Thanks Marques,
what does Jacob/Irael mean in
Gen 48:19 which states towards the end of the verse:
but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.Are the Gentiles these nations? Ray expounds in the parable the "rich man and Lazarus that Elieser the servant of Abraham represents the Gentiles.
I am a bit confused, please help me understand!
And I can't explain it all, in great detail, here on the forum. Genesis Chapter 48 was a beginning point, not the end. You have to keep reading the scriptures and follow the scriptures concerning Ephraim to understand. Isaiah 7 is a good help.
Also: Why did God call Ephraim His firstborn son?
In John 1:4 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God - This is the Spiritual Firstborn of God the Father Almighty
1 Cor. 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. He became the first friuts of those who are asleep
I would appreciate some insight into these verses as I don't get it (as usual).
Thanks
Because it is symbolic, not literal. Who Ephraim represents is 'begotten anew'. Again, you have to follow the scriptures, mostly in the OT, to understand what Ephraim symbolizes. I'll always tell anyone: if you understand what God is doing with humanity, you know what all the signs/symbolism in the scriptures mean. You may not know 'how' they represent what they do, but you know the final outcome. Rest in that hope.
Hope that helps,
Marques
P.S. If the moderators & elder forum members, including myself, want to cut down on the teaching of doctrine outside of Ray's writings, we have to start with ourselves. This is my attempt at starting that, so please don't think I am avoiding your comments for any personal reasons against you. Keep reading and seeking.