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You can download a PDF of this study: A New Way!
Content
- Introduction
- Distinguishing Milk from Meat
- Messiah Ben Joseph: a Son to be Added
- Messiah Ben David: the Beloved Son
Introduction
“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a NEW THING, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a ROAD in the wilderness and RIVERS in the desert. The beast of the field will honour Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give WATERS in the wilderness and RIVERS in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.” Isaiah 43:16-20.
In the previous study titled, “Exempt from Hades not from Hell,” we illustrated the Gap that exist between Hades and Heaven, the Last Adam and the Second Man, and the difference between being Saved from Sin and the Walk of Righteousness and the consequences that await Christians who do not fully grasp the difference. In this study, we are going to build on the same topic in respect to God’s own admonishment to us to grow in spiritual matters, which is portrayed in the analogy of the Milk and Meat of the Faith. And as in the theme of the previous study we hope to support this using Israel’s journey to the promised land, this time in respect to Joseph’s Bones they carried and the ministry of Joshua son of Nun.
Now, the main issue of modern Christianity can simply be described as the problem of an un-weaned child. That is, as infant Christians we find it VERY difficult to grasp we are NOT expected to live for the forgiveness of sins but for Righteousness. That is, God as any natural father expects us to grow into Maturity through the knowledge of the Word of Righteousness as for us to be able to distinguish between good and evil, which Paul generally referred to as, “A New Way of Living,” in Romans 6:4, Romans 7:6 and Hebrews 10:20. The aspect of which is described by Paul as, “And He died for all that those living no longer should live to themselves, but to the One having died for them and having been raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15. And the same principle is also described by Peter as, “Therefore Christ having suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same mind, because the one having suffered in the flesh is DONE with sin, so as to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer to men’s desires, but to the WILL of God.” 1 Peter 4:1-2. The New Way of Living is simply the concept of living for the will of God, the process of which can be expressed as putting off the things of the Old man of the flesh and putting on the New man of the Spirit as described in Ephesians 4:20-23 and Colossians 3:10.
Distinguishing Milk from Meat
The Evangelist Daniel Kolenda teaching on the main text of this study pointed out that the former thing the Lord was telling the children of Israel not to remember or consider, was none other than the great day of their deliverance, when God brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand through the Red Sea and destroyed Pharaoh and his army, in favour of the New Thing which God was now doing, bringing up Waters in the midst of the wilderness and Rivers in the desert. And this is the VERY concept we sought to establish in the previous study by, distinguishing the work of the foundation in the Last Adam from that of the building of the Second Man of the Spirit, as Paul said, “Likewise, my brothers, you also have been put to death to the Law through the body of Christ, for you to BELONG to Another, to the One having been raised out from the dead, SO THAT we should bear FRUIT to God.” Romans 7:4. And it is the same principle which we will apply in this study in regards to the Milk and Meat of the faith, which we hope to relate to the two expectations of the Messiah according to the traditional Jewish Teachings; Messiah Ben Joseph who died for our sins in the flesh and Messiah Ben David who sanctifies us by His Spirit.
The first and important point here is that we need to draw a parallel between the prophecies of Isaiah in the main text of our study to that of the teaching of the New Testaments. Which we find in the admonishment of Paul to Hebrews saying, “For even by the time you ought to be teachers, you have need of one to teach you again what is the beginning of the principles of the oracles of God; and you have become those having need of MILK, and not of solid food. For everyone partaking of MILK is unskilled in the Word of Righteousness, for he is an INFANT. But SOLID FOOD is for the MATURE, the ones by constant use having trained the senses for distinguishing both Good and Evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14. Here Paul clearly describes for us, the beginning of the principles of the oracles of God as being the Milk of the Faith, which is given to infants. And at the same time he lays down for us the Word of Righteousness to be an aspect of the food of the Mature as ones through practice have learned to refuse the evil and do the good. [Isaiah 7:15-16.]
Now, Paul further elaborates on his teaching on the next chapter saying, “Therefore, having left the BEGINNING teaching of the Christ, we should go on to MATURITY, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and faith in God, instruction about baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.” Hebrews 6:1-3. NOTE the words he uses as a substitute for Milk is, “not laying again a FOUNDATION,” which he then contrasts against, “we should go on to MATURITY.” And he elaborates the elementary principles of Christ as the teachings in respect to repentance from dead work, faith in God, baptism[s], laying of hands, resurrection and eternal judgment, which are the very foundation of the MILK of the Christian faith. And it is in this respect the same as Isaiah, he says, “LEAVING these behind,” we ought to pursue the things of maturity which are of the Word of Righteousness. That is, passing through the Red Sea as Isaiah described is meant to encompass all the elementary principles of Christ, in being saved from sin through grace and not of works, being baptised into the death of the Lord and raised to a new life of the Spirit resulting in a NEW eternal Judgement of righteousness. Consider, even the sea they passed through is called the Red Sea, which ought to give us an impression of Blood.
And Peter also shows Milk belongs to new believers in order to establish them in the truth and bring them into maturity saying, “Therefore having put aside all malice, and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envies, and all evil speakings, like NEWBORN babies, crave pure reasonable MILK, so that by it you may GROW UP in respect to SALVATION, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:2-3. We are born on the Milk of the Truth that Jesus Christ died for the Sins of the World and was raised for our justification. Milk is an ESSENTIAL factor for a baby, without which no baby can survive, nonetheless a baby does not live its whole life on milk, it must come to the point when that baby is required to partake of solid foods and our growth as christians is not any different. We partake of solid food when we grow in the knowledge of God’s will and do them. Please Note, there is NO WORK we can do to qualify ourselves from sin, but there are good works which we are expected to engage in for righteousness. As Paul says, “For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
And this is the emphasis which God is making in Isaiah, He puts aside the great wonders He did in bringing Israel from Egypt and puts the focus on, when He made His dwelling in their midst in order to instruct them in all His ways. Now, this is not to diminish the importance of that former event, in fact we can refer to many examples in Scripture of the time how God reminded them that it was Him who brought them out of Egypt. Even so, the EMPHASISES God wants to make is on the Waters in the desert and the Rivers in the wilderness, which is an expression for the present walk with Him, through which the inheritance of the promised land is determined. Bear in mind, it is not the fact they passed through the Red Sea that qualified them to inherit the promised Land, even though it is an ESSENTIAL and INSEPARABLE aspect of it. But it is the fact that they have known His ways in order to walk with Him in faith, which enabled them to cross the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. And this is illustrated in the fact that even though Israel came into possession of the Land which was given to them to occupy forever, yet their ability to remain in the land was conditioned on their obedience to the ways of God.
And it is in this regard that Paul wrote, “And all [Israel] were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from the spiritual Rock accompanying them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was NOT WELL PLEASED with most of them, for they were strewn in the wilderness.” 1 Corinthians 10:2-5. The point is God put a GREATER emphasis on the Water that came out when the Rock was struck, than passing through the Red Sea. Please note EVEN though these processes are INSEPARABLE, in that the Death of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ saved us from the kingdom of Darkness but the GREATER reward is when God gives us Himself in the streams of Rivers of Waters. As the Lord Himself said, “I tell you the truth, it is PROFITABLE for you that I should go away; for unless I go away the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7. There is no greater gift in all of Creation than God giving Himself to us, as the Lord said to Abram, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Genesis 15:1.
We have to understand the ENTIRE purpose of the Suffering of Christ was to this one end, that is we may have the Spirit of God dwelling in us. As John says, “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. The one believing in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.’” Now He said this concerning the Spirit, whom those having believed in Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39. So, the Suffering of the Lord was always intended to bring us to God, so that we may be His Dwelling place, as Peter said, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, having been put to death indeed in the flesh, but having been made alive in the Spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18.
That is, God became FLESH like us to save us from Sin, but now He desires that we should be made spirit LIKE HIM so that we may inherit His kingdom. This is the POINT, the WORD became flesh in order to bear our curse of death, so that when He was raised from the dead as Spirit we also can be made spirits through Him, which was the ULTIMATE end which God had always purposed. We do NOT disregard the Fact Christ became flesh and all HIS body endured and suffered for our sakes, but we NO LONGER regard Christ according to the Flesh but according to the Spirit. That is why the Lord says, lay these things down and focus on the Spirit, the River of water that I have made to flow within you. As Paul says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14. And do not forget the, “the Lord is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17.
