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1 And Joseph fell on his fathers face, and wept on him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. And the physicians embalmed Israel. vs. 26 3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. 34:84

 As would any child who is present at the time of one of their parents last breathe, instinctively we lean down toward them and give them one final kiss on their forehead or cheeks, out of our love and respect for them. Just as we  when we put our children to sleep; we kiss them goodnight. Joseph says goodnight to his father.  Jacob has gone to sleep, awaiting for the promise in which he did not obtain in his lifetime. Through his faith in God above, who promised that He would be with Him until He does all that He has spoken to him Genesis 28: 15,  never obtaining that promise, but seeing it afar off              ( Hebrews 11: 13,  38-40), goes to sleep, knowing that a better resurrection awaits him. There is so much to speak about this man Jacob/ Israel. Too much for this format here. I will elaborate more on him, his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham, and also Joseph in my other writings, as I go back and reflect upon my journey I started back in 2015, upon my completion of studying this great book of Genesis. As was the custom of the Egyptians Joseph had his father embalmed so that his body may be preserved as best as possible. Embalming was not the custom of Israel, but I believe Joseph chose this method of preserving his father’s body because  he promised Israel that he would carry his body back to Canaan, to the cave of Machpelah where Abraham and Sarah were buried, along with Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob’s first wife Leah. It was going to be a long journey, and the embalming method would help keep Israel’s body from decaying so quickly, thus keeping the stench of his body hovering over the huge procession that journeyed with them.

4 Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.'” 47: 29-31 6 And Pharaoh said, “Go ,up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

  It took the Egyptians forty days in which to embalm a person. After the embalming was complete there was still another thirty days left to mourn for the death of Jacob, which brings the mourning process to a total of seventy days. According to all the commentaries, and the famous historian Herodotus it was a custom of the Egyptians to mourn for the death of a king seventy two days: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/50-3.htm.  It is also known that the Israelites time of mourning for someone of significance was thirty days ( Numbers. 20:29, Deut. 34:8),   Jacob was not a king, however he was the father of Joseph who was looked upon by the Egyptians as a deity, second to the Pharaoh. this could explain why this mourning here was for only seventy days, to distinguish Israel’s importance, but not equal to the Pharaoh. It may have been that the Egyptians mourned the loss of Israel out of respect for Joseph who was well loved by the people. I would like to think that the long period of mourning by the Egyptians were out of respect for Joseph, and for who Israel was. Since Joseph was considered a deity in the eyes of the people, then the father who bore him must have been placed in high esteem by the people of Egypt. Israel/Jacob was one hundred and thirty years of age when he entered into Egypt (Gen. 47:9),  upon his arrival, one of the first things he did was to bless the Pharaoh of Egypt. this speaks volumes to me. the Pharaoh and the people of Egypt considered himself god, why would he need a blessing from anyone? We see no where in the scriptures that the Pharaoh took exception to this, Pharaoh, god and king of Egypt was blessed by Israel a man, not even a priest of any kind in the eyes of Egypt.. what king would lower himself to such standards? The Pharaoh did not see it as lowering his standards, instead he allowed it. Israel lived in Egypt for seventeen years before his death. As in a lot of places in the bible we are not told what his life was like during those years. Did he just lay around in his tent because of age? or did he go out and mingle among the people and gain the respect of them, to wit, the long mourning period of his death? we don’t know. I can always ask Israel myself when I am in the kingdom. how many times have we of the “Way” made such comments: “I’ll have to ask him or her in the kingdom”? Before his death, Israel Charged Joseph and all his brothers to bury him with his fathers in the cave that is in the  the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burying-place. (Gen. 49: 29-30), back in chapter forty seven Israel did make Joseph swear to him that he would bury him with his fathers in their burying place.  (Gen. 47: 29-31), just as Joseph told the Pharaoh.

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. 8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

  This must have been a grand processing that went up with Joseph and his brothers and their families (With the the exception of the livestock and the children), as they go to bury their father. In my opinion I think the reason for leaving the children and livestock in Egypt is to assure the Pharaoh that they would return. We just watched England bury queen Elizabeth about a year ago and saw all the grandiose that was put on for her funeral procession. I think hers was miniscule compared to what the people witnessed as this procession went by their homes and villages, that could have stretched out for a few miles.  All the elders of all Egypt ( The most important people of the country), along with their entourage accompanied Joseph. this would of had to include with them a massive army of chariots, foot soldiers and horsemen for protection if the occasion was to arise. Everything you can think of to sustain this amount of people on such a long trip (250 -300 miles some commentaries suggest), food, horses, encampment gear, and the people to set that up and break down everyday as they moved across the desert. What a sight to behold. During that time and era, for lack of communication like today, the people of the land may have feared for their lives seeing this great army of people, thinking that the Egyptians had come to make war in the land. 

10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 1 Sam. 31:3 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore it’s name was called AbelMizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

  Since the time I read about the death of Deborah (Gen. 35:8), I always say,  “God doesn’t just have Moses write willy nilly to fill in space” There is a more meaningful reason why these things are mentioned in Scripture. I think these two verses of the threshing floor of Atad has a more deeper spiritual understanding to it than what I thought when I first began my studies.                       The threshing floor itself was a place not only for processing the grain of their crops such as bringing in the harvest, separating the grain from the straw , or the wheat from the chaff, (separating the good part of the harvest from the bad),The winnowing of the chaff from the grain, or the husk from the cob, but it was also used for other purposes such as as agricultural processing facilities, commercial activity, As neutral places of gathering such as political treaty’s. building sites, places of sacrifice, and a place of mourning. (World History Encyclopedia; threshing floors of the bible). This particular threshing floor of Atad (H329),    was surrounded by thorns (Hence the name), and was owned by all the villages that were near it. The people of the surrounding area who saw this great mourning by the Egyptians changed the name of the threshing floor from Atad to AbelMizraim meaning Meadow Egypt (H67),  after witnessing the great mourning of the Egyptians.  In my opinion the children of Israel would have been familiar with this threshing floor, as they had lived in the vicinity throughout their lives. This could be why they came to this particular site to mourn.                                                                                                                                                         Out of Egypt I have called my son  (Matt. 2:15, Hosea. 11:1).  Again I see Joseph as a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. It has been noted in the scriptures that Egypt is spiritually a type of sin in and of itself. We don’t see this any clearer than in book Of Revelation Chapter 11 where Egypt is tied together with Sodom as a sinful place. (Rev. 11:8), Speaking of the two witness’s whose bodies lie in the streets of Jerusalem after being struck down by the beast. At that time Jerusalem has become as evil and sinful as Sodom and Egypt were. Thru Moses God called His people out of Egypt, and they were led by that spiritual rock which is Jesus Christ, and they drank of that spiritual rock that was Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 10: 1-4). Joseph, being Christ like is the one who leads his brothers, (The twelve tribes of Israel), out of Egypt ( Sin), to Israel’s final resting place. when Jacob died, Israel the nation was born and God called out his son from Egypt       ( Hosea. 11:1). Symbolically I see the foreshadowing of the time when they will be led out of Egypt by Moses to their physical resting place in the land of Canaan. But it doesn’t stop there. when they get to the threshing floor of Atad, Joseph see’s this threshing floor surrounded by thickets of thorns, and he is in the middle of the thorns spiritually representing the crown of thorns that were placed on our Lord Jesus Christ’s head as He was crucified. ( Matt. 27:29, Mar. 15:17, John. 19:2), although not mentioned in the scriptures it is in my humble opinion that Joseph would have unwrapped all the clothe that was used in Egypt to mummify Israel, and anything else the Egyptians put on him during the mummification process, as all this is representative of Egypt and sin. Just as Jesus Christ takes the sins of Israel away, so to Joseph, being Christ like, is doing the same for his father, Israel. 

12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. 13 For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father. vs.5

Jacob commanded his sons to take him back to the land of Canaan, to the cave in the field of Machpelah that is before Mamre, which Abraham bought for a burial place for his wife Sarah at the time, but also for him and his family to follow. Abraham bought this property and it was certified by the the sons of Heth as a legal purchase, measuring it’s borders with all the trees round about. even though God told Abraham years ago that all the land he sees from north to south to east and west would be his. Abraham did as God commanded, and he finally moved to Mamre where he settled, he pitched his tent and lived among the oaks in Mamre, which is in Hebron. There Abraham built an altar to Jehovah to worship Him (Gen. 13: 15-18),  All this he did many moons ago. Abraham still considered himself a stranger and a visitor in the land, although the people of the land considered him a mighty prince among them (Gen. 23:4-6), he was highly regarded by the people, yet Abraham did not lord this over them, nor did he accept the offer from Ephron the Hittite to give him the land for free. Instead Abraham purchased the land for four hundred shekels of silver. When Joseph and his brothers came to bury their father, they left behind in Egypt their family, and all that they owned. It is so that the prophecy of Abraham might be fulfilled, ” that his descendants would be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and be afflicted for four hundred years (Gen. 15:13). It was not their time to possess the land of Canaan. so they returned to Egypt, all that went with them and no one was left behind. 

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 37: 18-36

The evil Joseph’s brothers did to him was when they plotted to kill him, but instead sold him to the Midianite trader of the Ishmaelites, who in turn sold Joseph to the Egyptians where he became a slave.

16 So they sent messengers to Joseph saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.” ‘Now please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?

  Again we see Joseph as a foreshadow of things to come that is a type of Jesus Christ. his brothers come to ask Joseph for forgiveness of their sins. Yet Joseph pointed to the Father stating, “Am I God. I find it an interesting saying of Joseph, “Am I” we say you are, and God say’s I Am and He fills in the blanks. I am the Almighty God,” I am the Alpha and Omega,” and, “I Am That I Am”   (Gen. 17:1, Rev. 22:13, Exo. 3:14), just as Jesus always pointed to God the Father, as he is weeping, so to Joseph points to God, “the Father” as they beg for forgiveness of their sins from him, Joseph reminds them that it is only God who can forgive their sins.

20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 “Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Matt. 5:44

  Verse twenty is so profound, one can’t help but think of Christ on the cross when they read this verse. The Romans, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees all meant evil as He was being tortured, and crucified on the tree, He cried out to God, “forgive them, for they do not know what they do” ( Luke. 23:34), What his brothers did they meant for evil against him, but they did not understand what they were truly doing, because in the long run, “God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it this day,’ to save many people alive”. The people of the time of Christ were blinded in what they were doing to to Him. they meant pure evil against Him, But God meant it for good, in order to also bring it about as it was on that day, to bring salvation to all the nations, so that it might be fulfilled, “In your seed all nations will be blessed ( Gen. 22:18, Acts. 3:25, Gal. 3:8). Joseph assured them that there was no reason for them to fear him, as he spoke to them with a gentle voice, telling them that he will take care of them. This gave great comfort to his brothers that everything will be alright.  Just as Jesus gave us the comforter to help us and assure us that all will be well.

22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his fathers household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation, The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees. 24 And Joseph said to his brethren,” I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. v. 2; Heb. 11:22

 In the cave at the field of Machpelah before Mamre, in the land of Canaan which is Hebron, that Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite for 400 shekels of silver, witnessed before the sons of Heth, who certified the field and cave as a burial place (Gen. 23: 16-30). Abraham and Sarah were first buried there, after which Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there along with Jacobs first wife Leah, and now Jacob joins his family awaiting the resurrection. All three patriarchs of Israel (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), from whose seeds all nations of the earth were to be blessed still lye in wait to this very day, awaiting for the promise they did not obtain during their life time, although having seen it afar off, understanding that they were strangers in a strange land all the days of their life. In a land that God promised would one day would be theirs for eternity. After burying their father in this land all the sons of Israel returned to Egypt and dwelt there until there death. Joseph was born in Padan – Aram, the land of his mothers father Bethuel in approximately the year 2199 AC (After creation), this would put his death around 2309 AC. give or take 3 years. see my chart section on my home page and click on “Genealogy of Adam to Joseph” to see how I arrived at this date.  Joseph lived one hundred and ten years old, roughly ninety three years of his life was spent in Egypt where he gained great prominence among the Egyptians, second to Pharaoh in the land among the people. joseph lived long enough to see his great grandchildren be born and raised  on his knees. upon his death bed Joseph remembers the promises he was told; of how God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; that one day this land would be theirs  for an inheritance to them and all their descendants for ever into eternity.  His faith in God was unwavering even after living in Egypt for most of his life. He knew he was truly a stranger in the land of Egypt. by faith Joseph knew that one day God would deliver his people from the bondage that was sure to come,  and bring them back to their homeland, in a land flowing with milk and honey. so he had his family swear an oath to him that when that day comes, for them them to carry his bones up out of Egypt and into the promised land. Joseph was embalmed just as his father was. this was not a practice of the Israeli nation nor has it ever been. Joseph was so revered by the Egyptians (Almost god like), it was them who embalmed him. the children of Israel had no say so in this matter, for they were strangers in a strange land. Thus this ends the book of Genesis. but as it is titled, this is only the beginning of Gods story to us; His-story. 

