Blessings
In the climactic turn of our epic saga, the venerable Abraham, having lived a life of unwavering faith and monumental deeds, gathers his family for a final blessing. With a heart full of divine grace and a spirit steeped in ancient wisdom, he bestows upon Jacob a legacy of righteousness and divine favor, while urging him to uphold the sacred covenant. As Abraham’s life draws to its serene close, his death sends ripples through the land, with mourners from across the realms grieving the loss of a patriarch who shaped the world with his faith and kindness.
As the drama unfolds in the aftermath of Abraham’s passing, the earth begins to reflect the weight of its own unraveling. The once-lengthy days of the forefathers give way to an age of rapid decline, where suffering and calamity become the hallmarks of existence. Yet, amidst the encroaching darkness, a flicker of hope persists. A prophecy of renewal emerges, foretelling a time when righteousness will prevail, days will stretch long with peace, and divine healing will restore the world to its former glory. As the series concludes, this vision of salvation is etched into the annals of history, promising a future where harmony and justice reign supreme.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
Watch an explainer video for the Blessings chapter:
Genesis
4%
Jasher
14%
Jubilees
82%
Exposition
Jubilee: 44
Year: 2124
Jacob becomes a herdsman and Esau becomes a hunter
Genesis 25:27
Jasher 26:17
Jubilees 19:13-14
Rising Action
Abraham speaks with Rebekah about Jacob and Esau
Jubilees 19:15-25
Abraham blesses Jacob
Jubilees 19:26-30
Isaac loves Esau more and Rebekah loves Jacob more
Genesis 25:28
Jubilees 19:31
Abraham instructs Isaac
Jasher 26:22-28
Jubilees 21:1-26
Isaac and Ishmael celebrate the feast of weeks with Abraham
Jubilees 22:1-5
Climax
Abraham blesses YHWH and Jacob
Jubilees 22:6-25
Abraham blesses Jacob again
Jubilees 22:26-30
Abraham died
Genesis 25:7
Jubilees 23:1-6, 8
Falling Action
Abraham is buried in the cave of Machpelah near Sarah
Genesis 25:8-10
Jasher 26:29-38
Jubilees 23:7
Resolution
Thoughts on why people are dying younger and younger
Jubilees 23:9-32
Jubilee: 44
Year: 2124
Jacob becomes a herdsman and Esau becomes a hunter
Genesis 25:27
27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
Jasher 26:17
17 And the boys grew up to their fifteenth year, and they came amongst the society of men. Esau was a designing and deceitful man, and an expert hunter in the field, and Jacob was a man perfect and wise, dwelling in tents, feeding flocks and learning the instructions of the Lord and the commands of his father and mother.
Jubilees 19:13-14
13 and [2046 A.M.] Jacob was a smooth and upright man, and Esau was fierce, a man of the field, and hairy, and Jacob dwelt in tents.
14 And the youths grew, and Jacob learned to write; but Esau did not learn, for he was a man of the field and a hunter, and he learnt war, and all his deeds were fierce.
Abraham speaks with Rebekah about Jacob and Esau
Jubilees 19:15-25
15 And Abraham loved Jacob, but Isaac loved Esau.
16 And Abraham saw the deeds of Esau, and he knew that in Jacob should his name and seed be called; and he called Rebecca and gave commandment regarding Jacob, for he knew that she (too) loved Jacob much more than Esau.
17 And he said unto her: My daughter, watch over my son Jacob, For he shall be in my stead on the earth, And for a blessing in the midst of the children of men, And for the glory of the whole seed of Shem.
18 For I know that the Lord will choose him to be a people for possession unto Himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
19 And behold, Isaac my son loves Esau more than Jacob, but I see that thou truly lovest Jacob.
20 Add still further to thy kindness to him, And let thine eyes be upon him in love; For he shall be a blessing unto us on the earth from henceforth unto all generations of the earth.
21 Let thy hands be strong And let thy heart rejoice in thy son Jacob; For I have loved him far beyond all my sons. He shall be blessed for ever, And his seed shall fill the whole earth.
22 If a man can number the sand of the earth, His seed also shall be numbered.
23 And all the blessings wherewith the Lord hath blessed me and my seed shall belong to Jacob and his seed alway.
24 And in his seed shall my name be blessed, and the name of my fathers, Shem, and Noab, and Enoch, and Mahalalel, and Enos, and Seth, and Adam.
25 And these shall serve To lay the foundations of the heaven, And to strengthen the earth, And to renew all the luminaries which are in the firmament.
Abraham blesses Jacob
Jubilees 19:26-30
26 And he called Jacob before the eyes of Rebecca his mother, and kissed him, and blessed him, and said:
27 ‘Jacob, my beloved son, whom my soul loveth, may God bless thee from above the firmament, and may He give thee all the blessings wherewith He blessed Adam, and Enoch, and Noah, and Shem; and all the things of which He told me, and all the things which He promised to give me, may he cause to cleave to thee and to thy seed for ever, according to the days of heaven above the earth.
28 And the Spirits of Mastêmâ shall not rule over thee or over thy seed to turn thee from the Lord, who is thy God from henceforth for ever.
29 And may the Lord God be a father to thee and thou the first-born son, and to the people alway.
30 Go in peace, my son.’ And they both went forth together from Abraham.
Isaac loves Esau more and Rebekah loves Jacob more
Genesis 25:28
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Jubilees 19:31
31 And Rebecca loved Jacob, with all her heart and with all her soul, very much more than Esau; but Isaac loved Esau much more than Jacob.
