GENESIS 45--JOSEPH'S FAMINE WEEK--THE KEY TO
UNLOCKING THE TIME FRAME OF THE RAPTURE
I believe with all of my heart that Genesis 45, the
story of the 7--Year Famine Week of Joseph, teaches
us that the Rapture will take place AFTER two years
of the Final 7 Years have taken place, and when
there are still 5 Years left in the Famine Week. The
real exciting part is that the Final 7 Years
actually began in the Fall of 2015, just like so
many of us believed it would, which means that we
will be two years into the Final 7 Years in the Fall
of 2017. In this post, we will take an in-depth look
at the first few verses in Genesis 45, and we will
discover that God has made it abundantly clear that
this chapter holds the key to unlocking the great
mystery of the time frame of the Rapture. YOU DO NOT
WANT TO MISS THIS STUDY!!!
The study of typology, or "types", in the Old
Testament, is the foretelling of future events in
the New Testament, and beyond. The difficult thing
for most Bible students to discern is that so many
of these "types" are CONCEALED. It takes some
digging, some studying, and spiritual discernment,
to find some of these golden nuggets. Jesus said in
Mark 13:23, "But take heed: BEHOLD, I HAVE FORETOLD
YOU ALL THINGS." The "FORETOLD" in this verse HAS to
mean that things in the New Testament MUST BE
CONCEALED in the Old Testament. How many things?
Jesus says ALL THINGS!!! ALL!!! A-L-L!!! ALL THINGS
MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST THE GENERAL TIME FRAME OF THE
RAPTURE!!! I repeat, IT MUST. We should not expand
the "no man know the day or hour", to months, years,
decades, etc.
Many of us watchmen who have been studying end-times
Bible Prophecy for several years, and even decades,
have been believing that the Rapture would take
place VERY, VERY SOON for a long time now. After
all, didn't Jesus say, "We COULD KNOW WHEN HIS
RETURN IS NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOORS." It should be
obvious to all of us that the phrase "EVEN AT THE
DOORS", involves a VERY short space of time,
probably within the space of a few short weeks, or
even days.
The multitude of end-times Bible Prophecy signs that
have been unfolding all around us for several years,
have been pointing us in the general direction of
our Lord's Soon Return. Many, many of us, including
me, have given suggested times when we thought that
our Lord might be returning, but there has never
been a DIRECT answer, in the Scriptures, as to when
the Rapture would actually be. There have been lots
and lots of calculations, supposed revelations,
signs galore, and all kinds of projections of when
the Rapture was supposedly going to happen.
Yet JESUS SAID WE COULD KNOW. So why is it that
nobody has been able to figure it out. It is obvious
to me NOW in early 2017, why JESUS SAID WE COULD
KNOW, yet nobody has yet been able to figure it out.
IT IS BECAUSE WE COULD NOT KNOW UNTIL TWO THINGS
HAPPENED FIRST.
I know there are at least two schools of thought on
2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 2, regarding the
Antichrist and the timing of the Rapture. I know all
about these theories, so please do not try to get me
into a debate on your theory. I have been studying
this for 43 years, and have come to the conclusion
that THE RAPTURE CANNOT HAPPEN UNTIL THE ANTICHRIST
IS REVEALED FIRST. That does not make me mid-Trib,
post-Trib, or Pre-Wrath, in my doctrine.
I believe that the Rapture happens at the same time
as the Sudden Destruction. God would have no reason
to take us out of here before the Sudden
Destruction, which almost certainly involves the
nuclear destruction of World War III. Did our Lord
not take out Lot THE SAME DAY AS THE SUDDEN
DESTRUCTION? Did Jesus not say that, "Even thus
shall it be in THE DAY THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED"?
God is all about saving souls, and we are His
soul-winning agents. Why would He take us out before
He absolutely had to?
