Jacob predicted a cheerful future for most of his sons. Especially for Joseph he uttered words of eloquence of a happy character: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. (From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.)” “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.” {1SP 155.3}

Jakob forkyndte en glædelig fremtid for de fleste af sine sønner. Især ytrede han skønne og glædelige ord om Josef: "Josef er en frugtbar kvist, ja en frugtbar kvist ved en kilde, dens skud gå op over muren. Og skytterne forbitrede ham, og skøde og hadede ham. Og hans bue blev dog stærk, og hans hænders arme styrkes af Jakobs mægtiges hænder; fra da af er han en hyrde, en sten i Israel." Vers 22-24. "Din Faders velsignelser er mægtigere end (156) mine forfædres velsignelser, indtil de evige højes grænser; de skal komme på Josefs hoved, og på hans Isse, som er adskilt iblandt sine brødre." Vers 26.