 The eighth day

Our Father above wishes that none would perish but have everlasting life (2 Peter 3:9), the Greek word for perish here means to destroy, to put out of the way entirely, to abolish (G622). No one except for the devil and the false prophet will ever be cast to hell and be tormented day and night. This is the first big lie that church’s use to scare people in some cases, Or should I say extort people for money, to buy themselves or their lost ones a way out of purgatory. For those who chose not to follow God’s way and accept Jesus Christ as their savior, our loving, merciful Father above will not allow those to live forever, but will cast them away in the lake of fire that will consume them in seconds time to which they will perish for all eternity. 
God created us because He wants a family, and to Him we are His children. What father could put their child in a place where they are tormented day and night forever? Our Father above is a God of love, and He will never do this to His children. Nor would our Father above condemn people to death who have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ, or of Himself, or those who do not truly know the truths of His word (The bible). Take comfort in knowing that our God is a loving God, full of mercy and grace, who will judge all in righteousness, and fairness. People sometimes ask themselves; “how could God cast into hell  for eternity those who never heard of the name Jesus Christ, or God the Father, who never had the opportunity given to them for salvation’ Why would He bring those into this evil world with no hope for salvation?” Well He doesn’t, the God I serve is a righteous God who will judge in righteousness, and everyone will have their first opportunity to truly know Him, and then be given the oportunity to chose for themselves if they want to Follow him, and live by His every word or not. Those that chose not to, will be cast into the lake of fire, where they will perish for all eternity. Out of the love God has for all His creation, it would, and does, grieve Him in his heart to see what they have become, just as in the days of Noah (Gen. 6:6) It is too much for Him to bear, to see His children continue to live such wicked lives. This is not what He had planned for them. He loves them too much to see them suffer in such a way, and to Him, it is suffering to live such a sinful life where they will never be content, and they will be cruel to one another. He would rather they perish forever and ever. So how does He plan on bringing all His children to the knowledge of Him, His Son and His word? It is through His Holy days that He gave to the Hebrews on Mt. Sinai and meant for all mankind. God proclaims that these are “His Feast days, the Feast of the Lord” (Leviticus 23: 2, 4, 37, 39, 44), He did not say these are the feast of the Hebrew people alone. In Deuteronomy 16 verse 14 God says even the stranger within the gates shall keep the feasts (Deut. 16:14) . I take this to mean for anyone who chooses to dwell with the Hebrew people and walk in his statutes, ordinances, and commands, and the church of today which is spiritual Israel. It is in the eighth day holy day (the last Holy day of the Jewish sacred calendar year), That I want to concentrate on, because it is the time in which all who have ever lived since Adam and Eve will be resurrected and have their first true chance of salvation. They are those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ or have never had a chance to know the one true God, and His word (the holy bible), as I said previously; God would not condemn people to death who have never heard the word taught to them, or even those, who thought they knew him but did not because of their Lack of understanding of the scriptures, or just because as Jesus Said, it was not given to them to know the keys to this kingdom in this earth age:
Luk 8:10  And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

From the Easy read Version:
Mar 4:11 Jesus said, “Only you can know the secret truth about God’s kingdom. But to those other people I tell everything by using stories.
Mar 4:12 I do this so that, ‘They will look and look but never really see; they will listen and listen but never understand. If they saw and understood, they might change and be forgiven.'”

In my opinion verse 12 is speaking about Christians in the past, even to this day, and in the near future who were not baptized, or if they were, they did not recieve God’s Spirit thru the laying on of hands by elders of the church, as it is written. Acts 8:14-17,  9: 17, 18, 19:4-6. These people do hear the word and perceive it, but cannot understand it fully without God’s Spirit, and if they cannot fully understand it then they have been blinded by it’s truths about the holy days of God, keeping the Sabbath, and the Law, and how it changed after the crucifixion but not done away with fully as so many are led to believe. This is hard to understand what Jesus was saying here in Mark. We ask ourself; “why would Jesus not want these people to be forgiven. It is like I have said before; “God is not trying to save the whole world in this earth age,’but each according to their appointed time” this is my opinion and that of my church. It is up to each individual to chose to believe this or not. We as Christians should not question our God. Look what happened to Job when he did, God put him in his place. As a Christian, I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I believe that the bible is written by men whom God chose, and inspired them to write his words (God breathed), I believe in His word from “in the beginning” all the way to the end of the Holy bible. I believe that His words are true and faithful, as He is true and faithful to His word. We must trust him 100% with His plan of salvation for all his children, and in His word when He says all things work for the good.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

So if God is not trying to save the whole world now then what is His plan, and when will this take place? He reveals this through His holy day called the eighth day. I will talk about that later. First I think I must reveal some other truths leading up to this day in order for this all to make sense. Lets go to Thessalonia chapter four.
1Th 4:15 For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not go before those who are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first.
1Th 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord.

Here we read that those who are dead in Christ shall rise first. These are those who had God’s holy Spirit, Kept His Commandments, (The Saturday Sabbath, and His Feast days), Before Christ came the first time,  these whom God chose, and had His Spirit. These are people like the patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Adam and Eve, the prophets of old, all those listed in the faith Chapter (Hebrews eleven), and many more in the Old Testament times. Included will be all those who have ever lived and died after Christ’s first appearance, who also had God’s Spirit, Kept His Commandments, (The Saturday Sabbath, and His Feast days), and not those who seeing they did not see, hearing they did not hear, and perceiving yet they did not perceive, thinking these days were nailed at the cross and they could therefore create their own ways of worshiping God and Jesus Christ according to the traditions of men, in effect creating their own God who they say would be pleased at how they worship him because they do so with love. Yet Christ said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). I am speaking to the Christians and non christians of today and the future. These people will have to go through the tribulation, many will be persecuted and will die as martyr’s, And be part of the dead in Christ. Some will live through it all, not receiving the mark of the beast and be given the crown of life (Rev. 20:4), These people will also be a part of the group that are caught up in the clouds to be with the lord forever as part of the first fruits (1Thes 4:17), and will also rule and reign with Christ for those one thousand years, along with the first fruits who were Carried away to the wilderness, and found worthy to escape the tribulation to that place of safety during the three and one half years of the tribulation time, Rev. 12: 6, 14, Luke. 21:36 , being part of the first resurrection (those who were caught up after the dead in Christ), Those who die during the tribulation time, who did not repent, still not fully knowing who Christ and God the Father are, will be part of the second resurrection, after the one thousand years have passed, where they will be given their first chance to hear, see, and perceive, correctly God’s word, they will be resurrected along with all those since Adam and Eve.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

A second resurrection is never mentioned in the bible, but in Revelation six it speaks of a first resurrection, implying that there is more than one resurrection. Revelation chapter twenty verse five speaks of this second resurrection, but we must read this verse in it’s full context:                                                                                      Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

God’s holy days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles are depicted here in the verses of Revelation I have been quoting. On the third day of Unleavened bread there is a first fruit offering the priest would make to God, this foreshadows Christ at his first coming as the first of first fruits to God, and also those who are were born again into Christ during baptism, We are those first fruits who will assist Christ and rule and reign with Him for those thousand years, along with the others I mentioned earlier. The other holy day we see in the verses I quoted in the book of revelation is the Feast of Tabernacles, which to the Israelites represents the forty years God Tabernacled (dwelt) among them in the wilderness. To the church it is a foreshadow of Christ’s one thousand year reign here on earth.
By now the reader may be asking, “What are we suppose to be doing while we rule and reign during those one thousand years?” Who are we to rule and reign over? I have already listed those who will be the kings and Priests to the Lord during this 1000 yr reign, and those who were killed during the tribulation (Those who took the mark of the beast, who were killed by all the famines, plagues, and wars, and natural disasters), But there will be a remnant that is left alive after the tribulation, who did not take the mark of the beast and did not repent of their sins as God kept hoping people would do. Every time He struck them with the plagues, and disasters, as we read in the book of revelation, the Lord would say; “But they would not repent” Rev. 2:22, 9:20-21, 16: 9, 11, In my opinion some of these who do not repent are going to be the atheist. Atheist don’t believe in any god, be the one true God, or satan the devil who makes himself to be god. With that said I don’t foresee them bowing down to either one of them. Then you have the countries of China and Russia who have Atheist governments who don’t allow religion in their countries. Then we read about a two hundred million man army that will fight against the Antichrist (Rev. 9:16), along with the northern people that will take up arms against the Antichrist at some point in time. We can read about this in Daniel chapter 11. and then you have what I cal the tribal people. These are those people who live deep in the jungles of the amazons, and New Guinea, and the like. People from these places I mentioned will be those who come out of the tribulation, never taking the mark of the beast, and because of where they live they may never have had the chance to be warned (by those who would be      martyd for their faithfulness to God), to repent and be saved from all the troubles going on around during the time of the great tribulation. There are scholars, theologians and what have you that estimate it could amount up to eight hundred million people still left alive after the tribulation. They will be a lost and confused people during this time. Many will be wondering what just happened to the world around them as they knew it. There will be others that are well aware of what happened, but refuse to accept a God who would allow all this suffering to happen to people. The bible doesn’t give a list of what people’s jobs would be, just that we will be Priests and kings. Only one person does the bible mention what their job title is and that is King David. He will be king of Israel once again  Jer. 30: 3-10, Ezekial chapter 37, Interestingly enough,  Ezekial chapter 37 begins with the valley of dry bones, and God tells Ezekial that He will raise up the whole house of Israel. I’m not sure when this will be, will it be at Christ’s second coming? or sometime during Christ’s 1ooo yr reign? (making it a third resurrection), as some believe. This I do not know so therefore I won’t speculate. We as the first fruits will have a giant task ahead of us. Remember Jesus told His apostles;  the master is the servant and the servant is the master He also said that He himself did not come to be served but to serve,  Matt. 20: 26-28, our job will be to serve all those who came out of the tribulation, and those who will be born during those 1000 yrs, for there will be births during these one thousand years. We will have the task to explain to them what just happened, why it happened, and what is to become of them. However, this time satan will not be around to deceive the people during this time. These people will get to experience what it will be like to live under God’s laws, statutes and commandments. As we read in the book of revelation; immediately after those 1000 years are up, Satan will be loosed again to go out and deceive the nations one last time:
Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

