Eventually, under God’s leading and shepherding for his whole life, Jacob, who had been a supplanter, became Israel (meaning “the prince of God”—Gen. 32:28), a matured prince of God. When he went down to Egypt and met Pharaoh, he blessed him (47:7, 10). As Jacob was dying, he leaned on the top of his staff and worshipped the God whom he had experienced in a full way in a life of sojourning. Furthermore, he prophesied concerning his twelve sons and blessed them (ch. 49). God honored this matter and certainly fulfilled the blessings pronounced by Jacob. This indicates that Jacob’s life had reached maturity so that he could reign for God and bring blessings to his sons and to the whole earth.
The three sections of the experiences of one complete person mature in spiritual life, signified by the three persons—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—eventually produce the mature Israel. Joseph represents the reigning aspect of the mature Israel. This is proved by the fact that the biography of Joseph in the last fourteen chapters of Genesis was considered a part of the record of Jacob (37:2a).
From his youth Joseph was loved by Jacob, his father, even more than his brothers. Although he ministered to his brothers according to his father’s will, he was hated and harassed by his brothers. He was rejected by them and sold and brought down to Egypt. Eventually, he was put into prison and suffered all kinds of trials. However, God was with him, showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison; whatever he did, God caused it to prosper. By interpreting the cupbearer’s dream and Pharaoh’s dreams, he was released from the prison of death and given authority over the whole country and thus became the actual ruler over Egypt. This typifies that all those who are mature in life will reign for God to rule over the whole earth (Rev. 2:26). At His coming back Christ will establish the millennial kingdom on the earth, in which all those who have been perfected and have matured in life throughout the generations will be co-kings of Christ (Rev. 20:6) to rule over the nations on the earth.
By the wisdom and authority given by God, Joseph reigned in the maturity of life. He not only ruled over the whole land of Egypt but also blessed the whole earth by ministering food to people for their existence. Genesis 41:56-57 says, “And when the famine was over all the face of the earth, Joseph opened all the storehouses....And all the earth came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain.” This signifies that all those who have been chosen, called, redeemed, and transformed by the Triune God and have thus become mature will reign for God with the rich life supply of Christ to satisfy people’s need.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with Joseph constitute a complete type portraying the different stages and aspects of the complete experiences of a person chosen, called, redeemed, and transformed by the Triune God. God the Father’s selection is seen in Jacob: Jacob was chosen before his birth; it was not of his own works but of God who calls. This signifies that we believers were chosen by God the Father before the foundation of the world, not because of our works but absolutely because of His mercy. God the Father’s calling is seen in Abraham: Abraham’s being called was God’s new beginning among men; it was also a transfer of race and a transfer of life. This signifies that we, the believers in Christ, have been called by God the Father according to His purpose and grace that we might be regenerated and saved to have a new beginning and to partake of His glory. God the Son’s redemption and His making us heirs are seen in Isaac: When Abraham was preparing to offer up Isaac, God provided a ram to be killed to replace Isaac. This signifies that Christ became our Substitute through His crucifixion on the cross for our redemption. Isaac was born according to God’s promise by God’s visitation and thus became an heir to inherit all that his father had and the promise which God had given to his father concerning the good land and the unique seed. This signifies that we, the New Testament believers, are children born according to promise to be heirs of God participating in God’s promised blessing, that is, enjoying the all-inclusive Spirit with all the riches of Christ. God the Spirit’s transformation is seen in Jacob: Jacob was born a supplanter, full of human strength and the natural life. He was broken and experienced genuine transformation after going through God’s grindings in the environment and God’s direct dealings. This signifies that after we believers have been regenerated and saved, God the Spirit enters into us to be our life and to carry out a transforming work in us. Through the working together of all things, the direct dealings of God, and the dispensing of the divine elements by the Spirit, we are being transformed metabolically until we are conformed to the image of God’s Son. Finally, Jacob’s life reached maturity and, through Joseph, he reigned over the whole land of Egypt and blessed the whole earth. This signifies that at the time of Christ’s coming back, all those who are mature in life will be co-kings of Christ in the millennial kingdom to rule over the nations on the earth and will reign for God with the rich life supply of Christ to satisfy people’s need.