I believe the first thing that has to happen BEFORE
WE CAN KNOW THE TIMING OF THE RAPTURE, IS THE
REVEALING OF THE ANTICHRIST, which has already
happened to millions of Christians. According to
what we are about to look at in Genesis 45, the
Famine Week of Joseph, the 2nd thing that HAS to
happen is the Famine Week HAS to be in progress
first. In my opinion, ACCORDING TO GEN. 45, THE
TIMING OF THE RAPTURE CANNOT BE KNOWN UNTIL THE
FINAL 7 YEARS HAVE STARTED. As most everyone knows,
who is reading this post, it is my studied opinion
that both of these pre-requisites for KNOWING THE
APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE RAPTURE have NOW been met.
Progressive Revelation has shown to me that the
Final 7 Years of Preparation, as in the Seven Good
Years, in the story of Joseph, began in the Fall of
2008, and the Final 7 Years of Famine, which
includes the 1260-day Great Tribulation, actually
began in the Fall of 2015, as so very many Biblical
watchmen wrote about. I will be addressing this
issue in future posts, but you may look into the
archives at www.fivedoves.com in the years of 2008
and 2015, for many more details of these time
frames. Because there was no Rapture/Sudden
Destruction event, it has drawn the majority of
these Watchmen away from these time frames. However,
I am convinced that they remain the true Biblical
time frames, for the Final 14 years, represented by
the dreams of Joseph for the 7 Years of Preparation,
and the 7 Years of Famine, which most Prophetic
students call the Tribulation. I have always
referred to this time as The Final 7 Years.
Let's now take a very close look at this extremely
exciting and Prophetic chapter of Genesis 45. It is
my very strong conviction that this chapter is the
foretelling of the approximate time frame we should
expect the Rapture to take place. If you will follow
closely, and ask the Lord to open your heart to what
His Word is saying to us, I believe that many eyes
will be opened to the truth of this teaching.
Remember now, Jesus said that ALL things have been
FORETOLD to us, meaning in the Old Testament. Jesus
also said we COULD KNOW THE TIME! KNOW! K-N-O-W!
Now that the identity of the Antichrist, Barack
Hussein Obama, has been revealed to many discerning
Christians as the 8th King in Revelation 17, and the
time frame of the Final 7 Years (the Fall of 2015 to
the Fall of 2022) has also been revealed to many
Biblical Watchmen, we CAN KNOW THE APPROXIMATE TIME
OF THE RAPTURE. It is the ONLY way that we could
KNOW. No one has ever KNOWN the time, yet JESUS SAID
WE COULD KNOW. For the first time in history, with
the recent unveiling of these two EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT PROPHETIC EVENTS, WE CAN KNOW THE
APPROXIMATE TIME!!!
Let's examine the first 11 verses of Gen. 45, the
story of the Famine Week of Joseph, keeping in mind
that Joseph is the MOST COMPLETE TYPE OF JESUS IN
THE ENTIRE WORD OF GOD. It is no coincidence that
the Famine Week of the 7 Years of Joseph are a
parallel, or TYPE of the Final 7 Years at the End of
the Age. It is by Prophetic design, and was FORETOLD
BY GOD TO GIVE US THE TIME FRAME FOR THE RAPTURE OF
THE BRIDE. Hang on to your hats, as this is about to
get REAL EXCITING!
Verse 1 says, "Then Joseph could not refrain himself
before all them that stood by him; and he cried,
Cause every man to go out from me. And there sood NO
man with him, while JOSEPH MADE HIMSELF KNOWN TO THE
BRETHREN." First, Joseph could not refrain himself
and he cried tears of happiness and joy (verse 2),
because that long-awaited day was finally here, when
he is finally going to make himself known, after
MANY long years, to his brethren. Is this not the
heart of Jesus, as He sees His Wedding Day
approaching, when He is going to MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN
TO HIS BRETHREN AT THE RAPTURE, after almost 2000
long years? I believe that Jesus will not refrain
Himself from crying tears of great joy at that
long-awaited day, when He will be reconciled unto
us, THE DAY OF THE RAPTURE.
The 2nd thing we notice in this verse is that a
SEPARATION took place, as ONLY THE BRETHREN WERE
ALLOWED TO BE PRESENT WHEN JOSEPH MADE HIMSELF
KNOWN. Joseph made sure that everyone who was not
his brethren, was not present at HIS REVEALING. Is
this not the way it will be at the time of the
Rapture?
