Pharaoh’s Dream Part 7, 8/8/04

Well we’ve been studying in Genesis and we were in chapter 42 last week and let me just read three verses from Genesis 42 beginning in verse 6 and it says:

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

I’ll stop reading there. Now we had been going through the account of Pharaoh’s dreams and now at this point Joseph is remembering his own dreams the dreams that he had regarding his family we just read about in Genesis 37 the dreams of the sheaves and the dreams of the sun, moon, and stars and in both of those dreams they were representative of his brothers, his father and his mother as they came and bowed down to him. And now historically, historically Joseph is the prime minister of Egypt he’s the ruler in Egypt under Pharaoh and it’s the time of the famine the famine is already gotten under way and Joseph’s brethren hear there’s corn in Egypt and so they come to him and they bow down before him and Joseph remembers the dreams they’re bowing down before him triggers his memory where he remembers the dreams indicating that this has something to do with the fulfillment of his dreams. Now a little further on in Genesis 43:26 it says:

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

They’re bowing down again before him just as go back to Genesis 37 and look at verse 7:

For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

That’s the same word as bow same word as bow down that’s what obeisance means to genuflect to bow the knees. It’s also translated as worship many times in the Old Testament. We can see why people bow the knee to God and it’s a signal that someone is broken before God that God is their Lord and no wonder the brothers were upset that Joseph dreamed the dream in which they would bow down to him he was only their brother he was a mere man like they were why would they bow down to him? And look at verse 9:

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

So there again in that dream there was bowing down to him so naturally as soon as the ten brethren enter into Egypt and they fall down before him Joseph remembers the dreams he remembers the dreams. In other words those dreams that Joseph had are being fulfilled. This was the point of the dreams that he had that God had showed him years before when he was a young man of seventeen they come before him during the time of famine this dearth that we have to keep in mind represents the great tribulation right? That’s what Acts 7:11 tells us that it was a great affliction or great tribulation and during this period of time which is a picture of the great tribulation the brethren of Joseph come before him and bow down and this is fulfilling his dream. So Joseph’s dreams of the sun, moon, and stars and of the sheaves will have their fulfillment spiritually during the great tribulation during the time of the great tribulation that’s what God is teaching us that’s what He is letting us know that these dreams are related to the great tribulation. And before we move on in the account the historical account of Joseph and his brethren in Genesis 42 we need to backup we need to backup and think of these dreams of Joseph back in Genesis 37 and see if we can learn what it might mean that the brothers of Joseph bow down to him. Now the first dream the first dream was regarding sheaves in Genesis 37:7:

For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

The word sheaves is only found one other place this Hebrew word that’s in Genesis 37 it’s only found one other place in the Bible so that makes it real easy for us to see what God is talking about. If you turn to Psalm 126 and the last couple of verses of that Psalm verses 5-6 where it says:

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

And that’s the same word that’s in Genesis 37, the only other place that we will find that word is right here in Psalm 126 as we look at this we see that the context has to do with ministering the Gospel sowing seed we sow in tears we sow in tears as it says in verse 5. Look at Acts 20:31 and keep your hand there in Psalm 126, Acts 20:31 and that reads:

Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

That’s the Apostle Paul who’s speaking. He’s bringing the whole counsel of God it’s in that context and he ceases not to warn everyone to warn them of the coming judgment of God the fact that we’re sinners and under the wrath of God we’re on our way to hell. He ceased not to warn them night and day that’s just language indicating that this was his continual objective to bring the Gospel that would warn people that there’s great danger unless they find a Saviour there’s tremendous danger in being a sinner with an angry God against you and so he warns everyone night and day. He was sowing in tears he was sowing the Gospel in tears and God sets up a principal. We sow in tears but we reap in joy. We go forth and it’s sad it’s mournful to bring a Gospel that tells people that you’re on your way to hell that’s not pleasant it’s not really good news that part of it and we know many people who are in our own family’s are on their way to hell and when it’s your mother and when it’s your father and when it’s your brother or your sister or your son or your daughter that’s on their way to hell and you understand that you really have eyes to see that because God has given you spiritual eyesight and you’re not happy you’re not pleased that this is their condition that they’re on the road to hell and they seem to have no interest in the Gospel at all which would certainly seal their fate if they continued to disregard the warnings of God and His Word. And so we sow in tears we sow in tears we share the Gospel and yet we’re praying and I’m sure there have been many mothers that have prayed for their children with tears with tears as they have seen the way that their children are headed they can tell as the child has no interest just no interest in the things of God and yet the mother knows that that goes on if they don’t turn if God doesn’t have mercy on them they’re going to end up in hell and so the mother will pray and you know this is done in the closet this is done in private alone with God and there are tears they’re sowing the Gospel with tears but there’s reaping in joy, there’s reaping in joy and God establishes that principal. Now look at verse 6 because what was said in verse 5 is restated in verse 6 of Psalm 126:

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, …

That’s sowing in tears it’s just restating the exact same thing that was said in verse 5.

… shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, …

That’s reaping in joy.

… bringing his sheaves with him.

So bringing the sheaves has to do with reaping in joy. You see God is saying that when the sheaves are brought in that’s the time of reaping that’s the time of rejoicing and that’s very interesting because Joseph had a dream he had a dream about his eleven brothers and about his father Jacob and his mother. Or actually let’s see if that first dream did have the whole family in it, it might have been just the brethren. In Genesis 37:7:

For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves …

He doesn’t get specific there it’s not specifically stated as it is in the dream of the sun, moon, and stars just your sheaves and he’s referring to his family made obeisance to my sheaf. And now Joseph is ruling in Egypt and here come his ten brothers and they bow down before him the sheaves the sheaves come to Joseph who’s a picture of Christ the sheaves that he dreamed about and they would bow down before him and his sheaf arose and they were all in subjection to him. Now this is interesting because God speaks of the time of the separation of the wheat and the tares. Remember He talks about the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13 and we’re not going to read the whole parable I know that many of you are familiar with it but just look at verse 30 of Matthew 13:

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, …

Now remember Psalm 126 in relationship to the sheaves and let me keep that in front of all our minds. It said:

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

But that bringing the sheaves is related to verse 5 they shall reap in joy so this has to do with reaping as the parable in Matthew 13 is related to reaping:

I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Now the family of Joseph is in the land of Canaan and we saw last week the land of Canaan God speaks of it in Genesis 17 as being an everlasting possession. Remember He had given it to Abraham and to his seed for an everlasting possession which is an impossibility for the physical land of Canaan because it’s part of this earth and everything in this earth is going to be burned up and therefore God was using Canaan to typify the spiritual Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven which will be an everlasting possession and we saw that’s exactly how God uses the church. The church typifies the Kingdom of Heaven it’s not an everlasting possession by itself nobody is going to remain eternally in a church but it had pictured the Kingdom of God. And in the Kingdom of God there is an eternity for His people and so here is Jacob and his family in Canaan they’re in the place which is typifying the corporate church the great tribulation begins and the first dream identifies them as sheaves then at the midpoint the midpoint of this dearth after two years it’s not exactly the middle but it’s well I better not say midpoint, in the second half it’s broken up into two parts not exactly equal halves and at this dividing point God arranges things so that Jacob and his family hear there’s corn in Egypt and they come out of the land of Canaan and they travel to Egypt and they bow down. Now this is just the beginning and we know what’s going to happen is they’re finally going to leave Canaan and come completely into Egypt the sheaves were in the land of Canaan the sheaves were there and they’re typifying the elect of God Joseph’s brethren are typifying the elect of God all the other inhabitants of Canaan would be typifying those that were not saved. There are many other inhabitants of Canaan and yet God is interested in Jacob and his family he wants them in Egypt and then he brings them through circumstances before Joseph and Joseph is going to orchestrate events to get them all into Egypt and in that way he is bringing the sheaves in it is a time of reaping it is a time of reaping the harvest of Canaan which was typifying the church and so as Joseph remembers his dream of the sheaves it is really pointing to our present day and the separation of the wheat and the tares the time where God is dividing those that are saved in the churches and those that are not saved those that would remain in the church would be as the tares. All right now going back to Genesis 37 let’s go onto verses 9-11. And it says:

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Now what we said about the first dream goes for the second dream the fulfillment of this dream is also during the famine which is typifying the great tribulation and God has given Jacob, Joseph’s mother, and the brethren the sons of Jacob a spiritual designation. God has identified them as the sun, the moon, and the stars. So we have a period of history the seven year famine that is representing the great tribulation and we have the family of Joseph that are identified as the sun, moon, and stars. Well it’s interesting where we read about the great tribulation in the New Testament in Matthew 24, in Mark 13 or in Luke 21 that we also read about the sun, moon, and stars in each one of those accounts in each one of those Gospel accounts. And you know is that a coincidence is that a coincidence that God, Jesus is answering the disciples question what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? And He gets into the matter of the great tribulation and then we read about certain events taking place and the sun, the moon, and the stars in all three Gospel accounts and it so happens one of the historical periods that typify that great tribulation God has given a spiritual designation God’s the one that gave Joseph the dreams God’s the one who had Joseph dream that they represented the sun, moon, and stars. He could have given him the representation of candlesticks He could have had a dream of eleven sheep that bow down to him but God designated the family of Joseph as the sun, the moon, and the stars in this time period that is picturing the great tribulation. And that’s very, very significant. If we go to Matthew 24:29 it says:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

You see God has both ingredients in that verse the tribulation and the sun, moon, and stars. Immediately after the tribulation of those days these things will be taking place in the sun, the moon, and the stars. Well all right but how does that relate to Jacob and his family and the leaving of Canaan and entering in of Egypt? Isn’t this just talking about the end of the world? Isn’t this verse just describing the end of the world? Well there’s a problem with that understanding, if we turn to Mark 13:24 and read, this is a different verse then Matthew 24:29. This verse says:

But in those days, after that tribulation, …

See Matthew 24:29 didn’t say that, Matthew 24:29 says, immediately after the tribulation of those days, those days came before. Now Matthew 24 is saying what is taking place after those days where in Mark 13:24 is saying, in those days after that tribulation. It’s a second period of time, it’s a whole other period of time it’s not speaking of what Matthew 24 was speaking of. This is another period of time called those days that come after that tribulation. OK, OK well it’s just describing it’s describing the end of the world and God’s going to do it over a period of a few days why get excited about that? God can destroy the world anyway He wants to we know He’s going to destroy it with a fervent heat he’s going to roll up the universe as a scroll and so forth and before He does that He’s going to darken the sun, He’s going to darken the moon and the stars will fall over a period of days over a period of days that’s going to happen? You know the Bible God put this here for a reason He put this here so we would stop and think so we wouldn’t just automatically assume it’s the end of the world so we would consider how could this be possible? First of all now God is God and He can do anything if He wants the stars to fall from the sky and in Revelation 6 it says they’re hitting the earth. If He wanted that to happen and He could still maintain the earth where the earth could continue to function and operate where man could still exist first of all without freezing from the absence from the sun and secondly without being totally being destroyed and obliterated by a falling star and you know how big stars are the sun is a star and the estimate is I think that how many earths can fit in that star? About one million. I just recently had a science class on that and I forgot already but a great many earths can fit in the sun and the sun is a medium size actually they say it’s a smaller type star so if the stars of heaven all of them begin to fall to earth over a period of days and we’re going to be here? God has not yet ended the world He’s not yet brought man to judgment you know it says in Matthew 24 men’s hearts failing them for fear. The tribes of the earth in another Gospel are mourning the idea is they’re seeing this they’re seeing they’re a witness to these events they are actually seeing the sun being darkened and the moon being darkened and the stars falling. Well we won’t even discuss why God would do something like that because if it’s after the tribulation that means it would be after the latter rain it would be after God has saved the last of His elect and God is continuing the world for a period of days for what purpose? I don’t know, I don’t know because I always thought that once the last of the elect was saved that would be it then comes the end then comes judgment day but if it’s after the tribulation then without any question the last of the elect have been saved and here we go here we go for days. Now there’s another problem turn to Genesis 8 and this is a major problem in understanding this literally of what we’re reading about the sun, moon, and stars and look at the last verse of verse 22 of Genesis 8:

