After Christ reveals Himself to the remnant of Israel, He will begin His millennial reign. During the millennium, the Jews will participate in the enjoyment of Christ's reign, just as Joseph's brothers participated in the enjoyment of his reign (45:18; 47:4-6). Joseph's brothers enjoyed the best portion of the land in Egypt. This is a type of the millennium in which the Jews will enjoy the best things of earth. According to Zechariah 14:16-19, the Egyptians and those from the other nations will be required to present offerings to the Lord in Jerusalem. If a nation refuses to go up to Jerusalem with offerings for the Lord, no rain will fall upon their land. Because the Jews will be one with God, whatever is offered to Him will be their portion and enjoyment. According to the Old Testament, what was offered to God became the portion of the priests. In like manner, what is offered to God during the thousand years will become the portion of the Jews, who will be the priests instructing the people on earth, especially the Egyptians, in the way to worship God. I believe that during the millennium many Egyptians will repent for the way they dealt with Israel in this age. The Egyptians may say to the Jews, "We repent. We didn't know that you were such a people. Whatever we have that you want, just take it." This will take place according to the prophecy and the type in the Old Testament.
Now we come, once again, to a parenthesis regarding the matter of life. Remember, nearly everything in the book of Genesis is a seed. The first book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew, reveals Christ on the one hand and the kingdom of God on the other hand. Matthew also clearly indicates that we realize God's kingdom by denying ourselves. In Matthew 16 Christ, the church, and the kingdom are all revealed. In this chapter the Lord Jesus told His disciples that if anyone would follow Him, this one would have to deny himself. At the end of Genesis we find a seed of the truth of self-denial. In the closing chapters of Genesis, Christ is typified by Joseph, and the kingdom is foreshadowed by the house of Israel. Because Joseph denied himself, the kingdom of God could be realized in a practical way. The entire universe belongs to God, and God desires a kingdom. Although Pharaoh was ruling in Egypt, the kingdom of God was nonetheless realized through the reign of Joseph. The reigning of Joseph was the kingdom of God, which is for the fulfillment of God's purpose. According to the book of Exodus, the purpose of God is to have a dwelling place on earth. But at the end of Genesis we see a miniature of God's kingdom.
In all of history we cannot find anyone to match Joseph. Although he was offended by his brothers to the uttermost, he did not seek revenge. With Joseph, there was no thought of revenge. Rather, he denied himself and rendered the adequate and necessary discipline to his brothers. Joseph did not discipline his brothers for his own sake, but for their sake. Having no thought of revenge, he was concerned that his brothers might be perfected and built up so that they might live together as a collective people. The fact that Joseph charged them not to quarrel on the way home reveals his concern for them (45:24). The desire of Joseph's heart was that his brothers would be a people living together as God's testimony on earth. Joseph seemed to say to them, "I have done everything for you, and you have all you need. Now go back with thanksgiving to God to see my father and bring him back to me. But I am concerned that you might quarrel with one another on the way." Joseph's word about quarreling also indicates that he disciplined his brothers. He disciplined nine of the brothers in a general way and Simeon in a specific way. By this we see his discipline was sober; it was not motivated by anger.