So, when we focus on the Body of Christ as in His flesh, we are then focusing on the things of the earth, that is of Sin and the Law, but He wants us to focus on the Second Man of Spirit that is Christ seated at the right hand of God, that is righteousness as the Lord said, “Concerning righteousness, because I go away to the Father and you behold Me no more.” John 16:10. The concept being, Christ Died in the Flesh so that we may forget the things of the Flesh, but He was raised from the dead as Spirit so that we may focus on the things of the Spirit. As Paul also says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, not the things on the earth. For you have died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3. Meaning we ought to live for righteousness!
That is why Paul says of Israel even though they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, yet with most of them He was NOT well pleased because they did NOT know His ways, in order to inherit the promise. Keep in mind the only way to please God is by faith as Paul in Hebrews says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For it behooves the one drawing near to God to believe that He exists and that He becomes a rewarder to those earnestly seeking Him out.” Hebrews 11:6. So, Israel failed to inherit the promise because they did not ACT in faith in believing His promises. For which reason the Holy Spirit said, “‘Always they go astray in their heart; and they have not known My ways;’ so I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter into My rest.’” Hebrews 3:10-11. Please bear in mind this is in respect to when Israel was on the way to the Promised Land, when He gave them the Commandments in the Ark, Water from the Rock and Manna from heaven. So the rest of which the Holy Spirit was speaking is in respect to obtaining the inheritance that is beyond the Jordan River.
The point is Water from the Rock and Manna from heaven are representations of spiritual food and drink, which we ourselves are meant to be partakers of in order to grow in the knowledge of His will, on which ground the inheritance of the Kingdom of God is based. The basic principle being the Death of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has saved us from the kingdom of darkness but that is not what God wants us to focus on, but on His Spirit that He has made to dwell in us in order to KNOW His ways and WALK in them, which is HOLINESS. As Paul says, “You may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk WORTHILY of the Lord: PLEASING in all, bringing forth FRUIT in every GOOD WORK, and growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10. However, we keep mistaking our deliverance from the kingdom of Darkness through no EFFORT on our part to be the condition for the inheritance of the Kingdom of God, and this is NOT TRUE.
The point is to direct our eyes to the things we ought to be in pursuit of and not of the things of the past. Which Paul describes saying, “To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from out of dead.” Philipians 3:10-11. Paul, is not speaking of the fact he is forgiven in Christ but standing on the truth of this foundation, he has made the pursuit of the knowledge of the Son of God to be the uttermost purpose of his life, in order to obtain the resurrection from the Dead. Which he elaborates on saying, “Not that already I have obtained it or already have been perfected, but I am pursuing, if also I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing indeed: Forgetting the things BEHIND and reaching forward to the things AHEAD, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14.
Paul is saying, he endeavours to fulfil the purpose for which Christ has first laid hold of him. Meaning, Paul is NOT oblivious to the part he has to play in order to obtain the inheritance of the kingdom of God. And for the third time we encounter again an admonishment to forget those things of the past and to pursue the things of the New. That is, Paul is not bringing to mind his deliverance from the state of the being in the flesh and sin, which is already put aside in the death of the Lord, but he has fully fledged himself to pursue the things of the Spirit through the knowledge of the Son of God, on which account is the upward call of the inheritance of the kingdom of God. [Ephesians 4:23-24, Colossians 3:10.] This is what is meant not to live for the forgiveness of the sins as in the death of the Last Adam but for righteousness which are of the things of the Life of the Second Man of the Spirit. As Paul repeatedly admonished Timothy saying, “Pursue Righteousness, faith, Peace and Love,” in 1 Timothy 6:11-12 and 2 Timothy 2:22.
Now, before we go any further it is IMPORTANT to establish AGAIN that we are NOT in anyway disregarding or diminishing the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing us out of the world of sin and death, but there is the balance between the old and the new, which is beautifully illustrated for us in the story of Israel, in the Bones of Joseph they carried for 40 years. Now, as we mentioned earlier there are two illustrations of the Messiah, one as the Son of Joseph the other as the Son of David, which in the previous study we described as the difference between the Last Adam and the Second Man. So here we will also explore the different aspects Messiah the Son of Joseph portrays to that of Messiah Son of David.
Messiah Ben Joseph: a Son to be Added
Even though we commonly know our Lord as the Son of David, His life on the Earth was far better portrayed in the life of Joseph more than any other character in the bible. [And if you want to explore this further, look up the study we have done titled, “Just Like Joseph!”] Now, the issue that confounded the disciples of the Lord as it does many people nowadays is in distinguishing the suffering aspect of the Messiah to that of His rulership. And Messiah Son of Joseph is purposely designed to portray the former aspect, as Jacob prophesied over Joseph saying, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly GRIEVED him, shot at him and HATED him. But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the STONE of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of HEAVEN above, blessings of the DEEP that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the UTMOST bound of the EVERLASTING hills. They shall be on the HEAD of Joseph, and on the CROWN of the head of him who was SEPARATED from his brothers.” Genesis 49:22-26.
The main focus Jacob made when he prophesied over Joseph was that of the suffering of the Messiah and the unparalleled blessing of everlasting life that came on the account of Him. Joseph is described as a Shepherd and a Stone of Israel. Now, the Stone aspect is speaking of being a foundation as Isaiah said, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.” Isaiah 28:16. Being laid as a foundation stone is a description for the Death the Messiah had to suffer, on which account He is blessed with, “the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” As Paul writes of the crucifixion of the Lord, “Therefore God also highly exalted Him, and granted to Him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in the heavens and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11. And the Lord, when He was raised from the dead also said, “All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to Me.” Matthew 28:18. Finally Jacob ends with, ALL THESE will be on the Head of Joseph, on the Crown of the One who was separated from His brothers. Meaning he is describing all the suffering Messiah Son of Joseph is meant to endure in bearing the curse of the world, that He may set the foundation for everlasting life in His DEATH. The Crown of which is a reference to the crown of thorns the Lord wore in bearing the curse of the world upon His head. [Isaiah 53:5.]
And there is an incredible association of the death of Joseph in relation to Israel coming out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, which is related to us in the bones Moses carried. Exodus states, “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.” Exodus 13:19. The significance of this point is compounded even more when we consider, Joseph was separated from all his brothers not only in life but even in his death. That is, when Jacob died in the land of Egypt, his body was carried back to the land of Canaan “beyond the Jordan” to be buried. [Genesis 50:10-11.] And the SAME was done to every one of Jacob’s sons with the exception of ONE, that is Joseph, as Luke writes, “And Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers, and they were carried over into Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.” Acts 7:15-16.
The point is, the bones of Joseph are meant to portray the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ through which we are meant to cross the Red Sea of Death and Hades. And this association is further established in the fact that when the Lord was crucified, Matthew states, “And evening having arrived, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself also was discipled to Jesus. Having gone to Pilate, he asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded it to be given up. And Joseph, having taken the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in HIS new TOMB, which he had cut in the rock.” Matthew 27:57, Mark 15:56, Luke 23:53. The important point here is that the body of the Lord was laid to rest in a tomb that belonged to a man called Joseph. So, it is through His death that the Lord invalidated the power of Death, Hades and the Devil as stated in Hebrews 2:14. And it is this very point the Bones of Joseph which Israel carried through the Red Sea is meant to signify, as the portrayal of the suffering of Messiah Son of Joseph. There is NO OTHER reason why the Bones of Joseph was left separated for nearly four hundred years, while his father and brothers rested with Abraham.