It is up to us (The first fruits), the kings and priest’s to assist Jesus, in setting up and rebuilding the earth. Some things God and Jesus will do on their own when it comes to restoring the earth and make it habitable to live in once again, also in the healing of the people. We as first frutits will assist them and serve the people. Isaiah chapters 34 and 35 speak of this time. I suggest reading both chapters. They will bring joy to your heart. There are many other prophecies that speak of the same time, but for this purpose I won’t go over them. I think the commentary from my church on chapters 34 and 35 explain it very clear on what God and Jesus will be doing during this time, so I am going to copy and paste it here:
The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance
That chapter 34 is a prophecy of the last days is clear from the reference to the heavens being dissolved and “rolled up like a scroll,” a picture also presented in the heavenly signs of Revelation 6:13-14. Some see this terminology as descriptive of a mushroom cloud.
The prophecy concerns multinational devastation to occur during the Day of the Lord, focusing on God’s judgment against Edom (Idumea). Other prophecies against Edom can be found in Isaiah 63:1-6, Jeremiah 49:7-22, Ezekiel 25:12-14, Ezekiel 35, Amos 1:11-12, Obadiah 1-14 and Malachi 1:2-5.
The Day of the Lord is described as the time of God’s vengeance on the nations for their affliction of Zion—perhaps referring to the evil they have done to both physical Israel and spiritual Israel, the latter meaning the Church of God. And God tells us that this period of final vengeance will last for a year (Isaiah 34:8). In Revelation 6:17, the heavenly signs are said to introduce the “great day of His wrath.” Following these signs in Revelation is the blowing of seven trumpets, each heralding titanic, cataclysmic world upheaval. It appears, then, that these trumpets are blown over the course of this final “year of recompense.”
The waste and destruction that will come on the land of Edom (Isaiah 34:9-15)—with its becoming a habitation for unclean animals—seems very much to parallel what will happen to Babylon (Isaiah 13:19-22; 14:22-23; Jeremiah 50:39; 51:37), wherein the wasteland of such animals is perhaps symbolic of the prison for Satan and his demons (compare Revelation 18:2). And yet end-time Babylon is evidently to be identified with Rome. Interestingly, Jewish commentaries have traditionally identified Edom with Rome, or at least the dynasty of Rome’s leaders, and with the rulers of Germany—as was noted in the Bible Reading Program comments on the book of Obadiah. The Babylonian Talmud mentions “Germamia of Edom” (Megilla 6b). Again, it is possible that there is some connection here, though, as also explained in the comments on Obadiah, it appears that Edom primarily comprises many of the Turks and Palestinians along with various other scattered Middle Eastern groups. However, we should perhaps consider the large number of Turks and other Muslim immigrants who live in Germany and other European nations today. Moreover, Turkey itself may eventually become part of the European Union, thus fusing a significant part of Edom with Babylon.
Followed by Paradise
Isaiah 35 is entirely millennial—that is, descriptive of the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ and His saints (see Revelation 20:4-6)—and presents a contrasting picture to the desolation of chapter 34. The deserts will bloom as nature is transformed—miraculously healed. Human beings will also be healed by the miracle-working power of God.
Yet the healing will not only be external. The blind seeing, deaf hearing, lame leaping and mute singing (Isaiah 35:5-6), while literal, are also symbolic. Those who are spiritually blind will at last come to see and understand the knowledge of God. Those who are unwilling to hear God’s message will at last listen. Those who are spiritually crippled, unable to walk in God’s commandments, will at last be able to run and leap in the way of God. And those who are now silent in regard to God and His mighty works will at last praise Him and proclaim His truth.
This will be made possible by “waters bursting forth in the desert”—again literal but also spiritual, referring to the coming outpouring of the Spirit of God. The presence of God’s Spirit will work great miracles, both visible change in nature and, more importantly, transformation of the inner hearts and minds of people.
What is now the narrow and difficult path of life, which only few find (Matthew 7:14), will, in the age to come, be a broad highway that everyone will be able to follow to the Kingdom of God. The highway, too, is both literal and figurative. It is the path of return for the exiles to Zion—the physical route and the spiritual way of life that God requires.
It will be a safe road (verse 9)—on which no beast is found. Again, this is a physical and spiritual promise. As we saw in Isaiah 11, the nature of animals will be changed. They will no longer be dangerous. And the political “Beast” powers of the earth will no longer be around to harm anyone.
  Our job as firstfruits (Priests and kings), will be to set up and establish the government of God with all it’s laws, statutes, and ordinances, and to also enforce them as it is written, “with a rod of Iron”, Rev 2:27, 12:5, 19:15, some of  the firstfruits will be judges, law officers, and what have you, but this time truly the law of liberty will be blind and there will be no favoritism tolerated in his government. Then as priest, we shall teach them the true “TRUTH”! Of God’s word. This time without satans influence to deceive people. This is when people will truly have their first opportunity to truly know who God is; His love, mercy, grace, compassion,. And they will get to know their big brother Jesus Christ. They will learn of the holy days of God, they will keep the true Sabbath. The Temple will be in Jerusalem, and sacrifices and offerings will start up again, in my opinion to teach people of who Christ is, to teach people about the love of God who gave up His only begotten Son to be the true sacrifice for the remission of our sins. Again, during this time, they will rule with a rod of iron and satan won’t be there to deceive them, but because they are not yet children of God , they will still have that rebellious attitude that needs to be cleaned up. Those nations that don’t keep these Holy days days, God says their punishment will be that He will cause it not to rain in their land Zech. 14:16-21 People will die and be born during this 1000 yr reign here on earth and we will be there for it all. Teaching and helping to establish the kingdom of God that is to come shortly after the 1000 years are up. Then after the thousand years are up comes the second resurrection. This resurrection will consist of all those who have ever lived and died since Adam and Eve up to that point in time, including those who lived and died during the 1000 years. This is called the eighth day in Leviticus 23. it is one of God’s holy days, his feast that He proclaimed to be his. And it is known as the “Great White Throne judgment” in the book of Revelation         Rev. 20: 11-15, We must keep in mind that Judgment does not necessarily mean condemnation. Not at this point. Think of it this way. When a criminal goes to court for a crime they committed, they have a judge who rules on the case and gives this person his judgment. He could grant them probation, fines, maybe one,two, three years in jail, community service, or he could find them innocent and set them free. This is what is going to be happening at the Great White Throne Judgment. Jesus talks of this judgment on a few occasion when he tells the people that it would be more tolerable for the people of Sodom than for the people of his time, Jesus also says the same thing about Nineveh, Tyre and Sidon; Matthew 10:15, 11:20-24, in verse 25 of Mathew eleven, Jesus follows up by thanking the Father for not given these truth to the sophisticated, and cunning, but to babes only. Like I had said from the beginning: God is not trying to save all people in this earth age, but at the Great White Throne judgment is when He does. In the verses I quoted in Matthew eleven it appears to me, that the people of Sodom, Gomorrah, Tyre, and Sidon, have not been judged and condemned up to this moment in time, and if they haven’t then that means all the people in world, no matter how great their sin was, is asleep, awaiting their judgment, but not until they first have their first chance at hearing the word of God, knowing who Christ is, and being able to make an educated, and true decision as to whether or not they will accept Christ’s sacrifice, Recognize the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as the one true God, and confess with their own lips the words of Repentance, asking forgiveness for their sins from the Father, and have everlasting life.                                                                                                       Now you may be asking yourself, how will those who lived and died throughout time learn all this? At the time of their resurrection’ the 1000 years have ended, that would not be fair to them to be judge then. Well we have a very righteous God who will judge in all righteousness. Isaiah. 65:20 speaks of a time when a child shall live to be a hundred years old, while the sinner who is a hundred will be despised. Many think this to mean that these people who are resurrected in the 2nd resurrection will have one hundred years to learn who God and Jesus Christ are, and learn of their ways, just like those that lived during the one thousand years. You can also reference Isaiah 66: 22-24.
Now comes the time when satan must be released for a short time to deceive the nations once last time. I have always wondered why God would do this? And then I came to the understanding of how fair and just is our God is. As most know, God gave man free will to live their life however they saw fit to live it. Up until Jesus returns the second time God has not forced Himself upon any of us. He never has. Back to the beginning, God created us because He wanted a family, (He wants children), and He wants to be loved by them, not be forced to love Him. So those who have lived while satan was cast into the bottomless pit has never known any other way of life but Gods way. Now they will see what it is like to live a life with satan in the mix. Once they do this, then can they truly be able to make a determination on their own which way of life do they want to live: The way of the lord or the way of satan. As He said to the Israelite At one time;I give you life and death I hope that you choose life so that you may live:
Deu 30:19 I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live,
Deu 30:20 so that you may love Jehovah your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give it to them.
At the Great White Throne Judgment people will chose either life or death, God will open the book of life and put the names of the ones who choose life. Those who chose not, will for the last time die, cast into the lake of fire, and will perish forever. They will not be punished for eternity, but will cease to exist. Free will.
So my friend this is my understanding of how God works out everything fairly and righteously. It has been what I was taught, and I have read all the scriptures (More than what I gave you), and it makes sense to me. This is the God I serve. I serve a very loving God who is full of grace, rich in mercy, and does judge in righteousness. I hope this makes sense to you the reader, And gives you a better understanding of our Father. If you choose not to believe what I told you here, then I guess you will go on questioning why God will put people to death, or tormented in hell forever and ever when they never knew Him. God bless

   

1.  And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what       shall befall you in the last days:                                    Deut. 33:1-29; Heb. 11:21     

  We see the phrase “Last Days”, or “Latter Days,” is used in the KJV version of the  bible  nineteen times. When these phrases are used it is specifically talking about the last days of this earth age, leading up to the return of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. The Phrase; “Last days” is used eight times ( Gen. 49:1; Isa. 2:2, Micah 4:1; Acts 2:17; 2Tim 3:1; Heb. 1:2; Jas. 5:3; 2 Pet. 3:3), And the term “Latter days” are used eleven times in scripture (Num. 24:14; Deut. 4:30, 31:29; Jer. 23:20, 30:24, 48:47, 49:39; Eze. 38:16; Dan. 10:14; Hos. 3:5),  This chapter is the first time either phrase is used in the Bible. Since Israel is prophesying about the fate of the descendants of Israel in the latter days, this tells us that all the tribes of Israel are still in existence to this day as a unique people and will be at the time of the end, even Levi and Simeon who were scattered among the other tribes of Israel, because of the sins they committed in the land of Shechem (Gen. 34:25, 26, 30). We will see this in the prophecy Israel gives against Levi and Simeon. However, After the Exodus, and the conquering of the land of Canaan, we do see some smaller fulfillments of the prophecies given here to all the tribes, but, in my opinion, very minor in comparison to the full, fulfillment in the end times. Most prophecy has  a duel fulfillment Part of the fulfillment is meant for that particular era and people before the first coming of our lord Jesus Christ. And the final fulfillment of the prophecies are for these latter days’ leading up to the second coming of the Christ. In order to fully understand the prophecies given by Israel in regards to their fate in the latter days, I must go into great detail but I will try to summarize my understanding of these prophecies as brief as I can. I will however create another commentary on these prophecies in my prophecy header and go into greater detail. 

2.  “Gather together and hear, you                                                                                                      sons of Jacob,                                                                                                                                         And listen to Israel your father.                                 32:28                                                 

Gather together and hear, you sons of the flesh, (Jacob), and listen to what the Spirit of Israel says to your father. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the sons of Israel. Jacob is being led by the Spirit in these prophecies which is why I began my commentary as such.  He who has wisdom let him understand what the Spirit says to the tribes of Israel (Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3: 6,13,22). In this chapter we find a lot of Hebrew poetry, idioms, and parallels. This will make it much harder for me to understand them, but attempt to, I must. 

3.  “Reuben, you are my firstborn,                                                                                                       My might and the beginning                                                                                                           of my strength,                                                                  29:32                                                        The excellency of dignity and                                                                                                          the excellency of power.
4.  Unstable as water, you shall                                                                                                            not excel,                                                                                                                                                  Because you went up to your                                                                                                            father s bed;                                                                       35:22; 1 Chr. 5:1                                        Then you defiled it–                                                                                                                            He went up to my couch.

Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob, by his first wife Leah. Being the firstborn of Jacob, Reuben was to receive the birthright which was handed down from Abraham to his son Isaac and to Isaac’s son Israel. This is the birthright blessing of the promised seed in which all nations of the earth would be blessed. Also as the firstborn Reuben was to have a greater blessing than all the other brothers. In Adam Clarke’s commentary from Genesis chapter twenty five he goes into great detail of the blessings of the firstborn son should have received:

Adam Clarke:

1. Authority and superiority over the rest of the family.
2. A double portion of the paternal inheritance.
3. The peculiar benediction of the father.
4. The priesthood, previous to its establishment in the family of Aaron.
Calmet controverts most of these rights, and with apparent reason, and seems to think that the double portion of the paternal inheritance was the only incontestable right which the first-born possessed; the others were such as were rather conceded to the first-born, than fixed by any law in the family. However this may be, it appears,
1. That the first-born were peculiarly consecrated to God, Exo 22:29.
2. Were next in honor to their parents, Gen 49:3.
3. Had a double portion of their father’s goods, Deu 21:17.
4. Succeeded him in the government of the family or kingdom, 2 Ch 21:3.
5. Had the sole right of conducting the service of God, both at the tabernacle

Because Reuben defiled his father’s couch as it is written here, can also mean to  defile his bed. He defiled Israel’s bed by sleeping with his concubine Bilhah (Rachel’s handmaid). The prophecy pertaining to Reuben in the latter days lay in verse four: Reuben is prophesied to be unstable as water and shall not excel. In order to help understand this prophecy we must first find out where the tribe of Rueben settled after the dispersion of the northern ten tribes of Israel. It is said that France and it’s people are descendants from the tribe of Reuben. That is another study all together and far to deep to go into detail in this format. I have been studying where the tribes Israel were dispersed after their captivity from the  Assyrians and the Babylonians. I will discuss these prophecies in my  “Prophecy” header of my homepage after I have researched it in more detail.

5.  “Simeon and Levi are brothers;                                                                                                     Instruments of cruelty are in                                                                                                          their dwelling place.                                                        34:25-31                                         

  Simeon s and Levi’s cruelty and anger are detailed in Genesis chapter thirty four verse s twenty five thru thirty one, when they slew Hamor and his son Shechem, because Shechem defiled their sister Dinah.

6.  Let not my soul enter their                                                                                                               council;                                                                                Prov. 1:15-16                                            Let not my honor be united to                                                                                                         their assembly;                                                                Ps. 26:9                                                     For in their anger they slew a                                                                                                          man,                                                                                                                                                            And in their self-will they                                                                                                                hamstrung an ox.                                                                                                                             

   Jacob declares that his honour will not be joined together with their evil practices, or in agreement with what they did to the Shechemites. There are a few interpretations of what is meant by “Hamstrung an ox” it appears the interpretation given is in conjunction with certain versions of the bible one is reading. however the question begs to be asked by this reader: Which came first; The Interpretation or the certain bible versions? One interpretation (Which comes from the KJV and KJV+), is that Simeon and Levi tore down a wall to get to Hamor and Shechem in order to kill them. Another interpretation (Based upon the ERV or ISV Version), is that Simeon and Levi literally killed and lamed animals for fun. The last interpretation of these verses, is the one I am more akin to ascribe to, which comes from the NKJV and MKJV version, which reads “Hamstrung an ox” The word hamstrung means to make lame.  According to the Webster dictionary they define the word bull in the scriptural sense as an enemy. And after all, once Jacobs daughter was defiled, and as the brothers exclaimed that Shechem did what not ought to be done, this in my humble opinion would make the Shechemites their enemies after such an act. Levi and Simeon hamstrung the Shechemites by requiring that all males be circumcised which made the males lame and unable to defend themselves.

7.  Cursed be their anger; for it is                                                                                                         fierce;                                                                                                                                                        And in their wrath, for it is cruel!                                                                                                  I will divide them in Jacob                                                                                                                And scatter them in Israel                                                                                                              

  The prophecy for both Simeon and Levi appear in this verse. Israel does not curse Simeon and Levi, rather he curses their anger. “Let not their anger be manifested together anymore” (So to speak), It is because of their anger that they will be separated from one another. Neither one would be given any land inheritance when they come out of Egypt like all the other sons of Jacob did.  both tribes of Levi and Simeon would be scattered throughout the other tribes in the land of Israel. In the case of The tribe of Simeon, they were given their lot from inside the inheritance of Judah (Jos. 19:1-9), which is in southern Israel (Near the wilderness of Zin), consisting of only thirteen cities encompassed by the tribe of Judah.                                                                                                                                     The tribe of Levi was scattered throughout all Israel. Their inheritance was the temple of God itself. God claimed them for Himself. This in turn actually turned the curse of Levi’s anger into a  blessing. what greater honour could there be than to serve the Almighty One;  by and thru the order of Melchizedek the Levites were to become, symbolic of the one true High Priest to come; in which all nations of the earth would be blessed (Jesus Christ). These are the  fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Simeon and Levi while in the land of Canaan before they were led into captivity. The final and more meaningful fulfillment of this prophecy for the brothers will be discussed in the “Prophecy” header of my homepage after I have researched it in more detail.

8.  Judah, you are he whom your                                                                                                         brothers shall praise;                                              29:35                                                                 Your hand shall be on the neck                                                                                                       of your enemies;                                                        Ps. 18:40                                                          Your fathers children shall bow                                                                                                     down before you.                                                       1 Chr. 5:2                                                 

    In Judah, this prophecy of what is to become of his descendants in the latter days is more clearly defined than that of the other brothers, with the exception of Joseph and his sons Manasseh and Ephraim. during the time of the kings, with the exception of the first king of Israel (Saul), the lineage of the kings of Israel would come from the tribe of Judah. However, partially fulfilled, only slightly during the reign of King David all the tribes of Israel praised King David, and they bowed down to him. During David’s reign he was as a yoke to all the enemies around him. After the death of David, because of Solomon’s wickedness, the yoke was lifted from Judah’s enemies, and the praises of the other tribes ceased little by little (1 kings.  11:1-43). Jesus Christ, in whom the promised seed is fulfilled, from the tribe of Judah, upon His second coming, all the tribes of Judah will look upon the one whom they pierced, they will ask where he got his wounds, and He will answer, “I received them from the house of my friends” And then the scales will be lifted from their eyes and they will weep for the one whom they pierced. Then they once again will bow down before Him and praise Him forever more. And the enemies of Judah will once again have the yoke of Jesus Christ around them (Zech. 12:1-14).