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

All right somebody harmonize that for me with Mark 13:24 that says:

But in those days, after that tribulation,

These things are going on the sun, moon and stars first of all God is speaking of days and I don’t know how He’s keeping track of time? Because the timekeepers are the sun, the moon, and the stars. In those days after that tribulation and there’s no sun there’s no distinction therefore between night and day is there? How would you know when you woke up in the morning and it was pitch black that it was morning? How would you know when the evening had come? Has not day and night ceased? And yet we’re continuing on for days and that seems to contradict what we’re reading in Genesis 8, while the earth remains, while the earth remains day and night will not cease. Now what can be the explanation? You see we’re getting into trouble we’re getting into trouble trying to understand literally that’s the problem we’re getting into serious trouble we don’t have any answers for these things we don’t have the answers but what if we understand it spiritually what if we look for the spiritual meaning. And God has in His wisdom identified Jacob and Joseph’s mother and the family of Joseph the brethren as the sun, the moon, and the stars and then He says in Acts 7:11 this famine is the great tribulation this famine is the great tribulation. Let’s go to Genesis 45 and look at verse 6:

For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

And then also in verse 11:

And there will I nourish thee; …

He’s telling them to come into Egypt

… for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

Now by the way one thing this is teaching us one thing this is teaching us is that God is going to as we have been studying this account in Genesis we’ve been taking the spiritual meaning and applying it to our day and Joseph who is a type of Christ is revealing to his brethren in the dividing point of the great tribulation how much longer the great tribulation is going to be he tells them exactly five more years. Now we can not relate that to any kind of timeline but we can say that God is going to reveal to his people it’s part of that Word that has been sealed up it’s part of that Gospel that God has hidden throughout the generations He is going to reveal to His people the duration of the great tribulation we can say that without any question. God is going to reveal the duration of the great tribulation. He doesn’t get specific He doesn’t tell us the day He doesn’t tell us the hour Joseph tells them five more years so guess what they knew the year they knew the year when the end of that famine it would be a total of seven years they knew the year that famine would conclude and they knew in the historical context well after that the rain will come the crops will grow spiritually God is telling us that in the dividing point of the great tribulation He will reveal to His people how much longer the great tribulation will be and if we know how much longer the great tribulation will be what do we also know? When the end of the world will be we know when the end of the world will be because the next event after the great tribulation is the return of Christ and the end of the world. And so yea we’re hearing information now that 2011 is a possibility and that’s entirely in keeping with what we’re reading here in Genesis that Joseph told his brethren there’s two years of famine have already been five years remaining. See he breaks it up, the great tribulation into two parts the first part you’re ignorant, you’re ignorant Jacob and his family we’re ignorant they lacked knowledge they had no understanding. Now Joseph is revealing himself he’s revealing himself to his brethren and he’s giving them all kinds of information five more years. Well now we’re looking at the sun, moon, and stars, Jacob and his sons were in the land of Canaan for the first two years the first two years of this period of time that typifies the great tribulation then Joseph tells them you can’t remain you can’t stay you must come out this famine is grievous and severe you cannot survive in Canaan you have to come to Egypt five more years that’s a long time to endure famine you must come into Egypt and so Jacob and his whole family they pack up everything the brothers of Joseph everyone and their little ones and their wives they take advantage of this offer and actually it’s a commandment it’s actually a commandment Pharaoh actually commands them to come into Egypt but they by God’s grace they do leave Canaan. Now Jacob and his family are the sun, moon, and stars, they’re the sun, moon, and stars and for the first two years of the dearth where were they? They were in Canaan you could say the sun, moon, and stars were intact they were intact they’re in Canaan which is typifying the church. Now let’s go back to Matthew 24 look at verses 21-22:

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Seven year famine but the days were shortened for Jacob and the eleven sons and their families. They only endured two years of that famine. The famine continued seven years but they come out of Canaan go into Egypt and they have food a plenty and we’ll see that later on as we continue this study it’s food and drink just as everywhere but the days are shortened for Jacob and his family the days are shortened and that’s representing the believers who will come out of the church that is experiencing a famine of hearing the Word and we will just leaving the church and entering into the world which Egypt pictures come under the care and protection of the Lord Jesus Christ and God will feed us He will nourish us He will take care of us and so for the elect for the child of God the days of this great tribulation are shortened. Now look again how it says except those days should be shortened for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Now read verse 29:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days …

