This post is the culmination of over a decade of the Lord leading me into pieces of a puzzle. I have a passion for understanding the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16). I also have a passion for the Book of Revelation. I am interested in the connections that help understand Revelation as the culmination of all scriptural fulfillment. This blog post will show how the Lord pictured the entire Book of Revelation in the Book of Joshua. The book of Joshua, being an image of the Book of Revelation. I believe God used the Feasts of the Lord along the way. These feasts served as the timing aspect that connected both of these books. Several blog posts are linked in this post. They contain more detail from prior studies. I gathered these pieces of the puzzle over time.
Joshua 1:1-2
Jos 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
Joshua is commissioned by the Lord upon the death of Moses. Now the first connection we are making is the name God chose for the new leader of Israel, Joshua:
Joshua: Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), which means “Yahweh is salvation”.
Jesus: Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), a shortened, later form of Yehoshua common during the Second Temple period.
From a Google AI summary: In Hebrew, Joshua and Jesus share the same name, with Jesus (Yeshua) being a shortened form of Joshua (Yehoshua), both fundamentally meaning “Yahweh saves” or “salvation”. They are compared as type and antitype: Joshua brought physical salvation, leading Israel to the Promised Land, while Jesus offers spiritual salvation to all people.
Types and antitypes are a technique found in the Bible. God used actual historical people and events from the Old Testament. These served as a prefiguring of future people and events yet to come. In this post, we will explore types, antitypes, and allegories. We will compare the Book of Joshua to the Book of Revelation. Here is the beginning of the story, Joshua is selected by God as the leader of Israel, just as Jesus was selected as the leader, the Messiah by God:
Jos 3:7 The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
Mat 21:5-9 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Rev 1:5-6 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Exo 12:3-6 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
Summary:
The Passover celebration began on the 10th day of the 1st month (Nisan). The Israelites were to select a one year old Lamb and keep it with them until Nisan 14th (Passover). Joshua was selected and exalted by God to be the Leader of the new generation on Nisan 10, as we will learn. Jesus came riding in on a donkey according to scripture (Zechariah 9:9) on this very day, offering to the Jewish people to be their leader to bring in the Messianic Kingdom. In these passages, we see the parallels between Joshua 3, where Joshua is selected by God to lead Israel, and Revelation 1, where God has selected his only Son to lead the Church!
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 3:7 | Revelation 1:5-6, Matthew 21:5-9 | Exodus 12:3-6, Lamb Selection Day |
Background
We are going to see several parallels between the Book of Revelation and the Book of Joshua next. It is important to stage set before we go any further. Timing of these events will follow the timing the Lord gave us in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16. This is true at least to a point. The crossing over event is modeled in the first Feasts of the Lord (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits). We have already highlighted that Joshua is honored in the site of Israel. This mirrors Joshua being selected by God as the Leader. In the case of Jesus, he is chosen also as the lamb for Passover. The uncircumcised followers of Joshua represent the Church from the Book of Revelation. Then God performs a miracle separating the Jordan river waters for Joshua’s followers to cross over. This is a picture of the Rapture of the Church to Heaven our home. The land that God is giving His Church. Finally, we will examine how the conquest of Jericho mirrors the remaining Feasts of the Lord. It also reflects the remaining chapters of the Book of Revelation. These include Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, and Tabernacles.
The Israelites had just spent 40 years wandering in the Wilderness. The people who came through the exodus did not enter the Promised Land. They are called Kadesh Barnea generation, who followed Moses but died in the Wilderness because of their disobedience. Compare this to the Church age. The Jewish people, as a whole, do not accept Jesus as their Messiah. Many die in the Wilderness (Luke 21:24). It is not until his second coming (Zachariah 12:10) that they realize their mistake. Their descendants that did not take part in that disobedience, are their uncircumcised children who represent and parallel the Church. The Church is primarily made up of gentiles who are called the “uncircumcised” in the Old Testament.
The Crossing
Jos 3:9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”
1Th 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
Jos 3:13 – 17 And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.” So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
Jos 4:19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
Exo 12:5-6 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
Jos 4:19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
Summary
Crossing the Jordan River is often seen as a picture of crossing from Death to Life as a Christian. It has been memorialized in famous Christian songs and hymns. These include “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand.” This hymn explicitly equates crossing the river with entering paradise. This then is a picture of the Rapture of the Church. In Joshua we see fulfillment on Nisan 10 / Lamb Selection Day which is what Christians know as Palm Sunday. A couple of the most famous Rapture passages 1 Thesalonians 4:16-17, and Revelation 4:1 mimic Joshua’s command “Come Here..”. It is interesting to note that the Jordan waters stood still from the city Adam, symbolizing the creation of the first human and mankind. The waters also stood still to the Dead Sea, a symbol of death. Is God stating that he delivers his Church from the second Death? The second Death is described in Revelation 20:13-15. The first Death is seen as the Red Sea crossing. In these passages, it is easy to see the parallels between Joshua 3-4. “The uncircumcised” gathered behind Joshua and crossed into the Promised Land. In Revelation 2-4, the Church (Revelation 2-3) gathered behind Christ and entered into Heaven (Revelation 4-5).