9.  Judah is a lion’s whelp;                                          Rev. 5:5                                                             From the prey, my son, you                                                                                                              have gone up.                                                                                                                                          He bows down, he lies down                                                                                                            as a lion;                                                                                                                                                    And as a lion, who shall rouse                                                                                                        him                                                                                                                                                     

    From the tribe of the lion of Judah will come forth the promised seed in which all nations will be blessed. The Strong’s definition for whelp is (H1842): (A young lion, a cub, as still abiding in the lair). In The history of the tribe of Judah, since the conquest of the land of Canaan, they have always had a remnant of people living in the land we now know as the nation of Israel, even during the time of exile in Babylon, and those who went into Egypt during this time of exile, “Abiding in the Lair,” quietly living  at rest in the lair of Israel. But when it is roused, it is a  fierce opponent as that of a lion (King of the jungle), if you will? yet after it’s conquest it does not seek to destroy any further, but lays back down, watching over it’s kingdom satisfied with its success. Today the people as a whole are called Jews when describing the Israeli nation, yet not all Israelis are Jews. In these modern times Whenever their enemies rouse them, they retaliate fiercely as a lion, but then retreat back into the lair. Who should dare rouse him? When I publish my research on these prophecies, I will go into greater detail on the tribe of Judah and their history as a people, and how it pertains to this prophecy. But I will give a little nugget here and now. I will state, in my humble opinion and suggest to anyone who reads this, look into the history of the nation of Great Britain and how they reacted when attacked and afterwards when they had defeated their enemies. 

10.  The scepter shall not depart                                                                                                            from Judah,                                                                 Num. 24:17                                                      Nor a lawgiver from between                                                                                                          his feet,                                                                         Ps. 60:7                                                             Until Shiloh comes;                                                 Is. 11:1                                                                 And to Him shall be the                                         Ps. 2:6-9                                                           obedience of the people.

  The royal diadem should never depart from the tribe of Judah, kings, and queens shall branch out from Judah. neither shall a lawgiver depart from Judah. As kings and queens one of their responsibilities was to issue laws, and decrees in his or her kingdom. This has been true throughout history since the establishment of kings, and queens. The scepter is a rod or staff that  has been used by many kingdoms as a sign of its authority over the people in its kingdom. this scepter begins with king David who was anointed by God himself thru Samuel the prophet (1Sam. 16:1, 13), for it is God who gives all authority to man (Dan. 2: 20, 21; Rom. 13:1). there will always be kings and queens coming from the bloodline of Judah. “Until Shiloh comes” Meaning until peace comes throughout all the earth. Shiloh (H7886) is defined as “Tranquility” which comes from the root word safety (H7951),  or to be at rest. Some scholars take the meaning “Until Shiloh comes” to mean until the Messiah comes, referring to his first coming. In my opinion this proclamation by Israel, “Until Shiloh comes” is referring to His second coming, because at his first coming there was no peace and the nations were never at peace, nor did they Obey the one whom they pierced. It is not until His second coming that He will rule with a rod (Scepter), of Iron, as a lion and not as a lamb (A lions whelp), if you will? all people will obey him at this coming, and He will bring true peace to all nations. Even so come Amen. With that said, one may ask, “Then where is the scepter of Judah today?’ According to the scriptures we read that Zedekiah was the last king of Judah, and his Sons were killed, when Nebuchadnezzar took the people of Judah into captivity.  (2 Kings 25:7; Jer. 52:10,11), but the story doesn’t end there. We see in Jer. 43:6 that Zedekiah’s daughters were taken into Egypt by Johanan who was one of the commanders of Judah, along with Jeremiah and Baruch the scribe. So the scepter fell upon the daughters of Zedekiah. There is way too much material to cover the history of the  Scepter of Judah in this format. I will go into greater detail in separate study on prophecy. I would however recommend two books that are published by the                                    United church of God:                                                                                                                         1. The Throne of Britain.                                                                                                                2. The United States And Britain In Bible Prophecy.                                                               There are many books written on this subject other than these two, but I find these two to be a good starting point on which to launch your research.  

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.                                                                      Rev. 19:13

   People can take away many different thought concepts as to the meaning of the choice words that are used, depending on your beliefs, or ideology. I believe there is both a spiritual, and a worldly way of interpreting this verse.  What caught my attention right off is why He (God), in the first part of this verse goes from first mentioning the “Foal” and  the “vine” and in the next utterance He switches up His words to “Ass’s colt” and choice vine?” I believe God is making a distinction between the two, so in my opinion He is speaking of two different subjects. So what is the significance of this?  On the Spiritual side of this first part of the verse we read that God, thru His Prophet Isaiah describes Israel as a vineyard and the men of Judah as His pleasant plant (Isa. 5:7; Jer. 2:21). After the reign of Solomon the ten northern tribes of Israel broke off from the tribe of Judah, therefore the vineyard (Israel), became broken in two, and have never reconciled ever since. Thru the prophet Ezekial we read where this portion of the prophecy is fulfilled: God tells Ezekial to take two sticks and write on one of them, ” For Judah and for his companions, the sons of Israel;” The companions being the tribe of Benjamin, and a remnant of the tribes of Levi and Simeon, who never left Judah’s side. Then God tells Ezekial to write on the second stick, “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel, his companions;” The companions here speak of northern tribes of Israel. Then God says to Ezekial to take the two sticks and join them together into one stick therefore the nation of Israel will once again be one nation, never to be divided again, and they will have one King; being King David (Eze. 37:16, 22), thus “Binding his foal to the vine.”  in the same chapter of Ezekial we read where the second part of this prophecy about binding his ass’s colt to the choice vine is fulfilled. after the vineyard is once again bound to the pleasant plant (Judah), God tells Ezekial that  David shall be king over them and there shall be one Shepherd  to them all. This Shepherd is Jesus Christ (The “choice Vine”), King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the book of John, Jesus proclaims, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman”  (John. 15:1).                                      

             “He washed his garments in                                                                                                               wine,                                                                                                                                                           And his clothes in the blood                                                                                                             of grapes.”                             

  Jesus Christ’s shed blood was for the remission of our sins as He explained in the Passover dinner ( Mark. 14:23-25; Luke 22:17-20), I see this as being His garments washed in wine, symbolic of the saints who will wear robes that were washed white with the Blood of Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:13 is referenced in this verse, but I find the interpretation of this latter part of verse eleven in Isaiah chapter sixty three (which when you read Revelation nineteen verse thirteen it references Isaiah chapter sixty three (Rev. 19:13; Isa. 63. 2-6), This speaks of the second coming of the Lord. Upon His coming He will crush the wicked people of the nations as a winepress crushes the grapes, and their blood will be spilled out just as the juices of the grapes are when they have gone thru the winepress. It is the wicked people of the earth whom His clothes are dipped in the blood of grapes. 

12.  His eyes shall be red with wine,                                                                                                        And his teeth white with                                                                                                                 milk                                                                                                                                               

  Verse twelve here in my opinion is an idiom meaning that they (The Jewish people), will act as if they are drunk because of the fatness of the land (“Teeth white with milk”) in which they will live in the latter days. As was written, prophesied and fulfilled in the “Song of Moses” (Deut. 32: 1-43), when they were settled in the land of Judah they turned away from God, (Jer. 2:5-37), they will once again turn away from the Lord Jehovah,  who this time brought them back to the promised land, (not from Egypt), but  from the four corners of the earth to make them a nation once again, in a days time (Is. 66:8), we can already see this coming to fruition again here in the twenty first century. Ever since becoming a nation again, even though their nation is called Israel to all the nations of the world, as a people, they are known as Jews (A connotation of the word Judah), and they have become a secular society forsaken the ways of Jehovah, the God of Israel, forgetting the God of their fathers and being unthankful, yet living rich with the abundance of the land flowing with milk and honey. 

13.  ” Zebulun shall dwell by the                                                                                                            haven of the sea;                                                       Deut. 33: 18, 19                                               He shall become a haven for                                                                                                              ships,                                                                                                                                                          And his border shall adjoin                                                                                                              Sidon.                                                                              10:19                                                     

    Zebulun is the 6th and last son born from Leah, and the tenth son in order that was born to Jacob. Zebulun s name means Exalted, and by this prophecy here it seems as if he will become exalted in the last days leading up to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. As I commented on in the beginning of this chapter; the term Last days and latter days specifically talk about the second coming of the Christ. I say this because of what I have learned in my research of this prophecy concerning the tribe of Zebulun. It appears most commentators believe this prophecy was filled during the conquest of the land of Canaan during the time of Joshua and the allotment of lands to the tribes of Israel (Jos. 19:10-16), emphasis is put on verse eleven in the commentaries, but this to me is a weak example supporting the commentaries. I say this because in verse eleven we read that their border went up toward the sea and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam (Jos. 19:11), verse twelve: then the border turned from Sarid eastward toward Mt. Tabor (The Flames of Tabor), Notice the border only went toward the sea; meaning the “direction of” and not the actual location of the sea. If we take a look at all the maps that are drawn up of the land inheritance of the twelve tribes of Israel we will see that the tribe of Zebulun is indeed landlocked. East of Zebulun “Toward the sea” Zebulun s border to the east and north is the tribe of Asher, and then the southern border, “Towards the east” is against the half tribe of Manasseh (son of Joseph). Instead of going into greater detail (In this format), of the many scholars who have researched this prophecy and try to tie it in with other scriptures such as Deuteronomy, Joshua, Isaiah, Mathew, and the writings of Josephus, I will instead reference an article in the Associates for Biblical Research web page by Dr. Hansen titled “Zebulun by the Sea? Mystery of the Borders Of Zebulun” And I will now continue with my commentary of this verse and the findings of Dr. Hansen. What I have discovered is that the last part of this prophecy gets touched on, but gets skipped over for the most part. The northern border that Zebulun is to dwell in this verse (Which Israel prophesied), will adjoin Sidon. Again, if we look at the maps of the region we will see that Sidon is way north (Up by Damascus), of the tribe of Zebulun; with the tribes of Asher and Naphtali between Zebulun and Sidon. As I said early on in this commentary all scholars I have seen try to say this prophecy was fulfilled during the conquest in the time of Joshua, some try to use the book of Matthew and the writings of Josephus to point to the fact that Zebulun was at the sea during the time of Jesus (Mat. 4:13; ), (Josephus 1992: 131-2 [Ant. 5.1.22]). By all accounts (That I know of), the tribe of Zebulun has never fulfilled this prophecy as far as being a haven for ships and being adjoined to Sidon, Yet all scholars, for whatever reason fail to understand that this prophecy was meant for the time leading up to the second return of Jesus the Christ. So therefore as Israel prophesied (lead by the Holy Spirit), when that time comes, rest assured that God will fulfill His promise to the people of Zebulun. I will be doing, and have started a little already a more in depth study of what happened to the tribes of Israel after the dispersion, and where they settled. At that time I publish my findings in my Prophecies” header of my web page. Again a little nugget I will share what I have learned at this point. I would recommend to the readers of this commentary to look at the location, history, and their major contribution to the world in the not to distant past and present of the Netherlands.

15.  He saw that rest was good,                                                                                                                And that the land was                                                                                                                        pleasant;                                                                                                                                                   He bowed his shoulder to bear                                                                                                       a burden,                                                                                                                                                   And became a band of slaves.                                                                                                 

Switzerland and Finland are said to be descendants of the tribe of Issachar according to Yair Davidiy in his book: “The Tribes, The Israelite Origins of the Western People.” This would make sense if you think about these two countries, and where they are located We can look at the history of these two countries since the first two world wars and see that they were caught in the middle of both sides of the isle between Russia, Great Britain and Germany. these three countries at times used the Swiss and Finns to their own advantage in one way or another. (A strong Donkey lying between two burdens), The Finns two burdens were Germany and Russia in World War II. The Finns have fought and defeated Russia in the past and are a strong military if provoked. And the Swiss’s two burdens in the war were the Axis powers of Germany and Italy, and  the Allies. Their strength in the future could be their banking institutes, and the gold they store.