Abraham instructs Isaac
Jubilees 21:1
1 And in the sixth year of the seventh week of this jubilee Abraham called Isaac his son, and [2057 (2050?) A.M.] commanded him: saying, ‘I am become old, and know not the day of my death, and am full of my days.
Jasher 26:22-27
22 And he commanded him saying, Dost thou not know and understand the Lord is God in heaven and in earth, and there is no other beside him?
23 And it was he who took me from my father’s house, and from my birth place, and gave me all the delights upon earth; who delivered me from the counsel of the wicked, for in him did I trust.
24 And he brought me to this place, and he delivered me from Ur Casdim; and he said unto me, To thy seed will I give all these lands, and they shall inherit them when they keep my commandments, my statutes and my judgments that I have commanded thee, and which I shall command them.
25 Now therefore my son, hearken to my voice, and keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I commanded thee, do not turn from the right way either to the right or to the left, in order that it may be well with thee and thy children after thee forever.
26 And remember the wonderful works of the Lord, and his kindness that he has shown toward us, in having delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and the Lord our God caused them to fall into our hands; and now therefore keep all that I have commanded thee, and turn not away from the commandments of thy God, and serve none beside him, in order that it may be well with thee and thy seed after thee.
27 And teach thou thy children and thy seed the instructions of the Lord and his commandments, and teach them the upright way in which they should go, in order that it may be well with them forever.
Jubilees 21:2-25
2 And behold, I am one hundred and seventy-five years old, and throughout all the days of my life I have remembered the Lord, and sought with all my heart to do His will, and to walk uprightly in all His ways.
3 My soul has hated idols, <and I have despised those that served them, and I have given my heart and spirit> that I might observe to do the will of Him who created me.
4 For He is the living God, and He is holy and faithful, and He is righteous beyond all, and there is with Him no accepting of (men’s) persons and no accepting of gifts; for God is righteous, and executeth judgment on all those who transgress His commandments and despise His covenant.
5 And do thou, my son, observe His commandments and His ordinances and His judgments, and walk not after the abominations and after the graven images and after the molten images.
6 And eat no blood at all of animals or cattle, or of any bird which flies in the heaven.
7 And if thou dost slay a victim as an acceptable peace offering, slay ye it, and pour out its blood upon the altar, and all the fat of the offering offer on the altar with fine flour and the meat offering mingled with oil, with its drink offering -offer them all together on the altar of burnt offering; it is a sweet savour before the Lord.
8 And thou wilt offer the fat of the sacrifice of thank offerings on the fire which is upon the altar, and the fat which is on the belly, and all the fat on the inwards and the two kidneys, and all the fat that is upon them, and upon the loins and liver thou shalt remove, together with the kidneys.
9 And offer all these for a sweet savour acceptable before the Lord, with its meat-offering and with its drink- offering, for a sweet savour, the bread of the offering unto the Lord.
10 And eat its meat on that day and on the second day, and let not the sun on the second day go down upon it till it is eaten, and let nothing be left over for the third day; for it is not acceptable [for it is not approved] and let it no longer be eaten, and all who eat thereof will bring sin upon themselves; for thus I have found it written in the books of my forefathers, and in the words of Enoch, and in the words of Noah.
11 And on all thy oblations thou shalt strew salt, and let not the salt of the covenant be lacking in all thy oblations before the Lord.
12 And as regards the wood of the sacrifices, beware lest thou bring (other) wood for the altar in addition to these: cypress, bay, almond, fir, pine, cedar, savin, fig, olive, myrrh, laurel, aspalathus.
13 And of these kinds of wood lay upon the altar under the sacrifice, such as have been tested as to their appearance, and do not lay (thereon) any split or dark wood, (but) hard and clean, without fault, a sound and new growth; and do not lay (thereon) old wood, [for its fragrance is gone] for there is no longer fragrance in it as before.
14 Besides these kinds of wood there is none other that thou shalt place (on the altar), for the fragrance is dispersed, and the smell of its fragrance goes not up to heaven.
15 Observe this commandment and do it, my son, that thou mayst be upright in all thy deeds.
16 And at all times be clean in thy body, and wash thyself with water before thou approachest to offer on the altar, and wash thy hands and thy feet before thou drawest near to the altar; and when thou art done sacrificing, wash again thy hands and thy feet.
17 And let no blood appear upon you nor upon your clothes; be on thy guard, my son, against blood, be on thy guard exceedingly; cover it with dust.
18 And do not eat any blood for it is the soul; eat no blood whatever.
19 And take no gifts for the blood of man, lest it be shed with impunity, without judgment; for it is the blood that is shed that causes the earth to sin, and the earth cannot be cleansed from the blood of man save by the blood of him who shed it.
20 And take no present or gift for the blood of man: blood for blood, that thou mayest be accepted before the Lord, the Most High God; for He is the defence of the good: and that thou mayest be preserved from all evil, and that He may save thee from every kind of death.
21 I see, my son, That all the works of the children of men are sin and wickedness, And all their deeds are uncleanness and an abomination and a pollution, And there is no righteousness with them.
22 Beware, lest thou shouldest walk in their ways And tread in their paths, And sin a sin unto death before the Most High God. Else He will [hide His face from thee And] give thee back into the hands of thy transgression, And root thee out of the land, and thy seed likewise from under heaven, And thy name and thy seed shall perish from the whole earth.
23 Turn away from all their deeds and all their uncleanness, And observe the ordinance of the Most High God, And do His will and be upright in all things.
