In the Hebrew language the word Jacob or Yachov as it is pronounced has several derivatives with slightly differing meanings, the one that relates to Jacob here means usurper or supplanter. The original meaning how ever, with all its derivatives and variants in the Hebrew is exceptionally interesting and incredibly colourful. It is deep and rich with meaning, so let me attempt to give some clarity and back ground to it.
I believe the first time the word is used, is when in Genesis chapter three verse fifteen, where Satan tempts and beguiles Eve causing her first, then Adam second to fall from Gods grace by their sin and disobedience. The greatest sin demonstrated here, is the issue that covers all sin great and small, which is the foundation of all sin “INDEPENDENCE” from God." You can be as God himself’ so you don’t actually need him at all." In this setting in the garden, God comes down, and as a result places restrictions and penalties in four separate instances. He metes out judgement on man, on woman, on the earth and on Satan.
The judgement or decree issued against Satan is of particular interest here so I will mainly relate to that one, although the other three are extremely interesting also. God speaks against Lucifer and issues this judgement, "Because of what you have done, you shall go on your belly as a snake and I will put enmity or hostility between you and the woman and subsequently, your seed and her seed, it shall bruise the heel of the seed that shall come forth from the woman, but he shall crush your head."
There are a lot of things, I could teach here from these particular scriptures, but time and space will not allow it, so I will try and keep to the central theme of the story though it may jump around from scripture to scripture. lf you go to Genesis where Jacob and his brother Esau are first mentioned at their birth, you see where Esau came forth from the womb first and Jacob who came out second attempted to seize the heel of Esau and pull him back to take his position, as the first born. So the initial main meaning of the word Yacov, literally means to seize one by the heel to trip him and take advantage of his fall to get or gain pre-eminence. To seize an advantage and take precedence.
It is an interesting fact that when God speaks of Satan in the garden, and says from here on, you will go on your belly like a snake; and you cant get any lower to the ground than a snake; then you realise the symbolism is portraying Satan as being only and ever worthy of being under our feet beneath our heel. This analogy will mean more as you read on. Because the most expressive, all inclusive meaning of the word or name Yacov, means the heel, and you can see the association of it to the heel in the verses already mentioned.
Another analogy associated in scripture with the heel which conveys the idea of rejecting a person, a nation, or a thing, as having no authority or respect attached to it any longer is mentioned in the psalms 60-8 and 108-9, where God says I will cast off my shoe or sandal from off my heel over Edom. It is an old middle eastern cultural sign of disdain, that one who has been dishonourable, no longer deserves respect and honour, so they would kick of their shoe and bare their heel as to say you are no longer welcome and esteemed here. I trample your identity in the dust under my heel. People do not understand this middle eastern custom and as such do not appreciate its purpose and therefore miss the impact.
If you understood the symbolism you would recollect and understand the action that took place when George Bush Junior was president of USA. This particular issue happened several years ago in Iraq where President George Bush who was then US Commander in Chief got highly offended and had an Iraqi reporter thrown in prison for assaulting him. The reporter actually threw his shoe over Bushes head and did not intend hitting him at all, but bush saw this as an assault and forced his imprisonment and incarceration. The reporter tried to explain the custom, and it was published in the news around the world but no one took any notice. What he was in fact saying by way of casting off his shoe in protest "we no longer respect you and neither do we want to submit to you, you are no longer welcome here.
This is exactly what we Christians are supposed to be doing to Satan our arch enemy who has no authority over us. There are so many scriptures and references in the word concerning this incredibly colourful and yet profound subject that time and space would never permit my further intense discussion on the issue, so I will just try and keep to the basics.
If you read in Genesis forty nine where Jacob at the end of his life takes his twelve sons aside and prophetically speaks over them, you will see the same message comes out again but to a different individual, Here it is directed at one of Jacobs later sons whose name is Dan. Jacob starts by saying in his prophetic word, “Dan you are a horned serpent, a viper that lies in wait at the side of the road”, (we today, have a modern day saying that comes from this one it is "you are a snake in the grass"). The prophecy to Dan continues, “you seize the opportunity every time it presents itself to strike at the heel of the horse so that its rider will fall backwards when the horse rears up in fright. Then Jacob adds you will judge your brethren.
Once again people do not understand the words nor the culture and because of this they totally misinterpret what is being said and conveyed. Most think it is saying Dan will be a judge of his brethren. Nothing could be further from the truth! If you check the history of Israel and the Bible you will find the only person of any significance who rose from the tribe of Dan was Samson and even his leadership was anything but honourable and holy, no leader or good came out of the tribe of Dan. In fact they forsook God, refused his allotted inheritance in the promised land and never possessed it, they could not conquer the giants in the hill country so they rejected Gods entitlement gifted to them and moved to the extreme North of Israel. By lies, murder, wickedness and deceit they took a city called Laish, renamed it the city of Dan and settled there.
They set up their own golden images and departed from the Lord, and the book of Judges records all of this in its latter chapters. It states they introduced the worship of Molech the god of the Amalachites to whom they sacrificed their children. It further states they departed from the living God and never returned to him even unto the captivity. It was the tribe of Dan that constantly brought the ire of God and ultimately took the Gods of the surrounding heathen nations and intermingled their culture with torah truth and created the Babylonian Talmud, the Cabala and all the Jewish mysticism. So when it states in Jacobs prophesy you will judge your brothers it means you will always seek to usurp or take advantage to rise up against and vindicate yourself at the expense of your brothers. You will bring your brothers down.
If you look in the book of revelation where the Lord tells John about the one hundred and forty four thousand from the twelve tribes of Israel you will notice Dan has no mention what so ever he is not included, he has lost his inheritance. The anti christ, I believe will come out of the tribe of Dan and seek pre-eminence over the rest of Israel. It is also very significant that the whole rebellion that Freemasons refer to as their ancient original founder is by a man called Hiram Abiff a stone mason sent from Tyre to oversee the building of the temple of Solomon. This man instituted within the building of the temple of God the Babylonian occultic religion mentioned in Ezekiel eight and nine.
If you look at Hiram Abiffs heritage in scripture you will find he was the son of a man from tyre but who had married a woman from the daughters of the tribe of Dan. Their whole history is a chequered one, always associated with the serpent (which by the way was the insignia on their flag and ensign) and their existance or calling aligned with the heel of subversion and opportunism.
Without getting to much more involved in this study I just want to say first, that In Jacobs prophecy he states when giving the messages to his twelve sons, these words shall befall you in the latter days, in other words the greatest significance of these predictions will apply at the end of time, it is an end time prophecy The final thing I want to make mention of is this, coming back to the original verse of the heel in Genesis three verse fifteen, the message is, Satan will attempt to take the heel of the offspring or seed of the woman by means of foot tripping or ankle tapping, them (the saints) as they run thus attempting to cause them to stumble. But in the process, Satan will have his head crushed, because his only accessibility in actual fact is to be at the feet of the seed of the woman, He does not have the permission of God to reach any higher as his position is under the heel of our derision. He ultimately will be crushed as his head is bruised or trodden under foot.
In concluding let me bring your attention to a final scripture that sums it all up from Romans sixteen verse twenty where it seals Satan’s fate and reemphasises the churches position over Satan’s kingdom. It states "The God of peace shall crush Satan under YOUR feet shortly." Note it is the God of peace, not the God of war, in other words, God is not phased at all by Satan, God is still in total control, Satan is no problem to God and he will see to it in order to crush Satan under your feet, not Gods feet, the saints feet, your feet……… SHORTLY! Praise God
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