SYNOPSIS
Did you know that the story of Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, is like a gospel tract hidden in Genesis? It is a miniature portrait of the Savior, Israel, and even the church. This book shows that Joseph’s story is a key to unlock end-times prophecies, and a means to dispel confusion on important issues, especially regarding God’s plan for Israel and the church.
Joseph, Jesus, and the Jewish People analyzes the story of Joseph as if it were a two-act play with a two-decade intermission of family separation. These two acts correspond to the two times Messiah Jesus comes to Earth that so far have been divided by nearly two millennia of separation between Israel and her Messiah. No other study examines Joseph’s life in this manner. The number of parallels between the stories that have already taken place during Jesus’ first coming is astounding. But, based on many biblical prophecies, we identify many more scenes in Joseph’s life that will find their parallels fulfilled in the end times and even the millennium.
All parallels and other claims in this book are thoroughly documented by quoting or referencing over one thousand verses or passages from Scripture. One goal is to help the church experience more unity in regard to eschatology, the study of the end times, since Joseph’s story sketches an end-times scenario, especially regarding Israel. The other goal is to help Jewish people to identify Jesus as their Messiah through the parallels found in Joseph and supported by their Scriptures (the Old Testament).
Turning now to the first act of the “play,” Joseph’s brothers did not love or appreciate Joseph, but rather envied him for his dreams of glory and because their father Jacob favored the boy, evidenced by the “coat of many colors” gift. After they sold Joseph to the merchants that passed by, they remained separated from their younger brother for two decades, and so did the rest of the family. A lie to cover up their crime kept Father Jacob from knowing the truth that his son was alive and had been favored by God as his dreams predicted. Little did Jacob know that Joseph would someday be his savior from starvation.
Likewise, Jesus was not welcomed even by His own half-brothers; and the scribes and Pharisees envied Him because they could tell He was favored by God, as evidenced by the miracles He performed. After the rulers of Israel succeeded in getting Pilot to crucify Him, many of His Jewish brothers have remained separated from Jesus during the last two millennia, even though He rose from the dead three days later. A lie to cover up His resurrection (which was proof that they had an innocent man killed) has kept Israel from knowing the truth that the Son of Man lives and is now in heaven. Little does Israel know that He is their long-awaited Messiah—their Savior from sin and damnation.
Joseph and Jesus were exalted during their time of separation from their family. Joseph went from the prison to the palace and even ascended to the throne of Egypt, to be second only to Pharaoh and carry his ring of authority. Jesus rose from the grave and even ascended to God’s throne in heaven, to be second only to the Father, who gave His Son all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Both were also given wives at their exaltations: Joseph was given Asenath, who bore him two sons; and, likewise, Jesus was given the church as His spiritual Bride, both Jews and Gentiles united by their faith and love of Yeshua. The Age of Grace had begun.
Now, before we move into the second act of each of the stories, let us see how Joseph ended up at the palace. God had granted him not only prophetic dreams concerning his own future, but he had also gifted him with the ability to interpret other people’s dreams. When Pharaoh’s butler and his baker had been in prison with Joseph, they asked Joseph to interpret their dreams, and his interpretations came true. Therefore, when Pharaoh needed someone to interpret two dreams that greatly disturbed him, the butler, now restored to his job at the palace, remembered Joseph. From prison to palace Joseph went, and soon the thirty-year-old was standing before Pharaoh interpreting the ruler’s two dreams. Joseph said that both dreams conveyed the same message: there would be seven years of prosperity in Egypt followed by seven years of famine. And who did Pharaoh choose to administer the surplus of grain during the years of prosperity to prepare for the famine? Why, Joseph, of course; the hand of God was clearly upon him.