16.  ” Dan shall judge his people                                 30:6                                                                   As one of the tribes of Israel.
  Dan’s name itself means Judge: (H1835) dân
dân
BDB Definition:
Dan = “a judge”
From H1777; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place in Palestine colonized by them: – Dan. His name comes from the related word (H1777): dı̂yn / dûn
BDB Definition:
1) to judge, contend, plead
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to act as judge, minister judgment
1a2) to plead a cause
1a3) to execute judgment, requite, vindicate
1a4) to govern
1a5) to contend, strive
1b) (Niphal) to be at strife, quarrel

“Dan will judge his people.” Again I refer to Yair Davidiy’s book that claims that the tribe of Dan’s descendants are of the Danes and Celts.  According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, the Viking society, which had developed by the 9th century, included the peoples that lived in what are now Denmark, Norway, and  Sweden and by the 10th century, Iceland. throughout the Centuries these Danish people migrated all over the continent of Europe and even in the United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales, and on into Ireland. One could say that a great part of western Europe is made up of the Danish people. The Celtic people, who Mr. Davidiy also says are descendants of the tribe of Dan, Also lived all over Europe, and the United kingdom, and Ireland (Encyclopedia Britannica)                                                                                                                              As you can see above, the Strongs Concordance and the BDB definition of Dan is first and foremost “Judge,” and then there is a list of other definitions for the name of Dan. A couple of those definitions are; “To execute judgment, Requite and to Vindicate. Requite can also mean to “avenge” (To take vengeance for or on behalf of someone), And to vindicate (To make right for a wrong done upon someone, or in this instance for a people), It is these two latter definitions I would like elaborate on, and how I think, In my opinion, that these two definitions of “Judge” could fit into this prophecy in the latter days as Jacob prophesized. I want to emphasize that there is no scriptural evidence to back what I am about to say, and so this is just my own interpretation of this prophecy based on my own studies and research. Probably the most famous person from the tribe of Dan is Samson from the Old Testament. and Samson’s story is of a man who in fact was considered a “Judge” for the people of Israel. Judges.  15:20  Adam Clarkes commentary  states that the word “Judge” being used in this verse might be translated “to avenged” the people of Israel twenty years;

Adam Clarke:

Dan shall judge – Dan, whose name signifies judgment, was the eldest of Jacob’s sons by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, and he is here promised an equal rule with those tribes that sprang from either Leah or Rachel, the legal wives of Jacob. Some Jewish and some Christian writers understand this prophecy of Samson, who sprang from this tribe, and judged, or as the word might be translated avenged, the people of Israel twenty years. See Jdg_13:2;Jdg_15:20.                                                                                                                                                     The Hebrew bible of the Old Testament reads Jacobs Prophecy as such:        “Dan will avenge his people, like one, the tribes of Israel.”                                           And well known Rabbi, Rashi, comments on this verse in this manner:             

  Dan will avenge his people: Heb. יָדִין, will avenge his people from the Philistines, like “When the Lord avenges (יָדִין) His people” (Deut. 32:36). – [From Targum Onkelos]
like one, the tribes of Israel: All Israel will be like one with him, and he will avenge them all. Concerning Samson he uttered this prophecy. We can also explain שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּאַחַד [as follows]: like the special one of the tribes, namely David, who came from Judah. — [From Targum Onkelos, Sotah 10a, Gen. Rabbah 99:11].                                                                                                                        Now according to many scholars the people of Germany are descendants of the ancient people of Assyria, whom can trace their roots back to Asshur who was the second son of Shem, son of Noah, Gen 10:21  Many bible Scholars believe that the anti Christ will come out of the people of Germany. And this “Beast Power” (As it is described in the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel),  will be made up of many nations who will give their power to the beast. (See Bible tools website for more details on this beast power). these nations that will give their power to the “Beast Power.” In my humble opinion  these nations will be comprised of the descendants of the tribe of Dan. And as Samson avenged his people from the philistines back in his day, so to will these people avenge the nation of Israel in the latter days, when they see how this “Beast” (the anti christ), is persecuting them in the final moments of this earth age. I get this from the prophecy that say’s in the end the beast will be left all alone with no one to help him, and he will see his demise along with the false prophet and be cast into the Abyss for a thousand years.                                            In Daniel chapter two we read about this image that appeared in a dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. this image of a man represented five consecutive kingdoms that shall precede king Nebuchadnezzar. I don’t want to get into detail hear about the whole image in the kings dream, that is for another commentary. Instead I will just focus in on the feet and toes made up partly of iron and clay. The feet and the ten toes make up the fifth and final kingdom (The “Beast power”),  that shall arise in the latter days of this earth age, and as iron and clay do not mix so to will this final kingdom be partly strong and partly weak. and the seed of men shall mix together with one another but they shall not be binded together as Iron and clay cannot bind, (Daniel 2: 41-43), in my opinion the seed of men are the descendants of the tribe of Dan, who will mingle with the seed of the German people. The feet and ten toes that are described in Daniel, are the same ten horns that we see described in the book of revelation that will turn on the beast. This beast is described as a scarlet coloured beast with seven heads and ten toes (Rev 17:3-7), when we read on in Revelation 17. 12- 17, we see that these ten horns (Ten nations), will turn on the beast and the scarlet who is riding the beast (Symbolizing that the Scarlet is controlling the beast), and therefore; so goes the scarlet coloured Whore, so goes the beast. And the ten kings, and their people (the waters), Rev. 17:15, shall turn on the whore, bring her to ruin, and reveal her for what she truly is (Rev. 17: 15-17).                                                              In conclusion When these ten nations that make up the tribe of Dan see how the beast power and the harlot have persecuted the Saints (including the people of Israel, in my opinion), and now even makes war with Christ Himself, they will have seen enough, and will turn on him (the beast) and who sits atop of him (the whore), and judge (Avenge), their people, and because of this act the tribe of Dan will once again be grafted back into the nation of Israel “AS one of the tribes of Israel” as it was spoken of by Jacob upon his death bead. 

  17.  Dan shall be a serpent by the                                                                                                           way,                                                                                 Judg. 13:2, 24                                                 A viper by the path,                                                                                                                             That bites the horse’s heels                                                                                                             So that it’s rider shall fall                                                                                                                 backward.                                                                                                                                         

  In keeping with my understanding of this prophecy to be speaking of the Germanic people in the end times I shall continue on with my Theory. I do want to stress here however that this is my opinion based upon the research I have done. I am in no means claiming this to be set in stone. there are many theories to the prophecies given by Jacob in this chapter. I do want to reiterate that there is duality in prophecy, and I believe that is evident in these prophecies, as some were fulfilled (but only partially in my opinion), when the Hebrews entered the promised land after the Exodus, and as Jacob said himself, he is speaking of the latter days leading up to the return of Jesus Christ upon this earth. Verse 17 here fit’s right in with my interpretation of the previous verse 16. If my interpretation in verse 16 is correct then I believe that because the people of Dan, upon seeing what the antichrist is doing to God’s people, the will get in the way of his (the antichrist’s), way from being able to destroy the people of God (A viper by the path), in such a manner that it will cause the antichrist, the false prophet, and their beast power to stumble and fall by the path they are going down. This will weaken the beast power from fully fulfilling his evil plan against God and His people. 

18.  I have waited for your                                                                                                                         salvation, O Lord !                                                       Is. 25:9         

  I consulted with my minister about this verse as to what I was interpreting it to mean. We are both on opposites of the fence in this one, but it doesn’t mean we are wrong in our differing opinions, just that we do have differing opinions. My minister believes that this is speaking about the people of Dan in general. Because they were in essence removed from the family of Israel, because of their idolatry and other things; They have been for waiting the day when they will be accepted back into the family. In my opinion I believe this could be Jacob himself, talking about himself. Jacob is well over one hundred years old now, and he has already given prophecy about 9 of his children already(I am including  Manasseh and Ephraim from the last chapter), and it is like Jacob is taking a deep breath in and say’s to the Lord, “I have waited for your salvation O Lord,” Heb. 11: 13, 14,  21,   and then he continues on with the rest of his sons. 

19. ” Gad, a troop shall tramp upon                                                                                                      him,                                                                                   30:11                                                               But he shall triumph at last.                                                                                                        Gad is the seventh son of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and full brother of Asher. According to Yair Davidiy the descendants of Gad settled in many lands but numerically they probably remained concentrated in Scandinavia and Sweden, once known as Gotland, and or Gothic (Yair Davidiy, The Tribes. The Israelite origins of Western peoples pg. 180). The people in this area of the map have been known to be a peaceful people, but when pushed to far they are very formidable foes. throughout the 20th century, during the world wars, they have been able to remain neutral, playing both sides of the fence. But in the last days of this earth age I don’t believe they will be to remain this way. The prophecy of Jacob says that an army shall attack them (Invade them if you will?), but in the end they will prevail. Now one questions begs to be asked in my mind- will it be the beast power coming out of Europe that invades them, or will it be the king of the north (the one who troubles the beast) as spoken of by Daniel the prophet in chapter eleven? (Dan 11.44)  As we get closer and closer to the last days things will be made clearer and clearer at each passing day. Inerestingly enough in the Lexicon strongs and or the BDB definition of Gad (H1413) it can mean to be troop, meaning and army, invader, to gather together in troops or crowds. 

20.  ” Bread from Asher shall be                                                                                                             rich,                                                                                                                                                            And he shall yield royal                                                                                                                      dainties.                                                                                                                                     

  Asher is the eighth son of Jacob. A full brother to Gad, born of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid. Again I refer to Yar Davidiy as to where the descendants of Asher settled in the west. According to Mr. Davidiy the Scots are the direct descendants of the tribe of Asher, and were also known as the
Vandals at one time in history. Also according to Mr. Davidiy they spoke the same language as the Goths and were considered different branches of the same people (Yair Davidiy, The Tribes. The Israelite origins of Western peoples pg. 322).                                                                                                                                                          In the end Times Scotland is said to be fat with food and meat. On a side note here, I think worth mentioning, is the fact that in my church many believe that the latter days began somewhere between the first world war and the end of the second world war. That being said I now continue. After world war II “No economic sector made greater progress in the post-World War II period than agriculture in terms of productivity” (Britannica.com/place/Scotland/
Economy). Farming itself was a major contributing factor to Scotland’s economy. by the beginning of the 21st century those that were employed in the agricultural industry increased by some 65,000 people. Scotland is also home to Great Britain main procession plants for the fishing industry. Then finally Scotland is home to the Angus beef cattle which is top of the line in the beef industry. combine all this (The fisheries, cattle, and a huge agriculture, would it not be surprising that they can be made into dishes fit for kings and queens? Scotland has been a country of kings and queens ever since the 10th century.  With the treaties that brought Scotland together with England many kings and queens have come from the land of Scotland. even up to this time. The newly deceased Queen Elizabeth herself is a direct descendant from the Royal House of Stewart on both sides of her family. Her parents shared a common ancestor in Robert II, King of Scots. Through her father King George VI she was directly descended from James VI of Scotland. Through her mother’s family, the Bowes-Lyons, Earls of Strathmore, she could trace her ancestry back through generations of Scottish nobility to Sir John Lyon, Thane of Glamis, who married Robert II’s daughter in the fourteenth century,  vs. 20″And he shall yield royal dainties.” Much royal dainties have come from the people of Scotland through the many kings and queens it has produced ever since the two countries united in 1707. (How Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Became a Part of the U.K. It’s a story of conquest and political union. History.com). 

21.  ” Naphtali is a deer let loose;                                                                                                           He uses beautiful words.
 

   Again I refer to the book; “THE TRIBES’ The Israelite Origins of Western Peoples” By Yair Davidiy. Mr. Davidiy states (On the cover of his book), that the descendants of Naphtali are the Norwegian people. the Norwegians can trace there ancestry to that of the Vikings. for the sake of this conversation I will only touch on what is pertinent to the verses above. the Vikings were known to travel all across the northern seas, and evidence has been found that they discovered the Americas years before Christopher Columbus. And According to Yair Davidiy, the descendants of Naphtali migrated as far east as Northern China, who the Chinese described them of being of Gothic origin. they have also been traced to have traveled as far north as the Ural region, which is present day Russia. (The Israelite Origins of the western people, Pg.’s 213-225). In modern times the tribe of Naphtali have settled in places such as the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. they have also migrated to the Canada, and America itself. clearly they have lived up to the fulfillment of being a deer let loose; free to go wherever they wish.                               The second part of this prophecy Jacob tells Naphtali that his descendants will use beautiful words. In the Strongs definition, the Hebrew meaning for Beautiful in this context means Goodly. To me this means that there words are true and not full of lies and deceit. more of a peacemaker than words of war. The Norwegians are closely tied to the Germanic language. According to the Federal Foreign Office (A representative of Germany and it’s interests around the world), in a recent article by the Foreign Office (07/09/2022), they state that Relations between Germany and Norway  are very close and Amicable. They go on to say in this article the following: Norway regards Germany as a most important partner in Europe and a key country when it comes to its relations with the EU. As well as stepping up contacts between the two societies, the aim is increased cooperation with Germany with a view to defending multilateral institutions, international codes of conduct and free trade. Will Germany use this amicable relation with Norway to help bolster them up as a powerhouse in the European union, in which they will use there gift of gab to sway the other members in the EU? the scriptures tell us that the false prophet will be the one who will prop up the anti Christ to power, but can the Norwegians be a precursor to this? only time will tell.

22.  ” Joseph is a fruitful bough,                                                                                                             A fruitful bough by a well;                                                                                                                 His branches run over the                                                                                                                 wall.

 Joseph was to get a one portion more than his brothers according to what Jacob told him in the previous chapter (Gen.48:22), it is through Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh that these two portions are divided. When we look at the blessing that Israel gave to Joseph’s two sons, by default Joseph’s name can be invoked, or inserted if you will? into the prophecy’s regarding Ephraim and Manasseh. It is my belief, the belief of my church, and also of Yair Davidiy that the two nations of Great Britain and the USA are the descendants of Ephraim (Great Britain) and Manasseh (USA). With that in mind, it is much easier to tie the blessing of Joseph to the nations his descendants belong to. Just go back to the blessings Israel gave his sons; Ephraim and Manasseh, and no other two nations on the earth have ever lived up to those blessings in all manner. even though Ephraim became the leader of the northern ten tribes of Israel after the split, they never fully reached the full potential of the blessings given to them, and neither did the descendants of Manasseh while living with the northern tribes of Israel before they were taken into captivity. If we intertwine these blessings given to Joseph and his two sons we can see how they compliment one another and bring about the fulfillment of these prophecy’s. It is not the  purpose of this commentary to prove that Great Britain and the USA are direct descendants of Joseph and his sons, I challenge the reader to search this out if you feel so inclined. I only mention this in passing so as to give a better understanding of the blessing Israel give’s to his favorite son Joseph, according to my interpretation. As I have said in some of the previous prophecies Jacob gave to his sons, concerning the latter days leading up to the return of Jesus Christ, the latter days (in my opinion), began sometime between WWI and WWII. So using this time frame as my starting point let me now attempt to make sense of the prophecy concerning Joseph’s descendants. vs.22.  ” Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. After WWII the USA and Great Britain had a baby boom from 1945- the 1960’s. Interestingly this boom slowed down with the ratification of abortion in both countries, and began the decline of births in both countries. On a side note; I would also insert that because of the legalization of abortion, our two countries started to move away from God, and in turn God began, slowly removing His blessing upon us and His hedge of protection in our two lands. but I digress. We were in fact two of the most fruitful nations up to this time than any other place in the world. “A fruitful bough by a well” in the Hebrew bible this reads differently, but interesting enough it fits into the way other nations looked at our two countries in the 20th century and even to this day to some extent. From Rabbi Rashis and his commentary on this verse in the Hebrew bible:  vs. 22 A charming son is Joseph, a son charming to the eye; [of the] women, [each one] strode along to see him.

