Category: prophecy

Joseph and Jesus #6

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” (Genesis 37:2 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Joseph is a type of the antitype Jesus….

Joseph was arrested, shackled and imprisoned (Genesis 39:20). Nearly 17 centuries later, the Lord Jesus was also detained and chained as a convict (Matthew 27:2; Mark 15:1; John 18:12).

Ponder Genesis 40:1-4: “And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward [jail] in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.” While incarcerated, Joseph met two criminals. Likewise, the Bible says of Jesus: “Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left” (Matthew 27:38; cf. Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32,33; John 19:18).

Once the chief butler and the chief baker have their respective dreams, the LORD God enables Joseph to interpret them (see Genesis 40:5-23). The butler is redeemed, restored to fellowship with Pharaoh (verses 9-15,20,21)—but the baker is condemned and hanged (verses 16-19,22)!

Likewise, one thief crucified with Jesus was saved, and the other was lost: “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:39-43).

The resemblances continue still….

Joseph and Jesus #5

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” (Genesis 37:2 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Joseph is a type of the antitype Jesus….

Read Genesis chapter 39. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, purchased Joseph as a slave; Joseph began serving and prospering in Potiphar’s house down in Egypt. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. When Joseph refused her sexual advances, she falsely accused him of rape, so Potiphar had Joseph imprisoned! Suffice it to say, Joseph was tempted (tried, tested) and was proven faithful to his master (Potiphar) and his God (the LORD).

Observe Matthew 4:1 now: “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” Also, Luke 4:1,2: “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil….” In Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13, we learn how Satan himself tempted (tested, tried) Jesus using the lust of the flesh (satisfying physical hunger with bread), the lust of the eye (gaining power over the earthly kingdoms), and the pride of life (angelic deliverance causing a spectacle) (see 1 John 2:15-17). The Devil was unsuccessful in distracting the Lord Jesus from His Heavenly Father’s plan for Him! As Joseph was dedicated to his master’s work, so Jesus was wholly devoted to Father God’s will.

Nevertheless, honorable Joseph was wrongly accused of misconduct (noted earlier). Likewise, false witnesses charged sinless Jesus with evil: “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days” (Matthew 26:59-61). Christ was also labeled a “blasphemer,” another baseless allegation (verses 63-65).

In their immense pain, Joseph and Jesus are even further united….

Joseph and Jesus #4

Monday, January 23, 2023

“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” (Genesis 37:2 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Joseph is a type of the antitype Jesus….

After scheming to kill him, Joseph’s brethren change their minds. They realize they can make a profit by selling him alive as a slave to the Gentiles! “Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt” (verses 27,28, that which follows today’s Scripture).

In striking similarities, the nation Israel betrayed Jesus, turning Him over to the Gentiles after His “friend” Judas Iscariot “sold” Him for pieces of silver (the value of a slave)! “…The Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver [hand over, betray!] him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again” (Matthew 20:18,19). “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him” (Matthew 26:14-16). Check also John 18:28-35.

After Joseph was traded off to the Gentiles, he was removed from the land of Canaan and taken down into Egypt (as noted earlier in this study). In like manner, little boy Jesus had left the land of Israel to inhabit Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15). Both Joseph and Jesus suffered at the hands of sinful, unbelieving men, but Father God was still working mightily in each life….

Joseph and Jesus #3

Sunday, January 22, 2023

“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” (Genesis 37:2 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Joseph is a type of the antitype Jesus….

Jacob sent his son Joseph to check on his (Joseph’s) brothers. Joseph went willingly. “And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem” (verses 13,14, that which follows today’s Scripture). Likewise, when Father God sent Jesus Christ to minister to His (Christ’s) brethren, He conducted His earthly ministry to Israel. “But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son” (Matthew 21:37; cf. Mark 12:6; Luke 20:13). “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38).

Alas, Joseph’s brethren plotted to take his life: “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him” (verses 18-20, that which follows today’s Scripture). Equally, concerning Jesus, several centuries later: “But when the husbandmen [farmers] saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him” (Matthew 21:38,39; cf. Mark 12:7,8; Luke 20:14,15).

