Ancient Prophecies Are Coming Alive

We find this bold statement in the biblical book of Isaiah: “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9–10). What are we to make of this?

Fulfilled prophecy is one of the great proofs that the Bible is more than the work of men, and that it is truly what it claims to be—the word of God. Few today understand that what was written thousands of years ago explains geopolitical events in the twenty-first century. Yet that is exactly what we can see if we simply open our eyes.

It is estimated that as much as a third of the Bible is prophetic in nature. Some are vaguely familiar with the book of Revelation, though few understand it. Others recognize that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were prophets—but assume that all their writings were for the Jews of old. Nothing could be further from the truth, as many of their prophecies are for the days yet ahead—and they are hardly for the Jews alone, as this article will show.

Prophecy is found in nearly every book of the Old and New Testaments. Jesus foretold the future in His detailed Olivet Prophecy, recorded in three of the gospel accounts. The Apostles Paul and Peter spoke prophetically of end-time events. Jude, half-brother of Christ, wrote a short prophetic letter. Even the book of Psalms contains prophecy—check out Psalm 2 as one of many examples.

How many realize that the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, is full of prophecy—and that most of it is coming alive today? Written about 3,500 years ago, it contains some of the most important and relevant prophecies for our day, helping us to make sense of our world.

God’s Promises to Abraham’s Descendants

The book of Genesis introduces a particular man, Abram, in the context of promises—prophecies—given thousands of years before their fulfillment. The book of Genesis reveals God’s promise to Abram: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3). Many professing Christians realize that the last part of that promise, the blessing for all the world’s families, foretold the coming Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. But there is obviously more to this passage. Notice that God told Abram that he would become a great nation, his name would be great, and that God would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him. Those promises were not fulfilled in Christ or His Church. Rather, they have a far broader fulfillment.

The promises made to Abram, whose name was later changed to Abraham, were passed from one generation to another and expanded in detail. As for Abraham’s grandson Jacob, we read, “Also God said to him: ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body’” (Genesis 35:11). While the promises made to Abraham clearly included the coming of Christ, it is equally clear to anyone with an open mind that those promises involved nations—specifically “a nation and a company of nations.” Were those merely nice-sounding words? Or was the God of Creation behind them? And, if He was, what do they mean? You need to know the answer. The truth is that it is impossible to make sense of what is happening in our time today if you do not understand these promises that affect our modern world.

Near the end of Genesis, we learn the origins of the single nation and the company of nations that were to arise. As Bible students know, Jacob—whose name was changed to Israel—had twelve sons. His favorite son was Joseph, but jealousy incited Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery and deceive their father into thinking their brother had been killed by a wild beast.

Joseph ended up in Egypt, where he came to great prominence through a series of remarkable events. Years later, Israel learned the truth, meeting his son in Egypt in a truly tearful reunion. This is when we read of a highly profound prophecy. In a strange turn of events, Jacob—that is, Israel—adopted Joseph’s two sons as his own.

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…. 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 (Genesis 48:5, 16).

Interesting—“a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Where is that multitude today? Did everyone in it die out? Or were they absorbed by the Jews, as many assume? In fact, these cannot be Jews, as the Jews are descendants of Joseph’s brother Judah. Remember, it was Judah who convinced his brothers that there was no profit in killing their brother Joseph.

After this, Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh in an unusual ceremony, wherein he placed his hands on the head of each adopted son and foretold what would become of them. In doing so, he crossed his arms and placed on Ephraim his right hand, symbolizing the greater blessing—and placed his left hand on Manasseh. Joseph protested when he realized what was happening, thinking his father was making a mistake. “But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He [Manasseh] also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother [Ephraim] shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations’” (v. 19).

Here we have it: The promise given to Jacob years earlier—of a single great nation and a company of nations—now becomes clear. This promise would not be to the Jews, nor to Jacob’s firstborn Reuben, nor to any of his other sons. The promise of a great nation and a company of nations belonged to Joseph’s two sons. Some believe that the nation and company of nations came about when ten tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin, forming the house of Israel and the house of Judah, but this is incorrect. The promise of a great nation and a company of nations was never to the Jews, nor to any of the other tribes of Israel. It was only to the tribe of Joseph—specifically to his two sons. Why is it that so few understand this simple truth of Scripture?

