This is part 2 from the page: Seven Year Warning. I was rambling…
Joseph and the Famine — A Birth
How does the story of Joseph and the famine relate to birth?
The story of Immanuel clearly connects with the birth of Jesus. It is a common Christmas Bible reading. But the Joseph connection takes more thought. Where is the birth?
The imagery of Joseph’s dream about the sun, the moon and the stars bowing down to him (Genesis 37v9) is the imagery used to depict the birth in Revelation 12, but why?
Simply put, Israel were born into Egypt, as a prophetic journey began. It was the journey revealed to Abram in a vision in Genesis 15, a sojourn spanning four generations (Gen 15v16) which today is equal to a full human lifespan - the fourth generation being our great grandchildren.
The Genesis story connects with the birth of Jesus who also went to Egypt — to escape King Herod. Abram and Sariah went to Egypt to escape famine while waiting for the birth of Isaac, who foreshadows Jesus. Abram’s trip (Gen 12) also foreshadowed Israel’s trip to Egypt which likewise, was to escape famine, (Genesis 42-46).
The final generation will need to make an escape from nuclear war, and the famine that will bring.
To see more clearly how the story of Joseph and the famine relates to the birth of Jesus we need to consider the broader journey of salvation that these events reveal.
The Journey of Salvation
Birth is just the beginning, and the journey of salvation lies ahead. We see this as we study the way the life of Jesus is revealed in Scripture.
God’s work of salvation is not as a one off event, but a life long process. The most important birth is spiritual, but we can also consider an apocalyptic birth with a journey ahead for the end times generation.
By nature, birth begins a life long journey that continues until we die and are raised again at the resurrection.
The journey of salvation is revealed perfectly in the life of Jesus, and was foreshadowed in Old Testament typology where Joseph and Immanuel served as examples of how the journey begins.
The apocalyptic aspect of this journey revealed in the life of Jesus is presented in the book of Revelation:
“The revelation of Jesus Christ… the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” — Rev 1v1-2.
“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” — Rev 19v10b.
To consider the birth of the final generation, and to understand the journey ahead we need to study the life of Jesus from birth.
This is a key concept for interpreting prophecy. It is described more carefully on the cross2victory homepage:
MESSAGE
The thought process begins like this:
Moses is most similar to Jesus. Baby, Moses escaped a similar slaughter of the infants in a little boat.
The Hebrew word for that boat is “Tebah”, or ark.
The same Hebrew word is used for Noah’s Ark.
The study of Noah’s flood shows it to be a kind of birth, and it’s called a baptism in 1 Peter 3v20-21. There is a lot more imagery in the flood narrative that relates to birth.
Looking at what follows the birth, we see a typological pattern of events:
Jesus
Jesus birth and escape from King Herod
Life and ministry during the Roman Empire, until
Death and Resurrection
Moses
Born like Jesus, with an escape from a slaughter of the infants
Lived in Egypt, or the wilderness until
The Exodus
Noah
Re-Born or baptised in the flood, escaped in the ark
Noah was told to be fruitful, to multiply and to fill the earth. Nimrod ruled the world building great cities
God scattered the nations from the Tower of Babel.
Nimrod was the first example of a world government in ancient times. The next major foreign power dealt with in Scripture is Egypt, where Joseph was sold as a slave.
Jospeh
Joseph and the escape from famine
The Israelites multiplied greatly while they lived in Egypt which was like world government until
The Exodus.
In this pattern it is easy to see the similarity between Noah’s flood, and Joseph’s famine.
The flood was a world wide event in which God worked a miracle to give his family a good escape. For Noah and his family the flood was a kind of birth and baptism.
The famine was also a world wide event in which God worked a miracle to give his family a good escape. Jacob and his family were born into Egypt at that time.
Having established the connection between the famine and the flood, Moses in the little Ark and Jesus’ escape from the slaughter of the infants, we can see how Joseph’s story relates as a kind of birth.
These and additional patterns are also discussed in more detail on the following pages:
God’s Plan
The Chiasm of Testimonies
The most important pattern for our time: The Daniel 11 Prophecy
Repentance
New-Birth, Calamity and Escape
There is always a calamity and an escape at the time of birth, and this is presented in Bible typology.
The escape from calamity is a symbolic form of repentance. Jesus was perfect and without sin from birth, so he demonstrates repentance symbolically by his escape from King Herod’s slaughter of the infants. Therefore we have the prophecy: “Out of Egypt I call my son.” - Mat 2v15.