Joseph’s “coat of many colours” (Genesis 37:3) was taken from him, and he was thrown into a pit without water, a picture of death (verses 23,24). Likewise, Jesus was stripped of His seamless coat before He was crucified and died on Calvary’s cruel cross (John 19:23,24,30). Yet, the similarities do not stop there….

Joseph and Jesus #2

Saturday, January 21, 2023

“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” (Genesis 37:2 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Joseph is a type of the antitype Jesus….

Joseph owned an exceptional garment: “Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours” (verse 3, that which follows today’s Scripture). Likewise, the Lord Jesus wore a unique, seamless garment: “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout” (John 19:23).

Moreover, the Bible tells us how Joseph’s brothers despised him: “And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably [kindly, gently] unto him” (verse 4, that which follows today’s Scripture). Similarly, Jesus, when He took on human flesh and became biologically united with other Jews, they hated Him just as passionately as Joseph’s brethren loathed him! “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause” (John 15:25).

God gave Joseph a dream, which Joseph relays to his brethren (verses 5-7, that which follows today’s Scripture). Basically, Joseph will be superior to them, and they cannot stand the possibility that they will one day be subservient to him. Outraged, they inquire, “Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?” It is fascinating that, when Jesus came to present Himself as Israel’s ruler, His Jewish brethren refused Him, answering, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15).

“And [Joseph’s] brethren envied him” (verse 11, that which follows today’s Scripture). “For he [Pilate] knew that the chief priests had delivered him [Jesus] for [because of] envy” (Mark 15:10; cf. Matthew 27:18). Joseph and Jesus both had bitter, cruel adversaries (their own family!) who actively sought their destruction….

Joseph and Jesus #1

Friday, January 20, 2023

“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” (Genesis 37:2 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Joseph is a type of the antitype Jesus….

In Bible study, a “type” is someone or something that foreshadows, previews, or indicates someone or something similar that will arise later (the “antitype”). Think of it as a prophecy, God announcing the future in advance. That is to say, the Holy Spirit will present a person or event early in the Bible canon, whose traits a subsequent person or event will share. What was true of the former will, in whole or in part, be descriptive of the latter. Over the course of the next several studies we will use Joseph and Jesus to illustrate this principle.

For example, if we look at today’s Scripture, we observe how Joseph is a son of Jacob. Jacob, remember, is a son of Isaac, and Isaac is a son of Abraham. If we turn to Luke chapter 3, Jesus’ human and biological genealogy through Mary His mother, we see His ancestors are “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (see verses 23,34). Therefore, Joseph and Jesus (assuming human flesh 17 centuries later) are both sons of Jacob.

Being more specific, we will note how Joseph is a shepherd, “feeding the flock with his brethren” (today’s Scripture). Likewise, Jesus, serving Father God and ministering to Israel, is “the good shepherd” (John 10:11,14), asserting, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture [be fed]” (verse 9). Both Joseph and Jesus are shepherds of their fathers’ sheep.

To take it a step further, “Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age” (Genesis 37:3). Father God announced concerning Jesus, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Both Joseph and Jesus are dearly beloved of their fathers.

Here are just a few shared characteristics….

Singleness of Heart

Sunday, January 15, 2023

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,…” (Acts 2:46 KJV).

What is this, “singleness of heart?”

Today’s Scripture portrays the Messianic Church filled with the Holy Spirit, previewing Israel’s kingdom restoration and eternal life when Christ returns. Those saints are united, “with one accord” (see John 17:11,21-23; cf. Psalm 133:1; Ezekiel 37:21-23)—a picture of New Covenant living, Israel being God’s people and His being Israel’s God. “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,….” “Singleness of heart” is found thrice in the Authorized Version; the other two instances are Pauline passages for employees to follow on the job.

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free” (Ephesians 6:5-8).

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Colossians 3:22-25).

Our word “single” comes to us through Middle English, Old French, and Latin—and is related to “simplus,” Latin for “simple.” Think of it as, “What you see is what you get.” It is simple, not complicated! There is no hidden agenda, selfishness, deceit, hypocrisy, or pretense. “Singleness of heart” is a soul filled with sound Bible doctrine. No one is copying or simulating the life of Jesus Christ; it is His (!) very (!) life (!) manifested in and through His people!

