Joseph Setting Forth Christ in the Work of His Second Coming.

Joseph, who had been rejected and was an outcast from his native land, was made known to his brethren on their second visit for food. "At the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren" (Acts 7:13). "Joseph said unto his brethren Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother whom ye sold into Egypt" (Gen. 45:6). Christ also, who has been rejected and despised, will be made known the second time to His people, Israel. "And they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn" (Zech. 12:10). "And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (Zech. 13:6). "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him ' (Rev. 1:7).

After the revelation of Joseph, his brethren went forth into the land of Canaan to proclaim that he was alive and ruler in the land of Egypt. "And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and be is governor over all the land of Egypt" (Gen. 45:25, 26). After the revelation of Christ, His people will go forth to proclaim to the world that He is alive and ruler throughout the land. "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the gentiles" (Isa. 66:19). "Ye shall be named the priests of the Lord; men shall call you the ministers of our God" (Isa. 61:6). "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts:

In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you" Zech. 8:22, 23). They shall go forth and proclaim that He whom they rejected as King of the Jews, is on the throne of all Israel; He is King of kings, and Lord of lords. Wondrous day of Victory!

Joseph then made ready his chariots and went forth to meet Jacob (Israel) in the land of Goshen. "Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him" (Gen. 46:29). Joseph revealed himself in splendor and kingliness to his people. He met Judah in Goshen first (Gen. 46:28), and then met his father, the household of Jacob (Gen. 46:29). This is a representation of the coming of Christ in His glory to meet Judah first: "The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first" (Zech. 12:7). "For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with chariots like a whirlwind" (Isa. 66:15).

Joseph established his brethren in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "The land of Egypt is before thee: in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell ; in the land of Goshen let them dwell" (Gen. 47:6). 'And he (Jacob) sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face into Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen" (Gen. 46:28). 'And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen" (Gen. 47:27). Christ will establish His people in the land of Israel. "Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they are gone, and will gather them on ever side, and will gather them on every side, land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king of them all: and they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children forever: and my servant David shall be their prince forever" (Ezek. 37: 21, 22, 25). "I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord their God" (Amos 9:15). They may be kept from returning to their land by some of the nations at this present hour, but God's promises have been made. His justice will not suffer Him to deceive. His grace will not suffer Him to forget. His truth will not suffer Him to change. His power will not suffer Him to fail.

Joseph's brethren (and all Egypt) owned Joseph as their Saviour. "And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants" (Gen. 47:25). All Israel (and the world) will own Christ as the lone Saviour and Lord, "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (Isa. 25:9). Glorious Day!

Joseph's brethren now bowed down to him, the one they had rejected. "And his (Joseph's) brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants" (Gen.50: 18). This was the climacteric fulfillment of all Joseph's dreams and visions. He did reign over them. They made obeisance to him. The time is coming when, like Joseph's brethren, all Israel will fall down before the Lord Jesus Christ, the One whom they have rejected and crucified, and will own Him as their King. "This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1 : 11). "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives" (Zech. 14:4). "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation" (Isa. 25:9). This will be the climacteric fulfillment of prophecy. "And of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isa. 9:7).

"Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him" (Psa. 72:11). "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ" (Rev. 11:15).

Lo! He comes, with clouds descending,
     Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending,
     Swell the triumphs of His train;
Hallelujah!
     God appears on earth to reign.