The Rapture is THE DAY OF GREAT SEPARATION, the
separation of the brethren, from those who are not
part of His family. The separation from those who
have oil in their lamps, from those who do not. The
separation of those whom the Lord finds worthy, from
those He does not find worthy (Luke 21:34--36. Verse
1 brings out the profound realization that at the
Rapture there will be a GREAT SEPARATION.
The third, and last, thing I want to bring out in
Verse 1 is that JOSEPH (JESUS)MADE HIMSELF KNOWN
UNTO HIS BRETHREN. Is this not an EXACT DESCRIPTION
OF THE RAPTURE? This was the DAY OF RECONCILIATION
for Joseph and his brothers, a long-awaited day of
reconciliation. As born-again Christians, we do know
Jesus. But we have not SEEN Him. We have not been in
His physical presence. The Hebrew word "known" here,
means "to ascertain by SEEING". WE WILL SEE HIM AS
HE IS, AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE, AT OUR DAY OF
RECONCILIATION!!! For almost 2000 years, Jesus has
been sitting at the right hand of the Father, making
intercession for us. All this time, He has been
patiently waiting for, and longing to, MAKE HIMSELF
KNOWN TO US AT HIS WEDDING DAY, THE DAY OF THE
RAPTURE.
In verse 4, Joseph says, "COME NEAR TO ME, I pray
you. And THEY CAME NEAR." Here is the Hebrew
definition of this particular usage of the word,
"near". "Near" means to approach, to bring forth, to
COME HITHER. AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE, we are
going to approach Jesus. He is going to bring us
forth, and we are going to come hither. Many believe
the Rapture takes place in Rev. 4:1, where it says,
"behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first
voice which I heard was, as it were, OF A TRUMPET
talking with me: which said, COME UP HITHER." Sounds
like the Rapture, which is accompanied by the sound
of a TRUMPET, does it not?
If "COME UP HITHER" are the words used to describe
the Rapture, the identical meaning is found in this
verse in Gen. 45:4, which says, "Come near, (or
hither) to me." The word "hither" in this verse
means "here, in the same place". So Joseph (Jesus)
is saying, "Come UP here, approach me, in the same
place that I am, and they came UP to Him." Do we not
go UP to meet Him in the clouds of glory to meet Him
at the Rapture? Will we not be in the same place as
Jesus is? Hallelujah! Are you starting to see how
very obvious the Lord is trying to show us that the
Rapture happens in Genesis 45? Thank you, Lord.
In verse 5, Joseph says, "God did send me before
you, to preserve life." That is another EXACT
DESCRIPTION OF THE RAPTURE. God is going to send
forth Jesus, just as He sent forth Joseph, TO SAVE
OUR LIVES. In 1st Thessalonians, Chapters 4 and 5,
we read how the Sudden Destruction and the Rapture
will take place at the same time. The Rapture is OUR
ESCAPE FROM THE SUDDEN DESTRUCTION, just like Lot,
who is a type of the Rapture, was allowed to ESCAPE
FROM THE SUDDEN DESTRUCTION ON THE VERY SAME DAY.
That is just one reason why I cannot believe only in
a post-Trib Rapture, or only in a pre-wrath Rapture.
Jesus would not tell us Christians to pray that we
be found worthy to ESCAPE ALL unless it was possible
to ESCAPE ALL. In my opinion, which is greatly
strengthened by this Chapter 45 in Genesis, Jesus is
not referring to escaping ALL of the Final 7 Years
here. He is talking about ALL OF THE CATACLYSMIC
DESTRUCTION, and all of the 42-month Great
Tribulation. Until that happens, there is no reason
to take us out of here at the Rapture.
We are going to skip for now the MOST IMPORTANT
VERSE, VERSE 6, and then come back to it, after we
have taken a look at verses 7--9. In verse 7, Joseph
says, "And God sent me before you to preserve you a
posterity in the earth, and to save your lives BY A
GREAT DELIVERANCE." Here we have the same phrase
repeated again that describes the Rapture, "God sent
me before you." Will you agree that at the time of
the Rapture, that God sends Jesus to us?