And the significance of the bones of Joseph they carried is understated throughout the 40 years Israel spent in the wilderness. Yet they carried his bones with them when they moved from one site to another until his final resting place was recorded in the Book of Joshua in the final chapter. [Joshua 24:32.] And this relates directly to us in our Christian walk, as Paul says, “Always carrying around the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus also should be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:10. And also in the Lord’s supper we partake which Paul expounded on saying, “For as often as you may eat this bread and may drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He should come.” 1 Corinthians 11:26. That is, in a world that is run by the enemy, it is the Death and suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ which we proclaim that gives us victory over all the works of the enemy. As John also says, “And they have overcome him [the devil] by reason of the blood of the Lamb, and by reason of the word of their testimony;” Revelation 12:11. So, we as pilgrims in the world as those walking in the wilderness carry the Death of the Lord with us, so that the River of His life may be manifested in our mortal body.
So, Messiah Son of Joseph is a representation of the Body of the Lord that endured ALL the afflictions, and is an illustration for the means by which the Mercy and Grace of God is given. As Paul says, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning their trespasses to them.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. And again, “Much more did the grace of God and the gift in grace, which is of the one man Jesus Christ, abound to the many!” Romans 5:15. [Romans 3:24-25.] And this is illustrated in the life of Joseph through his humility and forbearance, in that he did not exact punishment upon anyone, not on Potiphar or his wife on whose false accusation Joseph was imprisoned, nor on any of his brothers who bound and sold him into slavery. In fact Joseph was heart broken and wept when his brothers feared that he might exact vengeance on them, to which he responded saying, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Genesis 50:17-21. So, in all that Joseph had endured, we will be hard pressed to find a single instance of harshness in him, but only that of a SILENT LAMB. In that, from his fathers house in Canaan all the way to the dungeons of Pharaoh in Egypt, Joseph was an example of complete obedience, through which he became an expression for the outflow of the blessings of God. [Philippians 2:5-11.]
Meaning, the death of the Lord is an essential aspect of the foundation that undergirds our present life in the flesh but the focus is on the NEW WAY of life, which is represented in the Ark they carried and of the RIVER that sprung in the wilderness on the account of the Glorification of Christ. That is, the Lord in His death delivered us from something we could NEVER do anything right to overcome, but now His life EMPOWERS us to live according to His will. The River of Water signifies POWER and AUTHORITY, as the Lord said to His disciples, “But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and you will be witnesses for Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8. And it is this aspect the Second Man of Messiah is meant to portray.
Last of all, EVEN the name of Joseph, which is translated to mean, “God will add to me another son.” Genesis 30:24. Is pointing to this very fact of the Second Man of the Spirit that was to COME after, that is Messiah Son of David, which means the “Beloved.” The moment of which was established when the Lord was baptised in the Jordan River, “And immediately, having been baptized, Jesus went up from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and alighting upon Him. And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, ‘This is my Son, the BELOVED, in whom I was well pleased.’” Matthew 3:16-17. [Ephesians 1:5-6.]
Messiah Ben David: the Beloved Son
Here is where we are introduced to an aspect of the Messiah no longer in weakness, but in POWER. That is, as we have established Joseph to be the illustration of the Body of Christ which is in weakness for the suffering of death. However, we are now introduced to the Messiah as an aspect of the Spirit Man. Which Paul describes as, “For indeed He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power.” 2 Corinthians 13:4. [Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 9:14.] In that, from the very first moment young David is introduced to us as a prospective king of Israel, he was endowed by the power of God. And this is recorded in 1st Samuel as, “So he sent and brought him [David] in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, ANOINT him; for this is the one!” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” 1 Samuel 16:12-13. This we can contrast to that of Joseph to whom we are also introduced at a young age, but his was overshadowed by the tumultuous relationship which he had with his brothers and eventually resulted in his great suffering. [Genesis 37:1-4.] The point is for us to associate the death of the Messiah in the bones of Joseph they carried, to that of the POWER of the New Man of the Spirit in the Life of David.
Now, one of the mysteries of the Bible is the way the Holy Spirit has hidden the age of David, until the day comes for him to rule over Judah in the city of Hebron at the age of 30. [2 Samuel 5:4.] As IMPORTANT as David is, it is very conspicuous that his age is kept secret, which has led many to guess his age from the moment he was anointed to the time he spent in exile. Especially when we consider that the Lord Jesus Christ is known as the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. [Matthew 1:1.] So we would expect the same detailed account of age as with Abraham and even of his counterpart Joseph. But God has purposely hidden this from us in order to portray, David is meant to illustrate, the resurrected Christ and as the New Man of the Spirit His age is of no consequence, being outside of the time frame of the world. But we are told the age of Joseph from the very moment we are introduced to him at the tender age of 17, since he represents the Flesh Body of Christ.
Now, there are two representations of the Lord Jesus Christ in His victory, which Paul describes as, “He worked in Christ, having raised Him out from the dead, and having set Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.” and, “He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be HEAD over all things to the church, which is His BODY, the fullness of the One filling all in all.” Ephesians 1:20,22-23. That is, the present state of Christ can be both described as, in Heaven as the exalted Son of David seated with His Father on His Throne, which is the Head, as well as on Earth as One enduring suffering with His body, working to sanctify His bride by His Holy Spirit. And this is represented in Joshua Son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim, which we will address later.
The Head: Christ in Heaven Glorified
And Jacob prophesied on the aspect of the Messiah as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah saying, “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The SCEPTER shall not depart from Judah, nor a LAWGIVER from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.” Genesis 49:8-12.
From the very first instant the impression Jacob gives of the Messiah as a descendant of the tribe of Judah, is one of a battling warrior subduing his enemies. And, from the moment we were introduced to David being anointed king of Israel and the Holy Spirit coming upon him, the next significant event we are told of David is, when he went down the valley of Elah to confront the Philistine warrior Goliath in 1st Samuel 17. Please note the illustration this story portrays, Israel is on one side of the mountain of the valley and the Philistines are on the other side, so for David and Goliath to confront one another they had to descend to the base of the valley of Elah, which is a portrayal of the Lord entering the depth of Hades in death as Hebrews says, “So that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:14. So as we saw the suffering Servant laid in the bones of Joseph in sacrifice, His victory is now declared to us from the depth in a Man made alive by the Spirit of God in David.
The victory of which is declared when He crushed the head of the serpent in decapitating the head of Goliath by his very own sword, which is an aspect of putting away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, thereby rendering the devil powerless. [Hebrews 9:26.] Which Peter describes as, “Him delivered up by the determinate plan and foreknowledge of God, you put to death, having crucified Him by lawless hands, whom God raised up, having loosed the agony of death, inasmuch as it was not possible for Him to be held by it.” Acts 2:23-24. The point is to portray the Lord as the Man of the Spirit, WHEN He was raised from the dead which Paul describes as, “Even though we have regarded Christ according to FLESH, yet now we regard Him thus no longer.” 2 Corinthians 5:16. And this ought to give us an idea of what it means to be born again, that is the Spirit of God coming to dwell in us on the account we are delivered from being in the flesh through the Lord Jesus Christ. [Romans 8:9.]
Now, the war aspect of Messiah Son of David is expressed against the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places, as Jacob says, “Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.” And Paul writes, “Because to us the wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12. And as we described above, we do not see Joseph as a representation of Messiah in the flesh lifting one hand against anyone. But we see David, as the Man of the Spirit descending to Hades and destroying the devil. Which Paul describes as, “Having disarmed the rulers and the authorities, He made a show of them in public, having triumphed over them in it.” Colossians 2:15. So the battles of David are an expression of spiritual battles which he engages in being anointed by the Holy Spirit, starting from Goliath. [1 John 3:8.] So Messiah Son of David is an expression of the resurrected Christ no longer as the Last Adam who was made flesh but the Second Man of Heaven, who was made Spirit. [1 Corinthians 15:45-47.] And it is in this state that He wages war, which began when the Lord was glorified to His Father’s throne being raised from the dead, and is described by John in Revelation 12:7-9 as, “there was war in heaven.” The counterpart of which is described in Exodus when God brought Israel out of Egypt by destroying Pharaoh and his army in the depth of the Red Sea, and God was introduced as, “The Lord is a Man of War.” Exodus 15:3.
