What, exactly, were the blessings that Ephraim was promised by God?

Answer 1

Jacob, realizing he is about to die, gathers his 12 sons to receive a blessing.

But first, Jacob calls upon two of his grandchildren - Joseph's sons Ephraim and Menashe - to receive blessings. Why would Jacob place priority on blessing grandchildren over children?



There is further significance to Jacob's blessings.

One of the most beautiful customs in Jewish life is for parents to bless their children at the start of the Friday night Shabbat meal. Girls receive the blessing: "May God make you like the matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah." Boys, meanwhile, are blessed "to be like Ephraim and Menashe."

What happened to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?! Why were Ephraim and Menashe chosen instead as the subjects of this important tradition?

Ephraim and Menashe were the first set of Jewish brothers who did not fight. Abraham's two sons - Isaac and Ishmael - could not get along, and their disagreement forms the basis of the Arab-Israeli conflict until today. The next generation of Isaac's two sons - Jacob and Esav - were so contentious that Esav repeatedly sought to kill Jacob and instructed his descendants to do the same. And even the next generation of Jacob's sons sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt.

Ephraim and Menashe represent a break from this pattern. This explains why Jacob purposely switched his hands, blessing the younger Ephraim before the older Menashe. Jacob wished to emphasize the point that with these siblings, there is no rivalry. (See Genesis 48:13-14)

It is with this thought that parents bless their children today. For there is no greater blessing than peace among brothers. The words of King David ring true: "How good and pleasant is it for brothers to sit peacefully together." (Psalms 133:1)

This is the hope that God holds for all the Jewish people.

Answer 2

Hi Carol, great question, important question. The answer will boggle most people's mind. Hopefully people will follow these links and really study them with an open mind. This is one of the most important parts of the truth in learning about prophecy, it is actually a key that will enable you to understand prophecy better.

Ephraim and Manasseh were to become a Great Nation and a Company of Nations. Where in history do those nations appear?

http://www.britam.org/

http://www.originofnations.org/books,%20papers/index.htm


They are 2 of the 12 tribes in the 144,000 in Revelations (Joseph = Ephraim, Manasseh is listed) . Of of the original 12, Dan is not on the list. Dan is still a tribe of Israel making a total of 13 tribes.

Ephraim is constantly noted in prophecy. They are referred to as Israel and Joseph also.

After the reign of Solomon, the northern kingdom was led by Ephraim, hence the prophetic references to Israel and Ephraim are mostly interchangeable.

Why was there a blessing on these boys to begin with?

http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/jsceptre/jsceptre.html