Sometime around 4,000 years ago, the Pharaoh of Egypt summoned an imprisoned slave named Joseph. Two dreams bothered Pharaoh, and none of his magicians or wise men could interpret them (Genesis 41:1-8). In his first dream, Pharaoh saw seven fat, healthy cows grazing by the Nile. Then seven thin cows appeared and ate the seven fat ones. In his second dream, Pharaoh saw seven large, beautiful heads of grain. Then seven shriveled heads of grain appeared and swallowed up the first seven.

Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret the dreams. “I don’t have the power to do this,” Joseph told him. “But God does, and He can tell you what it means.” Joseph went on to tell Pharaoh the meaning of the dreams. He said seven years of famine will follow seven years of plenty.

In response, Pharaoh made Joseph the second most powerful man in Egypt (Genesis 41:40). He put him in charge of the land, and Joseph collected one-fifth of the food produced for the next seven years. He stored up massive amounts. When the famine came, it hit neighboring nations hard. People from the lands all around Egypt came to buy grain from Joseph (Genesis 41:57).

Eventually, the people ran out of money. They had nothing to buy food. So they gave Joseph their livestock in exchange for food (Genesis 47:17). When their livestock was gone, they offered their land and themselves (Genesis 47:19). Before long, Pharaoh owned all the land in Egypt (Genesis 47:20). The people became his slaves, and Pharaoh’s power multiplied.

Like many stories in the Bible, the story of Joseph and Pharaoh is also a symbolic prophecy. It foreshadows a coming time of great famine when, like Pharaoh, one man will gather immense power over the known world.

The seven lean years of Pharaoh’s dream mirror the seven year period known as the Tribulation. Like the seven lean years, the Tribulation will begin with widespread famine. And in an effort to survive, people throughout the world will willingly give their power and wealth to one man – just as they gave their power and wealth to Pharaoh four thousand years ago. Do we have any reason to believe such a famine is on the horizon? Unfortunately, we do.

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