Issachar's birthright/blessing by Jacob, from Genesis 49:14,15. "ISSACHAR IS A STRONG ASS COUCHING DOWN BETWEEN 2 BURDENS". Verse 15:- "AND HE SAW THAT HIS REST WAS GOOD, AND THE LAND THAT IT WAS PLEASANT; AND BOWED HIS SHOULDER TO BEAR, AND BECAME A SERVANT UNTO TRIBUTE". When Issachar's blessing says, "he is a strong ass" this describes this man's nature who inherited the crown of York. In other words, "he" was a healthy, virile, sure person, who can work and play hard, and has no sickly traits at all.

Edward IV had a typical nature of an "ass", he was a man of action, being a worthy soldier, brave under fire. During long hard marches he never seemed to tire, becoming weary nor be discouraged in hazardous battles, facing the situation with patience. The worse his problems got the more sure-footed he became. He also had the other side of an ass's nature, because once Edward stopped fighting, he gave himself over to enjoy life and indulged himself in peaceful vices, according to his own needs.

Edward was only 22 years old, and the reins of authority didn't seem able to pull him towards the responsibilities of his high office.

Edward IV was the first prince of the "House of York" to inherit the English throne for "Issachar", and the "House of Israel".

Edward IV was Richard II's true heir, though two generations had passed and a vastly different England when under Richard.

The unfolding of the years had seen great crisis in European and English history.

England had cut herself adrift from France and its continental empire of the Henry's of Lancaster. Now England was turning her back on Europe and looking inwards to England itself and its restless energies, which now had to seek new outlets and new lands.

Edward IV was the son of Richard Duke of York, his mother was Anne Mortimer, heiress of Edward III. Edward IV was born at Rouen France in 1442, 7 years after the fall of English rule in Paris (Zebulun's territory). Though England then still held Normandy.

Edward was called personally beautiful, being 6 foot tall and all accomplishments were his. He had polished manners, military skill, he excelled in dancing and outdoor sports, and was, first to cultivate his own handwriting. So, this is what this "strong ass" achieved in his youth.

Genesis 49:14 continues with prophecy saying, - This "ASS, COUCHING DOWN BETWEEN TWO BURDENS".

When one "couches down" as these words explain, it is the act of lowering oneself in reverence, or to hide oneself by bending the body to the ground, or as an "ass", under great weight.

When Genesis 49 gives 2 Burdens, it is saying that the 2 Burdens of Issachar/Edward IV were. The first half of his reign on the throne was fighting England's wars and the second half of his reign was strengthening England's land in peace.

Edward bent his body down and came into the "first burden" of the English throne in 1461 to 1470, The "second burden" came in 1471-83 AD.

The young victorious monarch of England Edward IV and of York, took the throne with high hopes for himself and his people. He seemed likely to give them a period of peace and prosperity. After the continual fighting that went on with the Lancastrians of Zebulun and the War of the Roses.
Edward being young and vigorous, had, had many glories of military conquests. The psychological effect of the civil war upon England was great, with the disputed rights to the throne etc. which made the people, and the nobility want to accept for the first time, an autocratic rule from its sovereign. Therefore, the reign of Edward IV had to provide it.

In 1464 he married the Commoner Elizabeth Woodville in secret, which secret was kept for 4 months. When the marriage was finally known it was not received well by the proud nobles around Edward. Especially by the Earl of Warwick; known as the Kingmaker who had fought to put Edward on the throne.

During Edward's days of enjoying himself, Warwick had virtually ruled England, and had other marriage plans for Edward.

When Genesis 49:15 says of Edward IV, that "he saw that his rest was good, and the land it was pleasant". It is giving us a picture of how Edward felt and acted. He had been a great warrior proving himself in many battles during the War of the Roses, now he wanted to turn his back on war and its miseries.

The "rest" within his "pleasant" land that Edward now employed himself in, were many and varied. His "pleasant" leisure time was put to much use through his many amorous traits, his court being notorious for its luxury.

England's "pleasant" land yielded her treasures to him, which again he put to good use. He took enormous tasks upon himself to right the wrongs in England's "pleasant" land. He worked hard as an opportunist for England. He was a cultured patron of learning and of new discoveries. Strengthened by wealth obtained by confiscations or through concubines, and other avenues. He industriously filled coffers of England with riches, and laws, which should have confirmed Edward/Issachar's lineage for a longer period.

