith in Yeshua, we are all sons and daughters of His Father, and we bow before Yeshua in adoration and awe.

10. Lion of Judah
Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up?
Jacob compared the future victory and ascension of Judah to a lion resting after a kill. He compared Judah's enemies to the lion's slain prey. A parallel prophecy in the Torah says the lion "will not lie down until it devours the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain" (Numbers 23:24). Like a sleeping lion, satisfied after the kill, Judah will be at peace. Just as the surviving animals would never dare to rouse the slumbering lion, neither will any of the surviving nations dare to challenge Judah again.
King David and his son Solomon prefigure the wars of Messiah followed by the peace of the Messianic Era. The lion-prophecies also speak of the time of peace that will come after the wars of Messiah. The Messiah son of David will defeat the enemies of Israel and usher in an era of peace during which no nation will dare rise up against Israel. The people of Israel will enjoy a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity-
the Messianic Kingdom.

11. The Sleeping Lion
The prophet Balaam echoed the messianic Iion prophecies. Compare these two seemingly identical passages, one from this parashah, the other from the book of Numbers:
He couches, he lies down (ravatz) as a lion, and
as a lion, who dares rouse him up? Genesis 49:9
He couches, he lies down (shachav) as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him? Numbers 24:9
The two verses appear identical in English, but the underlying Hebrew words translated as "he lies down" are different. In Genesis 49:9, the Torah uses the word ravatz, a word that might indicate lying down, but more likely indicates that the lion is crouching, alert and ready to pounce. In Numbers 24:9, the Torah uses the word shachav, a word that definitely means the lion is lying down to relax.

12. The Tearing of My Son
Genesis 49:9 From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
The Hebrew of Genesis 49:9 provides another hint about the Messiah. The Hebrew words, which the NASB translates as "from the prey, my son, you have gone up," could also be translated as "From the tearing, my son, you have ascended.“
The Midrash Rabbah reads it this way, suggesting that Jacob alluded to the tearing of his son Joseph. This reading suggests a relationship between the suffering and death of Messiah son of Joseph and the triumph of Messiah son of David.
Yeshua is the Son who has ascended from the tearing when He rose from the dead after His scourging and crucifixion. He ascended to the heavens, as Jacob said, "From the tearing, my son, you have ascended!“

13. The Scepter
Genesis 49:10 The scepter 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.
Jacob prophesied that the monarchy would arise from the line of Judah. The words, "the scepter shall not depart from Judah," refer to the kingship. The scepter represents the monarch's authority. The Hebrew word for "scepter," shevet , has two meanings. The word shevet commonly denotes a staff, a rod, or some striking implement, but Biblical Hebrew also uses it as the word for "tribe." The double meaning of the word works in the prophecy to imply that the royal tribal status will not depart from the tribe of Judah.
The term “scepter” refers to their tribal identity and the right to apply and enforce Mosaic Laws and adjudicate capital offenses: jus gladii.
After the death of Herod (4 B.C.?), Archelaus had been placed over Judea as “Entharch” by Caesar Augustus. Broadly rejected, he was removed in A.D He was replaced by a Roman procurator named Caponius. The legal power of the Sanhedrin was immediately restricted and the adjudication of capital cases was lost. There have been many meanings given to the word however the most appropriate, explanation is that Shiloh is another name for the Messiah. When the power was restricted they could no longer use capitol punishment. And they ripped their clothes, and through ashes on themselves because the power had been taken away and Shiloh had not come. They didn’t realize that at this time he had come, Yeshua had been born and had come into the world.

14. Your Rod and Your Staff
Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted ofthe earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod (shevet) of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
On the strength of these prophecies, we can read the "rod of iron" as a title for Messiah denoting His authority over the nations. When used in this sense, the word shevet implies a cudgel for smiting, an instrument of punishment and retribution. Similarly, in Psalm 89:32, the LORD declares of the wicked, "I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes." In the Proverbs, the shevet is used as a switch for the correction of fools and unruly children.
In Psalm 23, the shevet of the good shepherd comforts his flock. The shepherd uses his shevet to drive off predators: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod (shevet) and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).

15. The Obedience of the Peoples
Genesis 49:10 To him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him" (Matthew 25:31-32). To Him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Until that day, He is the hopeful expectation of the nations, as Isaiah says, "And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His Torah" (Isaiah 42:4).

16. The Donkey and the Vine
Genesis 49: 11 He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine.
He washes his garments in wine.
His robes in the blood of grapes.
As Jacob continued to bless his son Judah, he prophesied, "He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine." The blessing infers agricultural prosperity in that the grapevines will be hardy and thick enough to serve as a hitching post.
The wine will be in such abundance that it will be as common as laundry water: "He washes his garments in wine." These prophecies pertain to the miraculous fertility of the Messianic Age and the abundant wine of the kingdom. The prophecy about using wine for laundry water can be compared to the prophecy about the streets of gold in New Jerusalem which is to say that gold will be as common as pavement.
The image of Yeshua with His garments washed in wine and His robes washed in the blood of grapes has several parallels. Joseph's brothers dipped his robe in blood. Isaiah depicts the Messiah coming forth from Edom with "apparel red, and ... garments like the one who treads in the wine press" (Isaiah 63:2). The book ofRevelation envisions Messiah "clothed with a robe dipped in blood" (Revelation 19:13) .