24 And He will bless thee in all thy deeds, And will raise up from thee a plant of righteousness through all the earth, throughout all generations of the earth, And my name and thy name shall not be forgotten under heaven for ever.
25 Go, my son in peace. May the Most High God, my God and thy God, strengthen thee to do His will, And may He bless all thy seed and the residue of thy seed for the generations for ever, with all righteous blessings, That thou mayest be a blessing on all the earth.’
Jasher 26:28
28 And Isaac answered his father and said unto him, That which my Lord has commanded that will I do, and I will not depart from the commands of the Lord my God, I will keep all that he commanded me; and Abraham blessed his son Isaac, and also his children; and Abraham taught Jacob the instruction of the Lord and his ways.
Jubilees 21:26
26 And he went out from him rejoicing.
Isaac and Ishmael celebrate the feast of weeks with Abraham
Jubilees 22:1-5
1 And it came to pass in the first week in the forty-fourth jubilee, in the second year, that is, the year in which Abraham died, that Isaac and Ishmael came from the Well of the Oath to celebrate the feast of weeks -that is, the feast of the first fruits of the harvest-to Abraham, their father, and Abraham rejoiced because his two sons had come.
2 For Isaac had many possessions in Beersheba, and Isaac was wont to go and see his possessions and to return to his father.
3 And in those days Ishmael came to see his father, and they both came together, and Isaac offered a sacrifice for a burnt offering, and presented it on the altar of his father which he had made in Hebron.
4 And he offered a thank offering and made a feast of joy before Ishmael, his brother: and Rebecca made new cakes from the new grain, and gave them to Jacob, her son, to take them to Abraham, his father, from the first fruits of the land, that he might eat and bless the Creator of all things before he died.
5 And Isaac, too, sent by the hand of Jacob to Abraham a best thank offering, that he might eat and drink.
Abraham blesses YHWH and Jacob
Jubilees 22:6-25
6 And he eat and drank, and blessed the Most High God, Who hath created heaven and earth, Who hath made all the fat things of the earth, And given them to the children of men That they might eat and drink and bless their Creator.
7 ‘And now I give thanks unto Thee, my God, because thou hast caused me to see this day: behold, I am one hundred three score and fifteen years, an old man and full of days, and all my days have been unto me peace.
8 The sword of the adversary has not overcome me in all that Thou hast given me and my children all the days of my life until this day.
9 My God, may Thy mercy and Thy peace be upon Thy servant, and upon the seed of his sons, that they may be to Thee a chosen nation and an inheritance from amongst all the nations of the earth from henceforth unto all the days of the generations of the earth, unto all the ages.’
10 And he called Jacob and said: ‘My son Jacob, may the God of all bless thee and strengthen thee to do righteousness, and His will before Him, and may He choose thee and thy seed that ye may become a people for His inheritance according to His will alway.
11 And do thou, my son, Jacob, draw near and kiss me.’ And he drew near and kissed him, and he said: ‘Blessed be my son Jacob And all the sons of God Most High, unto all the ages: May God give unto thee a seed of righteousness; And some of thy sons may He sanctify in the midst of the whole earth; May nations serve thee, And all the nations bow themselves before thy seed.
12 Be strong in the presence of men, And exercise authority over all the seed of Seth. Then thy ways and the ways of thy sons will be justified, So that they shall become a holy nation.
13 May the Most High God give thee all the blessings Wherewith He has blessed me And wherewith He blessed Noah and Adam; May they rest on the sacred head of thy seed from generation to generation for ever.
14 And may He cleanse thee from all unrighteousness and impurity, That thou mayest be forgiven all the transgressions; which thou hast committed ignorantly. And may He strengthen thee, And bless thee. And mayest thou inherit the whole earth,
15 And may He renew His covenant with thee. That thou mayest be to Him a nation for His inheritance for all the ages, And that He may be to thee and to thy seed a God in truth and righteousness throughout all the days of the earth.
16 And do thou, my son Jacob, remember my words, And observe the commandments of Abraham, thy father: Separate thyself from the nations, And eat not with them: And do not according to their works, And become not their associate; For their works are unclean, And all their ways are a Pollution and an abomination and uncleanness.
17 They offer their sacrifices to the dead And they worship evil spirits, And they eat over the graves, And all their works are vanity and nothingness.
18 They have no heart to understand And their eyes do not see what their works are, And how they err in saying to a piece of wood: ‘Thou art my God,’ And to a stone: ‘Thou art my Lord and thou art my deliverer.’ [And they have no heart.]
19 And as for thee, my son Jacob, May the Most High God help thee And the God of heaven bless thee And remove thee from their uncleanness and from all their error.
20 Be thou ware, my son Jacob, of taking a wife from any seed of the daughters of Canaan; For all his seed is to be rooted out of the earth.
21 For, owing to the transgression of Ham, Canaan erred, And all his seed shall be destroyed from off the earth and all the residue thereof, And none springing from him shall be saved on the day of judgment.
22 And as for all the worshippers of idols and the profane (b) There shall be no hope for them in the land of the living; (c) And there shall be no remembrance of them on the earth; (c) For they shall descend into Sheol, (d) And into the place of condemnation shall they go, As the children of Sodom were taken away from the earth So will all those who worship idols be taken away.
23 Fear not, my son Jacob, And be not dismayed, O son of Abraham: May the Most High God preserve thee from destruction, And from all the paths of error may he deliver thee.
