Verse 18 says, “Rejoice, Zebulun, for your going forth.” According to this verse Zebulun had to go forth. This going forth was fulfilled in the Lord’s sending forth the apostles. Most of the apostles who were sent forth to disciple the nations were produced from Zebulun, which was in the region of Galilee. The Galileans went out with the glad tidings of the victory of Christ, bearing the word of the victorious, restful, and productive Christ. Thus, Zebulun rejoiced in going forth.
Hundreds of years after Jacob uttered the prophetic blessing recorded in Genesis 49, Moses, an old lawgiver, said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, for your going forth.” The going forth that Moses spoke of refers to the shipping out. The word of Moses corresponds to the word of Jacob. Jacob likened Zebulun to ships, which are for going forth. Zebulun went forth for the preaching of the gospel; hence, he would rejoice. As for Issachar, Moses prophesied that he would rejoice for his tents (Deut. 33:18).
Verse 19 says, “They shall call peoples to the mountain; / There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness.” This verse prophesies that people would be called to the mountain of God, that is, to the kingdom of God. This invitation will be completely fulfilled during the time of the millennial kingdom. In the millennial kingdom all the peoples, the nations, will be called through preaching to God’s kingdom in Mount Zion. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness to God.
Today in the church life we experience a miniature of the fulfillment of this prophecy. In God’s kingdom, in the church life, righteous offerings are being presented to Him (1 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 13:15-16; Phil. 4:18). All the sacrifices that we offer to God in the church life are of righteousness; that is, they are according to the righteous requirement of God. It will be the same in the coming kingdom, as prophesied in the book of Malachi: “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them like gold and like silver, and they will offer to Jehovah a sacrifice in righteousness. And the sacrifice of Judah and of Jerusalem will be pleasing to Jehovah, as in the days of old and as in the former years” (3:3-4).
In Deuteronomy 33:19 Moses also said that Zebulun and Issachar would “suck the abundance of the seas / And the hidden treasures of the sand.” This word prophesied that when Zebulun and Issachar received their portion of the land by lot, the land that they received would be close to the sea.
Because the tribe of Gad was rather small, when Moses blessed them prophetically, he said, “Blessed be He who enlarges Gad” (v. 20). He also said that God would cause this tribe to be strong in fighting, as indicated in the words, “He dwells as a lioness, / And tears off the arm, yea, even the top of the head” (v. 20).
Furthermore, concerning Gad verse 21 says, “He provided the first part for himself, / For there the portion of a lawgiver is reserved.” According to the history in the Old Testament, the first part refers to the first part of the inheritance given to the Israelites, that is, the land east of the Jordan. In their journey into the good land, the twelve tribes first entered the land that was on the east side of the Jordan. Desiring this rich, fertile land, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh begged Moses to give it to them. Although Moses agreed, he charged them not to enjoy their land while their brothers had not yet obtained their portion of the land. Moses charged them to fight the battle for the rest of the good land (Num. 32:1-32), after which the remaining tribes would receive their inheritance. If the two and a half tribes had not gone on to fight for the rest of the land, they would not have been just. Thus, Gad provided the first part of the land for himself, and there a portion was reserved for the lawgiver. This prophecy was fulfilled when Moses, the lawgiver, was buried there (Deut. 32:48-52; 34:1-6).
Deuteronomy 33:21 also says, “He came with the heads of the people; / He executed the righteousness of Jehovah / And His judgments with Israel.” Gad went with the heads of the people to take the rest of the good land, to execute the righteousness of Jehovah in dividing the land, and to execute His judgments with Israel (Josh. 22:1-5). Dan’s failure was his pride. When he gained more land, he became proud. Instead of caring for his brothers, he set up another center of worship. However, even though Gad gained the land, he pressed on to take care of the need of his brothers, by fighting the battle with his brothers to take the rest of the land so that all his brothers had their inheritance. This is to execute the righteousness of Jehovah and to keep His judgments with Israel.