Having said all this, the part that concerns us as it relates to the present age is taught by Pastor Joseph Prince from the perspective of the time king David spent in the wilderness running from Saul. And Paul says, “Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by the own blood. Therefore we should go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have an abiding city, but we are seeking for the coming one.” Hebrews 13:12-14. The basic concept of which is an aspect of being rejected by the world, as the Lord said, “I have given them Your word, and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from evil.” John 17:14-15. For which, the rebellious king Saul tormented by evil spirits, is an aspect of one that brings persecution on those who believe in the Lord. That is, the spirit of the Antichrist that works in the sons of disobedience, which seeks to stifle, silence and kill so that by any means necessary he might hinder the truth of Christ. [2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Ephesians 2:2, 1 John 4:3.]
Now, when David fled from the sight of Saul, the Bible states, “David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.” 1 Samuel 22:1-2. This is an illustration of all those that arose with Christ when He was resurrected from the dead, as Matthew states, “And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints having fallen asleep arose. And having gone forth out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.” Matthew 27:52-53. That is, David as the Resurrected Christ, which is a representation of the Second Man of the Spirit is being described with all the spoils of war, which the Lord took from the depth of Hades.
And the Lord teaching on this VERY subject said, “When the strong man being armed might guard his house, his possessions are in peace. But when one stronger than he, having come upon him, shall overcome him, he takes away his complete ARMOR in which he had trusted, and he divides his PLUNDER.” Luke 11:21-23. Now, the first thing that is recorded before David went into the wilderness of Israel is that he went to the city of Nob, and took the Sword of Goliath. [1 Samuel 21:9.] That is to say, he took away the armour by which the devil trusted, as the Lord said, “Fear not. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. And I was dead, and behold I am living to the ages of the ages, and I have the KEYS of Death and of Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18. That is in putting away SIN by the sacrifice of Himself, the Lord invalidated the means by which the devil exercised the power of death, through which he held the souls of mankind captive.
Now, the PLUNDER is described in two types of people, the first is in relation to his brothers and all his fathers house, which is meant to represent the nation of Israel, that is the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As Daniel says, “And at that time YOUR people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:1-2. The Second type of people are the ones described as, the distressed, the indebted and all that are discontented, which reaches as far back as those who perished in the time of the flood, as Peter says, “[Jesus Christ] having been made alive in the spirit, in which also having gone, He preached to the spirits in prison at one time having disobeyed, when the longsuffering of God was waiting in the days of Noah, of the ark being prepared, in which a few—that is, eight souls—were saved through water.” 1 Peter 3:18-20. And again, encompassing all those who have died prior to the cross, Peter says, “For to this end the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but they might live in the spirit according to God.” 1 Peter 4:6. And this is what is illustrated in the 400 men that gathered about David.
And this analogy is carried further when we consider that, the first portion of Daivd’s exile is described in the time he spent in the wilderness of Israel hiding from Saul. And as the Lord said, to another Saul from the same tribe of Benjamin, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” Acts 9:4. Likewise, David confronted Saul king of Israel on two occasions, saying, “For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it.” 1 Samuel 24:11. And again, “Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand?” 1 Samuel 26:18. Each time sparing the life of Saul unwilling to raise a hand against him or any of those who were with him. However, the second event was marked with the end of the days David spent in the land of Israel, “And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand. Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.” 1 Samuel 27:1-2.
This is specifying the conclusion of the INITIAL ministry of the Gospel to the Jews. As Saul of Tarsus declared, “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken first to you. But since you thrust it away and do not judge yourselves worthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For thus the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, you to be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth.’” Acts 13:46-47. This is in respect to the partial blindness that came upon Israel, which Paul describes in Romans 11:25. Now, when David first ran away from Saul the bible records 400 people gathered about him, which we have attributed to all those that were raised from the dead with the Lord. But now, when David runs away from the land of Israel, it is recorded that 600 people went with him. This difference in number is meant to represent all those that gave their life to death during the Lord’s ministry to the Jews, which Revelation 7:4 describes as the 144,000 that were sealed from among all the tribes of Israel. That is the rejection of the truth of God is measured in the blood of His saints, as John says, “Until their fellow SERVANTS would also be complete, and their BROTHERS, those being about to be killed as they also had been.” Revelation 6:11. And Daniel describes this as, “And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.” Daniel 11:33. [Hebrews 10:32-34.]
Now, it is IMPORTANT to NOTE, the 144,000 are NOT yet to come but have ALREADY been. This is one of the biggest MISTAKES which many Christians persistently make, by attributing the 144,000 as future evangelists. In which regard NOT even John calls them WITNESSES, but as those standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion saying, “have been redeemed out from men as FIRSTFRUITS to God and to the Lamb.” Revelation 14:4. However, in respect to those who are YET to come to evangelise Israel, he writes, “I will grant to my two WITNESSES, and they will prophesy a thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” Revelation 11:3. Whose ministry is meant to MIRROR that of Moses and Aaron, in bringing Israel out of the world, which is about to face the wrath of God. The Key word being “witnesses,” which the Lord calls His disciples when He sends them into the world, as in John 15:27 and as well as in Acts 1:8. However, 144,000 are like the ones which Paul described as, “Mount Zion, and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, and the assembly, to the church of the firstborn having been enrolled in the heavens and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous having been PERFECTED, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.” Hebrews 12:22-24. Meaning they are ALREADY in Heaven and in the presences of God and Christ!
Now, the sequence of events which came after the 144,000 described in Revelation 14, is the ministry of the Gospel to every nation, tribe, tongue and people. And David coming to the land of the Philistines to dwell in a city called Ziklag, which Achish king of Gath gave him is also meant to express the SAME ministry. And for the best part of his exile, which was nearly 1 year and four months, David spent it in this city, until the day he was restored to the land of Judah. [1 Samuel 27:5-7.] And this period is described by both Luke a writer of the Gospel to the Gentiles and by Paul an Apostle to the Gentiles as, “the times of the Gentiles,” in Luke 21:24 & in Romans 11:24. And this city that once belonged to the Philistines no longer did, but was added as a territory to the kings of Judah, as one that became partaker of the commonwealth of Israel. [Ephesians 2:19.]
Furthermore, the name Ziklag in Hebrew means, “to press down,” and this is meant to illustrate an image of an olive being pressed in order to produce the oil. That is the flow of the Holy Spirit that came on the account of Christ having been crushed for us, which is also illustrated in the Rock which Moses struck in the wilderness. [Exodus 17:6.] And Joel prophesied of this day saying, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.” Joel 2:28. Now, if you would accept it, the reason the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is described here and not earlier is in order to portray the Spirit of God being poured out on ALL FLESH, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles, since it is one Spirit that is poured out on ALL without any distinction. [1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:4.]
The Body: Christ on Earth Sanctified
Now, the concept of Messiah Son of David, the Spirit-Man seated at the right hand of God in the Heavenly realms is manifested in the Earth through the Holy Spirit. And this is illustrated in the wilderness of Sinai through Joshua son of Nun, to whom we are introduced RIGHT after Moses struck the Rock in the Exodus 17:9. In which regard Paul says, “All drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from the Spiritual Rock accompanying them, and the Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4. And the introduction of Joshua was IMMEDIATELY followed by the war that was waged by Amalek. Amalek, as the son and descendant of Esau is meant to represent the flesh of mankind. [Genesis 36:12.] As such Paul says, “For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are opposed to one another in order that you should not do those things you might wish.” Galatians 5:17. And again the same battle is described by Paul as, “For if you live according to flesh, you are about to die; but if by the SPIRIT you put to DEATH the deeds of the BODY, you will live.” Romans 8:13. Meaning, we are EXPECTED to put the desires of the old man of the flesh, which grows corrupt to DEATH by the Spirit of God.