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 3:9, 13-17, 4:3, 19 | Revelation 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 | Exodus 12:5-6 Lamb Selection Day |
The Left Behind
Jos 5:2-9 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
1Th 5:1-11 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Jer 30:5-7 “Thus says the LORD: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it.
In these events so far in Joshua, we have seen that the Israelites followed Moses after the Exodus. The Jewish people moved as a community under his guidance. However, this is the generation who died in the Wilderness. They were disobedient for not entering the Promised Land under Moses at that time. This disobedience happened when they arrived at Kadesh Barnea. They were told to enter the land the Lord had given them and they refused. As a result, they did not enter the Promised Land. Instead, they were sent to wander in the Wilderness for 40 years. This illustrates the fate of Jewish people who have not accepted Jesus before the Rapture. They do not enter Heaven when he comes. They are left to enter the Tribulation Period / Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). Once in the Promise Land, The followers of Joshua are circumcised. This act renews the First Covenant for the Israelite’s. It also serves as a model of being born again by the Spirit for the Church. This renewal leads parallels the New Covenant with the Church. This act is confirming that you cannot enter the Promise Land or Heaven unless you are born again.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord / OT |
| Joshua 5:2-9 | 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 | Jeremiah 30:5-7 |
The Inspection Period In Joshua and The Inspection Period of Jesus
Timing of these events in Joshua seem very orchestrated (by God!). The crossing over happened on Nisan 10 in the Hebrew calendar. It is also known as Palm Sunday for the Christian Church. This is when Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. He was presenting himself as the long awaited Messiah, if the Jewish people would have accepted him. Once Joshua and his followers are in the Promised Land, they are circumcised. They then wait in the plains at Gilgal. On Nisan 14th they celebrate Passover as they were commanded to in Leviticus 23. This period between Nisan 10th and Nisan 14th is known as the “inspection period of the Lamb”. Exodus 12:5-6 quoted above, defines this period of time. During this period, the Lamb stayed with the Israelite family. This ensured it was without spot or blemish. It was then offered as their sacrifice on Passover. Jesus, the Lamb of God preached in the Temple until Passover for all Israel to hear. He was then arrested by Pilot just before the Passover. Even Pilot, a Roman Governor, found him without spot or blemish at the end of Jesus inspection period.
Luk 23:3-4 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
Joh 18:38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.”
Joh 19:6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”
Exo 12:6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
Jos 5:10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
Summary
The parallels continue. We see a model of the “inspection period” for the lambs at Passover. It begins from the crossing over of the Jordan to being circumcised on the plains of Jericho. The inspection period (Exodus 12:6) was to ensure the lamb that was selected for Passover was without spot or blemish. Jesus endured an “inspection period” and was found blameless three times by Pilot. Note, the inspection period started when they crossed over and were circumcised. Their sin had to be rolled away to be found guiltless before the Passover. Similarly, Jesus was preaching in the Temple. He was teaching his disciples during the inspection period. Just before his crucifixion, he was found blameless by Pilot.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 5:10 | Luke 23:3-4, John 18:38, 19:6 | Exodus 12:5-6, “Inspection Period” Nisan 10-14 |
The Inspection Period of the Church
Jos 5:9 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
Rom 2:28-29 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Joh 3:3-6 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Rom 14:10-12 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
1Co 3:12-15 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
1Co 9:24-25 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. The Imperishable Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25): Awarded to those who exercise self-control, discipline, and overcome the desires of the flesh.
1Th 2:19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?
The Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19): Also known as the “soul-winner’s crown,” this is given to those who share the Gospel and bring others to Christ.
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8): Promised to those who eagerly await Jesus’ return and live a life of holiness.
1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4): Often called the “shepherd’s crown,” this is for leaders who faithfully shepherd, feed, and care for God’s flock.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Rev 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
The Crown of Life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10): Referred to as the “martyr’s crown,” it is awarded to those who endure severe trials, persecution, and remain faithful unto death.
Rev 4:4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
Rev 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
Circumcision is a model of the First Covenant in the Old Testament. In the Church age, circumcision of the heart is a model of the New Covenant in the New Testament. The New Testament promises that the Church will be subject to the Bema Seat judgment. This is a judgment not for our sin, but of rewards for what we did in this life. Revelation 4-5 shows the redeemed Church in Heaven by the Blood of the Lamb. In Revelation 4 the Church is depicted with crowns (stephanos – victors crowns) already. This means the judgment of the believers has happened and we are all overcomers (1 Jn 5:4-5, Romans 8:37).