So, Edward gave his kingdom a short period of a stable government, which it had not experienced for decades.

Edward's analogy to an, "ass who bent his back to work", had freed the crown from debt, which was an extraordinary task. Because in the Middle Ages there was no distinction between public and private revenues of the King. Edward's financial acumen and hard work reaped him a golden harvest, freeing himself from dependence on Parliament.

We must now understand "why" Edward IV's reign was called 2 burdens in Genesis 49/14.

The first part of Edward's reign we have seen was during 1461 to 1470 A.D. And the reason it was divided is this:- It was Edward's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville which was the instrument to divide his reign.

Edward's efforts to create a new nobility around himself, with many new nobles coming from his wife's family. This angered the other nobles, which also included the Earl of Warwick, who was to make an alliance with the Lancastrians (Zebulun) instead of York, who then drove Edward from his throne in 1470 AD. This was the end of the "first burden" upon the throne of England, for Edward when he went into exile in Holland.

Around these times, Issachar/Edward's and Zebulun/Henry VI's affairs intertwined, because of interference of others in these affairs. Especially the Earl of Warwick who saw himself as the power behind the throne.

During 1461, Parliament had declared Henry VI (Zebulun) a "usurper" and traitor to England's throne, who had made Edward of York King. Lancastrian resistance was crushed, and Henry VI taken prisoner.

In 1470 AD it was Edward IV's turn to be turned from the throne, and Henry VI of the Lancastrians re-established. Poor Henry whose sanity was weakened, becoming a puppet in the hands of others was on the throne once more. Again, mostly through the efforts of the Earl of Warwick. -Who at one time had 2 King's as his prisoners.

In 1471 AD Edward's "second burden" was to begin, because he raised an army through funds he received from his brother-in-law Duke Charles of Burgundy. Thereby winning decisive battles over his enemies. Once more Edward was made King of England, and Henry VI (Zebulun) imprisoned
who died in mysterious circumstances.

Edward IV had once more shown what a capable warrior he was, and sometimes ruthless. Edward, -like the analogy of the ass- the problems was arousing him into action. He never liked war having seen too much of it. So was quite prepared to turn his hand to other things during the rest of this reign. Edward indeed "bowed his shoulders to bear", to the problems of his "second burden" of ruling.

Edward became a drudge to the household of England's crown, attending to the offices of his subjects, to make their lives peaceful and strengthened through wealth. When one is a "servant unto tribute" as Genesis 49/15, or a servant for someone else, it is also, something pertaining to money. Sometimes a contribution paid by others of princes or nations. Indeed, this was so with Edward's rule. Many of Edward's contemporaries wanted a war with France, however he eventually resolved this situation by an arrangement with the French King Louis XI, who agreed to pay money to Edward.

The War of the Roses in England between Lancaster and York, from 1400-1485 had seen 4 kings dead, 12 princes of the blood royal, and 12 near relatives in battles of murder or sudden death.

Edward preoccupied his "burden" of rule with restoring justice to England. He revived the ancient custom of sitting in person on the bench. Thereby departing from rank and file holding office. He engaged in the wool trade on his own account on a large scale. Edward encouraged printing by Caxton and established the postal system by horsemen. So Issachar/Edward, "a strong ass" -saw rest from war "as good", the "land pleasant", and bowed his shoulder to bear, "his 2 burdens". As his blessing in Genesis states!

Edward IV died at the age of 41 years in 1483 AD. If one questions the throne of England being a "burden" to Edward IV, many a monarch of England throughout history has summed up that position in the same manner. A paragraph from Richard II's last Will and Testament should explain. "WHEREFORE WE RICHARD, WHO BY THE GRACE OF GOD, HAVE ALREADY FOR SOME TIME SINCE OUR TENDER AGE, SUBMITTED OUR NECK BY THE MERCY FOR THE SUPREME KING, TO THE BURDEN OF GOVERNMENT OF THE ENGLISH".

Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville had 2 sons. The eldest son was Edward V born at Westminster, who became King upon the death of his father, aged 12 years, though never crowned.

Immediately after Edward V's accession to the throne his paternal uncle and guardian Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and maternal uncle Earl Rivers, began a power struggle around the throne. Young Edward V was imprisoned in the Tower of London, by Richard of Gloucester, on the pretext of his safety awaiting his coronation.