24 This house have I built for myself that I might put my name upon it in the earth: [it is given to thee and to thy seed for ever], and it will be named the house of Abraham; it is given to thee and to thy seed for ever; for thou wilt build my house and establish my name before God for ever: thy seed and thy name will stand throughout all generations of the earth.’
25 And he ceased commanding him and blessing him.
Abraham blesses Jacob again
Jubilees 22:26-30
26 And the two lay together on one bed, and Jacob slept in the bosom of Abraham, his father’s father and he kissed him seven times, and his affection and his heart rejoiced over him.
27 And he blessed him with all his heart and said: ‘The Most High God, the God of all, and Creator of all, who brought me forth from Ur of the Chaldees that he might give me this land to inherit it for ever, and that I might establish a holy seed-blessed be the Most High for ever.’
28 And he blessed Jacob and said: ‘My son, over whom with all my heart and my affection I rejoice, may Thy grace and Thy mercy be lift up upon him and upon his seed always.
29 And do not forsake him, nor set him at nought from henceforth unto the days of eternity, and may Thine eyes be opened upon him and upon his seed, that Thou mayst preserve him, and bless him, and mayest sanctify him as a nation for Thine inheritance;
30 And bless him with all Thy blessings from henceforth unto all the days of eternity, and renew Thy covenant and Thy grace with him and with his seed according to all Thy good pleasure unto all the generations of the earth.’
Abraham died
Genesis 25:7
7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
Jubilees 23:8
8 And he lived three jubilees and four weeks of years, one hundred and seventy-five years, and completed the days of his life, being old and full of days.
Jubilees 23:1-6
1 And he placed two fingers of Jacob on his eyes, and he blessed the God of gods, and he covered his face and stretched out his feet and slept the sleep of eternity, and was gathered to his fathers.
2 And notwithstanding all this Jacob was lying in his bosom, and knew not that Abraham, his father’s father, was dead.
3 And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and behold Abraham was cold as ice, and he said ‘Father, father’; but there was none that spake, and he knew that he was dead.
4 And he arose from his bosom and ran and told Rebecca, his mother; and Rebecca went to Isaac in the night, and told him; and they went together, and Jacob with them, and a lamp was in his hand, and when they had gone in they found Abraham lying dead.
5 And Isaac fell on the face of his father and wept and kissed him.
6 And the voices were heard in the house of Abraham, and Ishmael his son arose, and went to Abraham his father, and wept over Abraham his father, he and all the house of Abraham, and they wept with a great weeping.
Abraham is buried in the cave of Machpelah near Sarah
Genesis 25:8-10
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
Jasher 26:29
29 And it was at that time that Abraham died, in the fifteenth year of the life of Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac, and all the days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, and he died and was gathered to his people in good old age, old and satisfied with days, and Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him.
Jubilees 23:7
7 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the double cave, near Sarah his wife, and they wept for him forty days, all the men of his house, and Isaac and Ishmael, and all their sons, and all the sons of Keturah in their places; and the days of weeping for Abraham were ended.
Jasher 26:30-38
30 And when the inhabitants of Canaan heard that Abraham was dead, they all came with their kings and princes and all their men to bury Abraham.
31 And all the inhabitants of the land of Haran, and all the families of the house of Abraham, and all the princes and grandees, and the sons of Abraham by the concubines, all came when they heard of Abraham’s death, and they requited Abraham’s kindness, and comforted Isaac his son, and they buried Abraham in the cave which he bought from Ephron the Hittite and his children, for the possession of a burial place.
32 And all the inhabitants of Canaan, and all those who had known Abraham, wept for Abraham a whole year, and men and women mourned over him.
33 And all the little children, and all the inhabitants of the land wept on account of Abraham, for Abraham had been good to them all, and because he had been upright with God and men.
34 And there arose not a man who feared God like unto Abraham, for he had feared his God from his youth, and had served the Lord, and had gone in all his ways during his life, from his childhood to the day of his death.
35 And the Lord was with him and delivered him from the counsel of Nimrod and his people, and when he made war with the four kings of Elam he conquered them.
36 And he brought all the children of the earth to the service of God, and he taught them the ways of the Lord, and caused them to know the Lord.
37 And he formed a grove and he planted a vineyard therein, and he had always prepared in his tent meat and drink to those that passed through the land, that they might satisfy themselves in his house.
38 And the Lord God delivered the whole earth on account of Abraham.
houghts on why people are dying younger and younger
Jubilees 23:9-32
9 For the days of the forefathers, of their life, were nineteen jubilees; and after the Flood they began to grow less than nineteen jubilees, and to decrease in jubilees, and to grow old quickly, and to be full of their days by reason of manifold tribulation and the wickedness of their ways, with the exception of Abraham.
10 For Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord, and well-pleasing in righteousness all the days of his life; and behold, he did not complete four jubilees in his life, when he had grown old by reason of the wickedness, and was full of his days.
11 And all the generations which shall arise from this time until the day of the great judgment shall grow old quickly, before they complete two jubilees, and their knowledge shall forsake them by reason of their old age Land all their know- ledge shall vanish away].
12 And in those days, if a man live a jubilee and a-half of years, they shall say regarding him: ‘He has lived long, and the greater part of his days are pain and sorrow and tribulation, and there is no peace:
13 For calamity follows on calamity, and wound on wound, and tribulation on tribulation, and evil tidings on evil tidings, and illness on illness, and all evil judgments such as these, one with another, illness and overthrow, and snow and frost and ice, and fever, and chills, and torpor, and famine, and death, and sword, and captivity, and all kinds of calamities and pains.’
