otgenesis49

Caution to students of God;s Word - Please remember two things when using our American Wisdom Series studies:
#1. Our commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may or may not be correct. #2. The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew text has some words which were given different translations at different places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what they think God meant to say. For example: According to the notes in the "Dake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth, doesn't it? Gen. 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, ... Having said that, let us continue with our "studies". These studies contain knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.
May the Holy Spirit be your only guiding light. Sincerely, John Rhine

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
published at http://www.theseason.org/

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

Genesis 49:1 "And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days."

Jacob is calling for each of the other brothers of Joseph to come to his bed side, for God has revealed to him this direct prophecy of what shall come to pass "in the last days". This expression; In the last days" is given fourteen times in the Old Testament, and ten of these times it is rendered. "latter days". When it is given it applies to either the first or the second advent, or to both. Jacob is now going to tell each of his sons what their generations of nations will be like, and this should help us to to identify them as nations of the world today.

In Zechariah we have about the best overlay of the events that will come to pass just prior to Jesus Christ's coming to this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It gives even the geographic spot that Jesus will come to earth, and what will happen at the time they touch earth. So don't let it be a mystery what will "befall" you in these last days in these last days, because God has given us great detail of the events of these last days.

As we read and identify each of God's prophecies come true in these "last days", we can have the confidence in our faith in God, that he does keep his word. And in that faith, we are assured that the prophecies in God's Word will happen exactly as it is written. In the end it will work out for God's children, for as Satan's deceptions come to pass it will be no surprise for God elect, for they are sealed in their minds, and looking forward for each of the prophecies to come to pass.

Genesis 49:2 "Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father."

Notice that "ye sons of Jacob" is referring to the natural seed, while Israel is used for the spiritual Jacob and his spiritual seed. So these prophecies for the sons of Jacob will have both, a physical and a spiritual prophecy, for each of his sons. Israel is the name that God Himself gave to Jacob when Jacob wrestled with him, and it means "the prince that prevailed with God", in the Hebrew tongue.

Genesis 49:3 "Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:"

Though Reuben committed that evil act against his mother, outside of that event, it was Reuben that saved Joseph when the rest of his brothers were going to kill him. Then during the sale of Joseph into bondage in Egypt, Reuben was not present when that act was committed, and Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites.

Genesis 49:4 "Unusable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch."

The problem with Reuben was that he had difficulty in making a decision, and most of all, Reuben was very undependable. This condemnation on Reuben by Jacob came because of his sleeping with Bilhah, one of Jacob's wives. It was because of this act that Jacob withheld the firstborn blessing from him.

Genesis 49:5 "Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations."

It appears that Jacob is quite hard on Simeon and Levi, and God also thought so, for Levi will carry one of the greatest blessings of all, in that God will establish the Levitical priesthood through the offspring of Levi. Poor Jacob never could see why Simeon and Levi would slaughter the town of Shechem, because they raped their sister, Dinah. Though Jacob was displeased with them, God evidently was not, for He selected one of them to represent Him personally on earth.

Genesis 49:6 "O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall."

This curse that Jacob puts on them, God soon after removes. What did they do? They killed the rapist of their sister, and tore down a city, and all because of the attack on their sister. Sin is sin, and the punishment for that sin is the same, whether under the "code of Khammurabe", the law that existed prior to Sinai and discussed in Genesis twenty three. Though Abraham respected that law and followed it, years later Jacob grew soft towards this code. However it was the code of the day.

Though Jacob was soft on the matter, God is not; for God treats rape the same as murder, and in God's laws the punishment for doing the two acts are the same. The violator are to be killed, and when the town protected and condoned the act, the punishment then included them. They condoned the act when they planed to use it to steal all of the wealth of Jacob. When the punishment is given, it is to be given publicly, so that these sins will not happen again.

As the result of Simeon and Levi actions, the rest of the heathen kept their distance from the Israelites, for fear of them. The heathen saw the results of their actions, and kept their distance.

Genesis 49:7 "Curse be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel."

This statement was totally turned around by God in Exodus 32:26-29, and Deuteronomy 10:8, 9. Both Simeon and Levi are given established position within the tribes, and Israelite nations. Levi became the sword bearer of His truth, the person with the backbone to stand on the side of God's laws. It did not matter that Jacob cursed them for their anger, for we see that in the end God blessed them for it.

Genesis 49:8 "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee."

To have your hand on your enemies neck means that you will have victory over them. To Judah God is giving the scepter line, the right to rule.

Genesis 49:9 "Judah is a lion's help: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?"