17. Waiting for Salvation Genesis 49:18 For your salvation I wait, 0 LORD.
Jacob exclaimed, "For your salvation (yeshu'ah) I wait, 0 LORD." The name Yeshua means "salvation.“ The sages understood Jacob's exclamation to reflect his longing for Messiah, the true judge of Israel and ultimate salvation. The daily prayer for the coming of Messiah borrows language from Jacob's expression. Observant Jews pray the blessing three times a day. Notice how the name of Messiah finds its way into the blessing:
Cause the branch of your servant David to blossom forth speedily, and lift up his horn through your salvation (yeshu'ah), for we await your salvation (yeshu'ah) every day. Blessed are you LORD, who causes the horn of salvation (yeshu'ah) to blossom forth. (Shemoneh Esrei 15)
We should not consider our wait for Messiah as a passive waiting, as if we were simply passing time at the bus stop while waiting for the bus to arrive. We ache for His coming and His appearing. Our hearts break with the anticipation.

18. He Fruitful Bough
Genesis 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; its branches run over a wall.
Jacob reserved his most lavish blessings for his favorite son, Joseph. Just as the blessings over Judah prophetically hint toward Messiah son of David, the blessings over Joseph prophetically hint toward Messiah son of Joseph. As disciples of Yeshua of Nazareth, we believe that our Master bears both messianic titles, reconciling the two distinct roles through His first appearing and His second coming.
"A fruitful son, a fruitful son by a spring." The repetition of the words, "fruitful son” allude to Joseph's son Ephraim, a name which means "double fruitful."

19. The Pierced One
Genesis 49: The archers bitterly attacked him, and shot at him and harassed him. But his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob.
Zechariah 12:10 …and they shall look upon
me whom they have pierced…..,
Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
Jacob alluded to the treacheries and assaults that Joseph endured from his brothers and the Egyptians, comparing those attacks to arrows shot at Joseph. The Targum paraphrases, "They spoke against him with the slanderous tongue which is sharp as arrows." The piercing arrows of the archers prophetically allude to the suffering Messiah son of Joseph, "whom they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10); "He was pierced through for our transgressions" (Isaiah 53:5).
The Targum paraphrases the words, "his bow remained firm," to refer to Joseph's fortitude in the face of temptation: "He would not yield to sin; he subdued his inclinations ... thus he became worthy of being a ruler." Though faced with temptations, our Master did not sin, even in His hour of suffering, and He became worthy of exaltation.

20. Shepherd and Stone
Genesis 49:24 From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.
In his blessings over Joseph, Jacob refers to the LORD as "the Shepherd, the Stone ofIsrael." The rabbis interpreted
these titles as references to Messiah:
According to Rabbi Levi ben Gersonides (Ralbag), Genesis 49:24 alludes to Messiah son of Joseph. Ralbag explains that the Messiah son of Joseph will be "the Shepherd" and "the Stone of Israel.“
These interpretations agree with numerous New Testament passages that identify Yeshua as the good shepherd of Israel and the stone of Zion, which the builders rejected.

21. Blessings Above and Below
Genesis 49:25 From the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath.
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
Jacob blessed Joseph with agricultural prosperity in the form of adequate water from dew and rain (i.e., "blessings from heaven above") and water from springs {i.e., "blessings of the deep that lies beneath")
Our Master descended from heavens above and rose from the deep that lies beneath. Dew of heaven symbolizes resurrection. God keeps a supply of dew in the heavens above "wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead."Isaiah 26:19.
Jacob blessed Joseph with fertility in "blessings of the breasts and of the womb." In regard to Messiah, this blessing alludes to the miraculous fertility of the Messianic Era, but it also hints about His mother. The Targum paraphrases, "The breasts at which you suckled are blessed and the womb in which you did lie." Compare Luke 11:27, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed." Elizabeth the mother of John said to Mary, "Blessed are
you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42). Mary herself said, "Behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed“ (Luke 1:48).

22. Ends of the Earth
Genesis 49:26 The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors, up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
Jacob boasted that the blessings he bestowed upon Joseph surpassed those delivered by Abraham and Isaac and extended beyond all boundaries, even "up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills." That is to say, the blessings over Joseph extend to the ends of the earth. The scope of the blessing prophetically alludes to the Messianic Kingdom which will extend the sovereignty of King Messiah across the whole earth. Then Messiah will fulfill the words spoken to
Abraham, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 22:18).

23. The Nazirite
Genesis 49:26 May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.
Jacob blessed Joseph, saying, "May [the blessings] be ... on the crown of the head of the [Nazirite] among his brothers." The NASB does not literally render the Hebrew word nazir as "Nazirite." Instead it translates the passage to say, "the one distinguished (nazir) among his brothers" (Genesis 49:26).
Likewise, Yeshua told His disciples, "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom“ (Matthew 26:29). This is a Nazirite Vow, the Master has tasted no wine while separated from His disciples and His brethren, and He will not taste wine again until He is reunited with us, His disciples.

24. Genesis
Written
on an Egg

25. Revelation 7 Judah Praise the Lord,
Reuben He has looked on my affliction (and)
Gad granted good fortune.
Asher Happy am I,
Napthali my wrestling
Manasseh has made me forget my sorrow.
Simeon God hears me;
Levi has joined me,
Issachar purchased me, (and)
Zebulun exalted me (by)
Joseph adding to me
Benjamin the Son of His right hand.

26. The Signature
The Blessings are being used as a type or foretelling of the story of the Messiah. The prophetic story that some is yet to be fulfilled.