The detail of which is described in Exodus as, “And so it was, when Moses HELD UP his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he LET DOWN his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a STONE and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” Exodus 17:11-12. PLEASE NOTE, the posture of Moses resting on the STONE with his hands lifted up to heaven in prayer, which determined the victory or loss of Israel led by Joshua. Likewise, the Spirit of God works in us as we REST on the truth of His WORD and make our request known to God in prayer. [Philippians 4:6-7.] The IMPORTANT point for us to realise is that the Spirit of God ONLY works WITH the WORD of God, as Peter says, “He has given to us the precious and magnificent PROMISES, so that THROUGH these you might become partakers of the DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the decay in the world in desire.” 2 Peter 1:4. And if it is by the Spirit it is ALWAYS by Faith through Grace, through which we overcome the flesh! [Galatians 3:3-5.] Last of all, Aaron from the tribe of Levi and Hur from the tribe of Judah, are meant to represent the manner we are supposed to approach God, that is as Priests and Kings. [1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:5-6, Hebrews 4:16.]
And this is the MEAT of our Christian walk, the Spirit of the Lord is engaged in battle against the flesh for the purpose of sanctifying us, which Paul describes as, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might SANCTIFY her, having cleansed her by the WASHING of WATER by the WORD, so that He might present to Himself the church in glory, not having spot or wrinkle or any of the such things, but that it would be holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25-27. [Titus 2:12-14.] And as it was with Israel and Moses, the work of the Lord in SANCTIFYING us is also DETERMINED by our willingness to work with Him in abiding in His Word and the persistence of our prayer. Which we are expected to engage in until the going down of the sun, that is “enduring to the end.” Matthew 24:13. Now, it is IMPORTANT for us to know what is meant by sanctification, which Paul defined as, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: You are to abstain from sexual immorality; each of you to know how to win mastery over his own vessel in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, as also the Gentiles, not knowing God.” 1 Thess. 4:3-5. [Ephesians 4:17-24.] Meaning having victory over our own body is an essential aspect of sanctification.
Now, the best illustration of Joshua the son of Nun, as the present manifestation of Christ is described as, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a YOUNG man, did not depart from the tabernacle.” Exodus 33:11. That is to say, Joshua was outside the camp as in Hebrews 13:12 and is EVER PRESENT in the presence of God, which is a portrayal of the present state of the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of God making intercession for us. [Romans 8:34.] Note again the illustration of Joshua as a YOUTH the same as David, in that his age is also hidden from us, in that He being Spirit is not represented according to the time frame of the world. And it is a portrayal of the Spirit of Christ coming to dwell in our mortal body, which is an aspect of being Born Again as we have described above. [Romans 8:9-10, 2 Corinthians 4:11.]
As such Joshua the son of Nun from the tribe of Ephraim a son of Joseph is meant to represent the present state of Grace which we are living in. And this is best portrayed in the writing of John as, “And one of the elders says to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and its seven seals.” And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as having been SLAIN, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God having been sent out into all the earth.” Revelation 5:5-6. That is, John heard the victory of Messiah Son of David but his eyes saw Messiah Son of Joseph whose body suffered the pain of death, through whom the Seal of the dispensation of the Grace of God was opened. So, it is a matter of perspective, as far as heaven is concerned He is Messiah Son of David as One who has overcome to sit with His Father on His throne and is a fully fledged Spirit-Man with a spiritual body, but as far as it concerns us, that is those who are still in the world and are in a mortal body of flesh, He is still portrayed in Heaven as Messiah Son of Joseph the means by which the GRACE & MERCY of God is bestowed.
Furthermore, Joshua son of Nun is of the tribe of the Ephraim, who is a son of Joseph and one whom Jacob adopted as his own, saying, “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” Genesis 48:5. And the name Ephraim is translated to mean “to be fruitful,” and Manasseh to mean “forgetting the affliction.” [Genesis 41:51-52.] Now, there are two concepts of blessing which we need to consider as it relates to Joseph and Ephraim. In regards to Joseph, Jacob said, “blessings of the breasts and of the womb,” which is meant to represent multiplication. As the Lord said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat, having fallen into the ground, should die, it abides alone; but if it should die, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24. And a similar blessing is also extended to Ephraim saying, “Truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of NATIONS.” Genesis 48:19. Note, the reference which Jacob makes in regards to NATIONS, that is the blessing has broken the confines of the children of Israel in order to include the Gentiles. That is in Christ, the last Adam who became a life-giving spirit, has become a means by which a multitude of nations from both Jews and Gentiles are made spirits. [Ephesians 2:14-22.]
So, in essence Joshua son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim is an expression of those who are born to be spirits through the Sacrifice of the Messiah Son of Joseph in order to bear FRUIT to God. [Romans 7:4.] And it is in this RESPECT Joshua son of Nun is commissioned, God saying to Moses, “Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to INHERIT it.” Deuteronomy 1:38. Note the cascading effect, Son of Joseph caused us to be spirits in His suffering of death, but now Son of Ephraim causes us to bear fruit IN ORDER for us to inherit the kingdom of God. As the Lord said, “To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive FORGIVENESS of sins and an inheritance among those having been SANCTIFIED by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18. That is, Joshua son of Nun, as the Spirit of Christ that has come to dwell in us, is meant to cause us to be sanctified by putting to death the deeds of the body. So, Ephraim, and Manasseh sons of Joseph are meant to represent the suffering we are meant to endure as we bear the fruit of sanctification. As Paul in Hebrews says, “And all discipline indeed for those being present, does not seem to be of joy, but of grief; but afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those having been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11. And again, “But now, having been set free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end is eternal life.” Romans 6:22. [Romans 8:17-18, Philippians 3:10-11, 1 Peter 4:1-2.]
The Wife of Messiah Ben David
Now, there are two main events that are associated with the Lord’s return. The FIRST and most important one is in regards to His return to receive His bride to Himself. The IMPORTANCE being according to the theme of our study, THIS is the MEAT of our salvation, in the illustration of the work of Sanctification, through which we become partakers of His nature and become inheritors of the kingdom of God. This is described by John as, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He APPEARS, we will be LIKE Him, for we will see Him as He is. And EVERYONE having this hope in Him PURIFIES himself, just as He is PURE.” 1 John 3:2-3. Note, the way John applies the hope of being made like Him to the CONDITION of purification, that is sanctification. And the same concept is relayed in Philippians by Paul where he contrasts those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ living to the dictates of their flesh, against those who have set their hope in heaven to obtain a body of glorification like that of the Lord. [Philippians 3:20-21.] The process of which was summarised by Paul as, “By any means, I may attain to the resurrection from out of dead.” Philippians 3:11.
This moment will be fulfilled, when the Lord returns in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, to gather His elect to Himself as described in Matthew as, “And He will send His angels with a great TRUMPET call, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to the ends thereof.” Matthew 24:31. And this moment is described by Paul saying, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we, the living remaining, will be caught away together with them in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air; and so we will be always with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:16-17. The result of which is that, we will become fully-fledged spirits with a spiritual body, like that of the immortal spiritual body of the Lord, Messiah Son of David. [1 Cor. 15:51-54.] Then we might say, we are truly BORN spirits, those who went before us through death but we through rapture. And we will spend the next Seven years in heaven celebrating the Marriage supper of the Lamb as described in Revelation 19:6-9.
Now, the TRUMPET call that lifts the saints to be in the presence of God is also the Sixth Trumpet call that is described in Revelation 9, which ushers in a time of GREAT distress to those that are left on the earth. Which is expressed in two portions of a Seven year period. The first half of this period is given as it relates to the gathering of the children of Israel through the ministries of the Two Witness described in Revelation 11:1-13, which was also prophesied about in Zechariah 4:11-14. The Second half of this period is a time when the spirit of the Antichrist [the beast,] will rule over the whole earth through his false prophet [the horn,] described in Revelation 13. During which he will greatly persecute those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who refuse to worship him or receive his mark. The end of this Seven-year period is marked when the dragon, the beast and the false prophet gather the armies of the nation to invade the land of Israel and bring upon them great persecution as described in Revelation 16:12-16, ushering in the return of the Lord.
