The 12/70 Principle Series Part 2-3

12 Names 12 Meanings

In order of their birth, here are the Children of Israel, the meaning of their names, which captivity they went in, the order of their encampment around the Tabernacle from E-N-W-S and the order they broke camp and marched out:

·        Reuben – Behold a Son – Assyria – 12 - 4

·        Simeon – Hear and Obey – Assyria/Babylon – 11 - 5

·        Levi – Joined – Assyria/Babylon – Tabernacle – between Zebulun and Reuben and between Gad and Ephraim

·        Judah – Praise YHWH – Babylon – 1 - 1

·        Zebulun – Dwelling – Assyria – 3 - 3

·        Issachar – Reward or Wages – Assyria – 2 - 2

·        Dan – Judge – Assyria – 4 - 10

·        Gad – Good Fortune, Troop – Assyria – 10 - 6

·        Asher – Happiness – Assyria – 5 - 11

·        Naphtali – Obtained by Wrestling – Assyria – 6 - 12

·        Joseph – May God Add – Assyria – 8/9 – 7/8

·        Ephraim – Doubly Fruitful – Assyria – 9 - 7

·        Manasseh – Causing to Forget – Assyria – 8 - 8

·        Benjamin – Son of my Right Hand – Assyria/Babylon – 7 – 9

The following is the list of Apostles, the meaning of their name, and their occupation prior to becoming a Talmidim (Disciple) of Yeshua:

·        Simon Peter – Hearing Rock – Fisherman

·        Andrew – Manliness – Fisherman

(Simon Peter and Andrew were brothers, nicknamed, “Sons of Thunder” Mark 3:17)

·        James son of Zebedee – Heel Catcher – Fisherman

·        John son of Zebedee – YHWH has been Gracious – Fisherman

(James and John were brothers. Peter, Andrew, James and John had a fishing company together Luke 5:10)

·        Phillip – Warrior - ?

·        Bartholomew/Nathaniel – Son of Tolmai – From Bethesda/Cana (John 21), “True Israelite”

(Phillip and Nathaniel may have been good friends or brothers)

·        Thomas Didymus – Twin (may have been a twin or some say he may have looked like Yeshua) - ?

·        Matthew Levi son of Alpheus – Gift of YHWH Joined – Tax Collector

(His Father may have been some sort of chief or communal leader no relation to James and Judas)

·        James son of Alpheus – Heel Catcher son of a Chief - ?

·        Judas/Thaddeus/Lebbaeus son of Alpheus – Praise God/Breast/Man of Heart son of a Chief - ?

(James and Judas were said to be twin brothers whose father may have been some sort of chief or leader of a clan or community)

·        Simeon the Zealot/Cannanite – Zealous Hearer from Cana – Revolutionary. Rumored to be the husband at the wedding at Cana where Yeshua preformed his first miracle. Possibly being a Canaanite could also indicate that he was a Black Hebrew.

·        Judas Iscariot – Praise God from Iscariot (Skaryora)- Revolutionary (committed suicide)

·        Matthias – Gift of YHWH – (replaced Judas Iscariot)

·        Saul/Paul - Demanded/Little – Tallit (prayer shawl/tent) Maker

24 Prophecies 12 Temperaments 12 Apostles for 12 Tribes

Now can the Jacobic and Mosaic prophecies regarding the Tribes and the personalities and position Apostles with regard to Yeshua indicate reasons for the possible pairing of Tribe with Apostle?

Gen. 49 and Deut. 33

·        Reuben – Unstable as water – Would survive and be many

·        Simeon – Would be scattered – No Mosaic prophecy given

·        Levi – Would be scattered – Would be mediator between God and the People

·        Judah – Would be many, victorious and would rule – The Tribes would be brought to him by their enemies

·        Zebulun – Would be a seamen – Would always be on the go abroad

·        Issachar – Would carry burdens – Would always tend to stay at home

·        Dan – Would be a judge – Would be like a lion cub

·        Gad – Would be a victorious troop in the end – Will be like a lion of victory, justice and expansion of territory

·        Asher – Would cater to royalty – Would be well liked and somewhat pampered

·        Naphtali – Would possess good oratory skills - Would have favor and possess the west and south

·        Joseph – Would be fruitful and multiply – Would have the blessings of the produce of the earth and of the flocks and herds and would cause others to be pushed out of their lands

·        Ephraim – Would be fruitful and multiply - Would have the blessings of the produce of the earth and of the flocks and herds and would cause others to be pushed out of their lands

·        Manasseh – Would be fruitful and multiply - Would have the blessings of the produce of the earth and of the flocks and herds and would cause others to be pushed out of their lands

·        Benjamin – Would be like a victorious wolf – Will have divine protection by the LORD

The Apostolic temperaments:

·        Simon Peter – Thought with his heart moreso than his head. Often got his foot stuck in his mouth. Rough around the edges

·        Andrew – Was rough around the edges like this brother Peter and was a hard worker, yet inquisitive (Mark 13)

·        James son of Zebedee – Was most likely passionate and fervent and was not called Sons of Thunder for nothing

·        John son of Zebedee – Was most likely passionate and fervent and was not called Sons of Thunder for nothing

·        Phillip – (Acts 8) A teacher, obedient, tolerant of other peoples and cultures

·        Bartholomew/Nathanial – (John 1:47) A true Israelite and guileless 

·        Thomas – Know for skepticism or we can say a critical and analytical mind

·        Matthew Levi – Was likely very tolerant and politically and business minded

·        James son of Alpheus – No much is known, but likely the opposite of his twin, laid back and easy going introvert

·        Judah/Thaddeus/Lebbaeus – By the names, was likely an extrovert, very outspoken, brave, passionate and compassionate

·        Simon the Zealot of Canaan – The name says it all, He was zealous, a “wanna conquer it all” kind of guy

·        Matthias – Likely humble, likely the opposite of Judas Iscariot

·        Saul/Paul – “Tough Love” may best describe Saul/Paul. He had top Hebrew education under the Famous Gamaliel and was well versed in Greek and Roman poets and philosophers and thus best suited to reach Jew and Gentile.

If we assume Yeshua chose 12 Apostles to be sent to the 12 Tribes, can we assume their order in Scripture can relate to the order of Israel’s encampment or marching orders. I will pair them by both methods. Let us also see if the Apostolic temperaments match the Tribes:

·        Simon Peter – Judah (Indeed he was considered the Apostle to the Jews and Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles) - Jews are passionate and stiff-necked and were known for reacting with their heart before their head.

·        Andrew – Issachar – Both were deemed hard workers

·        James son of Zebedee – Zebulun – Being like Thunder, thunder travels as Zebulun did by sea

·        John son of Zebedee – Dan and Reuben – Being a son of thunder has judgmental implications and haste which would produce a type of instability

·        Phillip – Asher and Simeon – Phillip being very accepting of others was called to deal with tribes of personas on both ends of the spectrum

·        Bartholomew/Nathanial – Naphtali and Gad – Both tribes have a trait of wanting a straight word and Nathaniel could deliver

·        Thomas – Benjamin and Ephraim – Benjamin being small and Ephraim being large you would need such an analytic person do wisely deal with the Napoleon complex of one and the big head of the other

·        Matthew Levi – Manasseh – An expanding tribe is like a corporation and needs a savvy business mind to effectively reach them

·        James son of Alpheus – Ephraim and Benjamin – One has to be laid back in order to deal egos that fell on both sides of this wide spectrum

·        Judah/Thaddeus/Lebbaeus – Gad and Dan -  A passionate man to reach passionate tribes

·        Simon the Zealot of Canaan – Simeon and Asher – The Zealot to reach Simeon and Sometimes opposites attract and one can learn from the other is the way upper crust Asher is humbled and reached

·        Matthias – Reuben and Naphtali – It takes a humble yet firm and accepting person to reach stubborn and erratic Reuben as well as to reach “were beautiful and we know it” Naphtali

·        Saul/Paul – Gentiles 70 Nations and Assimilated 12 Tribes – Well educated and flexible enough to reach everyone.

So we see amazingly the Apostolic personalities fit the Tribes.

We know Yeshua had 12 Talmidim (Disciples/Apostles) but out of the 12 He had an Inner Circle of Three; Peter, James and John the sons of Zebedee. Could these Three of Yeshua’s Inner Circle have any meaning regarding the Tribes they were to reach?

What does Peter and Judah, James and Zebulun and John, Dan and Reuben all have in common or make some sort of whole?

Judah is the principle and ruling tribe that all the others tribes are to acknowledge and be subservient to. Dan like Aaron to Moses would help Judah rule, Zebulun always abroad represents Judah sending out ambassadors to the Gentiles and Reuben who lost the elite family position due to his sin and rebellion represents the unstable, stiff-necked people of the Kingdom that must learn submission before the Gentiles Zebulun will bring back, comes.

Yeshua had many more than just the 12 Disciples as and Luke 6:17, 10:1 and John 4:1, 6:66 bears out. When he appointed the 12, he had to have more than 12 so as to hand pick from. From the verses cited above He at least had over 70 Disciples and perhaps this may symbolize the Gentile followers of Yeshua who assist the 12 in reaching and bringing back all of the Tribes to reunite with Judah. After all, in like manner the Rabbis believe that God told Moses to choose 70 elders to represent the 70 Gentile Nations. Thus Yeshua having 70 Disciples besides the 12!