Now let's look at the phrase, "to preserve you a
posterity in the earth". The word "earth" here does
mean "earth, or world". The Hebrew word for
"preserve" in this verse is actually a different
Hebrew word from the word "preserve" in verse 5. The
word "preserve" in this verse can mean "reward". The
word "prosperity" means (ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?)
THE REMAINDER THAT HAD ESCAPED, and comes from the
root word meaning, "TO LEAVE". Are we getting ready
TO LEAVE this earth, or what? Are you shouting yet?
This is worth shouting about, don't you think? I
hope you are catching all of this, how Gen. 45 is
the Rapture chapter, verse by verse, and almost word
by word.
Doesn't the Word of God teach us that the Rapture is
our Great Escape? Doesn't the Word of God teach us
that at the Rapture, "We who are alive AND REMAIN
shall be caught up together to meet Him"? The last
phrase is also TALKING ABOUT THE RAPTURE. It reads
"And to save your lives by A GREAT DELIVERANCE." The
word ''great" here means "exceedingly great and
mighty". The Hebrew word for "deliverance" here (ARE
YOU READY FOR THIS?) means "an ESCAPED PORTION OR
REMNANT". That is the ONLY Hebrew meaning for this
word "deliverance" in this verse.
What an obvious reference to the Rapture of the
Bride, or a REMNANT, if you will. This verse is
telling us there is going to be an ESCAPE FOR A
REMNANT. The REMNANT is the Bride of Christ, taken
out of the Body of Christ (just like Adam's Bride
was taken out of His body, or rib), in this first
Rapture. It is my understanding that Revelation
7:13--17 describes the 2nd Rapture, which are a vast
multitude that no man could number who had dirty
robes at the time of the 1st Rapture, but made them
white during the Great Tribulation. This Rapture,
that is so vividly portrayed in Gen. 45, is just for
a REMNANT, for those whom the Lord finds worthy
(Luke 21:34--36). Each one of us should be fervently
praying that the Lord would find us worthy to be
part of the Bride of Christ.
This is not just some ordinary deliverance in Gen.
45:7, my fellow Christians. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN
EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND MIGHTY DELIVERANCE FROM THE
AWE-INSPIRING AND DEVASTATING, MASSIVE SUDDEN
DESTRUCTION THAT IS GOING TO HIT THIS SIN-FILLED
EARTH AT THE VERY SAME TIME!!!
Not only that, but at the time of the Rapture, the
Bride is going to BE DELIVERED from the presence of
sin, the power of sin, and the penalty of sin,
FOREVER AND EVER!!! WHAT AN AWESOME AND MARVELOUS
DELIVERANCE GOD HAS IN STORE FOR HIS BRIDE. I refuse
to believe that our Lord is going to allow His Bride
to get beat up before His Wedding Day. Is it any
wonder our Lord would so aptly describe this BLESSED
ESCAPE AS A GREAT DELIVERANCE?!!! WHAT REWARDS THE
BRIDE OF CHRIST HAS IN STORE FOR HER!!!
So, let's try to put this verse in Gen. 45:7, into
modern-day English. Based on the Hebrew word-by-word
study above, it should read something like this,
"God will send JESUS, as a REWARD to a REMNANT of
His brethren, to remove them from this earth in a
GREAT ESCAPE, AND IN AN EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND MIGHTY
DELIVERANCE, FROM THE HORRENDOUS AND UNPARALLELED
DESTRUCTION THAT IS COMING UPON THIS EARTH." Praise
God for this GREAT DELIVERANCE, THE RAPTURE OF THE
BRIDE OF CHRIST!!!
By doing a Hebrew word-by-word study of Gen. 45,
there can only be one conclusion. That conclusion is
that GENESIS 45 TEACHES US THAT DURING THE FINAL 7
YEARS, OR THE FAMINE WEEK, JESUS WILL REVEAL HIMSELF
TO HIS BRIDE, HIS REMNANT, AT THE RAPTURE, WHICH IS
OUR EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND MIGHTY DELIVERANCE!!!
