As Joseph of Egypt prophetically unfolded the events that lay in the immediate future for Israel, he told his family how these events were but the pattern or foretelling of events of the last days. Foreseeing Israel's more immediate bondage to the Egyptians and their deliverance by a prophet of God as a parallel to their bondage to darkness in the last days and their deliverance once again by a heaven- sent servant, he wove the two stories together as one. (See JST, Genesis 50:24-37.)
The cycle of events common to both stories included Israel's prophesied bondage and the coming of a prophet who was to gather, liberate, and lead them. These liberator-prophets were not to be confused with the Messiah, Joseph cautioned, for they would be his servants. They were to be seers, revelators of gospel law, and would be foreknown by name. Each would write the words of the Lord and declare them with the aid of a spokesman.