The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Part 4

[Study Aired April 3, 2023]

In the previous study, we focused on the life of Isaac to help us know more about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Today, we are reviewing the life of Jacob to help our understanding of the Lord Who has called and chosen us. As we have indicated previously, the experience of Joseph is regarded as part of that of Jacob. Thus, the reigning of Joseph is the reign of Jacob who represents the elect. All these three men (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) do not represent three separate individuals, but three aspects of one complete person in his relationship with the Lord. The number three signifies the process of spiritual maturity through judgment. The study today of the life of Jacob therefore completes the process we go through to become spiritually mature through the judgment of our old man. It is only when we mature that we can reign over the world with Christ just as Joseph reigned over Egypt.

Knowing God Through Jacob

The birth of Jacob and Esau – God’s predestination

Gen 25:24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 
Gen 25:25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 
Gen 25:26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

The birth of Esau and Jacob tells us a lot about the role they were to play as they walked here on earth. The fact that Esau came out red means that his life here on earth was to be dominated by his adamic nature (red) as the name Adam literally means red. Jacob, on the other hand, was born holding the heel of Esau. What this signifies is that Jacob would constrain the adamic nature as we walk here on earth. In other words, Jacob was predestined before he was born to live an overcoming life as a shadow of the life of an overcomer. This is made clear in the following verses of scripture: 

Rom 9:10  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 
Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 
Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 
Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

We, the elect, are therefore privileged to be called and chosen before the foundation of the world. This means that it is not of him who wills, nor of him the runs, but of God that shows mercy. We do not contribute anything to our salvation. All is the work of the Lord. Our lives here on earth have already been marked out.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

Jacob’s Struggles with His Brother Esau – Our Struggles with our flesh

As an elect, we must be made to see the enmity between what the spirit desires and that of the flesh right from the very onset of our walk with Christ. As we stated earlier, Esau stands for whatever the flesh desires, while Jacob was born after the spirit. 

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

The Lord therefore looks for an opportunity for us to start engaging the flesh. In the case of Jacob representing the elect, the Lord used the deception of Isaac by Jacob to receive the blessings belonging to his brother Esau to start engaging the flesh. This event marked the start of the conflict between Jacob and Esau which lasted for many years. In the time of Samson, during the period of the Judges, the Lord used the botched marriage of Samson with the woman from Timnath as the bait for Samson to engage the Philistines who represented the flesh.

Jdg 14:2  And he (Samson) came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 

In addition to Jacob’s conflict with his brother, he also had issues with Laban, his uncle, who also represents his flesh, after fleeing from Esau. Jacob always had issues with his fleshly relations and it is the same as what the Lord told David that the sword would never depart from his house. We, the Lord’s elect, will always have conflict with our flesh. As Jacob bowed down seven times before Esau, when they finally met again, we shall be completely overcome by the flesh before we are given to have victory over it. 

Gen 31:36  And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 

Gen 33:3  And he (Jacob) passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Gen 33:4  And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Jacob’s Meeting with the Lord – The coming of Christ into our Lives. 

Gen 28:10  And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
Gen 28:11  And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 
Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 
Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 
Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 
Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 
Gen 28:16  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 
Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Our victory over the flesh starts when the Lord comes to us at Bethel, the house of God or the church of the firstborn. As we can see from Jacob’s experience at Bethel, it was after he met the Lord at Bethel that his fiery trials began, starting from when he met his uncle Laban.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

It is after our eyes open and our ears hear the word of the Lord that we have tribulation or persecution resulting from the word we have received. In the case of Jacob, the word he received from the Lord that his seed shall be as dust and that the Lord will be with Him is what brought about his fiery trials. Our situation is the same. It is when our knowledge of Christ starts to grow that we go through all kinds of trials and tribulations. The purpose of these trials is to put to death the deeds of the flesh, so that we can learn righteousness. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 

Marrying Leah before Rachel – We end up in Babylon before we come to the New Jerusalem

Gen 29:16  And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 
Gen 29:17  Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 

Gen 29:25  And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 
Gen 29:26  And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 
Gen 29:27  Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
Gen 29:28  And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 

Leah symbolizes Babylon or Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children, while Rachel stands for the church of the elect or Jerusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 

It was in the morning when the sun came up that Jacob realized that he had been deceived. In our situation, it was when Christ, the sun of righteousness, started to shine in our lives (in the morning) that we came to realize we were in bed with Leah, who represents Babylon or Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children. It was then the Lord started our process of exit from Babylon to be united with Rachel, a symbol of Jerusalem which is above or the church of the firstborn.

