The Word of יהוה communicates through parables. He declares the end from the beginning. The story of the famine during the time of Joseph is no exception. For the story of the famine during the time of Joseph serves as a parable and an overview of the tribulation described in Revelation.
In the Genesis account, Joseph represents a shadow of Messiah. After Joseph told his brothers his dream that his brothers would bow down to him, his brothers became jealous and stripped Joseph of the special robe given to him by their father, they cast him into a dry well and they conspired against him. Meanwhile, Midianite merchants came by and pulled him out of the well and sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the well and saw that Joseph was not there, they devised a scheme to keep them out of trouble and presented false evidence to their father, false evidence which implied that Joseph had been killed by an animal (Gen 37). As it turns out, Joseph ended up being elevated to the second position over all of Egypt and was given charge of the whole land of Egypt.
In the same way, after the Anointed One repeatedly told the Pharisees and Sadducees that He was the One sent by the Father – the One who Moses and the Prophets foretold of - His brothers became jealous and stripped Him of the glory given to Him by the Father, they conspired against Him and brought forth false witnesses to testify against Him. The jealous brothers handed Him over to the Romans who traded Him for Barabbas, and then they killed Him. His body was placed in a tomb. When the chief priests realized that the Anointed One’s body was not there, they devised a scheme to keep them out of trouble and paid the Romans soldiers to falsely testify that the disciples came during the night and stole Him away while they were sleeping (Mat 27:62-66, 28:11-15). As it turns out, the Anointed One was elevated to the second position at the right hand of the Father and all authority in heaven and earth was transferred to Him. Similar to what had occurred in the story of Joseph.
As we expound the events of the seven year famine, consider that a famine is a type of tribulation. In this case, the seven year famine parallels the seven year tribulation described in John’s revelation. Embedded in the story of the famine during the time of Joseph is the story of three different seeds. It is important to recognize the different seeds represented in the story of the famine and how each of the different seeds was affected during the famine. The different seeds in the story include:
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While all of the above seeds indeed went through the seven years of famine, the degree to which each of the seeds was affected varies.
The Seed of Joseph
Before the seven years of famine came to pass, two sons were born to Joseph - Manasseh and Ephraim. During the seven years of abundance, Joseph collected and stored up huge quantities of grain in each city. When the famine spread over the whole country, it seems that those born of the seed of Joseph were yet still young and likely ate food from Joseph’s table. Although the seed of Joseph went through the famine, it could be inferred that they were hidden, “kept” and provided for throughout the seven years... such that they were relatively unaffected by the famine.
This seems to parallel what is written in the letter to the assembly of Philadelphia:
In learning from the shadow of the earthly priesthood, those born of the seed of the high priest Aaron served as priests in the earthly order. As priests, they were allowed to enter into the holy place, they guarded the holy things and they ate from the table of יהוה. In the same way, the Anointed One is the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Those “born again” of His Seed serve as kings and priests in the heavenly order. As kings and priests, they will be allowed to enter into the holy place, they are to guard the holy things and they eat from the table of יהוה. (Please consider reading “Disciples Consecrated as Priests” for additional insights.)
Gleaning from the parable of how those born of the seed of Joseph were “kept” and relatively unaffected during the seven years of famine, it seems to suggest that those who are “born again” of the Seed of the Anointed One will be “kept” from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. While they will indeed go through the tribulation, the degree to which they will be affected by the tribulation may be minimal to none.
The Seed of Jacob (Israel)
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent ten of his sons to buy some for the family. Remember, that these were Joseph’s brothers who stripped him of his special robe, became jealous of him, threw him into the dry well and conspired against him. While Joseph recognized the seed of Jacob (Israel), the seed of Jacob did not recognize Joseph. The seed of Jacob (Israel) were tested. One was thrown into prison while the others were ordered to return to Joseph along with Benjamin. In the second year of the famine, the seed of Jacob (Israel) was gathered to Joseph, they repented of what they had done to their brother, and Joseph removed his Egyptian garments which had been concealing his identity from his brothers and revealed himself to them. Joseph gave the seed of Jacob (Israel) new garments and choice land and provided food for them for the duration of the famine. Joseph acknowledged that יהוה sent him ahead of them to preserve for them a remnant on earth and to save their lives by a great deliverance. (Gen 45:6-7)
Thus the seed of Jacob (Israel) suffered only for a little while and were affected only during the initial years of the famine. After they repented and Joseph revealed himself to them, they were taken care of and provided for (food and land) during the remaining years of the famine... when the famine was the greatest and most severe.