Because of the magnitude of the Rapture, and Sudden
Destruction, verse after verse after verse in this
Chapter is teaching us this. God is trying to remove
any doubt in our minds that this Chapter is
DEFINITELY REFERRING TO THE RAPTURE, AND THE TIMING
OF THE RAPTURE!!!
In verse 9, Joseph says TO HIS BRETHREN, "HASTE YE,
AND GO UP TO MY FATHER." Is this not what Jesus will
do at THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE? "Come UP hither." Do
we not ascend, or go UP, to Heaven, where God the
Father is, at the time of the Rapture? The word
"haste" here simply means "to hurry". To me, this is
implying AGAIN that the SUDDEN Destruction and the
Rapture are simultaneous. The word "Sudden" means
without warning. Just like Lot got out of Sodom and
Gomorrah just in the nick of time, so shall it be at
the time of the Rapture. Hence the phrase here
"Haste ye" (or hurry up before it is too late) in
this verse.
Verse 6 is the highlight of Gen. 45 because IT GIVES
US THE APPROXIMATE TIME FRAME FOR THE RAPTURE, or
when Jesus makes Himself known to His brethren, or
the GREAT DELIVERANCE! Genesis 45:6 says, "FOR THESE
TWO YEARS HATH THE FAMINE BEEN IN THE LAND: AND YET
THERE ARE FIVE YEARS, in the which shall neither be
erring or harvest."
God has made it so blatantly obvious that Gen. 45 is
referring to the Rapture, the Great Escape, the
Great Deliverance. It is also abundantly clear that
the Famine Week is a "type" of the Final 7 Years in
the Book of Revelation. How can we possibly not
believe that verse 6 is giving us the time frame for
the Rapture, or Great Deliverance???!!! Only our
pre-conceived ideas will keep us from receiving this
truth.
In future posts, I will be reminding all of us of
the numerous reasons why many, many of us Watchers
thought that the Final 7 Years would begin in the
Fall of 2015. For the purposes of this post, I am
taking this as a given, as the truth. Over the past
few years, progressive revelation has identified the
Fall of 2008 to the Fall of 2015 as the 7 Good
Years, or 7 Years of Preparation, in the story of
Joseph. This, of course MUST make the Fall of 2015
to the Fall of 2022 the Final 7 Years of Famine, or
Tribulation, as most would call it. I have learned
so much more in these past few weeks, about the
timing of events in the Final 7 Years, and will be
presenting them in future posts. What is being
presented in this post, is only the beginning of
what we can learn through Typology, from the Old
Testament.
Two years into the Final 7 Years, takes us to the
beginning of the time frame of the Rapture, which
will be the Fall of 2017. I personally believe that
this projected time frame could extend to the Spring
of 2018, as partial years are counted as whole
years, when counting is involved in the Old
Testament. There are also other reasons why I
believe it may not happen until the Spring of 2018,
but those reasons are for another post. For now, let
us just say that the time frame, as presented to us
in Genesis 45, for the Rapture starts in Sept. or
Nov., of 2017 and should extend no longer than May
of 2018. I personally believe that we can pinpoint
it a whole lot closer than that, but space does not
permit me to go any further in this post.
The Lord did not have to say "AND YET THERE ARE FIVE
YEARS OF FAMINE
(remaining)". He had already told us that JOSEPH
(JESUS) REVEALING HIMSELF TO THE BRETHREN AND THE
GREAT DELIVERANCE WOULD BE AFTER 2 YEARS OF THE
FAMINE WEEK." 7 years minus 2 years obviously equals
5 years. He knows that we can subtract.
BUT GOD WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID NOT MISS THE
TIMING OF THE RAPTURE, THE GREAT DELIVERANCE, AS HE
CALLS IT. He said there would be FIVE MORE YEARS OF
THE FAMINE WEEK, AFTER THIS GREAT DELIVERANCE. GOD
IS EMPHASIZING THE TIME FRAME FOR THE RAPTURE!!! He
wants to make SURE that we do not miss it.
