When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and went to his people.
Genesis 49-33 NET
As Jacob came to the end of his life, he gathered his sons together and gave them his patriarchal blessing, looking into what he saw in the future for each of them. These blessings were not prophetic in the sense that God had given Jacob foreknowledge of their future. But they did reflect what Jacob saw in his sons and their character.
This verse describes Jacob as doing three things after blessing his sons. First, he pulled his feet up onto the bed. This pictures him sitting on the side of his bed as he gave his blessings. When he finished, he laid down on the bed and brought his feet into bed with him. He was ready to go.
Jacob then breathed his last. He died. And after he had died, he went to his people, joining them where they were. This was, in part, the family burial plot back in Canaan, where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah were buried (Gen. 49:29-32).
Death Is Not the End
But it was more than just being buried in the family plot. What happened to a person after they died was not a well-developed concept at this time. But there was some expectation of future existence–that he would be with his ancestors, not just as dry bones sharing a tomb, but with some conscious existence.
What is described here concerning Jacob’s death is a beautiful description of what awaits those, like Jacob (Gen. 48:15), who have faithfully followed the Lord. This life we now know will someday come to an end. We will breathe our last breath.
But it is not the end. We will go to our people–those who have gone before us. But even better, we will experience life anew in the Father’s house (John 14:2-3). Death is not the end. It is the beginning of the glorious future that awaits us. Are you ready to go?
Hi friend. My mother is struggling with the concept of having new bodies in heaven and is concerned my dad won’t recognize her when she gets there. I told her about 1thes 4:13-18. I told her that even if our bodies were somewhat different we would know each other. I also told her that I didn’t feel God would have us all looking so different and not be able to recognize the love ones that have gone before us. Any advice as to anything else I can share with her?
What that time will be like is unknown to us. But what we can know is that “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” Rev. 21:3-4). That should assure us that there will be nothing to fear there.