In Joshua, they are circumcised. The text says their reproach is “rolled away”. This is a parallel to the Church accepting the New Covenant with Jesus. The Church is washed clean of their sin by the blood of the Lamb. This cleansing occurred at Passover when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Summary
Unlike Jesus’ Holy Week where he is tested and found blameless just before Passover (to the very day!), we individually will be inspected at the Bema Seat judgment. We will enter Heaven because of the Blood of the Lamb. We are also subject to receiving crowns as a reward for faithfulness. The timing shows that by Chapter 4 of Revelation, The Church is in Heaven and wearing our crowns already. This must happen during the “inspection period” of the Church. This period is after the Rapture (crossing over), but before the Bema Seat Judgment. Where are reproach is rolled away by the Blood of the Lamb!
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 5:9 | Romans 2:28-29, Joh 3:3-6, Ephesians 5:25-27 | Romans 2:28-29 the conditions to enter the “Inspection Period” Nisan 10-14 |
| 2 Co 5:10, Rom 14:10-12, 1 Co 3:12-15 | Bema Seat, “Inspection Period” for the Church. Nisan 10-14 | |
| Revelation 4:4, 5:9-10 | Passover celebration and the Bema Seat judgment are completed during the “inspection period” |
The Passover and Unleavened Bread, First Fruits
Lev 23:5-8 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. But you shall present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
Deu 16:1-8 “Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any of the flesh that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain all night until morning. You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, but at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt. And you shall cook it and eat it at the place that the LORD your God will choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it.
Lev 23:9-14 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Jos 5:10-12 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
1Co 5:7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Act 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
1Co 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
Jos 5:8 When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.
In Joshua 5, we see the followers of Joshua complete the Passover. They also celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Death Angel “passed over” the Israelites before the Exodus because the blood of the lamb was on their doorposts. Similarly, the Death Angel passes over the Church because of the blood of the lamb. Leaven is a symbol of sin in the Bible. Therefore, the Feast of Unleavened Bread signifies the removal of sin. The name of the place that the followers of Joshua were staying, Gilgal, actually means “rolled away.” This is where God removed their sin of this generation. The Church does not have a Passover. Jesus was and is our Passover Lamb. Faith applies the lamb’s blood to us for righteousness. It is not applied to the door posts of our houses.
The last verse in this list shows that the followers of Joshua, stayed in Gilgal until they had healed. This is modeled in the seven days of the Unleavened Bread Feast the Lord commanded.
Summary
For the followers of Joshua, the Passover came after their circumcision, which is a sign of their renewed covenant. It also came after the “inspection period”. Isn’t God’s design incredible? He orchestrated the crossing of the Jordan. He orchestrated the circumcision of the people. He also coordinated the timing of the Passover and Unleavened Bread to mirror the biblical Feasts to the very day. This beautifully maps out the journey of Joshua and his followers.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 5:8, 10-12 | 1 Corinthians 5:7, Acts 20:28, Rev 1:5, John 1:7, 1Co 15:20 | Leviticus 23:5-8, Deuteronomy 16:1-8, Lev 23:9-14. “Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits”, Nisan 14 + 15-21 |
The Seal Judgments / Warnings
Jos 5:1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.
Jos 5:13-14 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Rev 5:13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Rev 6:15-16 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
Lev 23:15-22 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”
Deu 16:9-12 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
When Joshua entered the Promised Land, the Amorite and Canaanite kings trembled because they knew what was coming. We see another picture of this in Numbers 22-24 where we have the story of Balak and Balaam. These same kings saw the Israelites coming across the plains of Moab. The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land. The kings were trying to have them cursed so that they would be unable to cross over to them. These kings also saw the recent actions of the God on behalf of the Israelites. The Israelites had just defeated their fellow kings on the East side of the Jordan. The Israelite armies defeated King Sihon and King Og. They were now coming to the land of Canaan. Now the Israelite’s crossed over miraculously by the power of their God. Their fear made their hearts melt as the Israelite’s God is bringing His people into Canaan.
