Joseph
Typological treatment in the corpus
Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, rejected and sold by his brothers but elevated in Egypt to a position of honor second only to Pharaoh, is identified by Jones as a type of Christ in his second work: exaltation after suffering, resurrection and ascension, and future return as ruler over all things. For Noordzij, Joseph stands in a line of typological figures depicting the human journey toward sonship.
Biblical anchoring
| Reference | Context |
|---|---|
| Gen. 37:3-4, 28 | Joseph with the many-colored coat; sold by his brothers for twenty pieces of silver |
| Gen. 39:1-2 | Joseph in Egypt; God is with him; he rises |
| Gen. 41:39-44 | Joseph appointed over all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh |
| Gen. 45:1-8 | Joseph reveals himself to his brothers; his suffering was intended by God for salvation |
| Phil. 2:9-11 | Christ exalted above every name after he had humbled himself |
| Rev. 19:11-13 | Christ returns on a white horse, his robe dipped in blood |
Typological interpretation per author
Jones
Jones’ central contribution is a careful distinction between two OT figures each depicting one of the two comings of Christ: Judah for the first coming (the suffering servant), Joseph for the second (the exalted ruler who secures his birthright). This dual pattern is for Jones already present in Micah’s prophecy:
“Micah prophesied that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem-Ephratah (Mic. 5:2). These two names are a marvelous prophecy of the two works of Christ. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah (Matt. 2:1). That is, His first coming was a Judah work. His second work, however, will be a Joseph work, for Ephratah is simply the singular form of the name Ephraim. So Micah’s prophecy actually contains both comings of Christ—the first in Judea (Judah) and the second in Joseph (Ephraim).”1
The heart of the Joseph type is glorification after suffering and rejection:
“Joseph was then taken to Egypt, where he eventually rose to power above all, second only to Pharaoh. In this Joseph was a type of Christ who, after his death and resurrection, ascended to the Father and was given a name far above every name.”2
The second work Christ comes to do as Joseph is essentially distinct from his first:
“What is generally not understood is that Christ must come the second time as Joseph, to secure his birthright. This is the subject of our current chapter.”3
“The second work of Christ, pictured in the law by the second bird and the second goat, is a Joseph work. This is in contrast to his first work, which was a Judah work. The Judah work was to bring forth the suffering Servant, who would die for our sins; the Joseph work was to save the world through the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom through all nations.”4
The typological connection is also visually anchored in the blood-dipped robe — Joseph’s many-colored coat was dipped in goat’s blood by his brothers (Gen. 37:31); Christ returns with a robe dipped in blood (Rev. 19:13):
“When Jesus Christ appears again, pictured in Rev. 19 as coming on a white horse, his robe is dipped in blood. He comes as the Son of Joseph, whose birthright robe was dipped in blood.”5
Noordzij
Noordzij places Joseph in a line of biblical figures depicting the human journey toward sonship:
“Jabez, Job, Jacob, Joseph, and David as types of the human journey toward sonship.”6
Joseph’s path — rejection, suffering, faithfulness in service, rising to dominion — is for Noordzij exemplary of the way trodden by all those called to sonship. It is not only a christological type but also an anthropological pattern.
Related types
- Connected: isaac (Isaac and Joseph as patriarchal types: Isaac = crucifixion, Joseph = glorification)
- Connected: exodus (Exodus from Egypt connected to Joseph’s presence in Egypt)
- Via number symbolism: 11 (Joseph as eleventh son; number of incompleteness that is overcome)
Footnotes
Footnotes
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Jones, b4 (The Laws of the Second Coming), ch. 11 — Mic. 5:2 as prophecy of Judah-work and Joseph-work. ↩
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Jones, b4 (The Laws of the Second Coming), ch. 11 — Joseph as type of Christ’s ascension and exalted name. ↩
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Jones, b4 (The Laws of the Second Coming), ch. 11 — second coming as Joseph-work. ↩
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Jones, b4 (The Laws of the Second Coming), ch. 11 — distinction Judah-work (first coming) and Joseph-work (second coming). ↩
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Jones, b4 (The Laws of the Second Coming), ch. 11 — blood-dipped robe connecting Gen. 37:31 and Rev. 19:13. ↩
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Noordzij, b4 (The Inheritance of Jabez), section “Typological figures as models of the human journey”. ↩