Now, the SECOND Coming of the Lord has to do with the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, in which respect, Jacob said, “And His garment was washed in the blood of grapes.” And the meaning of this term is elaborated by Isaiah saying, “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes.” Isaiah 63:2-3. Both Jacob and Isaiah were describing the moment when the Lord returns to the Earth to subdue the rebellious nations with might and power. The fulfilment of which is described by John as, “And I saw heaven having been opened, and behold, a white horse, and the One sitting upon it called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. Now His eyes are like a flame of fire, and upon His head many diadems, having a name having been written, which no one except He Himself knows, and having been clothed with a garment having been dipped in blood. And His name is called The Word of God.” Revelation 19:11-13. The point is that, the Blood of Grapes staining His garment is an expression for the judgment of the Wrath of God, resulting in the destruction of the sons of disobedience. In which regard John said, “And the angel put forth his sickle to the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed out of the winepress.” Revelation 14:19-20.
The Next point we will address in the prophecy of Jacob about Messiah Son of David, is in regards to his statement, “The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet.” The meaning of this term is elaborated by David as, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of RIGHTEOUSNESS is the SCEPTER of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” Psalms 45:5-6. A Scepter is an object that is meant to illustrate the rule of governance of a kingdom, as such, the Kingdom of God is ruled by Righteousness. In contrast the kingdom of Darkness is ruled by lawlessness, under which we find the present world. [Isaiah 14:4-5. Ephesians 2:2-3.]
The point is, this is the juncture where the process of implementing the Kingdom of God, that started 2000 years ago is coming to a conclusion. And we can compare this to the life of David in that, even though David was anointed to be king over Israel by God, yet the kingdom was NOT yet brought under him. Similarly, Paul in Hebrew says of Christ, “But at present NOT yet do we see all things having been SUBJECTED to Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death, having been CROWNED with GLORY and with HONOUR.” Hebrews 2:8-9. And the present state of the Lord can be described as One awaiting the fulfilment of the word of the Lord that said, “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Psalms 110:1. This where we find ourselves at the cusp of the Last portion of this process, which is to be under the Righteous rule of Messiah Son of David and is described by Paul as, “Then the end, when He shall hand over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He shall have ANNULLED all dominion, and all authority and power. For it behooves Him to reign UNTIL He shall have put all the enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-27.
And this age that is to come is called the millennium reign of Christ, as described in Revelation 20:5-6. And it is this period which David prophesied about in Psalm 2:7-12, when the whole world is ruled by a Scepter of Righteousness. In which respect, John says, “And the one overcoming and keeping My works until the end, I will give to him AUTHORITY over the nations, and he will SHEPHERD them with a ROD of IRON, as the vessels of the potter are broken in pieces—just as I also have received from My Father.” Revelation 2:26-27. Which is the fulfilment of the prophecy of David encompassing the bride of Christ, as having become co-inheritors and co-labourers with the Lord. The IMPORTANT point to note here is that, the sceptre of the kingdom of darkness is BROKEN, in that Satan and all his cohorts are bound and cast into the bottomless pit for 1000 years, as such there are NO EVIL spirits to deceive the nations any longer. [Revelation 20:3.] And the world is now brought under the Righteous influence of the Lord, Messiah Son of David, with His wife, working to shepherd them in this course, which entails the rebuke and course correction of many nations so that flesh-mankind may produce the works of righteousness, for which reason the Lord says, “shepherd them with a Rod of Iron.” [Isaiah 2:3-4.]
Now, there is a point worth considering, Messiah Son of David and His bride have taken on a spiritual body, as such being SPIRITS our presence on the earth is a difficult one to explain. However, we can have some understanding in this respect when we consider, the present world is ruled from the heavenly places by a sceptre of wickedness. Likewise, we can surmise during the millennium reign of Christ we can expect we will occupy the VACANT places that are left by the heavenly hosts of wickedness in order to rule over this world, through the Scepter of Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if you would accept it, this also means during that period those on the earth that are of flesh-mankind will not necessarily perceive us in our form, the same way we at this moment do not perceive neither angels nor evil spirits. Yet, we will have authority to influence them in the way of righteousness, bearing in mind the people of this age will be JUDGED for the work of righteousness which they have done as described in Matthew 25:31-46.
The comparable event in the story of David, in his return to the land of Israel is marked by two main events, the first is that Israel was defeated before her enemies, during which Saul king of Israel fell. The Second is during the SAME exact moment as Saul and Israel are falling before the Philistines, Ziklag was being raided by the Amalkites, “Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the THIRD DAY, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken CAPTIVE the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.” 1 Samuel 30:1-2. Among whom were, “David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.” [vs.5] The first point we will address here is the time frame that identifies these two simultaneous events as having taken place on, “the Third Day.” This is significant because it refers to the time, the Lord is expected to return on the dawning of the third millennium. In which respect Hosea says, “After two days He will revive us; On the THIRD day He will RAISE us up, that we may LIVE in His sight.” Hosea 6:2. So the Third day as it pertains to Israel is referring to the resurrection of those that fell into captivity as Israel fell before her enemies.
Now, in this regard Zechariah says, “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into CAPTIVITY, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” Zechariah 14:1-2. Here, Zechariah is describing Israel being defeated by her enemies as prophesied in Revelation 13:7 and Revelation 16:14. The consequence of this defeat is that many will lose their lives objecting to the rule of Antichrist and his false prophet, in standing for their faith in the Lord, which John describes as, “The SOULS of those having been BEHEADED because of the TESTIMONY of JESUS and because of the word of God, and those who did NOT worship the beast, nor his image, and did not take the mark upon the forehead, and upon their hand. And they LIVED and REIGNED with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4. [Revelation 15:2-4.] Note: it is the Dead that LIVED and Reigned.
The point is this, David and Ziklag are an expression of a spiritual reality in respect to the consequence that is related to the defeat of Israel under the kingship of Saul. So, when Hosea says, “He will RAISE us up, that we may LIVE in His sight,” he is speaking of the resurrection of the SOULS that were beheaded, which John describes saying, “they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Bear in mind, David is the expression for Messiah Son of David as Spirit-Man, so those that are raised during this time are also raised to be spirits along with the Saints, that is the bride of Christ. That is, the wife of the Messiah Son of David, must include those that are raised last, as stated in Revelation 6:11. This is also the SAME moment which Ezekiel 37 prophesied about, just before the Messiah Son of David being established as King over them described in Ezekiel 37:24-28.
Now, the captivity of the two wives of David, “Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite,” is in reference to those who came to faith during this time of tribulation and as a consequence lost their lives. John describes the spiritual state of Israel and Jerusalem during the Seven years of tribulation as, “which is called spiritually SODOM and EGYPT, where also their Lord was crucified.” Revelation 11:8. And David’s two wives are meant to reflect these two spiritual realities of Israel, from the midst of which they are saved. Which Paul described saying, “And so all Israel will be saved, as it has been written: “The One Delivering will come out of Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is the covenant from Me to them, when I shall take away their sins.” Romans 11:26-27. [Isaiah 59:20, Psalm 130:8, Joel 3:21.] That is, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, was a mother of Amnom who committed sexual immorality in forcing Tamar his half sister. Which in essence is a definition of Sodom according to Ezekiel, which in having abundance of things resulting in idleness, and in this state of being lifted up committed an abomination before the Lord. [Ezekiel 16:49-50.]
Likewise, Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, is an expression for those that are in bondage. In that she being a WIDOW, is to express the same sentiment which Paul described saying, “Likewise, my brothers, you also have been put to death to the Law through the body of Christ, for you to belong to another, to the One having been raised out from the dead, so that we should bear fruit to God.” Romans 7:4. Note: Only Israel was married to God through the Law, from which she needed to be set free through death. The Law is BONDAGE, for which reason Israel’s spiritual state is described as Egypt. In which respect Paul corresponded the current Jerusalem under the Law to Hagar, an Egyptian slave in Galatians 4:24-25. And this is what the widowhood of Abigail is meant to reflect. NOTE, Nabal also means foolishness, that is, it is FOOLISH for anyone to suppose they can attain the righteousness of God through the Law, as Paul says, “By works of the Law, not any flesh will be justified before Him; for through the Law is knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20. [Romans 4:13, Romans 9:31-32, Romans 10:3-4, Galatians 2:16.] And recall to mind how Nabal scoffed at the thought of David saying, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.” 1 Samuel 25:10. That is, those under the Law find it very hard to accept Christ, as one who broke away from the traditions of the fathers. The point being, Ahinoam represents those who turn from the life of sin, and Abigail represents those who turn from the bondage of the Law, both of whom will put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in the last days and be saved.
