Bible Study Seattle

The story of Joseph takes up a full 14 chapters of Genesis.  Joseph typifies Jesus (and the church) and shows us what will happen all the way from the first coming to the second.  When he was 17, his brothers were jealous of him because he was his Father’s favorite (as is Jesus).  He had an elaborate robe made by his father Jacob (Israel) typifying the garments of the high priest.  His brothers tried to kill him by lowering him into a well, typifying the crucifixion and Jesus’ descent into the pit of death (Hades or Sheol).  They then decided against killing him so they could sell him as a slave (typifying Jesus going to heaven as God’s slave).  Unbeknownst to his brothers, he is exalted to Pharoah’s right hand.  “…and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.”  Hebrews 12:2  “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.”  Phillipians 2:9  God made Joseph second to Pharaoh for the purpose of saving lives.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16  “And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.”  Genesis 45:5

God shows Joseph by dream that there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of want.  This fourteen year period is also described in the 370 days of Noah’s flood.  The 370 days represent 370 years, and are divided into 185 years of plenty followed by 185 years of want.  (This is the author’s contention – time will tell).  The first 185 years are plentiful as God is finishing the selection of Jesus’ bride (the church).  After the church is gone, the world loses the blessing and descends into spiritual famine.  It is during this famine that Israel draws near to Joseph (Jesus) without realising who he is.  Partway (2/7ths) through the famine, after Benjamin (the Bride’s companions) is brought back, he reveals himself to them.  This is when, “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn.”  Zechariah 12:10

This revealing happens only to his brothers.  This typifies that Jesus will first only reveal himself to the Jews.  His full revealing to all waits to the Day of Atonement when all have been brought back to life.  The Jews that have been resurrected during this time of trouble will survive the battle of Armegeddon and live on into the rest of the Millennium.  This is shown by the miraculous multiplying of the Hebrews for 215 years leading up to the Exodus (typifying the little season of Satan being loosed for the last test prior to the Promised Land, or eternal life in the Eighth Day.)