Jacob’s “Last Days” Prophecy

Before he died, Israel called all twelve of his sons together and foretold what would become of them in the last days—more than 3,700 years in the future. “And Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father’” (Genesis 49:1–2).

Israel went on to foretell what would become of the descendants of his twelve sons “in the last days.” These prophecies are not fulfilled by the Jews, except for the one given by Jacob to his son Judah. So, let us begin with that son. What did Jacob prophesy for the Jews at the end of the age?

Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; 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? The scepter [rulership] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Messiah] comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people (Genesis 49:8–10).

Did the Messiah not come from the Jews, just as foretold more than 1,700 years in advance? Let the author of the book of Hebrews answer that: “For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (Hebrews 7:14). And will He not return in the near future?

Notice also that, in the last days, the Jews would wield great military power. Was this a lucky guess by Jacob? Or was it inspired by the same God who declares “the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done”? Let those who have eyes to see look at the Middle East today. Do not the Jews have their hands on the neck of their enemies? Are they best not provoked? Dear friends, this has not always been so—but it is today, at the end of the age.

Other prophecies have confirmed that there would be a Jewish state in the latter days with the Jews in control of Jerusalem. This was not the case for the better part of 1,900 years. Yet, today, we find Jerusalem as a thorny problem to all peoples, in the midst of a Jewish state with practically the whole world lined up against the Jews. “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:2–3).

Note also that Zechariah confirms Jacob’s prophecy regarding the Jews’ military prowess in the latter days. “In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:6). Zechariah 14 tells of how the whole world will line up against the Jews before the second coming of the Messiah. Open your Bible and read Zechariah 14 for yourself!

What About Reuben?

If Jacob’s promises for the Jews are accurate, what about some of the other end-time sons of Israel? There is not enough space in this article to cover them all, but of special note is Israel’s firstborn, Reuben. The birthright blessings of great national wealth and power, of a great nation and a company of nations, should have gone to Reuben—but they did not. Why not? Why did Reuben lose his birthright? Jacob explained: “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch” (Genesis 49:3–4). Several chapters earlier, we read of Reuben’s disqualifying sin: “And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it” (Genesis 35:22).

Yes, Reuben would have great dignity and power—but he was unstable and committed a great sin. These traits have carried through his descendants, with immense consequences explained in a passage of scripture that is almost universally neglected: “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph [Ephraim and Manasseh], the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler [a line of kings culminating in the Messiah], although the birthright was Joseph’s” (1 Chronicles 5:1–2).

Are these no more than nice-sounding words with no significance for us today? Or can they help us fully understand “the latter days”? As already shown, these detailed prophecies for the Jews are being fulfilled at this very moment—some 3,700 years later! It is difficult for any informed person to deny this. So, what about Reuben? Where is he to be found at the end of the age?

Few today realize that the Jews are only a small part of Israel. And even fewer realize that the prophecies Israel (Jacob) made for his sons at the time of the end are to be taken seriously. Indeed, to disregard these facts is to disregard the validity of the Bible! Either these promises are true, or the Bible cannot be relied upon as the word of God. So, again, where is Reuben to be found in the world today?

France is known for “excellency of dignity… and power.” Look no further than Versailles and the Louvre. The country excels in culture, and many chefs go to school in France because French cuisine is renowned throughout the world. The 2024 Paris Olympics reminded us that they know how to put on a show (more about that in a minute). But what about “power”? France was a major colonizing power, along with the British, Spanish, and Dutch. Napoleon ruled over much of Europe for a short time. And today, the French military is believed to be the fourth-largest in the world, only behind Russia, the United States, and China. Yet France has never attained the greatness of the British-descended and American peoples—never came close to English or American supremacy. When it came to direct confrontations, France often ended up in second place, whether at Waterloo (ending Napoleon’s attempt to control Europe) or the Plains of Abraham (a decisive battle that eventually led the French to cede eastern Canada to the British).