The actions of Judah were that of a quick temper, fast reaction, and the first to strike out. As Judah became older, he became more stable, and when he went in before Joseph, whom he did not know at the time was Joseph, he assumed full responsibility in standing his ground and protecting Benjamin. When Judah ages, and grows into a tribal nation, he will become as a old lion, who will stand his ground, and not be easily moved. Judah will become the seed of the royal line, and it will be from the seed [children] of Judah that Jesus Christ will come. Judah will be the king line of Israel.

Genesis 49:10 "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."

"Shiloh" means "the place of rest". The term, "unto Him {Christ] shall the gathering of the people be;" is in reference to the coming of the promised Messiah.

Judah seemed to go crazy when he went to sheer sheep, and one of these times caused him to marry a foreign woman and have two children by her. This was not in God plan, and against the instruction God gave to His people, and the wife and children both died. It was not to be that God would allow the pollution of the lineage that the true Messiah would come through.

In Matthew 1:3 God gives special attention to Tamar, and to the twins she bare to Judah, for in those twins we have the purity of the lineage of Christ.

Genesis 49:11 "Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:"

This is a figure of speech, and in the English translation it looses the meaning of the Hebrew text. It is the same as saying today, "he is so rich that he could bath in perfume". However the juices of the grapes were similar in value to the perfume of today. The whole expression was pointing to the fact of extreme wealth, and not in reference to being as a drunkard.

Genesis 49:12 "His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk."

"Red with wine", simply means that he will have plenty, while "teeth white with milk", is in reference to his flock will always be blessed.

Genesis 49:13 "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon."

"Haven" can be translated "port". because Zebulun is noted for their huge ports. In the earily days in the old Israel this was true, however in these latter days Zebulun is still an country of sea port, and commercial shipping. There are many markings and writings in Holland where these people claim Zebulun to be their Patriarch.

Genesis 49:14 "Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:"

What this is stating is that Issachar would rather carry the burdens of anyone, than fight or cause trouble. He will pay tribute to anyone just to be left alone; he was and still is a pacifist.

Genesis 49:15 "And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute."

As was stated above, Issachar would rather do the work then fight for his rights. As long as you leave this type alone, he will give you what ever you desire. In that Satan is in control of his forces in these end times, this leaves his people with many problems.

Genesis 49:16 "Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel."

This prophecy starts to come to pass in Judges 15:20. The term, "as one of the tribes of Israel," in the Hebrew text means that "Dan will rule or lead the rest of Israel into this idolatry". This is what Dan did during the time of the Judges, and Dan was the tribe to cause the rest of the "House of Israel", not the Jews "House of Judah", to go into golden calf worship, following the death of King Solomon.

Genesis 49:17 "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward."

The sons of Dan have been involved in idol worship, since the time of the judges. Dan is very easily side tracked with heathen forms of worship. Dan is an "adder in the Path", which is like a serpent that strikes when one is not expecting it. When Dan strikes at the horse, or powers that be, those in control and ruling are left surprised and confused.

Jesus brought this to our attention in Matthew 24:13; "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Jacob is also trying to wake us up, and calling our attention to his prophecies, for the information given in this chapter was not for the Patriarch, but for those living in the last days, as was stated in Genesis 49:1.

That generation of the last days started either on May 15, 1948, the establishment of Israel as a nation, or in 1967, when Jerusalem was brought into the nation of Israel. The tiny nation of Israel was established, and recognized as an independent nation. That is the "parable of the fig tree", and those figs, both good and bad, have returned to Israel and the whole world is aware of it.

Jesus told us to learn the parable of the fig tree because it will tell us when His return is getting close. Then in Matthew 24:34 Jesus said, "Verily [truly] I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." The things Jesus is referring to are the events that must occur as the signs of the end time. Then the wait for Thy salvation is over, and Jesus Christ will be on the earth.

Genesis 49:19 "Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last."

Gad in the Hebrew means "a troop". When the Israelites came out of the wilderness, and moved to take over the Land of Canaan, Gad's people formed the shock troops that cleared the way. The people of Gad have always been warriors, and good in the military sense.

Genesis 49:20 "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties."

"Asher" means the "upright". The house of Asher are becoming very prosperous.

The "hind let loose" is a "deer on the run". He is one that is quick on his feet, not only with the movements, but also in thinking and speaking fast.

Genesis 49:22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over th wall:"

Remember that Joseph is Jacob's favorite son. Joseph is the one that saved all of Egypt, and Jacob's household, and he took control over the food supply, and stored it up for the seven year famine that followed. Jacob is comparing Joseph to a fruitful bough that is planted by a well of water, and as those roots go deep and drink up the water, that bough's branches spread out all over the place. Those branches take control over everything.