Rabbi Rashi’s comments:

A charming son is Joseph: Heb. בֵּן פֹּרָת, a charming son. This is an Aramaism, similar to [the word used in the expression] “Let us express our favor. A son charming to the eye: His charm attracts the eye that beholds him. of the] women, [each one] strode along to see him: Heb. עִלֵי שׁוּר. The women of Egypt strode out on the wall to gaze upon his beauty. Of the women, each one strode to a place from which she could catch a glimpse of him. עִלֵי שׁוּר, for the purpose of looking at him, similar to “I behold him.

The word “Well” that is used in verse 22 is one of those words that loses it’s original intent when we translate it to English. The strongs number for Well is (H5869), ayin BDB Definition:
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (figuratively)
2) spring, fountain

   After considering this passage more deeply, using the Hebrew bible and the commentary of Rabbi Rashi, I have come to this understanding: Since the End of the two great wars,  the USA and Great Britain have been a light to the world, and a beauty to behold in one’s own eyes, a wanting desire by people from around the world to draw near them and come to live in these two great countries, to raise a family and share in it’s blessings. 

23.  The archers have bitterly                                                                                                                  grieved him,                                                                37:4, 24                                                             Shot at him and hated him. 

   In both World wars The USA, and Great Britain were both provoked and attacked. In WWI it was Germany. Great Britain had been having a rivalry with one another years before WWI began (See  https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Causes-of-World-War-One/), while the USA had been under attack and losing It’s citizens by the German submarines for a couple years before entering the war (See Office of the Historian. US Entry Into WWI 1917), The USA was provoked into entering the war, all the while trying  to remain neutral early on, until they could no longer allow Germany  to keep attacking their merchants and passenger ships, killing it’s innocent civilians. WWII once again saw Great Britain (Ephraim), and the USA (Manasseh), (See Great Britain and the USA in bible prophecy), being provoked to war. This time though, Germany was still the “Archer” when it came to Great Britain. While in the case of the USA it was Japan who fired the first salvo into America forcing it into the war. The USA and Great Britain along with 10 other nations formed NATO in 1949. In essence stating that an attack on one of its  members is seen as an attack on all the other members, and all the members will come in defense of the one, or multiple nations who came under attack, but not necessarily in the commitment of boots on the ground, but could send aide instead such as weapons, advisors, medical, humanitarian aide , as determined by the individual member nations of the treaty. So, an attack on America (Manasseh),  is an attack on Great Britain (Ephraim), the USA and Great Britain share a special bond with one another like no other nations, like two brothers would have with one another. They have both had many enemies attack them since the 20th century (The latter days leading up to Christ’s return), as prophesied by Jacob, and they have always come to the defense of the other throughout the years.                                                                         

24.  But his bow remained in                                                                                                                     strength,                                                                      Job 29:20                                                          And the arms of his hands                                                                                                                were made strong                                                                                                                                By the hands of the Mighty                                                                                                              God of Jacob                                                                     Ps. 132: 2, 5                                                 (From there is the shepherd,                                                                                                            the Stone of Israel),                                                     Ps. 23:1                                               

  Both Great Britain and America have been attacked in so many ways,by so many enemies, be it on the ground, air, or even propaganda in some form or another. It is from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who has given us the strength to withstand the assaults, and from whence the Seed of Jacob, in which all nations of the earth have been blessed, that blessed Rock, from the tribe of Judah, that Rock we call Jesus Christ. It is because of them that the birthright blessing was passed down to the American people and The nation of Great Britain.

25.  By the God of your father                                                                                                                  who will help you,                                                       28:13, 32:9                                                     And by the Almighty who will                                                                                                        bless you                                                                          17:1; 35:11                                                      With blessings of heaven                                                                                                                   above,                                                                                                                                                         Blessings of the deep that lies                                                                                                         beneath,                                                                                                                                                   Blessings of the breasts and of                                                                                                       the womb.                                                                        Deut. 28:2-12                                 

    Through the God of Jacob, the Almighty one of Israel, America and Great Britain have been blessed tenfold. God caused the heavens to give up it’s precious rain in due season for our crops, and to nurture the soil for farming, and to grow the feed for the livestock. the Almighty one even blessed us (America mainly), with a land that has the richest of all resources from beneath the earth, full of abundance in oil, gas, gold, copper, Steele, coal, and so on. Great Britain gained it’s riches from beneath the earth thru it’s many nations that it had control of for so many years, rather than from within it’s own borders. These are the things that Made America and Great Britain the two the richest nations on all the earth at one time, but it has been dwindling away little by little, the further we move away from God. and lastly God said to Jacob, “I would multiply thy seed as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered” (Gen. 32:12), Josephs sons and their descendants in these latter days have surely been blessed tremendously up until the latter end of the 20th century, when again, we moved further away from God and decided that we had the right to take life from out of the womb.

26. The blessings of your father                                                                                                            Have excelled the blessings of                                                                                                        my ancestors,                                                                                                                                          Up to the utmost bound of the                                                                                                       everlasting hills.                                                                                                                                   They shall be on the head of                                                                                                             Joseph,                                                                                                                                                       And on the crown of the head                                                                                                         of him who was separate                                                                                                                   from his brothers.                                                                                                                       

     The blessings Jacob received from God far exceeded the blessings of Abraham and Isaac in every direction, these same blessings of Jacob shall be passed down to Joseph and his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim. Separated from His brothers at such an early age in life, he will be the head of the brothers. this was in fact true during his lifetime, and as we have seen in my previous comments on who the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel are, the nations from where they are now, we can look back in history and see how both Great Britain and America have been the head of all the countries in western Europe. We have taken the lead in both the United Nations and Nato, the other countries always wait to see how we will react when there is a crisis and they typically follow suit.

27.  ” Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;                                                                                                      In the morning he shall                                                                                                                      devour the prey,                                                                                                                                   And at night he shall divide                                                                                                             the spoil.”                                                                    Judg. 20:21, 25                                     

  Benjamin is the second born son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loved the most, and full brother of Joseph their firstborn. Benjamin’s descendants were well known as being very mighty warriors, so it is no wonder that Jacob would describe them as being ravenous wolves, that will devour their prey, and take the spoils from those they would defeat in their battles. Benjamin was allotted the land in which part of Jerusalem stands today, sharing it with the tribe of Judah. Just a little tidbit here, the reader can take from it what they will. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, she wanted to name him “Benoni” “Son of my sorrow” (H1126) , but Jacob called him Benjamin; “Son of the right hand” (H1144)   Benjamin and his brother Joseph where the nearest and dearest to Jacobs heart. For Rachel was the woman he loved the most. If you look at a map from the birds eye view, you will see that Jerusalem is located on the outer regions of the land of Benjamin. To the left is the land of Judah. Hence When God looks down upon his city He sees the tribe of Benjamin sitting at the right hand of Jerusalem. I find this interesting and wanted to share this. According to Yair Davidiy, the tribe of Benjamin are the Belgae’s, (Belgians),and the Normans. The history of the Normans are well documented as being warriors, and a very organized people.  I will take a step out of the box here for a minute to just give my own opinion of how the Benjamites will be the ravenous people as prophesied. there are many scriptures that speak of God’s promises to the  people of Israel, in which, in the latter days He will bring them back to their lands: Eze. 11:17, Jer. 31:8, Isa. 49:10-36. This has been going on since Israel became a nation once again in 1948. Will it be, that when all the world turns on Israel, and comes upon Jerusalem to battle that it will be the tribe of Benjamin who defends Jerusalem like a ravenous Wolfe? 

28.  All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to    them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing                                                                                                                                             

 Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, These are the first four sons of Jacob whom Leah gave birth to (Gen 29:31-35) Dan, the fifth born and Naphtali the sixth born son of Jacob from Bilhah, Rachel’s maid (Gen 30: 3-8). Gad the seventh born son, and Asher is the eighth born of Jacob from Leah’s maid Zilpah (Gen: 9-13).  Issachar is the ninth son of Jacob and Zebulun is the tenth’; both conceived by Leah   ( Gen 30: 17 -20), his first wife. then Joseph was born, The 11th son of Jacob, conceived by his second wife Rachel (Gen: 22-24),  whom he loved the most. Benjamin was the twelfth son of Jacob, born of Rachel, who died giving birth to him (Gen 35: 16- 18), these make up the twelve tribes of Israel. Or does it? Technically yes, these sons were directly from his seed, but we must remember what Israel prophesied and said in Genesis chapter forty eight about Josephs sons Manasseh and Ephraim: Jacob told Joseph that his two sons would be his (Israel’s), like Reuben and Simeon are his, they were to be considered  brothers of all the sons of Israel. They were to share in the promise given to Abraham and be given a portion in the land inheritance ( So your seed shall be), when they would enter into the land of milk and honey, thus in turn, Joseph had a double portion over his brothers (Gen. 48:22),  Any other children Joseph had would belong to him (Gen 48: 5-6). As I have previously seen in my studies of Joseph( On the spiritual side of things), I am once again seeing him as being Christ like ( A type of Jesus), when it comes to the blessings and prophecies Israel gave to him and his two sons, let me explain: In the blessings, I am seeing Israel/Jacob as God the Father and Joseph as Jesus our Big brother. Which in turn makes Manasseh and Ephraim Spiritual Israel and the church (Stay with me now),  Because The Pharaoh was considered God, and since the Pharaoh made Joseph as himself in all things, the people of Egypt considered him a God as well, just as the one true God and our Lord Jesus Christ are one, So to did the Egyptians see Joseph and the Pharaoh as one. Israel declared that his name, as  well as Abraham and Isaac  was upon Manasseh and Ephraim. Spiritually this makes Joseph the big brother of both Manasseh and Ephraim, one being spiritually Israel and the other spiritually the church. (Gen. 48: 5-6),  And they both share in the blessings God gave to Abraham as heirs and joint heirs of the promise ( “So your seed shall be”), for Israel has God’s name upon him ( El), and the church is according to the promise by faith (the faith of Abraham), whose name is upon the church for those who believe. 

29.  Then he charged them and said to them: ” I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,                                                                         15:15; 47:30                                                                            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 as a possession for a burial place.                   23: 3-20                                                                     31.  “there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.         23:19, 20; 35:29                                       32.  ” the field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.” 

   The Spirit of the Lord has spoken through His servant Israel, to the sons of Jacob, of the fate of their people, each according to their distinct tribes. Jacob is now one hundred and forty seven years of age, long and hard has been his life. with ups and downs throughout.                                                                                                   when his grandma Sarah died, Abraham bought a burial place for her and him and their descendants after. The cave that is in the field of Machpelah is located in modern day Hebron, north of Jerusalem. It is well known where the burial place is and it is guarded for now by the Muslims who don’t allow anyone to go very far into the cave. It is a sacred place  to all three religions of Islam, Judaism, and Christians alike. Abraham is well respected by all faiths. He was an amazing man. Isaac and his wife Rebekah, are buried there along with Jacob and his first wife Leah. for the woman Jacob loved the most died on their journey to Canaan, and she had to be buried in Bethlehem (the birthplace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ). 

33.  And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

  Jacob had been sitting at the edge of the bed with his staff at hand helping to hold him up, while he was speaking to his sons about their fate in the last days. He now laid back down in his bed with his whole body strewn across the bed and fell asleep with his loved ones all around him. there is much to say about Jacob the man, his life, and his walk with God. Too much for this format here to do him any justice. I will expand on his life in another folder. I may do it in a book on the Genesis story itself, or one on the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Maybe even include Joseph in there as well. What I will say here is this: the life Jacob led, and his walk with God, in my opinion, is a reflection of all people who have ever, and or still do have a relationship with God. just as Israel wrestled with God, so to has every person at some point of time in their life, wrestled with Him, in some form or fashion. 

1.  Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph  was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.            41:50-52                                                                                                                                                    2.  And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed.

  Seventeen years have now passed since Jacob first came into the land of Egypt, and he is now one hundred and forty seven years old. Joseph is the first son to appear before Jacob, and he brings his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him so they could be blessed by him before his death. “And the old man Jacob, before his name was changed, is used here in the beginning of verse two, to distinguish between what he once was: supplanter, deceiver (H3290), to how far he has come now. to be called Israel (H3478), the one who wrestled with both man and God and prevailed to become the spiritual man he is this day, who strengthens himself on his staff to bless the sons of Joseph’s in worship of the one true God (Heb. 11:21), we in the church upon our baptism kill the old man of the flesh, as we rise out of the water we put on the new man, the spiritual man, and walk in the newness of life, (Rom. 6:4). the days of the life of Jacob and his pilgrimage have been one hundred and forty seven years, and now upon his death bed, the old man, sown in corruption will be raised up incorruptible ( 1 Cor. 15:42),and his name… is Israel.

