Joseph Confronts His Brothers: Jesus Christ Confronts His Persecutors

Genesis 42:1-25

Click here for a description of the mark of the beast.

• The world is looking for grain to keep their livelihood going.
• Wolves mingle among the sheep who goes for grain.
• Jesus Christ sees exactly who we are inwardly.
• Jesus sees the perilous deception of the wolves who are not as honorable as they say.
• The wolves are killing the Spirit of Christ as they claim their righteousness.
• Global persecution of the people of God is in the world.
• Jesus Christ died to set us free and eternal life is ours at the end of the world.
• The guilt of killing Jesus Christ is acknowledged but with no repentance.
• The cruel assembly to council in favor of persecuting the people of God is bound.

The world is looking for gain to keep their livelihood going. Jacob’s sons are the same ones who threw Joseph, their brother, into a pit and told Jacob that he was dead. That is symbolic of Jesus Christ being crucified and killed by His Jewish “brothers”, the Pharisees and Sadducees. It is also symbolic of those who live by the mark of the beast who throw the Spirit of Christ into a pit habitually. When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, his sons just looked at each other, “When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.” Genesis 42:1-2. Grain represents the Bread of Life which is the Word of God that feeds our soul. Those who have thrown the Spirit of Christ under the bus would be reluctant to start looking for the Bread of Life. If they were told to fill up on the Bible, they would just look at each other, dumbfounded. Having grain in Egypt, when the rest of the nations are starving, is relevant for today. It represents the individual nations who are having economic instability while the global government is pointed to as their solution. There is a push to anchor a global economy which is rooted in the mark of the beast. A global famine of the Gospel of Christ is happening at the same time that a global economy is being established.

Wolves mingle among the sheep who goes for grain. Joseph’s brothers were not that motivated to travel to Egypt in search of grain, but Jacob put them to the task, “So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.” Genesis 42:3. The relationship of the brothers to Joseph symbolizes the relationship of the Pharisees and Sadducees to Jesus Christ. They were not thrilled at all of looking for truth about Jesus within the prophecies of the word of God. It is noted that Jacob did not send Benjamin, and the last days meaning of his name (Genesis 49:1-27) is a ravenous wolf, who devours the prey in the morning, and at night divides the spoil. “But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.” Genesis 42:4 As we know, Christ’s Jewish “brothers,” the Pharisees and Sadducees chiefly, were ravenous wolves against Him. They were usually mingled among the sincere crowds who came to Him with honorable intentions. At this time, the brothers are seeking only to buy grain, like when Christ’s “brothers” were seeking His opinions on the Scriptures before they crucified Him, “And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.” Genesis 42:5 Those who live by the mark of the beast are wolves mingling with those seeking the Bread of Life. Their intentions towards the Gospel of Jesus Christ are not honorable.

Jesus Christ sees exactly who we are inwardly. Huge multitudes of people were flocking to Jesus Christ to have the grain He was giving, He is the Bread of Life, and the crowds were eating and being nourished by Him. He had the power and authority of God, His Father, and was the governor of God’s affairs on this earth. A day comes when the Pharisees, Sadducees, and non-believing Jews (who conspired to kill Him) will bow to Him, “Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.” Genesis 42:6 Everyone who has thrown the Spirit of Christ into the pit will see Him face-to-face on judgment day, and every knee will bow and tongue confess that He is Lord. Jesus Christ knew the heart and intent of His “brothers”, the Pharisees and Sadducees, so He recognized exactly who they were inwardly. For that reason, Jesus did not treat them as Jewish brothers and spoke harshly to them, as the Holy Spirit represents through Joseph, “Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke harshly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from? And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” Genesis 42:7 Those who live by the mark of beast, and habitually discard the need for Jesus Christ, will be dealt with harshly on the day of judgment.

Jesus sees the perilous deception of the wolves who are not as honorable as they say. Jesus Christ recognized the intent and heart of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but they did not recognize Him as the Messiah spoken about in their own Scriptures, “So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.” Genesis 42:8 Just as easily as Joseph recognized his brothers who persecuted him, Jesus will recognize each person who has persecuted His people. Jesus always knew who He was and that a day is coming when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord. He always called the Pharisees and Sadducees out on their deception, lies, and unfairness, as said through the Holy Spirit in this verse, “Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!” Genesis 42:9 When Jesus spoke harshly to the Pharisees and Sadducees, they retorted that He had a demon, He was full of blasphemy, that no one was trying to trick him, etc. They would say that Abraham was their father and were not born from harlotry, they claimed to love the Word of God, claimed to be righteous in the eyes of God, etc. That is represented in this verse, “And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy grain. We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.” Genesis 42:10-11 Joseph continued, “But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” Genesis 42:12 On the day of judgment, it will do no good to plead our case, Jesus has the content of our heart written in the books of judgment. Today is the day of Salvation. Those who live by the mark of the beast swear to their own goodness while having an unrepented history of persecuting Christianity.