This verse tells us that there will be "no more
earing, nor harvest." In the Hebrew, it appears this
could be referring to a physical sowing and reaping,
OR a spiritual sowing and reaping. To the brethren
of Joseph, there would be no more physical sowing
and reaping because of the famine, AFTER TWO YEARS.
For the people left behind after the Rapture/Sudden
Destruction, there will also come a GREAT FAMINE
across the earth. For those whom the Lord takes in
this first Rapture, their time for sowing and
reaping, or harvesting, will then be over, AFTER TWO
YEARS. I believe the Lord is telling us that we need
to accelerate out efforts, with a new sense of
urgency, concerning the harvesting of souls, before
it is eternally too late.
Let's look at just two more verses, verses 10-11.
"And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and
thou shalt be near unto me...And there will I
nourish thee; FOR YET THERE ARE FIVE YEARS OF
FAMINE." Once we are part of this GREAT DELIVERANCE
from the unbelievable turmoil and Great Tribulation
on earth, we will be near to Jesus, and He will
nourish us. But for how long? Once again, our Lord
EMPHASIZES TO US THAT THE BRETHREN WILL EXPERIENCE
THIS GREAT DELIVERANCE FOR THE FINAL 5 YEARS OF THE
FAMINE WEEK. It sure seems like our Lord cannot
emphasize the timing of this GREAT DELIVERANCE
enough.
Please do not miss what the Lord is so obviously
showing us in Genesis 45. Only if you believe that
we have entered the Final 7 Years, can YOU KNOW THE
SEASON OF THE RAPTURE. The rest of you CANNOT KNOW,
yet Jesus said WE COULD KNOW. Jesus said that He has
FORETOLD ALL THINGS to us, which means the timing of
the Rapture should be able to be found in the Old
Testament. In the Old Testament, is the New
Testament, and other future Prophetic events,
CONCEALED. But only CONCEALED until the time of the
end, according to Daniel. We are at the Time of the
End. So, where are YOU finding the timing of the
Rapture, concealed in the Old Testament?
I believe with all my heart that Genesis 45 is where
the TIMING OF THE RAPTURE IS FORETOLD. With Joseph
being THE MOST COMPLETE TYPE OF CHRIST IN THE ENTIRE
WORD OF GOD, why would God not put the timing of the
Rapture, the Great Deliverance, in His Word, using
Joseph as a type of Christ? With a Famine Week of 7
Years a MAJOR part of the life of Joseph, how can
anyone believe that this is not a type of the Final
7 Years in the Book of Revelation?
If you agree with the above paragraph, then what
reason could the Lord possibly have for having a
MAJOR SEPARATION OF THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE
FAMINE WEEK AND THE LAST 5 YEARS OF THE FAMINE
WEEK??? The Word here EMPHASIZES THE TWO AND FIVE
YEAR SEPARATION. There is NO other separation, no
other time fraime mentioned at all, in the entire
story of Joseph's Famine Week. The entire context of
this Chapter, is DEFINITELY referring to the
Rapture, as has been shown, in great detail, in this
post.
If you can believe that the Final 7 Years began in
the Fall of 2015, as so very many Watchers were
projecting because of the vast multitude of signs,
the Blessed Hope, the Rapture of the Bride, the
Great Deliverance, just got a whole lot sweeter.
Those of us who believe it, and believe that Genesis
45 foretells the timing of the Rapture season, Prime
Rapture Season will begin either in Sept. or Nov. of
2017, and could extend into the Spring of 2018. This
is because, in determining time in the O.T., five
years, or four and one-half years, would both read
like this: WITH FIVE YEARS REMAINING IN THE FAMINE
WEEK. In O.T. counting, partial years count as full
years. In future posts, I believe that we can narrow
this time frame down much further, by once again
using TYPOLOGY, AND PROPHETIC OVERLAYS FROM THE OLD
TESTAMENT.
WHAT AN EXTREMELY EXCITING TIME TO BE A WATCHER! GET
READY! STAY READY!
Maranatha!
Ron Reese
rgreese49@aol.com