We sometimes refer to the "Joseph Vision" or the " Joseph Ministry." I thought it would be good to define some of the principles behind this concept. (Special thanks to Michael Enos for his insight on this revelation.)

1. Lay Ministry
In scriptures serving the Lord is as much secular as it is religious. One may serve the Lord just as well in the business or political realm as he can within the church world. Since the entire world belongs to God (Psalm 24:1), any kind of occupation can become a ministry, if it is done with a heart to seek the Lord. Some are called to a "marketplace" anointing, just as others are called to positions within the church.

2. Model of the End Times
The story of Joseph in Egypt is true historically, yet in that story we also find a parable concerning events to take place in the end times. There will be times of plenty, times of want, a change in leadership, and ultimately life and salvation to multitudes of people.

(Note: There is a three-fold sequence to this end-time parable: first the patriarchs establishing their families in the Holy Land, then the rising of Joseph into a position of secular influence, and finally the great redemption at the time of Moses. The order of this sequence is important. The story of the patriarchs foreshadows the establishment of the remnant of Messianic Jews in modern Israel; the Joseph story refers to what we are speaking of in this article; and the redemption of Moses foreshadows the tribulation and miracles leading up to the Second Coming of Yeshua [see Dan Juster's book, The Passover Key]. The Joseph ministers cannot take their place until the Messianic remnant is in place in Israel, and the great harvest before the Second Coming cannot take place until the Joseph ministers are ready.)

3. Suffering in the End Times
Just as there was a seven-year period of drought, so will there be times of financial and natural disasters in the end times. This will be true not only in the time of the last tribulation, but also in social upheavals in various countries leading up to that time. Security analysts are already predicting that future terrorist attacks may be more sophisticated, causing widespread destruction by targeting banking systems, computer networks, water supplies, electric lines, nuclear plants, and so on.

4. Strategic Leadership Positions
As Joseph rose to leadership in Egypt, so is it God's desire today for true believers to rise into key leadership positions in the fields of politics, military, business, banking, communications, resource management, and so on. We must have a confident faith that God can give godly people positions of dominion in this world. We should look for particularly strategic jobs, which could affect the control of such areas as data management in banking systems, energy resource alternatives, Internet communications, etc.

5. Secured Channels
Since there is an expectation in the end times of increased terrorism, tribulation, political upheaval,and natural disasters, we as believers must have alternative systems that will be secure from attacks. There must be independent ownership and control. When finances and communications in the world collapse, we must be ready with protected "storehouses" for our own resources, which will serve as a kind of "city of refuge" or a "Goshen land." Our computer servers must have terrorist virus security, etc.

6. Many Josephs, Many Countries
As Joseph himself was a great example, we believe there will be Joseph "type" leaders in many different areas of service. We need a generation of young Joseph leaders, ready to take dominion in their own countries and business fields. There must be an army, a company, a multitude of secular leaders with integrity to help spread God's kingdom in every nation. There must be leaders and godly stewards at every level, not just the one top person.

7. Harvest of Souls
The end times is the period of greatest harvest of souls in history. God used the financial situation in Egypt, and the leverage of having Joseph in the right position, in order to bring salvation to hundreds of thousands of people. Today, the majority of people in the world live in horrible poverty. Masses are ready to flee the ranks of communism in China, Hinduism in India, and Islam in the Arab world - if a door were opened to them financially. International finances and politics, if controlled in a godly way, could attract billions to the gospel. However, if the Joseph types have not taken their positions, many less will be saved.

8. Training through Hardship
A Joseph minister cannot just be put into a position of leadership, he has to go through a difficult period of training for character development, humility, patience, integrity, boundary setting, generosity, delegation, management skills, accounting, financial management, decision making, accountability, and submission - not to mention prophecy, word of knowledge, and dream interpretations. Even suffering unjust rejection and accusation are part of the training. We must be prepared to help young Josephs go through their training period to be ready for the calling God has for them.

9. Heart for Salvation of Israel
When Joseph was leader of Egypt, he lived and acted like a Gentile. Yet all the time he believed in his heart that his life was to serve as a vehicle to see the salvation of Israel. He saw all the events of his life, both good and bad, as part of God's sovereign plan to bring life to multitudes of people, and particularly to his own family. This is what Paul meant when he dedicated his ministry to the Gentiles with the phrase "to the Jew first." True Josephs in the end times will not only be leaders of integrity in the secular world, they will understand their destiny as intricately connected to the salvation of Israel.

10. Commitment to Messianic Jews
While Joseph had a heart for the salvation of all his "Israeli" half-brothers, he had a special commitment to his full brother Benjamin. Benjamin in this parable represents the small Messianic remnant within Israel. Joseph demanded of his other brothers (in this symbolism, the majority of "unsaved" Israel) to recognize and accept the special place of his little brother Benjamin. They could not get the blessings of Joseph, until they received Benjamin and allowed him to receive his five-fold portion. The redemption of the entire nation was dependent upon recognizing the special destiny of this one little brother.