3.  Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.                                                                                                                4.  “and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’                                                     28:13; 35:6-12           

  Leaning upon the top of his staff in worship (Heb. 1:27), he reflects back upon the dream he had as he was running from his brother, where the Lord first appeared to him as he saw angels ascending and descending upon a ladder that was set on the earth, it’s top reached heaven, and the Lord stood above it (Gen. 28:10-14), it was at this moment that God told him he would be fruitful and multiply, and give the land of Canaan to his descendants. 

5.  “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.                                                      Josh.14:4   

  Jacob in essence adopts Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim. They are to be sons to Jacob just as Rueben and Simeon are his sons, and therefore they each will be included as heads of their own tribe in the nation of Israel. by this adoption Joseph is given a double portion of the inheritance than his brothers, meaning that Joseph is receiving the birthright blessing from Jacob, by tradition it is the firstborn to whom the birthright blessing is given, and part of the birthright blessing is that  the firstborn gets a double portion of the fathers inheritance as well as also having authority and superiority over the family, this according to Adam Clarke’s commentary. Typically with this birthright also comes the listing of the genealogy of the promised seed in which all nations of the earth would be blessed. However as it is explained in 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 that the genealogy is not to be counted in the birthright blessing given to Joseph, but instead to be passed down to Judah because he prevailed over his other brothers, so the promised seed will be handed down to Judah, yet Joseph gets all the other blessings that go with the birthright as explained in Adam Clarke’s commentary above. (1 Chr. 5:1-2). I would like to add my opinion as to why  Joseph was given the birthright blessing that was not explained in 1 Chronicles. 5:1,2: or anywhere else in the scriptures. Jacob had four wives, but it was Rachel who he loved the most, and Joseph was the firstborn son of Rachel and Jacob, just as Isaac was the firstborn and only son of Abraham and Sarah. And I believe that God honored Jacob in his love of Rachel in this way, by given Joseph the birthright blessings of everything but the promised seed in which all nations of the earth will be blessed. Notice to that Jacob identifies Manasseh and Ephraim as being like his two firstborn sons Reuben and Simeon. In the following verses we will see that the blessings Jacob gives to Manasseh and Ephraim are the blessings of the first and second born sons traditionally. 

6.  “Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

  There is no mention in the bible that Joseph had any other sons than Manasseh and Ephraim, but Jacob, supposing if he did, then those sons would be Josephs, and their names, as far as any inheritance is considered will be included in the names of Manasseh and Ephraim.

7.  “But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is Bethlehem).”         35:9, 16-20       

  Whose name does Jacob call out to in memory? None other than the woman he loved the most, Rachel, the woman who stole his heart over a hundred years ago, she may have been dead for a long time, but she has never been far from Jacobs heart. All of Jacob’s wives have since passed, how, when, and where? The scriptures do not say. This is a testament to the legacy of Rachel, not only in the heart of Jacob but also of God, who I believe honors Jacob by honoring his wife: memorializing  her passing at the time of her death (Gen. 35: 16-20), over the deaths of all of Jacob’s other wives, and then again now at the end of Jacob’s life.  Rachel is also honored thru the sons she bare to Jacob (Mainly Joseph), by the blessings Jacob gives to the sons of Joseph. In the book of Jeremiah God calls Ephraim his firstborn son  (Jer. 31:9), Rachel died in what is believed to be on the outskirts of Bethlehem. she died giving birth to Benjamin (Jacobs last son). In this honor God has bestowed to Rachel we see that the land inheritance given to the  descendants of Benjamin are in the same area in which Rachel died and was buried. It is also in the area of Israel where the Lord Messiah was born of a virgin mother. These two mothers are blessed women in the scriptures, who both bore sons that became the salvation to the world, one..(Joseph), the type of the One to come, saved the then known world from a great famine, and the other who also saves the whole world from eternal death through His sacrifice, from the famine of the Holy Spirit. By his death the spirit is now offered to all who believe and accept Jesus as Saviour thru His precious blood. Rachel is honored to this day by two of the three major religions: Christianity and  Judaism, her tomb is carefully guarded to this day. Joseph like Jesus was born almost miraculously himself, for Rachel was barren for years before she finally gave birth, and then of course the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ born of a virgin. 

8.  Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”                                      9.  And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.”   And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”                                                                                                                                      27:4                                   10.  Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.                                                                                                                                            27:1                               11.  And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”                                                                                  12  So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.     37: 9-11                                                                                                             

  Joseph has brought his sons to see Jacob and to receive the blessings of Israel. In previous verses Jacob has already declared the Manasseh and Ephraim have been adopted by him equal to all his other sons. Jacob is one hundred and forty seven years of age now and his eyesight has become so poor that he doesn’t recognize Josephs s sons in front of him. Undoubtedly this isn’t the first time Jacob has seen Manasseh and Ephraim, because he has been living in Egypt for seventeen years now. these sons of Jacob were born before the famine during the times of plenty (Gen. 41:50-53), by the time that Jacob and his family entered the land Joseph’s sons were between the ages of one to six years old. Jacob was one hundred and forty years of age when he entered into Egypt, and he is now one hundred and forty seven years old. This would make Ephraim and Manasseh between the ages of eight and fourteen years of age. Joseph presents his sons to his father, and Jacob embraces his adopted sons and gives them a kiss, during this time Jacob reflects back to the past and remembers when he mourned for his son Joseph, thinking he was dead and unable to look upon his face in this lifetime ever again. But now his sorrow has turned to gladness, for not only was he able to once again see Joseph and embrace him, but he acknowledges to both Joseph and his sons that it is the most High God who has also blessed him to also see the children of Joseph before he die. Joseph in turn backs away from his sons and father just far enough to bow himself before his father out of reverence towards him.

13.  And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand towards Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him.

  Manasseh is the eldest of the two sons, and it is customary that the eldest son get the higher degree of blessing from the father. as we read in verse five Jacob has declared that Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim  are as his firstborn sons Reuben and Simeon. In my opinion: because of Reuben and Simeon s past sins they have lost the blessings of the first and second born sons of Israel, to the sons of Joseph. However there is one blessing that is not handed down to Manasseh and Ephraim, and that is the birthright blessing of the promised seed in which all nations of the earth are blessed. As we will see in the following chapter this birthright blessing belongs, and is given to Judah. 

14.  Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s  head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was firstborn.                                                    v.19                       

  Israel may be of old age and his eyes dim, but it is the Spirit of the Almighty One who guides his hands, and gives him sight that he may see what the future holds for the sons of Joseph and their descendants. For prophecy does not come to man by their own thoughts, or interpretations, but given to holy men of God who spoke being borne along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pet. 1: 20-21), Jacob, once the supplanter, deceiver, Whose name was changed to Israel has God’s name (El), included in his new name given by God Himself, and with this name bares witness of the Holy Spirit in Israel. The Spirit of God who has guided him all his life now guides him in the blessings of Joseph and his sons Manasseh and Ephraim.

15.  And he blessed Joseph, and said:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     “God, before whom my fathers                                                                                                      Abraham and Isaac walked,                                                                                                              The God who has fed me all                                                                                                                   my life long to this day,                                                                                                      16.  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.”                                                                                                                                                            13:16; 26:24            

  In blessing Manasseh and Ephraim Jacob is also blessing Joseph by proxy. In the next chapter the blessings given in this chapter to the sons of Joseph are expounded in greater detail. Jacob calls out to the God of his fathers Abraham and Isaac, acknowledging that their God is his God, just as he promised many years ago to the Lord; that if He would be with him, clothe him, feed him, and protect him,   then the God of his fathers would be his God (Gen. 28:13; 20-21),
I have to go out of the box for a minute and share God’s presence here, right now this very moment: As I meditate on the verses above and the words from Genesis 28 20-21, Lauren Daigle’s song “Everything” is playing in the background, and it is so fitting, so much so that I felt God’s presence with me at this very moment, talking to me as only He can.   But I digress.                                   The Angel that redeemed Israel from all evil is none other than Jesus Christ. For God is the Almighty God, and not to ever be spoken of as anything lower than His divinity. even though the Father and the son are one, or as one if you will, Jesus always submitted to the will of God and pointed to the Father above him    ( Matt. 19:16-17; Luke. 22: 41-42).                                                                                                    “Let my name be named upon them,                                                                                            And the name of my fathers                                                                                                            Abraham and Isaac;”                                                                                                                   

  In this blessing to the the sons of Joseph (Guided by the Spirit), Israel declares that these sons would inherit all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, when it comes to the birthright blessings of great wealth, the fruits of the land inheritance of milk and honey, protection from all enemies, blessings of the womb of many descendants numbering as the sands of the sea, authority over all the other nations of the world who will serve and bow down to them. These are the blessings that God promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob, (Gen. 22:17; 26: 3-4, 24; 27: 28-29;  28: 3-4, 14), Which Israel declares let my name be named upon them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.” The only blessing that is not given to Manasseh and Ephraim is that of the promised seed in which all nations would be blessed. That promise is reserved to Judah (Israel’s fourth born son of Jacob and Leah), as we will see in the blessings of Judah, and the rest of Israel’s sons in chapter forty nine. If we follow the descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim, as recorded in the bible, we will see that they do in fact become greater than all the other sons of Israel, but they never reached their full blessings while living in the land of Canaan, (or Israel if you will). Neither sons descendants ever multiplied their seed throughout the midst of the earth, nor did all nations bow down to them or serve them, or did they possess all the gates of their enemies. This said, these blessings are meant not only for the time that they lived in the land of Canaan, and on the other side of the Jordan river, but also a much later fulfillment a few thousand years later up until the end of the age, and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we follow the history of the descendants of the sons of Joseph we can see that this blessing has also been fulfilled through the two greatest countries the world has ever known: Great Britain, and the United States (which are the descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim). I will discuss this history of the two sons of Joseph, and all sons of Israel in greater detail in my prophecy section of my web page (Which is a work in progress).

17.  Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head the Manasseh’s head.                                                                            18.  And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”                                                          v.14       

  Joseph had placed Manasseh to Jacobs right arm so that Israel would bless him with his right hand, and Ephraim being the younger son would be blessed with Israel s left hand. When blessings are given, it is the right hand which is used. the use of the right hand signifies the greater blessing when there are more than one person who is being blessed. This person will be blessed in riches, authority, the fruit of the womb, and of power and strength over the other. The right hand also represents strength and power.  (Gen. 48: 19-20; Exo. 15:6, 12; 1 kings. 2:19; Psalms. 16:8; 17:7; 18:35; 1 Pet. 3:21-22), Even as our Lord and savior sits at the right hand of God to this day. Seeing that his father placed his right hand on the younger son Joseph went to correct him, thinking that Israel was to blind to see where his hands were laid.

19.  But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”                                                                                                                                               25:23                   Israel was being guided by the Spirit of God who was showing him what would become of these two sons descendants, and by faith he blessed the lads according to the Spirit (Heb. 11: 21). The younger son Ephraim will one day become Great Britain who colonized most of the world and thus became a  multitude of nations. Manasseh’s descendants would become the United States, which has become a great people, founded on the Judeo Christian values. See The United States and Britain in bible Prophecy  published by the United church of God. for more understanding on how these two countries are the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh.

20.  So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.                                                                                                                                               

  In the beginning of this chapter the sons of Joseph were listed in order of the oldest first then the younger. But in the blessings Israel gave to the two lads he puts the younger (Ephraim), before his older brother Manasseh. 

21.  Then Israel said to Joseph, :Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.                                        28:15; 46:4                   

 In chapter forty seven Jacob makes Joseph swear to him that when he (Jacob), dies that Joseph will take him back to the land of Canaan and bury him with his fathers Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 47: 30-31), in Hebrews we are told that after Israel blesses the lads he leaned his head upon the top of his staff and he worshiped. In this worship (while still guided by the Spirit), Israel tells Joseph that God will be with him, and that one day he will be reunited with his fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In my opinion this is done to help comfort Joseph that he will one day be with his fathers, in the land of promise. Upon his own death bed, by faith, Joseph brought the descendants of Israel and took an oath to them saying,”  God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”(Gen. 50: 25; Exo. 13:19). In my humble opinion I believe this blessing of Joseph is a duel prophecy: In the resurrection the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will be resurrected in the land of promise, and Joseph will be reunited with his fathers, what a glorious! day that will be. 

22.  “Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of of the Amorite with my sword and bow.”

  Joseph received his land inheritance through his sons Manasseh and Ephraim, this is the double portion above his brothers that Israel spoke of. Ephraim would be the son that would inherit the land in which Jacob describes as being taken “from the hand of the Amorite.” Most Scholars agree the land Jacob is referring to is the parcel of land that Jacob purchased from Shechem (Gen. 33: 18-19) upon returning from Padan Aram after meeting his brother Esau and reconciling with him. However the full sentence, ” Took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and bow,” is not as conclusive amongst the commentators and scholars. Some say this is referring to the two sons of Jacob (Simeon, and Levi), when they killed all the males of Shechem and took all the cattle, and wealth, took captive the little ones and women with the sword by deception after their sister dinah was defiled by Shechem, son of Hamor (Gen. 34:26-29), but Jacob said it was taken by his sword and bow, not that of his sons. Another conjecture is that after Simeon and Levi killed the people of Shechem, all the people from around the country took the land back from Israel, and Jacob had to fight them off. However this cannot be so either because it is written that the terror of God fell upon all the land around the area and they did not pursue Jacob (Gen. 35:5). I myself lean towards the argument that Israel is speaking about the time his two sons Levi and Simeon killed all the male and their cattle, and took the women captive. Even though Israel had no part in the slaughter, it’s as if he did because it was his flesh and blood who committed this act, Israel being the patriarch is responsible for the acts of his sons and therefore is to blame as well. I would venture to guess that all the surrounding peoples and cities looked towards Israel and not his sons as the aggressor. 

1. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. v. 34; 4

Anyone who walks after the Spirit and not of the flesh, Jesus(God) finds no guilt in them. Because We no longer want to walk in the lust of the flesh (Gal 5:19-23).