It is at this point that Joseph, Jesus, and the Jewish People is shown to be truly unique in that this book brings out the parallels between the story of Joseph and prophecies of the end-times and beyond. The first such prophecy is that of the seven years of tribulation on the earth, announcing the imminent return of Jesus to Jerusalem to save Israel, the nation that birthed Him. Its parallel in Joseph’s story is, obviously, the seven years of famine in Pharaoh’s dreams, which is likewise associated with Joseph reuniting with and protecting his birth family—Jacob’s entire household, who constituted the embryonic nation of Israel at that time. But that is not all:
The first two sections contain the material that we have summarized above. It focuses on the story details and eschatological comparisons. These constitute a little over half of the book, not counting appendices, which further clarify eschatological issues. The last two sections deal with important concepts involved in these parallels. Here are the chapter titles and subtitles from these last two sections:
14.—The Election of Jacob: The Nature of the Brothers
15.—God’s Sovereign Plan: Villains and Victims Notwithstanding
16.—The Great Testimony for the Millennium: Israel Rescued, Forgiven, and Favored
17.—The New Testament Church: Jacob’s Adoption of Joseph’s Sons
18.—The Nature of the Promises: Conditional or Unconditional
19.—The Universal Condition of All Promises: Ensured by God
20.—Israel and Individual Believers: Canaan and the Abundant Life
21.—Israel and the Church: Setting the Record Straight
Two new and very significant appendices have been added for this revised edition. They were inspired by the missing parallel for the seven years of prosperity of Joseph’s story, and readers will not want to miss the analysis they contain. Since the tribulation is a famine of righteousness, what should precede it, and what should all God’s people be praying for?
Did you know that the story of Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, is like a gospel tract hidden in Genesis? It is a miniature portrait of the Savior, Israel, and even the church. This book shows that Joseph’s story is a key to unlock end-times prophecies, and a means to dispel confusion on important issues, especially regarding God’s plan for Israel and the church.
Joseph, Jesus, and the Jewish People analyzes the story of Joseph as if it were a two-act play with a two-decade intermission of family separation. These two acts correspond to the two times Messiah Jesus comes to Earth that so far have been divided by nearly two millennia of separation between Israel and her Messiah. No other study examines Joseph’s life in this manner. The number of parallels between the stories that have already taken place during Jesus’ first coming is astounding. But, based on many biblical prophecies, we identify many more scenes in Joseph’s life that will find their parallels fulfilled in the end times and even the millennium.
All parallels and other claims in this book are thoroughly documented by quoting or referencing over one thousand verses or passages from Scripture. One goal is to help the church experience more unity in regard to eschatology, the study of the end times, since Joseph’s story sketches an end-times scenario, especially regarding Israel. The other goal is to help Jewish people to identify Jesus as their Messiah through the parallels found in Joseph and supported by their Scriptures (the Old Testament).
Turning now to the first act of the “play,” Joseph’s brothers did not love or appreciate Joseph, but rather envied him for his dreams of glory and because their father Jacob favored the boy, evidenced by the “coat of many colors” gift. After they sold Joseph to the merchants that passed by, they remained separated from their younger brother for two decades, and so did the rest of the family. A lie to cover up their crime kept Father Jacob from knowing the truth that his son was alive and had been favored by God as his dreams predicted. Little did Jacob know that Joseph would someday be his savior from starvation.
Likewise, Jesus was not welcomed even by His own half-brothers; and the scribes and Pharisees envied Him because they could tell He was favored by God, as evidenced by the miracles He performed. After the rulers of Israel succeeded in getting Pilot to crucify Him, many of His Jewish brothers have remained separated from Jesus during the last two millennia, even though He rose from the dead three days later. A lie to cover up His resurrection (which was proof that they had an innocent man killed) has kept Israel from knowing the truth that the Son of Man lives and is now in heaven. Little does Israel know that He is their long-awaited Messiah—their Savior from sin and damnation.
Joseph and Jesus were exalted during their time of separation from their family. Joseph went from the prison to the palace and even ascended to the throne of Egypt, to be second only to Pharaoh and carry his ring of authority. Jesus rose from the grave and even ascended to God’s throne in heaven, to be second only to the Father, who gave His Son all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Both were also given wives at their exaltations: Joseph was given Asenath, who bore him two sons; and, likewise, Jesus was given the church as His spiritual Bride, both Jews and Gentiles united by their faith and love of Yeshua. The Age of Grace had begun.
Now, before we move into the second act of each of the stories, let us see how Joseph ended up at the palace. God had granted him not only prophetic dreams concerning his own future, but he had also gifted him with the ability to interpret other people’s dreams. When Pharaoh’s butler and his baker had been in prison with Joseph, they asked Joseph to interpret their dreams, and his interpretations came true. Therefore, when Pharaoh needed someone to interpret two dreams that greatly disturbed him, the butler, now restored to his job at the palace, remembered Joseph. From prison to palace Joseph went, and soon the thirty-year-old was standing before Pharaoh interpreting the ruler’s two dreams. Joseph said that both dreams conveyed the same message: there would be seven years of prosperity in Egypt followed by seven years of famine. And who did Pharaoh choose to administer the surplus of grain during the years of prosperity to prepare for the famine? Why, Joseph, of course; the hand of God was clearly upon him.