Hearing is Not Enough #10

Saturday, January 14, 2023

“And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (Luke 10:39 KJV).

Is hearing the Word of God enough? (NO!)

As numerous people in history heard the Word of God but placed no faith in it, as myriads today hear the Holy Bible yet refuse to trust it, so many souls in the future will hear the Word of God and persist in unbelief.

Hebrews 3:15 speaks of the ages to come: “While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” See Psalm 95:7,8: “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” Psalms recalls Israel’s unbelief during the 40-year wilderness wanderings under Moses. Hebrews looks to the future, when countless Jewish unbelievers support the Antichrist. Having heard substantial information about Jesus being Christ, but not trusting Him as personal Saviour, their callous or unfeeling heart thus inclines toward the Antichrist (thereby leading to their eternal doom)!

As much sound Bible doctrine as we have heard, we should not only have believed it in our head but, more importantly, trusted it in our heart. If we believe in our heart less than what we have learned, the Lord is never (!) to blame for any resultant confusion, heartache, misery, or apostasy.

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe [not simply ‘hear,’ but ‘believe!’]” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47,48).

The Misunderstood Messiah #5

Friday, December 30, 2022

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

Once Christ replied with sound doctrine (verses 42-47), Israel’s religious leaders simply resorted to name-calling again (verse 48): “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” A Samaritan was half-Jew/half-Gentile, and “the Jews [had] no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Notice Jesus was insulted twice more—they called Him a “Samaritan” and “devil possessed.” Throughout the rest of John chapter 8, Israel’s religious leaders continue arguing with Jesus and nearly stone Him to death (verse 59)!

Why did Jesus not simply “zap” these religionists and instantly throw them into hellfire? They belittled and blasphemed Him several times in this one account, and then attempted to murder Him, but rather than Jesus killing them with His spoken word (which would have been justified), He only conversed with them. Why?

Remember, when the Apostles James and John saw how the Samaritans refused to accommodate Jesus, they asked Him if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven and consume those sinners, He replied, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55,56). This First Coming of Christ was His “meek and lowly” coming: He did not come to judge man’s sins, but to die for them!

Even today, God is still not pouring out His wrath on wicked mankind (2 Corinthians 5:19), creatures who still snicker at Jesus Christ, deceive others in His name, persecute His saints, ignore His Word, and “rub His nose” in their sins. Lost mankind is wasting God’s grace and mercy that He is offering so freely. When His grace is finally exhausted, the undiluted wrath that has accumulated will finally be poured out (His Second Coming). May we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour now so we have our sins forgiven now, lest we face that angry, righteous God in judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)!

For more information, you may also see our archived Bible Q&A: “Did God ‘rape’ Mary?”

The Word Was Made Flesh

Sunday, December 25, 2022

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1,14 KJV).

On this Christmas Day, we reflect on the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

The candidate who could solve man’s sin problem had to meet two requirements. He had to be God, and He had to be man—a “God-Man.” It had to be God, because God’s righteousness had to be satisfied, but it also had to be man, for it was man who had sinned. God’s righteousness was offended, since “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But, it was also a man who had sinned, “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Consider Philippians 2:5-8: “Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” In short, heaven’s best—Jesus Christ—came to save earth’s worst—us! In summary, Jesus Christ was born to die for us.

Brethren, the salvation that we enjoy today in Christ could not be possible without the shed blood of Christ on Calvary’s cross, and the shed blood of Christ could not be possible without the incarnation of Christ! God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and in order for Him to shed sinless blood, He had to first have blood. Thus, it behooved Jesus Christ to take upon Himself the form of a man. It was at this time of year that God the Son entered the virgin Mary’s womb, possessing a body that was conceived by the Holy Ghost.

Remember, “The Word was made flesh” (today’s Scripture) so we could have an opportunity to be “made the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Merry Christmas!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study with the same name. It can be read here or watched here.