“Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one (1a); (i.e. Joseph starts by confirming that despite the divergent imagery of each dream, the message or interpretation of each is precisely the same; they are one voice bringing one revelation; the divergence and repetition merely a tool by which to assert their importance insistently) God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do (2a): (what a blessed privilege! without the need for Joseph to defend his faith or resort to any means of evangelism; the Sovereignty and Truth of the existence of the One True God is instantly and very authoritatively automatically asserted through this phrase; the honour bestowed upon Pharaoh to be privy to the Divine plans of Almighty God should resonate through his entire being; also: in light of all that had taken place in his spirit thus far, I doubt that Pharaoh would need much convincing; there is also a sense in which one sovereign leader would recognise the workings of the ultimate Sovereign Leader almost instantly, reminding us of the principles recognised and inherently also understood by the centurion in Matthew 8 for example – there are some elements of God’s character as a Sovereign Ruler that can only truly be understood by a man in power.) The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads (“heads of grain”) are seven years; the dreams are one (1b). And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. (Finally a tangible, workable timeline is established whereby the account of that which will transpire becomes all too real within an instant.) This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do (2b). Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; (as mentioned before, the seven years of plenty will not be sufficient to sustain or “balance out” the seven years of famine; the famine decreed by the Lord will be a very genuine threat and trial that none will be able to escape or weather without a deliberate humbling before- and utter dependence upon-, God Almighty, who will prove Himself to be their only help, their only refuge, the Only Deliverer) and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following (the severity of the famine will be so all-consuming it will be near impossible even to bring to mind that the seven years of plenty ever were), for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God (3), and God will shortly bring it to pass *.” (As indicated in 1a, 1b; 2a, 2b & 3 in the above, it is once again so interesting to note that for all the detail omitted from the Scriptures; that which is critically important is habitually reiterated twice or even more; noting its importance not only for the characters within the narrative at that particular time and place in history, but also it’s inherent timeless, even eternal validity and intrinsic value for posterity’s sake.)

* It is always worth noting that whatever thing God brings to pass cannot be thwarted, alleviated, altered, mediated, influenced or stopped by any man by any means whatsoever. The Word of God stands firmly and resolutely. It will come to pass.

“²⁵Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: ²⁶The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. ²⁷And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. ²⁸This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁹Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; ³⁰but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. ³¹So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. ³²And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

– Genesis 41:25-32 (NKJV)