Richard also imprisoned in the tower, Edward's little brother Richard, and neither of these 2 little princes were ever seen alive again. Bones were found in a wooden chest in 1674, which were presumed to be those of these little boys.

Richard III became King and reigned on the throne of England for 2 years, as a "usurper". There were so many murders of royal blood that it seemed only Richard III was left to claim the throne. There were also so many illegitimate children around the throne of England during the "House of York's" reign, that even Edward V's claim was very doubtful!

To give one an idea how some of these illegitimate children fared, one of Richard III's sons hid himself amongst the people, as a bricklayer's apprentice. After his flight from the battle at Bosworth, and at his death was buried as Richard Plantagenet

Richard's legitimate son died before his father in 1484.

The illegitimate lines go through the Duke of Suffolk, another through the Duke of Beaufort. There are several volumes of names through females claiming descent, which are innumerable. This continual mess of deaths and illegitimacy is another reason, "why" the lineage of Issachar/York "became a servant unto tribute" to others, as Genesis 49/15 states, ending this saga.

Richard III's, brother of Edward IV was born in 1452, and was the eleventh child of his parents, he was to die on the Bosworth Field fighting Henry Tudor. History tells us that Richard III continued his brother Edward's policies and showed great ability in putting the affairs and management of the crown in order. He was noted for the "laws" to be written entirely in English. He also patronised some of the arts. A truce with Scotland was also concluded with Richard's rule.

Richard III the said "usurper", was to pay a price for his conniving way confronted as he was on the field at Bosworth by Henry Tudor. He was caught and slain so suddenly that it took everyone by surprise. So died Richard of York/Issachar, 2 years on the throne of England in 1485 AD.

So also, was fulfilled biblical prophecy when Issachar's crown became a "servant unto tribute", to a rank outsider of another tribe of the "House of Israel" that of Dan, whose people mingled with the ancient Celts.

It was only Edward IV who fulfilled Issachar's birthright/blessing to the full, as written in Genesis 49/14-15. His brother Richard III did not fulfil the first part of prophecy but only to pass the crown over to "tribute to another" lineage, which fulfilled the last line of Genesis.

Those words, a "servant unto tribute", means, Richard III gave his Yorkist crown in "submission", as a "servant to someone else". Thereby, also ending the Plantagenet bloodline that had been left empty after so many generations of murder and mayhem.

There was so much propaganda put out by the Tudor dynasty regarding Richard III, it is difficult to separate truth from fiction. For instance, William Shakespeare says Richard was a hunchback; yet many references point to him as being tall, strong, and good looking, similar to his brother Edward IV.
However, there were so very many dark secrets surrounding Richard and his times, which only deepen with the Tudor era.

Richard was 10 years younger than Edward. It was said, Richard was great of courage and loyal to Edward IV when he was King yet lost no time in killing Edward's little boys after his death.

The prince of "Dan" who received Edward/Richard's crown, and Yorkist submission had Lancaster/Zebulun blood also, and he was Henry VII, who was to put an end to the "Wars of the Red and White" Roses. This he achieved in his claim to the throne.

Through Margaret Beaufort, of the uncertain blood of the "House of Lancaster". Then choosing for wife Elizabeth of York, thus merging the Roses. Bible prophecy cross checks the close ties between Lancaster and York, in Deuteronomy 33:18-19.

"AND OF ZEBULUN HE SAID, REJOICE, ZEBULUN IN THY GOING OUT; (ships) AND ISSACHAR, IN THY TENTS". (The "burden" for governing this house).
Verse 19:- "THEY SHALL CALL THE PEOPLE UNTO THE MOUNTAIN; ("They" -plural- will gather them into the Isles for safety) THERE THEY SHALL OFFER SACRIFICES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; (In their own way their lineage from the Plantagenets were pious kings, who offered their blood and necks, for Jerusalem, God the Higher King), FOR THEY SHALL SUCK OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SEAS. (Around the Isles) AND THE TREASURES, HID IN THE SAND". (Zebulun and Issachar ruled the seas around Britain, even unto France and Spain, and Edward's land was pleasant, which was at their command).

When Deuteronomy 33:18-19 sets Zebulun and Issachar as close knit brothers together, in one blessing, it is because their lives in secular history merged. Their lives sprang out of the branches of the Plantagenet family, hence the white and red roses.