With Opened Bible
Jesus Summoned the Twelve
The Bible is a treasure trove of divine codes, types, and images that convey the profound Word of God. Numbers, too, hold a sacred message or a divine warning. For instance, 40 signifies preparation and maturity, 7 or 70 denotes perfection and the number of nations. However, among these, the number 12 stands out as it is the divine number of the People of Israel. Let's delve into this divine significance through specific texts.
Jacob, the son of Isaac and little child of Abraham, had twelve sons and one daughter, Dinah. In Jewish tradition, only men can be named according to family descent. (Genesis 29,32-35; 30,1-26; 35,16-19;37,35) Jacob won in his spiritual struggle with the Angel of God ("Malak El," which is a way of saying God in person). The Angel of the Lord, or the Lord himself, blessed Jacob and changed his name to Israel (meaning God prevails or fights with God) (Genesis 32,28). Therefore, the twelve sons of Jacob, or the twelve tribes of Israel, form the federation of tribes or the Israelite nation, the chosen one of God.
In the New Testament, Jesus, the perfect image of Jacob, his ancestor, employs a similar strategy to establish the New Israel in the Spirit, the Church. He handpicks twelve men from the vast crowd of disciples and anoints them with the ttle of apostles (which means called to be sent): "When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles." (Luke 6.13)
The twelve become the stones on which the Church of Jesus Christ, the New Israel, is founded. (Ephesians 2,20) At the death of Judas, the apostolic college was incomplete. It had to be replaced as it was written in the Psalm of David: "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his encampment become desolate and may no one dwell in it.' " (The Acts of the Apostles 1.20)
At the end of tme, the two Israels will be harmoniously united and entrusted with the world's judgment. The 24 thrones erected in heaven stand as a testament to this unity: twelve for the sons of Jacob and twelve for the apostles (Cf. Revelaton 4,4). This unity underscores the balance and harmony in the divine plan for Israel and the Church.