This seems to parallel what is written to the assembly of Smyrna:
Just as Joseph’s brothers became jealous and conspired against him, so did the chief priests and Pharisees and Sadducees become jealous of the Anointed One and conspired against Him. In the accounts that lead up to Aaron’s rod that budded, blossomed and ripened almonds, there were some who became jealous of whom יהוה chose to serve Him in the earthly order. So יהוה caused Aaron’s branch - which represented Aaron and the house of Levi - to bud, blossom and ripen almonds. This seemingly dead branch which “resurrected” served as a sign to the rebels of whom יהוה chose to serve Him. Likewise, the gospel accounts explain how some men were jealous of the Righteous Branch’s message, that He was sent by the Father and the One foretold of through Moses and the Prophets. So they became jealous of Him and conspired against Him. יהוה caused His Righteous Branch to resurrect! The resurrection of the Righteous Branch of יהוה served as a sign to the rebels of whom יהוה has chosen to serve Him in the heavenly order of Melchizedek. Even today, there are many people claiming to be descendants of the seed of Jacob (Israel) who are rebelling against who יהוה has chosen to serve as ministers of reconciliation in the new covenant. They are jealous of and rebelling against the Righteous Branch as the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek and against those who abide in Him who will rule and reign with Him in the kingdom of יהוה. Their eyes seem to be fixed on the earthly order and on the earthly inheritance, and they seem unable to recognize the greater inheritance... just as in the parable of the rich young ruler. Consider the following parallel: in the covenant that יהוה made with the children of Israel on the day when He took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, all except the house of Levi received a land inheritance. In that covenant, the Levites received the tithe as their inheritance. In that covenant, Aaron and those born of his seed were the ministers of reconciliation, and they were to have no inheritance… for יהוה was their inheritance. It is written that the new covenant which יהוה is making with the house of Israel and the house of Judah will NOT be like the covenant that He made with the children of Israel on the day when He took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. In the new covenant, there is a change in the order; the new covenant will have different ministers of reconciliation. In the new covenant, the ministers of reconciliation will not inherit land; the ministers of reconciliation in the new covenant - those born of the seed of the Righteous Branch - will be joint heirs with Him and shall rule and reign on the earth.
Gleaning from the parable of how those born of the seed of Jacob (Israel) were affected during the famine, it may be that during the tribulation, they will be tested and suffer for a little while. According to the parable, a few years into the famine, they will be gathered to the Righteous Branch and He will reveal Himself to those who repent. Then they will be given land and food to sustain them throughout the remainder of the years of the tribulation when it becomes most severe.
The Seed of the World
Lastly, those of the seed of the world suffered through the intensity of the famine. It is written that Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine (47:13). During the latter years of the seven-year famine, those of the seed of the world used up their money to buy food from Joseph, they sold their property and possessions in exchange for food from Joseph until, finally, they sold themselves into servitude in exchange for food.
In the letter to the assembly of Thyatira, it is written that some will be cast onto a bed of intense suffering and will be thrown into great tribulation:
There are many believers today who are choosing to live according to the principles of the world instead of according to the principles of the kingdom of יהוה. Instead of holding fast to what is righteous and just according to the eyes of יהוה, they continue to do what is right and just according to their own eyes and according to the eyes of the world, living according to the desires of the flesh. They reject the Seed of His commandments and instead receive the seed of the world – the seed of lies. This seed of the world – the seed of lies – sows the seed of diminishing His law through proclaiming that His law is done away with and is no longer applicable and through adding to His law with traditions and doctrines of men such as the Mishnah and the Talmud and other vain doctrines of men. They commit spiritual sexual immorality in receiving the seeds of lies from false prophets who teach them and seduce them to worship יהוה the way the other nations worship their gods as in the case of Baal Peor. These false prophets feed them defiled food in teaching them the ways of the world disguised as Biblical teaching and saying that it comes from יהוה. Those who refuse to repent of the spiritual adultery will be thrown into the great tribulation.
The Parallel of the Seed and the Harvest of the Trees
So it seems the story of the seven years of famine is a parable... and the end is declared from the beginning. This parable describes when Joseph – as a type of Messiah - reveals himself to his brothers and when he gathers and restores his family. This parable describes what happens to each of the different seeds during the tribulation: some of the seed is “kept” or protected, some of the seed is tested and allowed to suffer a little while, while some of the seed is allowed to suffer through the intensity of the famine.
Since men are as trees, it should come as no surprise that the harvest of the trees reveals a similar parable:
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So it is possible that the firstfruits of the almond tree represent those born of the seed of Joseph who were “kept” during the famine. The almond seed that matures through the heat seems to represent the seed of Jacob (Israel) who are tested, who go through a portion of the heat and are gathered in just before/as the heat becomes severe. And finally, the other fruit trees may represent those born of the seed of the world who go through the intensity of the heat and are gathered in after the final harvest of the almond seed.
The question remains: According to the fruit that each of us are producing, which seed is within us?
[Special note: While the assemblies in Revelation are admonished and some suffer during the tribulation, let us not overlook the fact that the overcomers in each of the assemblies receive a reward.]
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