The wolves are killing the Spirit of Christ as they claim their righteousness. The Pharisees and Sadducees had already crucified Jesus in their heart and had put an end to any possibility that Jesus could be the Christ spoken about in their Scriptures. He is the one who is “no more”, prophetically spoken about in this verse, “And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.” Genesis 42:13 Jesus Christ already knows the self-righteous words of those who live by the mark of the beast because He is the One they persecute to make Him “no more.” Also, Joseph’s brothers bring up Benjamin (the youngest), who symbolically represents a ravenous wolf who tears apart the prey in the morning. The coming of Jesus was the morning of Christianity, and now the Pharisees and Sadducees are beginning to think of ways to tear Him apart. They kept insisting that their father was Abraham, and claimed they were righteous descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, but Jesus Christ knew they had it in them to kill Him. He persisted in calling them out on their hypocrisy, as Joseph symbolically represents Jesus, “But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’” Genesis 42:14. Those who govern by the mark of the beast have already thrown the Gospel of Christ into a pit, and the ravenous wolf of persecution is roaming around the planet.

Global persecution of the people of God is in the world. Today, the global government of the mark of the beast is a ravenous wolf tearing apart Christianity, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the people of God, and trampling on the Holy Spirit. That is the prophecy that comes about by the spoken word of God, which is the Scriptures of the Bible. Pharoah represents the global government which will persecute and test the followers of Jesus Christ. Benjamin, the youngest brother, is brought up and represents the ravenous wolf according to last days meaning as written in Genesis 49. The Holy Spirit speaks of that here, “In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.” Genesis 42:15. Today, the followers of Jesus Christ are confined from interacting freely within the society of those who live for the mark of the beast. It’s a type of imprisonment and that is where we are afflicted and tested. In that way, the society of the mark of the beast prevents the spread of the Gospel throughout their social network. It’s not going to stop there as those who govern by the mark of the beast have brought up a ravenous wolf against the people of God. “Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be bound in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” So he gathered them all together in prison three days.” Genesis 42:16-17

Jesus Christ died to set us free and eternal life is ours at the end of the world. On the oath of Pharoah, the brothers are bound in prison, and on the oath of God life and freedom came. On the third day, Joseph went to speak to his brothers who were bound in prison to tell them there was a way that they could live, and it would be according to the oath made in God’s name, “Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: ” Genesis 42:18 The oath made in the name of God was that if the brothers are good and honest men, then let one of their own be confined to prison while setting all the others free. After being set free, they were to carry grain to their houses, “If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.” Genesis 42:19 This is symbolic of Jesus Christ being a Jewish brother, and His death and resurrection was to set all the prisoners free, “…through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” Romans 5:18. When we are set free, we are empowered with the Holy Spirit and commanded to share the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is the grain, the Bread of Life, the Holy Scriptures, the word of God. The name of Jesus Christ has been spread worldwide and the ravenous wolf of persecution is upon us. The prophecies of the Old and New Testament are verified, and in the end, we will have eternal life, which is symbolized here, “And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” Genesis 42:20 Again, in Genesis 49, the last days meaning of the name of the youngest brother (Benjamin) is to be a ravenous wolf which tears apart the prey.

The guilt of killing Jesus Christ is acknowledged but with no repentance. The Jewish “brothers” of Jesus Christ included the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were responsible for bringing the ravenous wolf upon Him. They were responsible for His crucifixion and death. By the hardness of their heart against Jesus, they did exactly as was prophesied that they would do, “And they did so. Then they said to one another “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.” Genesis 42:21 The Pharisees and Sadducees saw the anguish of Jesus’s soul when He pleaded with them, and they refused to hear. They felt their guilt and acknowledged that their distress was because of their rejection of Christ, their Messiah. Distress will be on those who reject Jesus Christ and who throw the Holy Spirit into a pit, and that distress is eternal torment in the lake of fire.

“And Reuben answered them, saying…” Genesis 42:22a. The last days meaning of Reuben (Genesis 49) is of dignity and power but unstable as water and will never excel. This is one who had the dignity of a Pharisee or Sadducee and played a role in the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. At the same time, he knew it was wrong and warned against what they were doing, but he participated anyway. He defiled God and His word, as prophetically written here, Reuben said, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” Genesis 42:22 “Reubens” are everywhere in these last days, they know that what they are doing is wrong, they mention their opposition to Christ, but they go along with the masses within the society of the mark of the beast. The blood of Jesus Christ is on their hands, and they will have to answer to that in the presence of God. People today have no belief in the Divine God and have no consciousness at all that Jesus Christ hears their plots against Him, as the Holy Spirit says, “But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.” Genesis 42:23

The cruel assembly to council in favor of persecuting the people of God is bound. When Joesph heard his brothers talking about throwing him in a pit, he turned away from them and wept, “And he turned himself away from them and wept.” Genesis 42:24a. This symbolizes Jesus Christ who had to turn away from His Jewish “brothers” who conspired to have Him crucified and killed. He wept. He wanted them to be saved in His name and not to suffer the eternal torment that they are destined to. The Spirit of Jesus Christ continues to talk with the Jewish nation of today, as symbolized here, “Then he returned to them again, and talked with them.” Genesis 42:24b. After the talk, Simeon is who Joseph bound in front of his brothers. The last days meaning of Simeon’s name (Genesis 49) is that of an instrument of cruelty being in his dwelling place and the last place to be is under his council. It is said that no honor at all is to be united in his assembly and his council which puts forth fierce anger and cruelty. This would be the chief of Pharisees and Sadducees who had the persuasion to carry out the plot to crucify and kill Jesus Christ. “And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.” Genesis 42:24. Simeon represents those who govern by the mark of the beast who put forth the persecution of the people of God. They will be bound with Satan, their father, and be thrown into the burning lake of fire.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1