It is at this point that Joseph, Jesus, and the Jewish People is shown to be truly unique in that this book brings out the parallels between the story of Joseph and prophecies of the end-times and beyond. The first such prophecy is that of the seven years of tribulation on the earth, announcing the imminent return of Jesus to Jerusalem to save Israel, the nation that birthed Him. Its parallel in Joseph’s story is, obviously, the seven years of famine in Pharaoh’s dreams, which is likewise associated with Joseph reuniting with and protecting his birth family—Jacob’s entire household, who constituted the embryonic nation of Israel at that time. But that is not all:
- The reunion of the families involves exemplary forgiveness in both cases: Joseph forgives his brothers, who initially wanted to kill him but ended up selling him into slavery, and Jesus will forgive the nation that has rejected Him for millennia and whose ancestors had Him killed.
- It is at Joseph’s reunion with his brothers that we discover another parallel. Through Joseph and the New Testament writers, the Bible declares that God took responsibility for the suffering inflicted upon both heroes, in that He sent them and allowed them to suffer in order to bring about a great salvation for many: Joseph saved his world from the temporal absence of food, and Jesus saved the world from the eternal absence of God, which is hell.
- The famine was in all the known lands of that day, and the tribulation is also expected to be worldwide.
- Near the middle of the famine, Jacob’s family left their home in Canaan to find rescue in Egypt. Similarly, in the middle of the tribulation, Israel will leave their home in Jerusalem to find rescue in the wilderness.
- After their reunion with Joseph, Jacob’s family was given Goshen, the best land of Egypt; and so will Israel be given her Promised Land after Jesus returns, enlarged and renovated to resemble the Garden of Eden.
- The patriarch Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel by God, marveled as he met his grandsons. He then chose to adopt the two boys, and only these two, for they were born to Joseph during their family separation. Likewise, Isaiah prophesied that the nation of Israel will marvel as she meets and embraces her “children” whom others have raised for her, indicating that through faith in Messiah Jesus, the Jewish people of that millennial day will no longer distinguish between Jews and Gentiles but will identify as part of the family of Israel all those who put their faith in Jesus, including those who trusted in Him when most Jews were separated from Him.
- Jacob adopting Joseph’s two sons gave Joseph a double portion of the inheritance, effectively giving him the birthright, which belongs to the firstborn. Joseph was Rachel’s firstborn and became as the firstborn among Jacob’s twelve sons. Again, Joseph parallels Jesus, who is God’s only-begotten Son. Jesus is Mary ’s firstborn and is the firstborn over all creation because of His Incarnation. (In other words, as the Son of God, Jesus is God; but by also becoming human, “the Son of Man“ is preeminent among humans.)
- Joseph reigned over Egypt and his family for many generations, with his wife and children by his side and his birth family in nearby Goshen. Ultimately, King Jesus will reign over the world and Israel for a thousand years, from Jerusalem, with his resurrected saints by His side and his Jewish brothers, still mortal, in close proximity to His throne and His heart.
- The Stories of Joseph and Jesus (7 chapters)
- The Temporal Details of the End Times (6 chapters)
- The Spiritually Significant Concepts (3 chapters)
- The Confusion Over Israel (5 chapters)
The first two sections contain the material that we have summarized above. It focuses on the story details and eschatological comparisons. These constitute a little over half of the book, not counting appendices, which further clarify eschatological issues. The last two sections deal with important concepts involved in these parallels. Here are the chapter titles and subtitles from these last two sections:
14.—The Election of Jacob: The Nature of the Brothers
15.—God’s Sovereign Plan: Villains and Victims Notwithstanding
16.—The Great Testimony for the Millennium: Israel Rescued, Forgiven, and Favored
17.—The New Testament Church: Jacob’s Adoption of Joseph’s Sons
18.—The Nature of the Promises: Conditional or Unconditional
19.—The Universal Condition of All Promises: Ensured by God
20.—Israel and Individual Believers: Canaan and the Abundant Life
21.—Israel and the Church: Setting the Record Straight
Two new and very significant appendices have been added for this revised edition. They were inspired by the missing parallel for the seven years of prosperity of Joseph’s story, and readers will not want to miss the analysis they contain. Since the tribulation is a famine of righteousness, what should precede it, and what should all God’s people be praying for?