14 And all these shall come on an evil generation, which transgresses on the earth: their works are uncleanness and fornication, and pollution and abominations.
15 Then they shall say: ‘The days of the forefathers were many (even), unto a thousand years, and were good; but behold, the days of our life, if a man has lived many, are three score years and ten, and, if he is strong, four score years, and those evil, and there is no peace in the days of this evil generation.’
16 And in that generation the sons shall convict their fathers and their elders of sin and unrighteousness, and of the words of their mouth and the great wickednesses which they perpetrate, and concerning their forsaking the covenant which the Lord made between them and Him, that they should observe and do all His commandments and His ordinances and all His laws, without departing either to the right hand or the left.
17 For all have done evil, and every mouth speaks iniquity and all their works are an uncleanness and an abomination, and all their ways are pollution, uncleanness and destruction.
18 Behold the earth shall be destroyed on account of all their works, and there shall be no seed of the vine, and no oil; for their works are altogether faithless, and they shall all perish together, beasts and cattle and birds, and all the fish of the sea, on account of the children of men.
19 And they shall strive one with another, the young with the old, and the old with the young, the poor with the rich, the lowly with the great, and the beggar with the prince, on account of the law and the covenant; for they have forgotten commandment, and covenant, and feasts, and months, and Sabbaths, and jubilees, and all judgments.
20 And they shall stand <with bows and> swords and war to turn them back into the way; but they shall not return until much blood has been shed on the earth, one by another.
21 And those who have escaped shall not return from their wickedness to the way of righteousness, but they shall all exalt themselves to deceit and wealth, that they may each take all that is his neighbour’s, and they shall name the great name, but not in truth and not in righteousness, and they shall defile the holy of holies with their uncleanness and the corruption of their pollution.
22 And a great punishment shall befall the deeds of this generation from the Lord, and He will give them over to the sword and to judgment and to captivity, and to be plundered and devoured.
23 And He will wake up against them the sinners of the Gentiles, who have neither mercy nor compassion, and who shall respect the person of none, neither old nor young, nor any one, for they are more wicked and strong to do evil than all the children of men. And they shall use violence against Israel and transgression against Jacob, And much blood shall be shed upon the earth, And there shall be none to gather and none to bury.
24 In those days they shall cry aloud, And call and pray that they may be saved from the hand of the sinners, the Gentiles; But none shall be saved.
25 And the heads of the children shall be white with grey hair, And a child of three weeks shall appear old like a man of one hundred years, And their stature shall be destroyed by tribulation and oppression.
26 And in those days the children shall begin to study the laws, And to seek the commandments, And to return to the path of righteousness.
27 And the days shall begin to grow many and increase amongst those children of men Till their days draw nigh to one thousand years. And to a greater number of years than (before) was the number of the days.
28 And there shall be no old man Nor one who is <not> satisfied with his days, For all shall be (as) children and youths.
29 And all their days they shall complete and live in peace and in joy, And there shall be no Satan nor any evil destroyer; For all their days shall be days of blessing and healing.
30 And at that time the Lord will heal His servants, And they shall rise up and see great peace, And drive out their adversaries. And the righteous shall see and be thankful, And rejoice with joy for ever and ever, And shall see all their judgments and all their curses on their enemies.
31 And their bones shall rest in the earth, And their spirits shall have much joy, And they shall know that it is the Lord who executes judgment, And shows mercy to hundreds and thousands and to all that love Him
32 And do thou, Moses, write down these words; for thus are they written, and they record (them) on the heavenly tablets for a testimony for the generations for ever.
Notes
No notes.
Exposition
Jubilee: 44
Year: 2124
Jacob becomes a herdsman and Esau becomes a hunter
Genesis 25:27
Jasher 26:17
Jubilees 19:13-14
The boys grew up and, by the time they were 15, they joined the community of men. Esau became a cunning and deceitful man, a skilled hunter in the fields. Jacob, on the other hand, was a gentle man—honest and wise—living in tents, tending flocks, and learning the teachings of the Lord and the instructions of his father and mother. As they matured, Jacob learned to write, but Esau did not. Esau was a man of the outdoors, a hunter trained in warfare, and his ways were harsh.
Rising Action
Abraham speaks with Rebekah about Jacob and Esau
Jubilees 19:15-25
Abraham loved Jacob, while Isaac loved Esau. Abraham saw Esau’s actions and understood that Jacob was the one through whom his name and descendants would continue. So, he called Rebekah and gave her instructions concerning Jacob, knowing that she loved Jacob far more than Esau. He said to her, “My daughter, watch over my son Jacob. He will take my place on the earth, and he will be a blessing among the children of men, bringing glory to all the descendants of Shem. I know the Lord will choose him to be His special people, more than any other on earth. Isaac, my son, loves Esau more than Jacob, but I know that you truly love Jacob. Keep showing him kindness, and let your eyes always look on him with love. He will be a blessing for us on the earth from now on, through all future generations. Be strong, and let your heart be glad in your son Jacob. I have loved him more than all my other sons. He will be blessed forever, and his descendants will fill the whole earth. If anyone could count the grains of sand on the earth, then his descendants could be counted too. All the blessings that the Lord has given me and my offspring will belong to Jacob and his descendants forever. In his line, my name will be honored, and the names of my fathers—Shem, Noah, Enoch, Mahalalel, Enos, Seth, and Adam. Through him, the foundations of heaven will be laid, the earth will be upheld, and all the lights in the sky will be renewed.”