And the deliverance of the two wives of David from the hands of Amalekites reflect the spiritual reality of resurrection. “So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.” 1 Samuel 30:9-10. Note the spiritual significance of the 400 that crossed the Brook Besor with David, and the 200 that were left behind. Remember, the 400 were those that were raised with the Lord, being released from the CAPTIVITY of Death and Hades, for which the number 400 is meant to reflect. [Genesis 15:13.] So the same number here portrays the same process of resurrection from the grips of Death and Hades, applying to those who during this time of tribulation have lost their lives represented in the two wives of David, as John says, “the Souls that were beheaded… lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” That is during the time of the second half of the tribulation HEAVEN is CLOSED, so all those who lose their lives for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ during this period will be held captive in Hades. [Revelation 15:8.] And it is also for the very same reason why the two hundred did not cross the Brook Besor, because those who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ during the time of GRACE, will NEVER know Death or Hades, as the Lord said, “If anyone keeps My word, he shall never TASTE of death, to the age.” John 8:52. So, Messiah Son of David, for the SECOND time plundered the depth of Hades, and rescued all those that were taken captive, during this period of tribulation. [1 Samuel 30:18-19.]
The last point we will address is that, when David returned after recovering the captives, he received word that Saul had fallen and Israel was defeated before her enemies. At which point having inquired of the Lord, he went to Hebron with all his men and household and there the men of Judah anointed him king over the house of Judah, where he remained for the next seven years being in conflict with the house of Soul. [2 Samuel 2:1-4.] And it is at this point, we for the FIRST time are told the age of David to be 30 years old. The significance for us is that it marks the beginning of 1000 years reign of Christ, no longer as Ruler in heaven but also over the kingdoms of Earth having been brought under Him. [Revelation 11:15.] The age 30, is an optimum spiritual age, for which even Joseph became the second to Pharaoh at the very same age. [Genesis 41:46, 2 Samuel 5:4.] So even though Messiah Son of David is the New Man of the Spirit, nonetheless His age is revealed because it is told in relation to the 1000 years reign which is within the confines of time on Earth, then the end must come.
Jericho, Rehab and Scarlet Cord
In the previous section we addressed the Second Coming of Christ from the perspective of Messiah Son of David, the Spirit Man coming down with the saints to Earth. In this section we will address this very same moment from the perspective of those who are alive and remain on Earth, as it is related in the story of Israel crossing the Jordan River carrying the Ark of God with Joshua son of Nun as their Head. That is, Joshua son of Nun from the tribe of Ephraim is a representation of the Lord coming to dwell in the midst of His people through the Holy Spirit for the purpose of bearing FRUIT to God. And as Paul specified, saying, “And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we, the living remaining, will be caught away together with them in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air,” so in this section we will address those that are caught away. The main point being, this is from the perspective of those who never experience death, but are changed to be spirits like the Lord in a blink of a moment. [1 Cor. 15:51-52.]
In this story God commanded Joshua saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure.” Joshua 3:3-4. The first point we address is the obvious gap of 2000 cubits the Lord instructed to be between the people and the Ark of God. This is meant to represent the 2000 years that have passed from the very first moment the Lord made the way for mankind to enter the kingdom of Heaven. [Hebrews 9:24.] After which Joshua commanded the people to SANCTIFY themselves in preparation for this moment and commanded the priest bearing the Ark to go before the people. Here, it is important to emphasise AGAIN it is through Sanctification that we inherit the Kingdom of God, which is the MEAT of the faith. And this is the part we miss, we understand we are justified from sin by the blood of the Lamb, in being delivered from the kingdom of Darkness, but we struggle at the thought it is through SANCTIFICATION that we inherit the Kingdom of God. [Acts 26:18, Romans 6:22, Ephesians 4:24, 1 Thess. 4:7-8, Hebrews 12:14.] Consider: When Israel crossed the Red Sea NOT one Isralite was required to be Sanctified, they had to go out in a rush. However, at the banks of the Jordan River, they are commanded to be Sanctified in order to cross into their INHERITANCE.
Now, “So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water, that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan.” Joshua 3:14-16. So as the priest who held the Ark of the Covenant of God stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, all of Israel crossed over on dry ground. This is describing the moment of the Rapture, which the present generation is on the CUSP of. Here is the point, EVEN though these were the children of Israel but they represent an overview of the nations [both Jew and Gentile], precisely because NONE of them were circumcised, which is a break from the Covenant which God made with Abraham. [Genesis 17:10-14.]
Now, there are several events that took place when Israel crossed the Jordan that have a spiritual significance. The first is that, the Lord commanded Joshua saying, “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’” Joshua 4:2-3. And this event was followed by, “Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.” [vs. 9.] The main point which Pastor Joseph Prince noticed about these events was that, the exchange that took place, as the 12 members of the children of Israel took up 12 stones FROM the midst of the Jordan River, which Joshua replaced with stones he took from the ground and placed them in the midst of the Jordan. The significance of this exchange is to illustrate a change in body from DUST to SPIRIT, as Paul said, “For it behooves this, the perishable to put on the imperishable; and this, the mortal to put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:53. [2 Cor. 5:1-4.] The OLD of the flesh must be shed away and the NEW of the spirit carried over, keeping in mind, “flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of God.” [vs. 50.]
After which, God spoke to Joshua saying, “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” Joshua 4:16. At which point as the feet of the priest came up from the midst of the Jordan River, the waters of Jordan returned to its former state and overflowed all its banks. The significance of this point is that, after the Rapture when the children of God have crossed over into the everlasting kingdom, heaven WILL be CLOSED for a time. [Revelation 15:8.] Here, we have an opportunity to address one of the COMMON mistakes in Christianity, that is the teaching that expects great evangelisation of the world during the time of Tribulation. As stated above, this is NOT True. Consider: the Ark of the Covenant of God is meant to be a physical COUNTERPART to that of the Holy Spirit, as both were given on the day of Pentecost. So the significant point for us here is that, on the day of Rapture, the Holy Spirit will be taken up with His church, and will NO LONGER be on the Earth. As Paul says, “There is only the One at present restraining it, UNTIL He might be gone out of the midst.” 2 Thess. 2:7. Meaning, there is NO great EVANGELISATION of the world as many expect during this time, except that concerns Israel through the two witnesses, which is according to the covenants made to their fathers, that is akin to the ministries of Moses and Aaron. [Romans 11:28-29.]
Now, in regard to putting off the tent of this world and putting on the heavenly habitation, the Lord commanded Joshua to circumcise the people. “For all the people who came out [of Egypt] had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.” Joshua 5:5. Even though from the days of Abraham sons born to Israel were commanded to be circumcised on the 8th day, which they have faithfully kept for over 400 years, yet NONE that were born in the wilderness were circumcised for 40 years. The point is to illustrate, in the present dispensation of Grace, which we are living in as ones passing through the wilderness, circumcision is INVALIDATED, as Paul states, “For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; instead, a NEW CREATION.” Galatians 6:15. [Galatians 5:6.] So, the significance of the circumcision beyond the Jordan is meant to represent the casting away of the body of the flesh, having fully become the New Creation of the Spirit in Christ. And it is in this regard that the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have ROLLED AWAY the reproach of Egypt from you.” [vs. 9.] The reproach of Egypt is not in terms of their time as slaves since none of these have ever known the bondage of Egypt, but it is in respect to putting off the mortal body of dishonour to put on the heavenly body of honour in Christ. [Philippians 3:20-21, Romans 6:6, Colossians 2:11.] And this is the ultimate end of being BORN spirits, which is to POSSESS a Spiritual Body! The point is there is a process, as there is Conception, there is Pregnancy and Birth.
