HERALDRY: THE CLUES TO HISTORY
ZEBULUN: THE HAVEN DWELLER
ZEBULUN was Jacob’s tenth son and Leah’s sixth. His name means “dwelling” or “wished for habitation” – (Genesis 30:20). At his birth Leah, rather sadly said: “Now will my husband dwell with me”. However, Jacob still loved Rachel best and Leah was doomed to be disappointed. In Genesis 49:13 we read of Jacob’s blessing to Zebulun:
“Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon”
When the territories were allotted to the tribes in Canaan, Zebulun had no outlet to the sea. The prophecy of the blessing was intended for much later times, after the tribe had left Palestine. The tribal banner depicted a ship, in spite of the fact that there was no harbour in the tribe’s area. It is possible that some members of the tribe joined with Dan in their sea faring, and gained experience in this way, which was to stand them in good stead later on in their history.
Moses’ blessing in Deuteronomy 33:18 was very short, and may have been significant of the fact that Zebulun was going forth from Palestine:
“And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice Zebulun in thy going out. They shall call the people unto the mountain, there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall suck of the abundances of the seas and of the treasures hid in the sand”
In Deborah’s prophetic song in Judges 5:18 she mentions that:
“Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field”
This was said at the same time that Deborah was criticising Dan for “abiding in ships” when they should have been helping their brethren’s defence, so it was obvious that the tribe had not left Palestine at that time.
The tribe of Issachar was associated with Zebulun, being under the Banner of Judah. The emblem of Issachar is an ass.
“Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:” – (Genesis 49:14)
It seems that this refers most aptly to the Finnish people, who have historically been squeezed between Germany and Russia. The heraldry of the Finns shows their lsraelitish origins, but not all of Issachar is represented in Finland, for there are certain authorities who believe that an element of Issachar settled in Friesland. They were therefore associated with their brethren of Zebulun, for both tribes were descended from the sons of Jacob and Leah.
The late Miss Helene van Woelderen did extensive research on the tribe of Zebulun, believing that they became the bulk of the Dutch people, and her research has unearthed many instances which support her theory.
The tribes which settled in the Lowlands in ancient times were Celtic, and were largely the Frisians, the Belgae, the Kennemers (which is surely a corruption of Cimmerians or Cymri), the Chatti or Katten, the Suevi and, later, the Saxons. These are all of Israelitish stock, and many went on to the British Isles.
Holland is situated north and west of Palestine just as the British Isles are, and as the Hebrew word which is translated as “islands” in our Bibles is also translatable as “coastlands”, the prophecies of Isaiah 41:1 and Jeremiah 3:18 refer equally to the Netherlands.
The Belgae later gave their name to Belgium, and a branch settled in the British Isles, centred on Colchester. They introduced the heavy plough to Britain, so it can be seen that, as with all the Celts, they were advanced in farming techniques.
Their symbolism gives us clues to their Israelitish origin. A ship is the ancient emblem of Holland, and the country has an extensive coastline and a strong maritime history. The ship also appears in the arms of many towns in England (not all of which are by the sea – so it cannot be argued that the arms were chosen because the town was a port). It is the emblem of nineteen places in Scotland, and appears on the arms of over twenty of the Scottish clans. The ship appears as a heraldic emblem in Ireland and in Denmark too.
In the Wilderness, the tribe of Zebulun came under the aegis of the brigade leader Judah, but it appears that after the captivities there were few members of the tribe left in Judah. It is possible that they threw in their lot mainly with the Northern House and were dispersed throughout Asia Minor and Europe.
The present day emblem of Holland is a lion (Judah), and Zebulun was in the brigade of Judah, another pointer to the Israelitish origins of the Dutch people. According to ancient Jewish tradition, quoted in the “Jewish Encyclopedia”, the jewel for Zebulun on the High Priest’s breastplate was a diamond. Amsterdam is the world headquarters of skilled diamond cutters and traders.
Being a sea-faring nation, the Dutch were colonisers like those of their other Israel brethren and spread abroad as prophesied. They colonised in the Dutch East Indies and in Africa, particularly in South Africa, where the Boers (which means “farmers”) established themselves in an empty land. The Zulus came from the North at about the same time to settle in those parts. There were inevitable conflicts with them, and with the British who were beginning to settle there as well. These culminated in the Boer War. Regrettably being brother Israelites did not prevent strife. The brothers have often been at loggerheads throughout history. Nevertheless, the Dutch are basically a peaceful people, like the Britons. They prefer to fight only in self-defence and are not actively aggressive in pursuance of land. The Dutch Empire, like that of Great Britain was founded on trade.The ensuing trade with their colonies made the Dutch people prosperous, in spite of being only a small country territorially.
With acknowledgements to Real Israel Press
Isaiah also has a prophecy about Zebulun in Isaiah 9:1;
“Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more grievously afflict her by way of the sea”
Holland has been afflicted by the sea, which led to the Dutch being the world leaders in dyke building and land reclamation. They were able to farm the particularly fertile land that resulted, and are great dairy farmers. In this way they have “.. sucked the treasures of the sea and of the treasures hid in the sand..”. as Moses prophesied. They were some of the first to drill for oil in the North Sea, also.
Holland was one of the first countries to adopt the reformed Protestant faith, and suffered much persecution as a result. After the country became independent of the Habsburg (Catholic) dynasty, it became a refuge for those people who were suffering religious persecution, such as the Huguenots, Walloons, etc.. thus becoming a “haven” in another sense. The “Mayflower” settlers stayed in the Netherlands before going to the New World.
Deborah’s prophecies also referred to Zebulun in Judges 5:14,
“Out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.”
Holland had the first printing presses, which facilitated the wide distribution of the printed word; this led in a great measure to the Reformation, as more and more people were able to own and study the Bible for themselves, without having to rely on the interpretations of priests. Printing is still a large industry in the Netherlands, and serves the world in providing this source of education. This fulfils another prophecy about Zebulun in Isaiah 9:2;
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
Although this prophecy was particularly meant for Zebulun and Naphtali, it refers also to all the people of Israel stock who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Redeemer, and who have worked to carry the wonderful Good News of the Gospel to all the corners of the earth.
