Joshua 3 Crossing Jordan to Jericho
See how crossing Jordan into the promised land mirrors what is happening in our day. It is amazing how the Lord was able to use what happened so long ago to help us understand the events of our day.
PROPHETIC STORY PICTURES
James Schucker
Joshua 3:1 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. [to the Kingdoms around Israel 830 BCE [Shittim is the 42nd encampment! (Making the 40-year period of the wilderness representative of the 1260 years (42X30=1260) - 1260 years of the dark ages caused by Church-State Union. The bad years of the Gospel Age) and the last encampment of the Israelites before they entered the promised land]
2 After three days the officers went through the camp.
Joshua 3 Crossing Jordan to Jericho
Genesis 10:15 Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 16the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans were scattered, 19and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it. 4But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits [2000 years from Jesus' death in 33 to 2033] between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”
5 Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6 And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So, they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them. [The Lord has given us 2000 years from Jesus death in 33 to 2033 for those desiring to be part of the Bride of Christ to consecrate ourselves to him before he closes the door to the high calling]
7 Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today [This was the tenth day of the first month. The day that Israel was to select a Lamb for the Passover] I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. [When Moses took them across the red sea] 8 Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’ ”
9So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. [Seven Canaanite Kingdoms representative of Kingdoms of this world] 11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.
Previously in Joshua 2:15-16 Rahab had hidden the spies that were sent out and she said, “so that your pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they have returned; then go on your way.” The message suggests a three-year period of seclusion, similar to the Covid-19 pandemic, which is linked to the three days of darkness in the ninth plague on Egypt. These signs indicate that the tenth plague began in 2023.
12Now choose twelve men [representing the 12 Apostles of the Lamb] from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth touches down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.” [Cutting off the flow of Adamic Death from the Church as they cross over into the kingdom prepared for them]
14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.
15Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. [signifying the Lord stopping Adamic Death while the Consecrated Church passes through judgement represented by Jordan] So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. [The first of 2 distinct cities that must be taken upon entering the promised land. Representing WW1 & 2] 17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation [representing the full number of the church] had crossed the Jordan.
Joshua 4:1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones [Twelve Apostles Resurrected first.] from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’ ” [See: Watches in the Night]
4:4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, 6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore, these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.”
4:8Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.
4:9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.
4:10Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across. [Race for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus] 11and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people. [After we (Christians) all cross into the kingdom then it will be known who the 7 messengers were] 12The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. 13About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.
4:14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses. 15Then the LORD said to Joshua, 16“Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” 17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”
4:18When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land; the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.
Joshua 4 Twelve Stones from the Jordan
Joshua 5:1 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.
5:2At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again.” [Representing the cutting off of the Churches fleshly condition by 2033] 3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4Now this is why Joshua circumcised them: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of war—had died on the journey in the wilderness after they had left Egypt. 5Though all who had come out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt had been circumcised. [Representing the Gentiles from Japheth the Firstborn of Noah who become Grafted in during the Gospel Age]
5:6 For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died [Representing the unfaithful Jewish Nation] since they did not obey the LORD. So, the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7And He raised up their sons in their place, [The Faithful remnant of Jews and Gentiles] and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. Until this time they were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.
5:8 And after all the nation had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they were healed. [this gave them 3 days to be healed enough to begin their march around Jerico.] 9Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.
5:10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month [timing of the death of the first-born.] while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover. 11The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. 12And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.
Joshua 5 Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal
5:13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”
14“Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”
5:15 The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
The Commander of the LORD’s Army
Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
6:2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor. 3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. [also giving them time to heal before the battle begins] 4Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark…[Numbers 10:9 When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts (while messenger is alive) on the trumpets] …Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. 5And when there is a long blast… [Likely indicating the 7th plague and trumpet sounding is to be longer than the rest. Because Revelation 14:13 Blessed are the dead which die… their deeds follow them."] …of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse, and all your people will charge straight into the city.”
6:6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”
6:7And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”
8After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark.
6:10But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!” 11So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.
6:12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD. 13And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding. 14So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
Joshua 6 Walls of Jericho
Call: Jim Schucker 808-754-8978 for help in understanding.