Genesis 49:22-26 and Deuteronomy 33:13-16 indicate that the blessing upon Joseph is universal and eternal. It is from the ancient mountains to the eternal hills. This indicates space and time. The blessing that Christ has brought in fills every part of the universe. When the new heaven and the new earth come, there will be nothing but blessing in the whole universe. There will be blessing upon blessing. This is the life of Joseph, the life that issues in blessing.

The record concerning Benjamin in Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33 is very short. But this short record gives us a clear picture of Benjamin's life. His life issues in the dwelling of God. Eventually, this dwelling becomes God's eternal dwelling. In the record of Joseph and Benjamin we find a strong indication of what the desire of God's heart is. In his word concerning Joseph, Moses spoke about "the good will of him that dwelt in the bush" (Deut. 33:16). When God called Moses, Moses saw a burning bush. Out of that burning bush God spoke to him. Moses later came to realize that the God who dwelt in the bush desired to have a dwelling place on earth. This was the reason He called the children of Israel out of Egypt, led them into the wilderness, and charged them to build Him a tabernacle. When God called Moses, He spoke to him out of the bush. But after the tabernacle was built, God spoke out of the tabernacle (Lev. 1:1). This reveals that God's intention was to have a dwelling place with man on earth.

Deuteronomy 33:12 says, "And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders." This verse says that God will dwell between Benjamin's shoulders and that Benjamin will dwell in safety by the Lord. In other words, Benjamin will be the next-door neighbor of the Lord. Many think that Jerusalem was in Judah, but it was actually in Benjamin. Although the king came from Judah, the capital was in Benjamin. Jerusalem, the capital, was the dwelling place of God. Geographically speaking, it was located between Benjamin's shoulders. Because the Lord made His home there and Benjamin lived in the Lord's neighborhood, Benjamin dwelt in safety.

The concept of blessing and dwelling is very strong in Jacob's prophetic blessing of his twelve sons. These two matters issue in the universal blessing and the eternal dwelling. As we have pointed out, the ultimate consummation of the Bible is precisely these two things. In Genesis chapter three, man became a sinner. Out from among all the sinners, a good number have been saved. Many of the saved ones have been transformed into priests and kings. The kingly salvation has been preached as the gospel of the kingdom, and the saved ones have come to rest in this gospel. After the apostasy and the restoration, we have the issue of the riches in resurrection life. Therefore, all that is covered in the Bible is represented by Jacob's prophetic blessing.

Both in the Bible and in history there have been many Reubens, Simeons, Levis, and Judahs. Moreover, many saved ones have been transformed into priests and kings. Out of the kingship has come a salvation preached as a kingly salvation. The saved ones, as symbolized by Issachar, rest in this salvation. But Dan, the fall into apostasy, has come in. Following the apostasy, there is the recovery, the restoration, with Gad, which issues in the riches of Asher and in the resurrection of Naphtali. Eventually, Joseph and Benjamin appear, both of whom typify Christ. This is a general sketch of the Bible. This sketch, however, is rather doctrinal; hence we need to come now to the matter of experience.

We were Reubens and Simeons who have been saved and transformed into Levis and Judahs. In the church life today we are priests and kings. However, Dan, the apostate church, has come in. But following Dan came Gad signifying the recovery, which issues in the sufficiency of Asher. Asher is in Naphtali, in resurrection. All this results in Joseph and Benjamin. Therefore, today we are not Reubens and Simeons, but Levis, Judahs, Josephs, and Benjamins. From my conscience, I can testify that I used to be a Reuben and a Simeon full of lust and anger. But through the years I have been transformed into a Levi, a priest, and into a Judah, a king. Furthermore, I have been transformed into a Joseph, one full of blessing, and into a Benjamin, one who has become God's dwelling place. How about you? Are you a Joseph and a Benjamin?

Let us now consider the universal blessing and the eternal dwelling in more detail.