Genesis 49:23 "The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:"

This is addressed to the time of the end, and Amos addresses this prophecy in Amos 6:6; "That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph."

Those Kenites, and the nations that are around Joseph, [Manasseh and Ephraim] which is the American and British peoples, will move to dismantle the wealth of Joseph, and though they are continually on the receiving end from Joseph, they despise and hate Joseph in their jealousy. Through the four hidden dynasties, economics (commerce) [banking industry and trade], Education, Religion, and Politics their one world system now forming is preparing the way for complete enslavement.

Here at the American Wisdom Series our goal is to make you think about and question the wisdom of the current:

doctrine of many of our Christian churches, (The Man on a White Horse)
political direction of our country, (The Man on a Red Horse)
economic direction our country has taken, (The Man on a Black Horse)
and teaching of our schools and media, (The Man on a Pale Horse)

The Four Hidden Dynasties of the New World Order Revelation 6:1-8
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
Did you know all four are being ridden by Satan?

Though the move is on to entrap the English and Americans, we still control the gates of our enemies, and God had promised we would in the Covenants with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Those promises were passed on, as we saw in Genesis 48, to the two sons of Joseph of which Ephraim was to carry the name Israel.

As long as the United States and the British peoples are blessed, and live according to God's standards, who cares what the heathen nations think, or hate toward us.

Genesis 49:24 "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 strength of the United States and England lies in its people, and their ability to change and stay ahead of the times [the bow]. As empires have moved against us in many ways, militarily, economically, politically and all other ways, our two nations have stood together and firm. Many people give different reason for this strength, however we are a Christian nation. We declare on our seal, our coins, our laws, and the strength of our nation is in the spiritual strength of our people. Though a strong minority is striving to separate God from our people and institutions, it is Almighty God that has built both the British and American nations into the most powerful force in the world ever.

Jesus Christ is the Stone of our faith, the Rock of our foundation, and the Shepherd of the flock in all the Christian World. Moses addresses this in the "song of Moses";

Deuteronomy 32:3, 4; "Because I will publish the name of the Lord: Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: For all His ways are judgment: A God of truth and without iniquity, Just and right is he."

"His bow abode in strength", tells us that the military might of our nations abide in God, and we know the high priority that the people of the Armed forces place in having God named as part of their strength. The prayer before battle, and the worship promoted by the commanding officers of their men. It isn't Joseph that pulls the bow, but it is Almighty God with his hand pulling the bow.

Genesis 49:25 "Even by the GOD of Jacob, Who shall help thee; and by the ALMIGHTY, Who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:"

God has blessed America with every blessing mankind could possible have. We have an abundance of food, the armed forces that is second to none, rich in natural resources, and the people who believe in the ways of the Almighty Father. The blessings of the "breasts and of the womb" are in the children of our nations, and the future that they hold.

Genesis 49:26 "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 separated from his brethren."

It was Joseph that was separated from his brethren when he was sold by his brethren to the Ishmaelites, and taken to Egypt. The blessings of "my progenitors", are the promised blessings made by God to Abraham, and passed on through Isaac to Jacob. Notice here that it is to Joseph that these Blessings are passed on to, and not Judah [the Jews] as most misled Christians of today are taught to believe by their Kenite interpreters. However Judah has her own set of promised commitments from God; that of the scepter, and as the law giver.

God also arranged that those offspring of Jacob would also be blessed in this generation, and this is quite obvious as we look around us today.

Genesis 49:27 "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil."

Both Saul and Paul were from the tribe of Benjamin, and we see that when Benjamin set out to do something, it was with full effort and energy.; striving to do what they set out to do with zeal. They don't stop to see the results until the day is done, and the task is finished.

When Paul set out to kill Christians, it took his full effort, and when God struck him down on the road, Paul's efforts didn't diminish, only the task that he was to do. Instead of killing Christians, he was then changed to convert others to Christ.

Genesis 49:28 "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them."

Genesis 49:29 "And he charged them, and said unto them, "I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,"

This is the very spot that Abraham had purchased as a burial sight for Sarah and himself. This is also where Isaac and Rebekah are buried and his first wife Leah, and this is where Jacob wanted to be buried.

Genesis 49:30 "In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace."

Genesis 49:31 "There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah."

Genesis 49:32 "The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth."

Genesis 49:33 "And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people."

When Jacob died, he was gathered to his people, but where were his people? They had gone to be with the Almighty Father. Ecclesiastes 12:7 tells us that to be absent from the flesh body is to be present instantly with the Father. Jesus said of Lazarus, in Luke 16:23, that he had gone to the bosom of Abraham. So we see that Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob are all present with the Lord.