Abraham blesses Jacob
Jubilees 19:26-30
Abraham called Jacob in front of Rebekah, his mother, kissed him, and gave him a blessing: “Jacob, my beloved son, the one my soul loves, may God bless you from above the heavens. May He give you all the blessings He gave to Adam, Enoch, Noah, and Shem. May every promise He made to me be fulfilled through you and your descendants forever, as long as the heavens are above the earth. May the spirits of Mastêmâ never rule over you or your offspring, to turn you away from the Lord your God, from now and forever. May the Lord God be a father to you, and you be His firstborn son, and the firstborn of the people. Go in peace, my son.”
Then Jacob and Rebekah both left Abraham together.
Isaac loves Esau more and Rebekah loves Jacob more
Genesis 25:28
Jubilees 19:31
Rebekah loved Jacob with all her heart and soul, much more than she loved Esau. But Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob because he enjoyed the wild game Esau brought him.
Abraham instructs Isaac
Jasher 26:22-28
Jubilees 21:1-26
In the 6th year of the 7th week of this jubilee, Abraham called his son Isaac and said, “I’ve grown old and don’t know when I will die. I am full of days.”
Then he told him, “Do you not know that the Lord is God in both heaven and earth, and there is no other? He brought me out of my father’s house and my birthplace, and gave me all the good things I have. He saved me from the schemes of the wicked because I trusted Him. He brought me here, delivering me from Ur of the Chaldees, and He said, ‘I will give all this land to your descendants, and they will inherit it if they obey my commands, statutes, and judgments that I have given you and will give them.’ Now, my son, listen to my voice and obey the commands of the Lord your God that I gave you. Do not turn aside from the right path, not to the right or to the left, so that you and your children will prosper forever. Remember the amazing things the Lord has done for us—how kind He has been to deliver us from our enemies and to put them in our hands. So now, keep everything I’ve commanded you. Do not turn away from the Lord’s instructions, and serve no one but Him, so that it will go well with you and your descendants. Teach your children and your descendants the ways of the Lord and His commandments. Show them the right path to walk in, so that they will be blessed forever.”
“I am now 175 years old. All my life I have remembered the Lord and have tried with all my heart to do His will and walk faithfully in His ways. I’ve hated idols and those who worship them. I’ve devoted myself completely to obeying the One who created me. He is the living God—holy, faithful, and perfectly righteous. He does not show favoritism or accept bribes. God judges everyone who breaks His commandments and rejects His covenant. So, my son, follow His commands, laws, and judgments. Don’t imitate the disgusting ways of idol worshipers or follow after carved or molten images. Never eat blood—not from animals, cattle, or birds. If you offer a peace offering, drain its blood on the altar. Burn all the fat of the offering with fine flour and the grain offering mixed with oil, and the drink offering—present them all together on the altar. It will be a sweet smell before the Lord. Burn the fat from the thank offerings, the fat from the belly, the inner organs, the 2 kidneys, the fat on them, the loins, and the liver—remove them with the kidneys and offer them with the grain and drink offerings. It’s a sweet aroma, the bread of the offering to the Lord. Eat the meat that day and on the 2nd day, but by sunset on the 2nd day it must all be eaten. Do not leave any until the 3rd day—it will not be accepted, and whoever eats it will bear guilt. That’s what I’ve found written in the books of my ancestors, in the writings of Enoch and Noah. Sprinkle salt on all your offerings. Never let the salt of the covenant be missing from your offerings before the Lord.
Be careful about the wood you use for the altar fire. Only use tested woods like cypress, bay, almond, fir, pine, cedar, savin, fig, olive, myrrh, laurel, or aspalathus. Use only hard, clean wood, without defects—no split or dark wood. Don’t use old wood, because it’s lost its fragrance and won’t rise as a pleasing aroma to heaven. Only use the approved kinds.
Follow this command, my son, so that your actions will be pure. Always be clean—wash yourself with water before approaching the altar. Wash your hands and feet before and after offering sacrifices. Make sure no blood is on you or your clothes. Be especially careful with blood—cover it with dust. Don’t eat any blood, because blood is life. Never accept gifts to overlook the shedding of human blood unless it happened without guilt or judgment. Bloodshed pollutes the earth, and the only way to cleanse it is by shedding the blood of the one who caused it. Never accept bribes for blood—blood for blood—so you’ll be righteous before the Lord, the Most High, who defends the good and protects you from all harm and all kinds of death.
My son, I see that the works of mankind are full of sin, wickedness, filth, and corruption. There is no righteousness in them. Be careful not to follow their ways, or you’ll sin fatally against the Most High, and He will turn His face from you. He will hand you over to your sins, uproot you from the land, and erase you and your descendants from under heaven. Your name and seed will be wiped from the earth. So turn away from all their evil deeds. Obey the laws of the Most High. Do His will, and be righteous in everything you do. He will bless you in all you do, and raise up a righteous line from you that will last through all generations of the earth. My name and your name will never be forgotten under heaven. Go in peace, my son. May the Most High God—my God and your God—give you strength to do His will. May He bless your descendants and the rest of your line forever with every righteous blessing, so that you may be a blessing throughout the whole earth.”
Isaac answered his father, “I will do everything you’ve commanded. I won’t turn away from the Lord’s instructions. I’ll keep all that He’s commanded me.” And Abraham blessed Isaac and his children. Abraham also taught Jacob the ways and commandments of the Lord. Then Isaac left Abraham, filled with joy.
