Principle
Jacob prophesied about the last days.
Explanation
As Jacob was near death, he assembled his sons and prophesied about each of them. He introduced the conversation by saying:
1 Now Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:
(Genesis 49:1 OSB)
Chronologically, this is the first mention in the Bible of there being something called "last days."
This matter-of-fact mention of last days without additional context indicates:
- Jacob obviously knew that there would be a future end of days.
- Jacob's family was aware of this fact, for the text records no questions about the statement.
The question this should raise for us as readers is last days of what, exactly? We must guard against assumptions based on what we have been taught.