2. But the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

The Spirit of Jesus that dwells inside me, sets me free from penalty of death for my sins (According to the law).

3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; Acts. 13:39

The law could not bring eternal life because of the weakness of flesh and it’s lusts. However God sent His only son (Who was spirit), in the flesh with all it’s sin, but not in the sinful nature like we are. He took our place for the penalty of sin (Which is death), therefore sin cannot kill us according to the law of the Spirit.

4. That the righteousness requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The righteous part of the law; that is, the law that gives us eternal life when we live our lives according to the Spirit and not the flesh, is fulfilled in us, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

5. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-25

Those that seek the flesh (Sin), obey that which is of the flesh. Those that seek the Spirit obey that which is of the Spirit. (Gal 5:10-21).

6. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Gal. 6:8

Those that are of the flesh and are worldly, will surely die. If the Spirit dwells in you, You will have everlasting life of serenity and harmony.

7. because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be. 1 Cor. 2:14; James 4:4

Because the carnal mind is an enemy of God, and hostile towards Him, for it is not under the authority of God’s law, and cannot be under His authority.

8. So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God. Heb. 11:6

God is not happy with those who live a life in sin. (Flesh equals sin), And they cannot please God.

9. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

If you truly have the Spirit of God dwelling in you then you cannot have the sinful flesh dwelling in you. If you don’t have the Spirit of Jesus Christ in you then the Spirit of God does not dwell in you. God’s spirit and Jesus’s Spirit are one in the same.

10. And if Christ is in you, indeed the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

If Christ is in you then you are without sin. This means the sinful lusts of the flesh no longer lives in you. If you are living in a just and holy manner, then the Spirit exist inside you, and you will have eternal life.

11. But if the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you. 1 Cor. 6:14

If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then the Spirit of God who raised Jesus up from the dead, He will also raise you up from the dead, through the Spirit of God that is inside of you.

12. Therefore, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 6:7, 14

Therefore we don’t owe anything to the sinful flesh, because we don’t live our lives according to the sinful flesh. But according to the Spirit.

13. For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die. But if you through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. Gal. 6:8

If you live in sin you will surely die. But if you live according to the Spirit, then you cease to do the things of the sinful flesh, and will have everlasting life.

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Those who are influenced by and follow God’s Spirit are the children of God, and He becomes our Father Just as Jesus Christ is also His child.

15. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father! Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:5

The Spirit you received is not one that you should be afraid of. You received the Spirit of acceptance into God’s family, who now I can call Him Father (Dad, Daddy).

16. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Eph. 1:13

God’s Spirit is a testimony that our Spirit comes from God, making us His children.

17. And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. Eph. 1:14; Phil. 1:29

Since we are God’s children we will inherit everything from God just like Jesus has. So if we grieve with Jesus Christ, we can also be glorified together with Jesus.

18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us.

The pain that I will experience in this life are minuscule compared to how I will be glorified.

19. For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.

We that were created are anxiously awaiting for the sons of God to be revealed.

20. For the creation was not willingly subjected to vanity, but because of Him who subjected it on hope

21. that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 2 Cor. 3:17

God would not make the world subject to be cursed forever because of the sin of man, but gave it hope that it would be restored.

That we would overcome our slavery to the sinful flesh, and become glorified children of God.

22. And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.

Everything that God created moans, and is physically worn as a woman who is going through childbirth. We do this as if we are one with each other until this present time.

23. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body.

Not only does the whole world moan with great expectations, of what they will become after death, but us who have the Spirit of God, groan quietly, anxiously awaiting within ourselves to be delivered from this sinful body of the flesh after death, to become children of God as Spirit bodies (1 Co 15:42-49).

24. For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope; for what anyone sees, why does he also hope for it? Heb. 11:1

25. But if we hope for that which we do not see, then we wait for it with patience. 5:2, 3

Hope and faith go hand in hand, We have faith in God’s word that we are saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, and therefore we hope for a better future of a life eternal, without the pains and struggles we go through in the present age. If we were already in this present stage then there would be no need for hope, why should we hope for something we already have? So we patiently wait for the kingdom of God to come, and the better days that lie ahead.

26. Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

In the same manner we are saved in the same hope and faith that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us in our weakness. when we pray to God and don’t know what to say, or how we should talk to God, The Spirit takes over and speaks for us. The Spirit will put it in our minds what we should say, when we have no words to describe what is on our minds.

27. And He searching the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. v. 34; Heb. 7:25

God knows the hearts of men, and what is on our minds. Because the Spirit is of God, they are in agreement with each other. when the Spirit speaks on our behalf in our prayers, we are actually praying the Way God wants us to pray and we to are in agreement with God. Therefore it is God who is helping us to pray (Making intercession).

28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

We know that everything that happens to us (Good and bad), are working together for our good if we truly love God, and have answered God’s calling through our commitment we make at baptism. This has been Gods plan all along.

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers. 11:2; Eph. 1:4, 5

God knew Jesus before He came to the earth in the flesh. God had determined at creation that Jesus would come to earth in the flesh to become his firstborn son of the flesh, to overcome sin in the flesh, and be a big brother to all of us who symbolically joined Him in likeness in our baptism (John. 1:1-14).

30. But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified. 1 Pt. 2:9; 3:9

Us who were created in His likeness and in His image, God determined that we who answered his calling (The gospel message), and believe in Jesus for salvation, would be justified (Forgiven), from our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and we who are justified (Forgiven), thru His blood would also be glorified just as Jesus was glorified and sits at His right hand to the day, we to will be with God the Father in heaven forever.

31. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Num. 14:9

So what conclusion should we draw to all that we just read? With God forgiven us for all our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, who can condemn us? No one!

32. Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 4:25

God who did not hold back His only son, yet sacrificed Him on the cross to free us from our sins, and the death penalty of sin according to Gods law. how can we conceive that He should not give us all things freely through Jesus Christ?

33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 11:5; 1 Thess. 1:4

Who can condemn us who believe? No one! It is God, and God alone who forgives us for our sins.

34. Who is he condemning? It is Christ who has died, but rather also who is raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Heb. 1:3; 7:25

Who is God condemning then? God condemns sin through Jesus Christ in His death. Sin was symbolically put to death when Christ died for our sins. Yet God also raised him from death, conquering death, and the penalty for sin.

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36. As it is written: Ps. 44:22

“For Your sake we are killed all

day long: We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Nothing of the flesh, or of this world can separate us from the love of Christ. Just as Christ was persecuted to, so we, who are followers of Christ will be persecuted for our belief in Him.

37. But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us. 1 Cor. 15:57

38. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39. nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In addition to overcoming all things of the flesh and of the world, through His spirit, there is nothing that has ever been created, or will be created that can keep us from the love that God has for us. God revealed His love for us by sacrificing His only son on the cross for our sins (John 3:16-18).

1. Or are you ignorant, brothers; for I speak to those who know the Law; that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?                                               

 Paul is speaking to the church, and also to those who know the law (Jews),       

2. For the married woman was bound by law to the living husband. But if the husband is dead, she is set free from the law of her husband. 1 Cor. 7:39             

  The term law shows that it offers condition for binding (chained to), A woman cannot marry another man as long as her husband is alive (According to the law). When her husband does she is no longer bound to the marriage covenant with her husband                                                                                                               

3. So then if, while her husband lives, she is married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress by becoming another man’s wife. Matt. 5:32; 19:3-9; 1 Cor. 7:39

  There were women who would go around and marry other men while she is still married to her real husband, this makes her an adulteress. When her husband dies she is set free from the law and is no longer an adulteress if she marries another man. Death is taken here in the literal sense (Not meaning dead in Christ, but physically dead), this being the case; in order to not be considered an adulteress she must wait for her husband to die before she can re-marry.                                                                                                                             

4. So, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ so that you should be married to Another, even to Him raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God. 4:25

  We are dead to the law because Christ has come and died. He has taken the penalty of death for all of us. Thru Jesus’s death and resurrection we are now free from being accused of adultery if we re-marry. And if we are baptized we now have the fruit of everlasting life instead of death. Paul uses an example of a married woman’s release from any lawful claim to her by her husband once he is dead. His death releases her from that marriage. By comparison, he explains that “you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ …” (Romans 7:4). Notice that Paul does not say that the law is dead. Rather, we become dead to the law (the penalty for sin is death according to the law), on repentance. That is, the law’s claim on our life as the penalty for breaking it is considered met through Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death in our place. Paul’s point is that, like the woman released from the specific law binding her to her former husband, we through Jesus’ death may be released from the law’s specific requirement of death for past sins. As a response to our baptism “we should bear fruit to God,” in contrast to bearing “fruit to death” (Romans 7:4-5).

5. For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sin worked in our members through the law to bring forth fruit to death.

  The relationship you have with the world ends with death, the law provides a path for understanding the law is not was causes death, it is giving you guidance so that you can have life. When we were dead in Christ, (Meaning we didn’t have Christ Jesus living in us, or the Spirit), the law revealed to us the sinful nature of the flesh, which brought forth bad fruit that we may die.

6. But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter. 2:29; 2 Cor. 3:6

  The old us verses the new us, free from the penalty of law, because that penalty leads to death. Now that the Spirit dwells in us we are no longer held captive by the flesh, and from it’s condemnation of death for our past sins. for the flesh is now dead in us, and the Spirit now lives in us, so we can now resist the temptation to sin, and overpower the weakness of our fleshly nature through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Let it not be said! But I did not know sin except through the law. For also I did not know lust except the law said, You shall not lust. 3:20; Ex. 20:17

The law itself is sinless. If it weren’t for the law we would not know good from evil. The law is a guide of right from wrong. Without the law we would not know sin. The penalty for sin is death.

8. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, worked in me all kinds of lust. For apart from law, sin was dead. 4:15

  I didn’t understand what I was doing was bad, until the law revealed sin was bad. the law didn’t kill me, it showed what did kill me (SIN). The commandment made it possible for sin to reveal itself to me, and manifest the evil desires of the flesh, The law defines sin, for without the law there is no sin.

9. For I was alive without the law once. But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

  Paul is saying I learned that if I keep sinning that only death would come. Before there was the law I was alive, because I didn’t know sin. Once I was told, “Thou shalt not” sin came into being and I was dead (The penalty for sin is death), in the flesh, or if you will? The carnal mind.

10. And the commandment, which was to life, was found to be death to me.                18:5

  And thus. the commandment, which was, designed to give life through the keeping of it. I found to be unto death through breaking it.

11. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.

  The law gives me an understanding of what I am to keep, despite the fact that I’m heading to death, but Christ took that penalty of death to Him. Before the commandment (The law), came, my sinful nature thought sin wasn’t bad (I was deceived),I had no conscience of good and bad. Therefore I was dead because The penalty for sin is death.

12. So indeed the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Ps. 19:8

  The law and the commandment are both sacred, deserving deep respect. And the commandment is fair, Righteous, pure and honorable. The law is just and good.

Rom 7:13 Then has that which is good become death to me? Let it not be! But sin, that it might appear to be sin, working death in me by that which is good; in order that sin might become exceedingly sinful by the commandment.

That what is good does not bring about death. Whereas the commandment makes sin more sinful. The more I look into Gods law I understand, the more I understand it the more I am able to do what is right, the better life I have.

14. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 6:16

The word law means the Mosaic law (Gods law), Paul describes it as a downward pull (That which holds us prisoner), the law is spiritual. The law is of the Spirit, and we are of the flesh, subject to sin.

15. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for what I will to do, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do. Gal. 5:17

  Our human tendencies never go away even after baptism, this will go on until we die.The things that I do The carnal mind does not comprehend, the things that I want to do, I do not do, The things that I hate to do (according to the Spirit), are the things that I do.

16. If then I do that which I do not desire, I consent to the law that it is good.

  When I do the things I do not desire to do, it is the law that gives me the desire to not do these things.

17. But now it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.

  It is not the Spirit that makes me do wrong, but the flesh (Carnal mind), inside me.

18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I do not find. Gen. 6:5; 8:21

  For if you are led by the spirit you are not under the penalty of the law, which is death. Nothing good can come from my flesh that is inside me, the flesh does not recognize what is good, or knows how to do good. The sinful things I desire are inside me.

Gal 5:19 The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: committing sexual sin, being morally bad, doing all kinds of shameful things,                                         Gal 5:20 worshiping false gods, taking part in witchcraft, hating people, causing trouble, being jealous, angry or selfish, causing people to argue and divide into separate groups,                                                                                            Gal 5:21 being filled with envy, getting drunk, having wild parties, and doing other things like this. I warn you now as I warned you before: The people who do these things will not have a part in God’s kingdom.

19. For the good things I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I do. v. 15

  The good things that I want to do (According to the Spirit) I do not do them, but all the evil things I do not want to do, are the things I do.

20. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. v. 17

  If I do the things that I know I shouldn’t do (According to the Spirit), it is because of the sin nature (The Flesh) that dwells inside me. And not the Spirit.

21. I find then a law: when I will to do the right, evil is present with me.

  When I want to do good, there is this law that says to do good. but evil is there with me (in the flesh), at the same time.

22. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; Ps. 1:2

  I am pleased in my inner self that wants to do good according to the law of God.

23. but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin being in my members. 6:13; 19; Gal. 5:17

  There is also another law of the flesh that is at war with my spirit. This law is leading me to be a prisoner of sin, which is of the flesh and not the spirit.

24. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 1 Cor. 15:51, 52

  I am one miserable person, because I am giving it everything that I have but I am still succumbing to the sinful desires. I am so afflicted with these thoughts it brings me pain, whom can I turn to, to release me from this sinful body that leads to death? It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that saves me from my wretched self.

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then with the mind I myself serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

I thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ. I consciously serve Gods law through His spirit, but my flesh still serves the law of sin. It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that saves me from my wretched self.