2012 - The Year of Benjamin

Each year I like to listen to the various prophetic voices (that are credible) and see what the Lord is saying for the New Year.  I heard and read a lot of different things that God is going to do this year.  As I fasted and prayed, God dropped a thought in my heart.

 "2012 - The Year of Benjamin" 

 Let me share some of that thought with you.

Just to bring you up to speed as to who Benjamin was .... In the Bible, Abraham's grandson, Jacob, had 12 sons -- what we come to know in Scriptures as the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel.  The twelfth and last son was Benjamin.  Benjamin's mother was Rachel - the woman that Jacob so dearly loved.  Benjamin's brother was the famous Joseph (the guy with the coat of many colors).


When Benjamin was born, his mother Rachel died in child birth.  As she was dying, she named the baby, "Ben-oni" which means "son of my sorrow".  The Scriptures say that his father Jacob refused to call him by this name, but instead named him "Benjamin" which means "son of my right hand". [Genesis 35:18]


When Jacob was dying, as was his culture, he called all his sons in, and one by one blessed and spoke prophetically over them.  When he came to Benjamin he said:

 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at night dividing the spoil." [Genesis 49:27]

Moses later blessed the tribe of Benjamin by saying: 

"Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and make His dwelling between his shoulders."

 [Deuteronomy 33:12]

The number 12 in Scripture is a number of government and foundation:

* Jesus began to teach in the temple at the age of 12

* Jesus had 12 disciples/apostles

* Jacob had 12 sons/tribes

* In the "new Jerusalem" (Rev. 21:12) - we see 12 gates, 12 angels, and 12 names of 12 apostles

* The walls have 12 foundations (the 12 apostles)

* The city measures 12,000 furlongs - and has 12 precious stones

* When Jesus fed the 5,000 he had 12 baskets of fragments left over

* Our year is divided into 12 months

* We have 12 hours of day, and 12 hours of night (AM/PM)

* There are 12 configurations of stars in the heavens

On and on we could go .... I'll stop there ... you get the point....


I believe the following things are going to happen this year for "God's people" - "The Church" - "The house of believers":


1.  We will come from being "Ben-oni" the son of sorrow, into becoming "Benjamin" the son of the father's right hand.  In other words, God is going to restore a right relationship with Himself:
   * from rejection to acceptance
   * from being outcast to being recognized
   * from defeat to victory
   * from trials to being overcomers
   * from striving to thriving


2.  This will be the year that the "church" (the true church) - will go to war with the Devil and spoil the enemy!  I hope you know that there really is a Devil - our enemy!   Benjamin was a "war-like" tribe -- he was called the wolf.  The "Church" is also called the "army of the Lord" - and  we have a job to do - that is to fight the good fight and defeat our enemy -- in our personal lives, in our church congregations, and in our society.  This will be a year of fighting spiritually, and overcoming.  Remember, our weapons are not fleshy or of this world... they are "mighty" - prayer, fasting, declarations of His Word!!


3. This will be the year that the "Church" fully realizes that we truly are "the beloved of the Lord" - and with that revelation, we will "dwell in safety".  God loves His Church!  In the words of the old "spiritual" - "His eye is on the sparrow...and I know He watches me..."  God loves His church (which is made up of every born-again believer, worldwide) so much that He can't take His eye off of us!  I pray you will fully realize this fact this year!!

So -- I share with you what HE shared with me!  Think about it!  Pray over this!  I pray that 2012 will be your best year ever!

What do you think?  Share these thoughts with others!