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 
Mal 4:3  And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jacob’s Suffering – Our Fiery Trials.

Jacob endured a lot of suffering as part of the process for him to learn righteousness. When we look at the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we can see that Jacob suffered the most. He had to flee for his life and go to his uncle Laban at Padanaram when his brother Esau planned to kill him.  

Gen 27:41  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. 
Gen 27:42  And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 
Gen 27:43  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; 
Gen 27:44  And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
Gen 27:45  Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? 

It was a scary journey he undertook with virtually no resources, as he slept using a stone as a pillow. Although the Lord appeared to him to reassure him, he had doubts whether his journey would be successful as he promised the Lord a tenth of all that the Lord would give him. In this journey of life, we have all had our doubts at various stages of our walk with Christ as we go through various trials of our faith, even though we have the surer word of prophecy, as a light shining in the dark place until the day star rises in our hearts. 

Gen 28:20  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 
Gen 28:21  So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 
Gen 28:22  And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. 

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

Finally, when he reached the end of his journey, the Lord had Laban, his uncle, waiting for him to become a thorn in his flesh!! Jacob really suffered under Laban. Laban deceived him regarding his marriage to Rachel by giving him the unattractive Leah; he changed his wages several times and tried to prevent Jacob from leaving him. 

Gen 31:41  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. 

On top of this, Jacob was always scared of what his brother Esau would do to him when he met him. To the natural man, Jacob’s life was completely messed up!! However, in the sight of the Lord, it is all part of the process of ceasing from sin to reign with Christ!!  

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

To all our brothers and sisters worldwide, who are going through all kinds of trials, the Lord is achieving for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!! Eyes have not seen and ears have not heard what the Lord has prepared for His elect, but He has revealed it to us by His Spirit. 

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 
2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

In the final analysis, Jacob was able to leave his uncle Laban and was able to reconcile with his brother Esau. The Bible says that when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes his enemies to be at peace with him. 

Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 

Jacob endured further fiery trials through the defiling of his daughter Dinah, the revengeful act against the Hivites by his sons, the death of his beloved wife Rachel and the deception to make him believe that his beloved son Joseph was dead. This was how Jacob felt when his sons revenged the defiling of his daughter Dinah:

Gen 34:30  And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. 
Gen 34:31  And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Laban Warned by the Lord – The Devil’s Power to Harm us is Limited.

Gen 31:24  And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 
Gen 31:25  Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. 

Gen 31:29  It is in the power of my (Laban’s) hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 

Laban was so angry when he heard that Jacob had departed from him. He was, however, warned by the Lord that he should take care not to speak to Jacob anyhow. This shows the Lord’s intervention in the circumstances of the elect. What we need to remember is that He who has begun this good work in us will see to its completion in that day!!  Under the shadow of the Lord’s wings, we shall always dwell securely. This is what the Lord has promised us:

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 
Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Isa 43:4  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 
Isa 43:5  Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 
Isa 43:6  I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 
Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Indeed, as the Lord’s elect, we are privileged that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

When Cain complained to the Lord concerning his punishment after slaying Abel, the Lord set a mark on him such that nobody can harm him.

Gen 4:13  And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Gen 4:14  Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Gen 4:15  And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 

We, His elect, also have a mark such that nothing can harm us in this life. Our mark is the suffering we go through. This is what Paul said about this mark:

Gal 6:17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 

Jacob’s Prosperity During Suffering Under Laban – Our Growth in Spiritual Insight

Gen 30:25  And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 

Gen 30:27  And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. 

Gen 30:43  And the man (Jacob) increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

One of the significant aspects of Jacob’s life as he went through suffering under Laban was the fact that he became exceedingly prosperous. What this means is that as we go through our fiery trials, we grow in more spiritual insight. Apostle Paul puts it this way: when we are weak through the trials we experience, then we become stronger spiritually.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 
2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

The Change of Jacob’s Name from Jacob to Israel – Assurance from the Lord that we shall surely overcome!!