And the very next event that takes place is that, they held the Passover feast, “Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land;” Joshua 5:10-12. The significance of this feast is as it relates to the wedding Supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:7-9. It is worth considering at this point, even their diet was changed, which corresponds to that of a new body.
Now, it is at this point that Joshua son of Nun meets the Lord, “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:13-15. The illustration here is that of the all authority of Heaven and Earth, being brought under one, in the symbol of Joshua son of Nun meeting the Man of Heaven. As Paul says, “For the administration of the fullness of the times, to bring together all things in Christ—the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth—” Ephesians 1:10. Now, if you would accept it, many times we attribute the Angel of the Lord to the pre-incarnate Lord, but this is not so. The Angel of the Lord is referring to the Angel Michael who is given charge over the nation of Israel as stated in Exodus 23:20-22 and identified in Daniel 12:1. The Angel of the Lord is purposely designed to impress the ministry of the Law, which was administered through angels. [Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2.] However, at this point it is clearly shown that Joshua met the LORD, and He is NOT identified as the Angel of the Lord, but a Man with a Sword drawn. [Genesis 32:24.]
We have now reached the juncture which we addressed earlier in Messiah Son of David, the Spirit-Man coming with His bride. And the SAME concept is now related to us in Joshua son of Nun with the armies of Israel, that is flesh-mankind made spirit. Which John described as, “And the armies who were in heaven, having been clothed in pure, white, fine linen were following Him upon white horses. And out of His mouth goes forth a sharp SWORD, so that with it He may strike down the nations; and He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the press of the wine of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” Revelation 19:14-15. [Zechariah 14:5.] The point is the Commander of the armies of heaven coming with the Sword in His Mouth. The Sword is an illustration for His word, as Paul says, “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17.
Now, we come to the point that addresses the issue of evangelisation, Israel, and the walls of Jericho. The First important point here, is that of the two spies that went into Jericho and logged at the house of the harlot Rehab. And the two spies are meant to be an illustration for the two witnesses sent to evangelise the nation of Israel. [Revelation 11:1-13.] And we need to pay attention to the fact that it is ONLY the house of Rehab that received the spies, through which she and her household were saved. And please NOTE the condition of her salvation, which the two men declared to her, “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.” Joshua 2:17-19. Rahab, in this instance, represents the nation of Israel in the midst of the stronghold of Jericho, which is an illustration of her Captivity.
Note how these conditions MIRROR that of Moses and Aaron which they gave to the children of Israel, saying, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.” Exodus 12:21-23. That is, the similarities between the blood of the lamb to the scarlet cord, the lintel and post of the door to the window, and the condition to remain within the house until destruction has passed over. The main point is that Rehab was expected to bring all her family, all those who belong to her within the confine of her home marked by the scarlet cord, which we may expect during this time of tribulation there will be a great exodus of Jews from the nations to the Land of Israel. For which the ministry of the Two witnesses is meant to mirror that of Moses and Aaron. Now, the significance of the window and not the door of the house of Rehab is to illustrate a way having been made, especially designed for Israel even though the doors of heaven are now closed.
Now, we might ask, why the Harlot Rahab who is a Gentile? As we have described earlier it is to illustrate the spiritual condition of Israel as being in sin and indistinguishable from the Gentiles, for which reason John calls her, spiritual Egypt and Sodom in the Revelation 11:8. Which is an aspect of immorality and unfaithfulness, from which God had promised to save them as we have described earlier. Meaning it is according to the FLESH this election is made! The significant point we need to see is that, during the 7 years of wrath, ONLY the nation of Israel will be SAVED, specifically to mean to come to FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This leads us to Jericho and the Seven days they spent circling that city before destroying it. The Seven Circles represents the Seven years the body of Christ will spend in Heaven before returning to the Earth to establish the Kingdom of God. And the city of Jericho, without a specific mention of the people that dwelt in her midst is an expression for the nations of the world that will be gathered against Israel, NOT one nation but a collection of nations as stated in Revelation 16:14, Revelation 19:19, Zechariah 14:2, Joel 3:10-13. In the MIDST of which we find Rahab. And note how the stronghold of the city which is represented by its walls crumbled, “And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!… And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” Joshua 6:16,20. In which regard Paul describes the defeat of the strongman as, “And then the LAWLESS one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of His mouth and will annul by the appearing of His coming.” 2 Thess. 2:8. [Revelation 19:21.] The WALLS of Jericho represented the STRONGHOLD of the enemy, and its total destruction represents the utter defeat of Satan, the Beast and his false prophet. [Revelation 19:20.] But in regards to Israel, the Book of Joshua states, “Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.” [vs. 25.] And this marks the beginning of the Millennial Reign of Christ, which is also described in Ezekiel 37:24-28, Zechariah 14:16-21 and Revelation 20:6.
The last point we will make is that the rest of the book of Joshua is meant to be in part an illustration of the Millennial rule of Christ, as an expression of subduing the Seven Nations. Paul said, “and having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave as an inheritance their land—” Acts 13:19. The Seven Nations are an analogy for the seven heads of the dragon through which the dragon ruled the world. [Revelation 12:3, Revelation 13:1, and Revelation 17:3.] It is this spiritual host of wickedness who are being dispossessed of the Earth, so we may inherit it, and that flesh-mankind may live without being deceived for 1000 years. [Revelation 20:2-3.] And this victory is described by Joshua as, “Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand.” Joshua 24:11. Here, we have EIGHT expressions of the defeat of the enemy.
In this regard John says, “There are seven kings. The five are fallen, the one is, the other has not yet come; and when he shall have come, it behooves him to remain a little while. And the beast which was, and is not, is also himself an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction.” Revelation 17:11. These are the Empires of the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian and Mede, Grecian, Roman, and Islamic through which the dragon had ruled the world. And the end of this age will come in the combination of the last two which was prophesied in Daniel 2:42-44. That is the spirit that once worked through the Roman Empire working through the false prophet of the Islamic faith. That is to say, Jericho as a generic expression is meant to illustrate the rule of the Antichrist over the whole world. And this beast known as Abaddon, was once the prince of the Empire of Rome, and was part of the seven princes but he was cast down into the Bottomless Pit when Christ was raised. And it is him who is being represented as the eighth and will oversee the end of this age as the Antichrist through the false prophet.
The end of the present Heaven and Earth comes at the end of the 1000 years of reign Christ, when Satan himself is released once more to deceive the nations described in Revelation 20:7-10 and Ezekeil 38 as the prince of those nations, through which many will be destroyed and Satan himself will also be cast into the everlasting fire where the Anichrist and the false prophet are. And the end of this period is described in the Book of Joshua with these statements, “Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old…. The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.” Joshua 24:29, 32. It is a description of the end of heaven and earth that once knew and was ruled by sin. Which necessitated the sacrifice of Messiah Son of Joseph, and the rod of iron rule of Joshua son of Nun, through which flesh-mankind was qualified. [Revelation 20:11-15.] This has come to an end, and is replaced by a New Heaven and Earth in which Righteousness reigns. [Revelation 21:1-4.] In that the end of the Book of Joshua does not give a detail of succession but an abrupt end. However in Messiah Son of David, we have the succession of king Solomon as an expression of a golden age.
It is in this regard that, Asaph in Psalms wrote, “Moreover He rejected the TENT of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has established forever. He also chose David, His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.” Psalms 78:67-70. Tent is an expression of the body of the flesh, which Joseph represented in the likeness of which the Messiah Son of Joseph came. Paul says, “For we know that if the tent of our earthly house should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Corinthians 5:1. But God did not do this inorder to redeem our flesh but to reject it, not even during the 1000 years of the righteous rule of Christ over flesh-mankind. The Body of Sin and the heaven and earth that once hosted sin must be done away with, in order to make way for the new. But David, represents Spirit-Man in a spiritual body, as such his sanctuary is set on high that is our dwelling place which is from heaven. [Hebrews 12:22-24.] Now, if you will accept it, as Adam was of the dust, and we who are made spirits are of Heaven, we can expect the people of the age to come will take the form of the New Earth which is according to the Righteousness of Christ. As He has said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5.
Bread Bait. 
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