My long-time readers know how I love the many pictures, or foreshadows, found in the Bible. The story of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, has many foreshadows of Jesus, the favored Son of God. I have become convinced that Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream of seven good years and seven bad years has a future application to the Tribulation. The Tribulation is thought to be seven years long and parallels the last week of the Prophet Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. (Daniel 9:24-27)

Adding to my conviction is the story of Sennacherib, the Assyrian, coming against Jerusalem in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah. (Second Kings 18:13-19:36) This event culminates with the supernatural destruction of the army of Sennacherib. Frequently, in prophecy, Assyria represents the world. This story could be a picture of the world coming against Jerusalem as prophesied in Zechariah 12:2-4, and the armies of the world will be supernaturally defeated. According to the story of Sennacherib, this will occur in the fourteenth year which, in my opinion, fits the end of the time of Tribulation.

Several years ago I became aware of Absalom being a type of Satan. (Second Samuel 13:1-18:17) Please see Absalom As a Type of Satan. Absalom was perfect in beauty, arrogant, a murderer, a liar, and he attempted to usurp the kingdom of his father, David. The end result of the story of Absalom was a battle in which supernatural forces were at work. “The forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.” King David won and the body of Absalom was thrown into a great pit, just as Satan will be thrown into the Abyss. (Revelation 20:2)

Upon further study of the story of Absalom, I found that it is divided into periods of seven years and four years. Absalom waited two years before having his half-brother Amnon killed. He fled to the kingdom of his grand-father for three years. He was allowed to return to Jerusalem, but did not see the face of his father, the king, for two more years. These total seven years and, I believe, parallel the seven “good” years of Joseph’s interpretation.

Absalom began undermining the people’s opinion of his father. Then, after four years he initiated his plot to usurp the kingdom. If the events in the story of Absalom are placed as an overlay over Joseph’s fourteen years, Absalom’s rebellion occurred about the mid-point of the last seven years. This would parallel the mid-point of the Tribulation at which time the anti-Christ attempts to usurp God’s position in the Temple. (Second Thessalonians 2:3-4)

Adding to this picture is King David fleeing Jerusalem and crossing the Jordan to safety. (Second Samuel 17:22) This again parallels Israel fleeing Satan and being protected for three and one-half years (time, times and half a time). (Revelation 12:14) The Prophet Isaiah tells of the Lord leading a portion of Israel to safety, and also being their rear guard. (Isaiah 52:11-12) Many believe that Israel will be protected in what is now the country of Jordan, based upon the prophecy of Daniel 11:41 and Isaiah 63:1.

These Bible stories all fit together to show the usurping of the Temple by the anti-Christ in the Last Days, and the ultimate defeat of Satan. Absalom, a type of Satan, usurped his father’s throne about the mid-point of a seven year period. David fled to safety across the Jordan, and Absalom was defeated supernaturally. It will all occur in the Last Days, just as the Lord showed us.