METAPHYSICAL BIBLE INTERPRETATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
This is a series of lectures given by Mr. Edward Rabel, member of the faculty of S.M.R.S.
Fall semester 1975 - 2nd. Yr. Class. Lecture given on October 24, 1975
Topic: 48
Gen. 40, pp. 179-181 of transcript.
Joseph Interprets Dreams
In Chapters 40-41, Joseph correctly interprets the dreams of two of his fellow prisoners. One of them is the Pharaoh's butcher who later remembers Joseph and recommends him to Pharaoh who had had a puzzling dream. Joseph interprets this dream as a warning of coming famine, and he recommends protective measures to be taken. Pharaoh is very impressed with the work of Joseph's interpretation and he agrees and then he places Joseph in charge of the work that Joseph has recommended, and he raises him to a very high position in Egypt - a position in Egypt second only to Pharaoh himself.
Now metaphysically all of this symbolizes progress and development of that which Joseph stands for and that which Joseph gets involved in. His symbolism is now advancing quite rapidly - from that of mere imagining and even from that of just positive thinking to a more controlled and higher level of consciousness or of thought activity called intuitive and positive thinking. Now it's not just imaging and positive thinking, it is becoming a symbol for thinking on an even higher level, very near the ideal but not yet. In fact he does not even become the ideal but he is steps along the way. Now he is functioning more as a symbol of intuitive and positive thinking.
When our imagination is able to function on this higher faith of its own development it becomes such a very valuable faculty, so valuable indeed, that it makes our life even on the material and sensual plane (Egypt) much safer, more orderly and much more meaningful and satisfying. I'll read those advantages again. It makes our life on the material plane much safer, more orderly, more meaningful and more satisfying. It is thinking occurring on that higher level of development of the imagination faculty that will do all this wonderful service for us on the Egypt level of existence, and our personal ego is perceptive enough to realize what is happening.
You see Pharaoh is very much aware of the advantages Joseph's work brought to his kingdom. All right, the ruler of our kingdom of materiality and sensuality is personal ego, Pharaoh, and personal ego is not dumb. It is very perceptive but anything which concerns itself, its kingdom, sensual and material existence, seeing this great useful service Joseph does. Pharaoh would quite naturally promote him to an important position, but being Pharaoh he would never make Joseph higher than himself but always second to himself, and so this is what human beings are doing, on what human being's personal egos are doing when they discover the great value they have, the great asset they have in their Egypt level of life, material, sensual, by the work of intuitive and positive or constructive thinking.
We begin - our personal ego then places this quality within us on a level of valuation second only to self itself. In my evaluation of me in my Egyptian level I place my ability to think second only to me - see on that level, because I know what right thinking on that level can do, however to stay on that level only would mean that is the end of the Bible, and that isn't so.
We are just getting started really. Now at this point in Chapter 41 we learn a little biographical detail, that Joseph marries a woman called Asenath who stands for the feminine or love side of natural man. Now, that's straight out of the dictionary. Now if she stands for the love side of natural man, then what kind of symbol is Joseph? Spiritual? No. He still does not stand for something of our spiritual nature. He is the symbol of something in our natural man. He has two children, Ephraim and Manasseh, symbols of developing of new will and understanding. In the MBD these two words Ephraim and Manasseh are taken up in quite detail - a long discussion is given about their metaphysical significance. What it all boils down to is that these two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh simply symbolized the development of new understanding and the will to accompany the work of the imagination which is very good - very definite progress.
Transcribed by Margaret Garvin on February 15, 2015.