Isaac and Ishmael celebrate the feast of weeks with Abraham
Jubilees 22:1-5
In the 1st week of the 44th jubilee, in the 2nd year—the year Abraham died—Isaac and Ishmael came from the Well of the Oath to celebrate the Feast of Weeks (also known as the feast of the first fruits of the harvest) with their father Abraham. Abraham was happy that his 2 sons had come.
Isaac owned many possessions in Beersheba, and he had no need to travel there or check on them before returning to his father.
At that time, Ishmael also came to see Abraham, and the two brothers arrived together. Isaac offered a burnt offering on the altar Abraham had built in Hebron. He also gave a thank offering and hosted a joyful feast before Ishmael. Rebekah baked new cakes from the fresh grain and gave them to Jacob to take to Abraham from the first fruits of the land, so that Abraham could eat and bless the Creator of all things before he died. Isaac also sent a special thank offering to Abraham through Jacob, so that he could eat and drink.
Climax
Abraham blesses YHWH and Jacob
Jubilees 22:6-25
He ate and drank, and blessed the Most High God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who made all the good things of the earth and gave them to humanity so they might eat, drink, and bless their Creator.
“And now I thank You, my God, because You’ve allowed me to see this day. Look, I am 175 years old, an old man full of years, and my days have been peaceful. The sword of the enemy has never overcome me in anything You’ve given to me and my children throughout my life up to this day. My God, may Your mercy and peace rest upon Your servant and on the descendants of his sons, so that they may be Your chosen nation, a people belonging to You among all nations of the earth, from now on for all generations, for all ages.”
Then he called Jacob and said, “My son Jacob, may the God of all bless you and give you strength to live righteously and do His will. May He choose you and your descendants so that you become His people and His inheritance according to His will forever. Come here, my son Jacob, and kiss me.”
Jacob came near and kissed him, and Abraham said, “Blessed be my son Jacob, and blessed be all the sons of God Most High, forever. May God give you children who live righteously. May He set some of your descendants apart across the whole earth. May nations serve you, and may all people bow down before your children. Be strong among men and rule over all the descendants of Seth. Then your ways, and your children’s ways, will be just, and they will become a holy nation. May the Most High God give you every blessing He gave me, and that He gave to Noah and Adam. May these blessings rest on the sacred head of your descendants, from generation to generation, forever. May He cleanse you from all unrighteousness and impurity so that you are forgiven for any sins you committed unknowingly. May He strengthen and bless you. May you inherit the whole earth, and may He renew His covenant with you, making you His people forever, and He will be your God—and the God of your descendants—in truth and righteousness for all your days on earth.
And you, my son Jacob, remember my words and follow the commandments of Abraham, your father. Separate yourself from the nations. Don’t eat with them, don’t do what they do, and don’t associate with them, because their actions are unclean. All their ways are corrupt, detestable, and filthy. They sacrifice to the dead, they worship evil spirits, and they eat near graves. Everything they do is meaningless and worthless. They don’t understand, and their eyes are blind to their own wrongdoing. They make mistakes and say to a piece of wood, ‘You are my god,’ and to a stone, ‘You are my lord and deliverer.’ But they have no understanding.
But you, my son Jacob, may the Most High God help you, and may the God of heaven bless you. May He keep you away from their filth and from all their errors. Be careful, my son Jacob, not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan, because all of Canaan’s descendants are going to be wiped off the earth. Because of Ham’s sin, Canaan went astray, and all his children will be destroyed. None of them will survive the day of judgment. As for idol worshipers and the ungodly, they have no hope of life, and they will not be remembered on earth. They will descend into Sheol, into the place of punishment, just like the people of Sodom were removed from the earth. All those who worship idols will be removed as well.
Don’t be afraid, my son Jacob, and don’t be discouraged, son of Abraham. May the Most High God protect you from destruction and save you from all paths of error. This house I’ve built for myself, to place my name upon in the earth—it’s given to you and to your descendants forever. It will be called the House of Abraham. It belongs to you and your children for all time. You will build my house and keep my name before God forever. Your descendants and your name will continue throughout all generations of the earth.”
Then he stopped speaking and blessing him.
Abraham blesses Jacob again
Jubilees 22:26-30
The 2 of them lay together in the same bed, and Jacob slept in the arms of his grandfather Abraham. Abraham kissed him 7 times, and his heart was full of love and joy for him.
He blessed him with all his heart and said, “The Most High God, the God and Creator of all, who brought me out of Ur of the Chaldees to give me this land as an inheritance forever, and to establish a holy people—blessed be the Most High forever.”
He then blessed Jacob and said, “My son, you fill my heart with joy and love. May Your grace and mercy always be upon him and his descendants. Do not abandon him or consider him worthless from now to eternity. Keep Your eyes open to him and his children—preserve them, bless them, and set them apart as a people for Your inheritance. Bless them with all Your blessings from now on through all eternity. Renew Your covenant and Your grace with him and his descendants according to Your good will for all the generations of the earth.”
Abraham died
Genesis 25:7
Jubilees 23:1-6, 8
He lived for 3 jubilees and 4 weeks of years—175 years—and finished out his life, old and full of days.
He placed 2 of Jacob’s fingers over his eyes, blessed the God of gods, covered his face, stretched out his feet, and passed away, joining his ancestors. But Jacob, who was still lying in his grandfather’s arms, didn’t realize Abraham had died.
When Jacob woke up, he saw that Abraham was cold as ice, and said, “Father, father,” but there was no reply. Then he knew Abraham was dead.