This act of repentance is illustrated in Revelation 12 as both the child and the woman escaped the dragon, who is Satan.
For more information: The Symbolic Repentance of Jesus
The apocalyptic version of this dragon is believed to be world war three. The escape is presented in the typological pictures of the Old Testament, revealing how the journey of salvation begins.
Revelation 12 brings many such things together. The escape from the dragon brings Salvation, but involves a great war, a wilderness journey, a flood like a river, and then a beast as a world government in Rev 13.
Egypt was given a Jewish nick name, Rahab, the dragon. Rahab was the Leviathan sea monster, a chaotic force of evil. Psalm 89v11, Isaiah 30v7, 51v9-10 and Job 26v12. With this in mind we see stronger connections between Noah’s flood and Joseph’s famine.
For more Information: The Rahab Dragon
The message is both spiritual and apocalyptic:
The spiritual escape from the power of the dragon comes through faith in Jesus, when we repent and believe. When we are ‘born again’ we begin our journey in Christ.
The Apocalyptic Birth — World War Three
The apocalyptic aspect of birth involves an escape from a real calamity that will begin a special end times journey for the final generation, a journey that will resemble the life of Christ.
This is where the seven year warning is a great blessing. We need time to prepare. The calamity is a major event, like a flood, like a famine, or a slaughter of the innocent.
We always see birth coming, and it involves a great struggle. The birth of the church came with ‘blood, fire and billows of smoke’ as described in Acts 2, on Pentecost, but it brings great blessing to God’s people.
We are currently seeing many signs of war. A great struggle is coming on the world, but Jesus specifically told us that this is not how the world will end. About wars and rumours of war Jesus said, “don't be alarmed, the end is not yet… these are the beginning of birth pains.” - (Mat 24v6-8).
The end on the other had will come during a time of peace - (1 Thess 5v3).
The story of Immanuel presents the birth of Jesus and the calamity of the war brought by the King of Assyria. The war is described as a flood “up to the neck”, Isaiah 8v8. But Immanuel means, “God is with us.” So they had curds and honey to eat after the land was destroyed by war.
Revelation 12 sign of 2017 presents an approximate 7 year warning sign so that we may be ready and able to care for each other when these things take place at the birth of the final generation.
Today the threat is of world war three — nuclear war.
A seven year warning from the Revelation 12 sign is pointing to approximately 2024. We don’t know the exact time, but birth differs from death in that it generally comes on time. We don’t know the time of the end of the world. It will come like a thief in the night, but as we consider the birth of the final generation, birth generally happens on time. So lets be alert to what may be coming in about the year 2024.
We need to consider what to do, and how to care for people if this conflict happens as described in Daniel 11v36-44. This is the key passage that will either confirm or deny the expectation of nuclear war in about 2024.
For more information: The Daniel 11 Prophecy
Additional Concluding Thoughts
There are several more large historical patterns in the Bible that reveal the life story of Jesus typologically. I’m urging people to study them carefully, and especially the birth.
The Chiasm of World History shows the structure of where and how prophetic journeys are revealed in Scripture, each one beginning with a moment of birth. By studying these beginning points we will find all the wisdom we need to escape the hour of trial coming at the birth of the final generation.
As world war three draws near I believe God is promising to give us a good escape from the calamity.
We will need to consider how to prepare an ark as Noah did, and food like Joseph did. Immanuel means, “God is with us.”
We have the gospel, the words of eternal life in Christ Jesus. God will do miracles to allow us to live in his blessing so that we may continue the ministry until he comes.
Be Encouraged
We understand that a great calamity is coming on the world. World war three will be serious, but God is with us. Jesus told us to expect wars and rumours of wars, and he said, “Don’t be alarmed. Such things must happen but the end is still to come.” — Mat 24v6.
God told Isaiah to speak to King Ahaz:
“Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart…” — Isaiah 7v4.
Every time God presents the birth in the various typological examples of Scripture we see a successful escape from calamity. It is a rapture (Rev 12v5).
So lets not fear but be ready to act. We have people to care for and lives to save.
The woman in Revelation 12 represents the people of God, and she escaped the dragon. She flew with the wings of an eagle into the desert, to a place prepared for her by God (v6, 14).
By God’s grace we can do this too. We will live in God’s blessing to continue the work of the gospel in the post apocalyptic world.
Please continue studying and praying about these things, and be ready for action. We want to help as many people as possible to escape the dragon of nuclear war.
