There is an astounding event recorded in Gen. 32:22-32, where Jacob sees a ladder descending from heaven to earth and has an encounter with a God/man. He begins to wrestle with a man all night. (v. 24) Later he says the man was God and named the place Peniel, which means “face of God”. The Person also confirms his deity to Jacob saying, “…you have struggled with God…(v. 28) It has been stated that this is one of several encounters of the pre-incarnated Yeshua. This person is clearly identified as the God/man and there is only one, Yeshua, God’s one and only Son. Though Jacob asks His name, He refuses to give it.
Jacob was a usurper as his name implies. We was lied to by Laban and later lies to him. He tricked Esau and was tricked by Laban. His wives were consumed with rivalry. Jacob was conflicted, but he had been promised by Issac’s blessing that through him a great nation would come to bless the entire world. (Gen. 28:10-15) He wrestled with the God/man all through the night and as morning came he held on tight refusing to let go. (v. 24-25) The Person touched Jacob’s thigh putting it out of joint and still Jacob’s held on unless he was given a blessing. (v. 26) “The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”” (Genesis 32:27-28) This blessing was so transforming as to cause Jacob to become a new person in name, character, and nature. As Israel left he walked with a limp.
What does this story and event foreshadow? The Jewish nation, occupied by Rome, rejected their Messiah the God/man, and wrestled against Yeshua, Messiah while holding on to God for two thousand years. As daybreak approaches with the second coming, the Jewish nation will seek the name of the God/man, Yeshua. He will instantly touch the Jewish nation, breaking their pride into submission and bestowing a saving blessing that results in a new character, nature and name. The new nature will be followers of their Messiah, Yeshua. (Isa. 62:2-6) Their character will be humility grieving the one who was pierced for their transgressions. (Rev. 1:7) Their new name will be those written in the Lamb’s book of Life and the Bride of Messiah. (Rev. 3:5, 13:8) Along with the prophecy of Yeshua’s future incarnation in Gen. 3:15, Israel’s redemption near the second coming may be foreshadowed in Gen. 32:22-32.
