In Genesis chapter 49, Jacob prophesies about the destinies of his sons' descendants. It is well known that Jacob, in Gen 49:10-12, prophesies about the then-(first) coming of Messiah through the tribe of Judah.
Family genealogies was very important to the early Jews, as careful records were one way of ensuring that the leaders could authenticate and verify the arrival of Messiah. The Temple held such a repository of genealogical records.
One of the ways this prophecy points definitively to Yehoshua as Messiah is the fact that the records were intact at the Temple only until its destruction around 70 A.D. Messiah could only be authenticated up until that point, which supports the case that Messiah must have arrived before 70 A.D.
What is less well-known is that Jacob also made a prophecy about the tribe of Benjamin.
From Benjamin would arise a ravening wolf who would
kill the prey in the
search/morning, and then
divide the treasure in the
darkness/evening (Gen 49:27). This ravening wolf would have to
arrive also before the destruction of the Temple's records in 70 A.D.
Who was the ravening wolf? Let's look at other Scripture that gives more detail. Messiah stated that the "ravening wolf" would be a false prophet who
falsely appears to be a true disciple (Mt 7:15). The context seems to indicate that this ravening wolf would
seduce many to walk his "wide and easy" path to salvation (Mt 7:13,14), and that he would
encourage many to abandon obedience to "the will of Messiah's Father" (Mt 7:21-23).
Ezekiel also gives additional information about this ravening wolf and his disciples. They band together to teach men and women to
commit treason by leaving their rightful King's rule & commands to become widows, and thus stealing their eternal souls (Eze 22:25) often for private gain (Eze 22:27). They set up their own leadership,
violating the King's Law,
cast down what is considered holy to the King,
mixed holy and clean things with what is profane and unclean. They also
abandoned the King's Sabbath, and thus cause dishonor to the King (Eze 22:26). They proclaim and esteem
false and lying visions,
falsely claiming that YHWH spoke when He did not (Eze 22:28).
Is there an individual in history that fulfilled all of these prophecies? Yes. Paul!
Paul arrived soon after Messiah's ascension and before the destruction of the Temple (Mt 24:1-3). Messiah warned us about him, that we should not be deceived by him (Mt 24:4), and indeed, he deceptively came in Messiah's Name, saying "I represent Messiah" (Mt 24:5).
(Sidenote: Paul caused the desolation of the Temple (Mt 24:15) after disobeying (Acts 21:15) the command of the Holy Spirit who said that he should not go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4). Paul brought along his disciple, the uncircumcised Gentile Trophimus, with him to Jerusalem. They went into the Temple, and Trophimus, relying upon Paul's doctrines that "circumcision & uncircumcision is nothing", that the "Temple's middle wall was broken" and that "God does not live in temples built by human hands", entered into the Temple and abominated it (cf Eze 44:7). The Messianic Jews of Asia, who were previously taught by Paul (Acts 21:20,21,28), had rejected Paul's message (2Tim 1:15) and Paul's own claims to apostleship (Rev 2:2), and, after witnessing this act of desolation, and zealous for the Torah (Acts 21:20), fought against him (Acts 22:27+). Paul rejected the "old" and confirmed a "new" Covenant with his people (Dan 9:27), and abominated and desolated the Temple (Dan 9:27) in fulfillment of Daniel's & Messiah's Mt 24 prophecy.)
In fulfillment of the Gen 49 prophecy, Paul
was from the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 11:1, Phl 3:5), and before his alleged "conversion", he persecuted the Messianic believers to the death (Acts 9:1) in his search. After his "conversion", he brought darkness in his attempt to divide the world, allegedly leaving the authentic apostles the circumcised and taking for himself the uncircumcised (Gal 2:8).
Paul gave unwitnessed (Jn 5:31, Mt 18:16) testimony that Messiah appeared to him in visions, allegedly commissioning him as an apostle. Paul advocated departure from YHWH's Covenant and Law, causing his followers to do just that. Paul cast down the importance of YHWH's Sabbath (Rom 14:6, Gal 4:10), and his followers profane it to this day. They
mix the unclean with the clean, such as eating unclean pork (1Cor 8:8 cf Isa 66:17). Paul offered a
wide and easy path to salvation ("faith & grace alone without obedience!" Gal 5:1-6, etc.), and caused countless millions to lose their eternal souls. All in fulfillment of the prophecies found in Mt 7 & Eze 22.
Let us heed these words recorded by the Apostle John: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Rev 18:4,5
