Joseph had two dreams. While the first dream was obvious and was fulfilled, we cannot see the second dream ever being fulfilled. What do Joseph’s dreams mean?
Joseph’s sheaf dream
Gen 37:6-8 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf. And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Gen 43:28 … And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
Joseph’s dream of all his brothers’ sheaves bowing down was fulfilled when all his brothers bowed down to him.
Joseph’s celestial dream
Gen 37:9-10 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me. So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?”
Joseph also dreamed about celestial objects (sun, moon and stars) bowing down to him. The interesting fact about this dream is that, Joseph’s father never bowed down to Joseph. Joseph’s mother was already dead during the birth of Benjamin (Gen 35:19). So, what does this dream of Joseph mean? But there is nothing in the entire scripture that even remotely suggests of anything that symbolizes father or mother bowing down to Joseph or his tribe.
Gen 50:20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Gen 49:8 … Your father’s children shall bow down before you (Judah).
Joseph is a type of “Jesus”. Just like the brothers of Joseph sought evil the Jews murdered Jesus. Similar to how God meant the slavery of Joseph for good, He meant the death of Jesus Christ for good, to save many people alive.
Ps 89:36-7 His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon …
Jesus being called the son of David (Matt 21:9), the sun represents the throne of David, moon represents the longevity of His kingdom and the 11 tribes represents the remaining tribes of Israel. When Jesus rose from the dead, He not only inherited the throne of David which is like the sun before God, but also established it forever as the moon. Hence, Joseph’s second dream is about Jesus Christ and His eternal kingdom.
Joseph, a type of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Joseph
Priced 30 pieces of silver
Matt 26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Priced 20 shekels of silver
Gen 37:28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
Christ came to serve
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Joseph was sold to serve
Gen 45:4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
Authority over all Creation, except Father
Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
John 14:28 …. ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
Authority over all Egypt, except Pharaoh
Gen 41:40-41 “You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
Spirit of God was upon Jesus
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me ….
Spirit of God was upon Joseph
Gen 41:38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
Jesus saved His people from sins
Matt 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Joseph saved Israel from famine
Gen 45:7 “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Jesus receives a new name
Rev 3:12 “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
Joseph received a new name
Gen 41:45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
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