At the same time, France has had an affinity with Britain and especially with America. The French helped America during its revolution against the English. It was France who gave America the Statue of Liberty. And Britain and America came to the aid of France in two world wars. Conflicts between these countries have involved who is to be on top, and Britain and America usually end up as “king of the hill.” The promise of great power and agricultural wealth described in Genesis 49:22–26 and Deuteronomy 33:13–17 would instead go to the sons of Joseph: Ephraim (the British-descended nations) and Manasseh (the Americans). “His [Reuben’s] birthright was given to the sons of Joseph [Ephraim and Manasseh].” And what was it that was given to Joseph’s sons? A great nation and a great company of nations!

The opening ceremonies for the 2024 Paris Olympics illustrated what Jacob foretold about Reuben—instability and loose sexual values. Many were appalled by the seeming parody of Leonardo de Vinci’s Last Supper, depicted in Paris with blasphemous and sexual license—as was seen in other aspects of the opening ceremonies. Of all the northwestern nations of Europe, France uniquely fulfills Israel’s prophecy of the tribe of Reuben in the latter days.

What About Joseph?

Jacob’s latter-day prophecies regarding his twelve sons are generally quite short—only a sentence or two—but he gives much space to Joseph, the recipient of the birthright promises. We have focused on Judah and Reuben, but the promises to Judah are highly significant because they foretell that the Messiah would come from his tribe and that at Christ’s Second Coming He will save the end-time Jewish state—and, in fact, all of mankind— from total destruction. Reuben is significant because he should have received the birthright promises of national wealth through a great nation and a company of nations, but he was disqualified. So now we come to the tribe that was given those birthright promises: Joseph. Here is how Scripture describes the tribe of Joseph “in the latter days”:

Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; his branches run over the wall [he will spread out over the earth]. The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him [he will have many enemies]. But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 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 (Genesis 49:22–26).

Just as Jacob prophesied regarding his twelve sons, so did Moses—and Moses, too, went on to spend more time describing the birthright blessings that were to go not to Reuben, nor to the Jews, but to their brother Joseph, of whom he said this:

Blessed of the Lord is his land, with the precious things of heaven, with the dew, and the deep lying beneath, with the precious fruits of the sun, with the precious produce of the months, with the best things of the ancient mountains, with the precious things of the everlasting hills, with the precious things of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ His glory is like a firstborn bull, and his horns like the horns of the wild ox; together with them he shall push the peoples to the ends of the earth (Deuteronomy 33:13–17).

It is difficult not to recognize the British-descended and American peoples in this description of unmatched natural wealth. And if we are to look for two brothers whose descendants would make up a single great nation and a company of nations—anywhere in history, much less at the time of the end—who else could possibly fit this description? We often refer to the British and Americans as “cousins,” but “brothers” is a more suitable designation. Who was it that pushed their enemies to the ends of the earth at the close of World War II? Who else has experienced such abundant agricultural and mineral wealth as, not only Americans, but also the British-descended peoples of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa?

Modern-Day Israelites at the Time of the End

Sadly, all of Jacob’s sons have squandered God’s blessings, rejected Him as their Creator, turned their backs on His laws, and despised His statutes. The result is disaster for His birthright people, as well as for the other sons of Jacob (Leviticus 26:14–39). “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower” (Deuteronomy 28:43). Are we so blind that we cannot see this happening before our very eyes? It is no accident that the Israelite nations see millions of illegal immigrants inhabiting their lands.

For more on this subject, order a free copy of The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. It covers far more detail than this article can in the space allowed. These prophecies are there for anyone who has enough curiosity to look into them and eyes to see the obvious. As our world plummets into disaster, the prophecies contained in Scripture show us more than just the anxieties of the past—they show us nothing less than history written in advance.

The same God who once powerfully asserted that He declares the end from the beginning is, even now, guiding world events according to His unchangeable plan. If we are to understand where our world is heading—if we are to have any certainty at all of what our nations will be faced with in the coming days—we have no choice but to embrace the importance of these prophecies. Ours is a time of global upheaval, and in such times, recognizing the relevance of God’s inspired word is more vital than ever, as is truly seeking to know God’s purpose for mankind.