Those days for the elect’s sake those days are shortened you see that’s the first half that’s the first part of the great tribulation when Jacob and his family are the sun, moon, and stars are in Canaan and now God is drawing them out they come they bow down before Joseph which is the beginning of their removal from the land of Canaan and they’re entering into Egypt and when Matthew 24:29 is saying after the tribulation of those days it’s not after the entire great tribulation the whole period of time it’s after that first part it’s after the first part that we see God divides it into two sections and then:

shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, …

In other words in Canaan in Canaan after Jacob and his family pack their belongings and get on the wagon and go into Egypt is there any sun, moon, or stars left in Canaan? You see God is giving them a spiritual designation there’s other people there’s other inhabitants none of them were identified as the sun, moon, and stars it’s Jacob’s family because they’re representing the elect. The inhabitants of Canaan are not the sun, moon, and stars therefore Canaan is dark spiritually the believers have gone they have removed themselves they’re not to be found you can search all Canaan you won’t find any of Jacob’s family so you won’t find the sun, the moon or the stars and that’s the picture in the church where in the church God has placed in the heavens He’s placed in the heavens and this is God’s language turn to Isaiah 14 and remember Lucifer Satan this is a parable of the king of Babylon who is picturing Satan and in verses 12-13 this is very much related to 2 Thessalonians 2 when the man of sin takes his seat in the temple:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

See that’s language referring to Satan when he takes over the rulership in the churches and congregations during the great tribulation and he shows himself to be God as 2 Thessalonians 2 the language is he ascends into heaven he ascends into heaven but it’s not heaven above it’s the church that’s why God says, I will sit also, or why it says here, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. So the church is a picture of heaven or as God lays it all out He sets the sun, moon and stars in heaven or again go to Revelation 13 and we’re familiar with this verse again the context of the great tribulation and verse 13 of Revelation 13:

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

What’s the fulfillment of that verse? Falling over backwards and it’s not that’s the as God establishes things in His Word falling over backwards is a kin to making fire come down from heaven and where is it actually coming down from where is that taking place? In the church it’s in the church someone is falling over backwards and that’s likened to fire coming down from heaven. You see God has established He’s established the sun, moon, and stars and the congregations are as the heaven and when you remove the elect when you remove Jacob and his family you take away the lights of the Gospel the light bearers then you have blackness then you have darkness and so the churches have entered into a period of time where they are in spiritual darkness. Now it began with the Lord Jesus Christ who is typified by the sun leaving at the beginning point of the great tribulation but even though Christ departed the believers remained for the first part of that great tribulation which was comforting I’m sure to many of those in the churches they still saw the true believers there along with them and it’s not until the dividing point of the great tribulation God calls them out and then we see distress of nations. You see if we go back and we’ll just try to wrap it up. Let’s go back to well let’s look at Luke 21:25:

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; …

Now if the sun is actually darkened and the moon is literally been darkened and the stars are literally falling that’s not a sign of the end of the world that is the end of the world that would be the end of the world. But God says there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars because when believers start leaving the church when the spiritual sun, moon, and stars start coming out of the churches and congregations this is a warning it’s a warning to everyone that the return of Christ is close at hand:

and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

We don’t have time to get into this but the distress of nations is a reference to the church and the sea and the waves roaring would be the false prophets that are in the church the false teachers that are within the congregations. So as we look at this we see that God has broken up the great tribulation into two parts we see it very clearly as we’re reading about Genesis and we can definitely say as God has given Jacob and his family this designation of sun, moon, and stars that now this is an absolute statement this is an absolute statement for the first part of the dearth the sun, moon, and stars are in place. For the second part of the dearth that great affliction the sun, moon, and stars are removed. Immediately after the tribulation of those days and I understand there’s much information in the Bible on this but as this is what we’ve been trying to do we’ve been trying to read the Genesis account and apply it to our day and the application of this seems to be that God is letting us know that the sun, moon, and stars must be understood spiritually.