Gen 35:9  And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 
Gen 35:10  And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 
Gen 35:11  And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 
Gen 35:12  And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 

According to Strong’s Dictionary, the name Israel means “He will rule as God”, and the name Jacob means a “Heel catcher” or a “supplanter”. The Lord changing Jacob’s name to Israel means that being a supplanter of the flesh, Jacob was destined to rule the world. As we know, this is one of the promises that the Lord has given to us, the elect, that we shall rule the world in the fullness of time. At that time, it was almost impossible for Jacob to even imagine that he would rule the world. However, as we know, the Lord calls those things which are not as though they were.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

The Reign of Joseph – The reward of the elect

As we have indicated at the beginning of this series, Joseph’s experience is regarded as part of Jacob’s experience. Joseph went through much suffering just like Jacob before he became a ruler in Egypt, which represents the world. 

Psa 105:17  He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 
Psa 105:18  Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: 
Psa 105:19  Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. 
Psa 105:20  The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 
Psa 105:21  He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
Psa 105:22  To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Psa 105:23  Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 
Psa 105:24  And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. 

As we can see, Joseph’s rulership brought Jacob from Ham to sojourn in Egypt. Being the father of the ruler of Egypt is spiritually equivalent to being the ruler of Egypt. One of the lessons we need to learn is that Jacob continued to grieve over the supposed “death” of Joseph until he got word that Joseph was alive. This is to let us know that the Lord feels the pains we go through in our fiery trials, but the good news is that, just as Jacob rejoiced when he heard that Joseph was alive and well, there will be great rejoicing on that day, when we are united with the Lord in resurrection to rule the world with Christ. This reminds me of a song we used to sing in Babylon as follows:

When we all get to Heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory!!

Gen 45:25  And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, 
Gen 45:26  And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. 
Gen 45:27  And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 
Gen 45:28  And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die. 

When Jacob was told the words of Joseph and he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, Jacob was revived. We can say that Joseph, in this case, represents the Lord Jesus Christ whose comforting words are what revive us. In addition to Joseph’s words, he saw the wagons or chariots that Joseph had brought. This reminds me of the departure of Elijah from Elisha. Elijah, who represents Christ, told Elisha, a type of the elect, that if he were able to see him as he was taken up, then the double portion of his anointing would be Elisha’s.

2Ki 2:9  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 
2Ki 2:10  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 
2Ki 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 
2Ki 2:12  And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 

Elisha was able to see the chariots and horses of fire which separated him from Elijah, as Elijah ascended. Seeing this ascension caused Elisha to see the exalted Christ or the exalted word of the Lord. The wagons (chariots of fire) that Jacob saw therefore spiritually represent the fiery trials that cause us to see the exalted word of the Lord, which is able to revive us until we are united with Christ on that day!! The horses of fire symbolize the fact that we are in a war against the flesh, and it is through our fiery trials that we become victorious. If we are not privileged to see this (our judgment), then we shall not be given the double portion of the spirit of Christ.

Gen 46:29  And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 
Gen 46:30  And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. 
Gen 46:31  And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 

Another important nugget of truth we can glean from Jacob’s anticipated meeting with Joseph was what Jacob said. He said that he will go and see Joseph before he dies. Finally, when he met Joseph, he told Joseph that now that he had seen him, he is ready to die. As we have stated, Joseph represents Christ and Jacob the elect. What this means is that it is when our eyes are opened and our ears hear the word of the Lord (Joseph) that we start the dying process. Incidentally, Simeon, also said the same thing when he met the baby Jesus in the temple as follows:

Luk 2:25  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 
Luk 2:26  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luk 2:27  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 
Luk 2:28  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 
Luk 2:29  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 
Luk 2:30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 
Luk 2:31  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

Indeed, Simeon saw the Lord’s salvation which the Lord had prepared for us and therefore was eager to go through the dying process.  The fact that our eyes continue to be opened and our ears are hearing the word of the Lord means that we are in the process of dying!! This is made clear by the fiery trials we are all going through now. It assures us that we shall reign with Christ just as Joseph ruled over Egypt!! The present suffering that we are going through cannot be compared with the glory to be revealed in the fullness of time!! 

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

May the Lord have mercy on us as He completes the work He has started in us!! Amen!!