How to Interpret Dreams and Visions Perry Stone

awkward as they enter their late teens. The pattern for blessing children is narrated in Genesis 48:2, when Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob sat on the edge of his bed when blessing his grandsons. The writer to the Hebrews wrote that Jacob blessed his own sons, “…leaning on the top of his staff” (Heb. 11:21). Today, those performing the blessing on their children prefer to stand up in respect to approaching God’s throne. When preparing for a blessing, ask the children to bow their heads, teaching them reverence to God, and tell them the blessing was practiced by their ancestors as in Genesis 24:48 and in Exodus 12:17, when Israel was departing from Egypt. In Hebrew, the word smicha means, “laying on of hands.” In the temple, the priest would lay hands upon animals, symbolizing the transfer of sins. On the Day of Atonement, a goat was used, which became the scapegoat. Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh by laying hands upon their heads (Gen. 48:14). Before his death, Moses transferred his wisdom and authority to Joshua by the laying on of hands (Deut. 34:9). Prior to the blessing, lay both hands upon the head of the child or one hand on the head of each child if there are two children. A general Jewish blessing that is prayed every Sabbath by the father over his a son is: “May God make you as Ephraim and Manasseh.” A general blessing spoken over a daughter is: “May God make you as Sarah, Leah, Rebekah, and Rachel.” A favorite blessing that can be pronounced is the same words Jacob spoke over Ephraim and Manasseh:

The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

—G ENESIS 48:16

One ancient blessing that was prayed over the people by the high priest is the special blessing the priest prayed over the