He got up and ran to tell his mother Rebecca, and she went at night to tell Isaac. They both went together with Jacob, who carried a lamp. When they entered the room, they found Abraham lying there dead. Isaac fell on his father’s face, wept, and kissed him. The sound of mourning filled Abraham’s house. Ishmael, his son, also came and wept over his father, along with everyone in Abraham’s household. They all mourned him with deep sorrow.
Falling Action
Abraham is buried in the cave of Machpelah near Sarah
Genesis 25:8-10
Jasher 26:29-38
Jubilees 23:7
Then Abraham died, at a good old age, full of years. He passed away in the 15th year of Jacob and Esau’s lives. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite, near Mamre—the same field Abraham bought from the sons of Heth. Abraham was buried there, alongside Sarah, his wife. They mourned him for 40 days.
When the people of Canaan heard that Abraham had died, they all came—kings, princes, and all their men—to bury him. The people of Haran and all the families of Abraham’s household came too, along with nobles, leaders, and the children of Abraham’s concubines. When they heard of his death, they came to honor Abraham’s kindness, comfort Isaac, and bury him in the cave he bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial place.
Everyone who knew Abraham, all the people of Canaan, mourned him for a full year. Men and women grieved for him. Even little children cried because Abraham had been good to them all. He had lived righteously before God and people. No one feared God like Abraham. He had feared the Lord from his youth and served Him faithfully throughout his life. The Lord was with him, delivering him from Nimrod and his people. He defeated the 4 kings of Elam in battle. He brought people from all over the world to worship God. He taught them the Lord’s ways and helped them know God. He planted a grove and a vineyard, and he always had food and drink ready in his tent for travelers, so they could be satisfied in his home. The Lord God preserved the whole earth because of Abraham.
Resolution
Thoughts on why people are dying younger and younger
Jubilees 23:9-32
In the early generations, people lived 19 jubilees. But after the Flood, life spans began to decrease. They started aging faster and dying earlier, suffering more because of the evil in their ways—except for Abraham. Abraham was perfect in all his actions with the Lord and lived righteously all his life. Still, he didn’t even live 4 jubilees, because wickedness had grown so great that it cut lives short, and he was full of his days.
All future generations, from that time to the great judgment, will grow old quickly. They won’t even live 2 jubilees before their minds begin to fade due to age, and all their understanding will disappear. In those days, if a man lives 1½ jubilees, people will say, “He lived a long time,” even though most of his life was filled with pain, sorrow, and trouble. Peace will be hard to find—disaster will follow disaster, wound after wound, trouble on top of trouble, bad news upon bad news, sickness after sickness. Evil judgments will stack up: disease, destruction, snow, frost, ice, fevers, chills, numbness, hunger, death, violence, captivity—every kind of suffering and hardship.
All these things will fall on a wicked generation. Their actions are filthy: sexual immorality, corruption, and detestable practices. Then people will say, “Our ancestors lived long lives—even 1,000 years—and had good days. But today, even if someone lives to 70 or 80, it’s full of evil, and there’s no peace in this generation.”
In that generation, sons will accuse their fathers and elders of sin, wickedness, and corrupt speech. They’ll point out how their ancestors broke the covenant the Lord made with them, the covenant that required them to obey His laws and commands without turning aside. Everyone will be doing wrong. Every mouth will speak evil. All their actions will be filthy and detestable, and their ways will lead to ruin.
The earth will be destroyed because of all this. There will be no grapes or oil, because their deeds are completely unfaithful. Everything will die—animals, livestock, birds, and fish—because of humanity’s sins. People will fight each other: the young against the old, the poor against the rich, the weak against the powerful. All of it will be over the law and the covenant, because they’ve forgotten everything—commandments, covenants, festivals, months, Sabbaths, jubilees, and judgments. They will take up weapons to try to restore order, but they won’t succeed until much blood is spilled. Even then, those who survive won’t return to righteousness. Instead, they’ll chase after lies and wealth, taking what belongs to others. They’ll misuse God’s great name—using it falsely and without righteousness. They’ll defile the holiest things with their corruption and filth.
Because of all this, the Lord will bring harsh punishment on their deeds. He will hand them over to violence, judgment, captivity, looting, and destruction. He’ll stir up sinful Gentiles against them—people without mercy or compassion, who respect no one, old or young. These people will be more evil and powerful than all others. They will harm Israel and attack Jacob. Much blood will be spilled, and no one will be there to gather the dead or bury them.
People will cry out, pray, and beg for salvation from the Gentiles, but no one will be saved. Children’s hair will turn white with age, and a 21-year-old will look like he’s 100. Suffering and oppression will destroy their strength.
But in those days, children will begin to learn the laws again, to seek out the commandments and return to the path of righteousness. Then lifespans will start to increase again until they approach 1,000 years, even more than before.
There will be no elderly who are unsatisfied with their lives, because everyone will be like children and young people. They will complete their days in peace and joy. There will be no Satan or evil destroyer—only days filled with blessing and healing.
At that time, the Lord will heal His servants. They will rise up, see peace, and defeat their enemies. The righteous will rejoice forever, giving thanks as they witness judgment fall on their enemies. Their bones will rest in the earth, but their spirits will overflow with joy. They will know it was the Lord who judged and showed mercy to 100s, 1,000s, and all who love Him.
And you, Moses, write these words down. This is how they’re written, and they’re recorded on the heavenly tablets as a testimony for all generations forever.