Ephraim

by Brad Scott

The Word of God never ceases to amaze me with the awesome detail and planning of the God of Israel. From the very beginning, YHVH has planted the seeds (pun intended) of prophecy. God knew from the beginning that one of the sons of Joseph would symbolize, in every minute detail, the prophetic destiny of the house of Israel and their companions prophesied in Yechezeq’el (Ezekiel) chapter 37.

YHVH painted this picture in the very first chapter of Bere’shiyt (Genesis). Ephraim, one of the sons of Joseph, was prophesied by his grandfather Ya'aqov (Jacob) to produce multitudes of people as was his great-great grandfather Abraham. The basis for this prophecy is found buried in his name, Ephraim. The word ephraim and the person Ephraim both would later prophetically represent the house of Joseph and the house of Israel by the prophets (Hoshea (Hosea) 6:10, 11:8; Yechezeq’el 37:19). Ephraim is from the hebrew root periy (פרי). The literal and symbolic use of this word is given to us in Bere’shiyt:

Bere’shiyt 1:12And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

The prophetic destiny of Ephraim is rooted in the teaching of seeds and fruit. God foreknew that those who would follow him, no matter homeborn or stranger, would be those who have received the seed of the woman and produce fruit. The closest cognate to this word is the word parach (פרח), which means to blossom or flourish. The appearance of the fruitful is side by side with the righteous. The presence of this clear teaching is prolific in scripture.

Bere’shiyt (Genesis) 41:52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Mizemor (Psalm) 92:12The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Mishlei (Proverbs) 11:28He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 27:6He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

Yeshua‘ consistently refers to this fruit producing person in the New Testament. It could be because the same God wrote and designed both covenants.

Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Mattityahu 12:33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Yehudah (Jude) 12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Those who produce the fruit of God in the beginning are the same as those who produce fruit in the end, for there is only one seed.

Shalom Alecheim! ◊