Summary
The parallel could not be more obvious as now. Jesus is depicted as the ruler of the world after the Rapture of the Church to Heaven. He is about to bring divine justice. The Kings of the Earth tremble. They fear what is about to come upon them. (Revelation 6:15-16). The timing of this event in Revelation is at Pentecost / Shavuot. I linked an article in the last sentence. The analysis showing that this is indeed the timing of Pentecost / Shavuot (Hebrew) is a Bible study unto itself. Here, I believe the events of Joshua’s conquest of Jericho still model the Book of Revelation. However, the timing no longer follows the Feast schedule from Leviticus and Deuteronomy day by day. When archaeologists uncovered Jericho, they found burned grain (wheat and barley), still in storage jars. The Feast of First Fruits marks the beginning of the barley harvest. The Feast of Pentecost / Shavuot marks the wheat harvest. From here, on the Feast schedule, it would be months until the next feast. The Feast of Trumpets is modeled next. However, in terms of timing, I believe it happens within days of these harvest feasts, not months.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 5:1 | Revelation 6:15-16 | Lev 23:15-22, Deu 16:9-12 “Pentecost / Shavuot” |
The Feast of Pentecost / Shavuot (Hebrew) and the Sealing of the 144,000
As I mentioned above, the timing of the Kings of Canaan fearing this event is significant. This relates to what happened at the crossing over event. The kings of the Earth have the same fear of Jesus as mentioned in Revelation 6:15-16. This fear also occurs at Pentecost.
Rev 7:2-4 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Eph 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2Co 1:21-22 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Act 2:32-36 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Jos 5:13-15 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”
And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
We are saved only when we surrender to Jesus. We must recognize that we cannot conquer and overcome without him. Being saved in the Bible marks the moment that Jesus claims us as his own. He is the one that makes us overcomers to this world. When he claims us in the age of the Church, we are sealed as his. He is our king and redeemer. In Joshua, we see that Joshua is getting ready to battle Jericho. He believes he and his army will need to deliver them at the battle of Jericho. But the pre-incarnate Christ (Joshua 5:13-15) tells Joshua it is not by their strength that they will conquer Jericho. They will conquer by His strength and the armies of Heaven! They have to surrender to Jesus to overcome.
Joshua encounters the pre-incarnate Jesus, he is instructed: Take off your sandals from your feet. The place where you are standing is holy.” That phrase should remind us of a very similar event with Moses at the burning bush. In Exodus 3:5, God says, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” These events are tied as Moses also was encountering the pre-incarnate Jesus. Moses then learns that he is going to lead Israel out of bondage. However, it is not really him. The Lord will work through him. Moses also had to surrender to God’s plan in order to overcome the Egyptians.
Summary
Pentecost is marked by the recognition of our sin and our surrender to Jesus. We are then claimed as his and sealed with the Holy Spirit. “It is not longer I who lives, but Christ in me”. We then overcome the world by the power of Jesus. This surrender is the story playing out before us in Joshua 5:13-15. Joshua is learning that it really isn’t his army that will conquer Jericho. The Lord of the Heavenly Armies, Jesus, will do this. This surrender was modeled first at Pentecost in Acts 2. Therefore Pentecost becomes the model for our surrender to the Lord. He makes us overcomers!
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 5:13-15 | Revelation 7:2-4, Eph 1:13-14, Eph 4:30, 2Co 1:21-22, Gal 2:20, Act 2:32-36, | Lev 23:15-22, Deu 16:9-12 “Pentecost / Shavuot” |
The Tribulation Period and The Fall of Jericho
Jos 6:2-5 And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.
Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”Rev 8:6 Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
Rev 11:3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Rev 12:6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Rev 13:5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.
Rev 11:15-19 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
Rev 15:6-8 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests.
And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.Rev 16:17-21 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
The parallels between Joshua taking Jericho and the Lord Jesus taking back the Earth during the Tribulation is plain. Joshua and his army marched around Jericho six times while blowing trumpets. On the seventh day, they marched around it seven times. Then with a shout, Jericho’s walls fell. In the same way, Jesus and his Church will be in Heaven during the Tribulation Period for 7 years. The time-frame is given as two sets of 1260 day periods. The second set is reiterated as 42 months while the Antichrist rules. This time-frame is also confirmed in the Book of Daniel. In the end, this world’s ruler and his kingdom called Babylon falls. This happens after the 7th trumpet and 7 bowls of plagues.
Summary
Jericho in the Bible represents this world at the time period of the Tribulation. In the Old Testament, this time period was also called the Day of the Lord. This period is feared by many. This is particularly true for those who have not believed in the Lord. At its completion, the Lord returns to Earth to set up his Kingdom!
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 6:2-5 | Revelation 8-16 | None |
The Return of the King and His Kingdom
Jos 6:20-27 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. “At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.”
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.Rev 19:6-10 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Rev 19:11-19 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
So Jericho was taken by Joshua and his army just as Jesus will take Babylon, Satan’s kingdom at his return. The army of Joshua went in and destroyed everything including all men, women and children except Rehab, the prostitute, and all that were in her household. Similarly, the Church follows Jesus on his white horse on the day of battle known as Armageddon. Everything is devoted to destruction. Only a remnant survive the Tribulation Period.
Summary
Jericho and the Earth during the Tribulation Period have many parallels. For the Bible prophecy student, there are some confirmations of the order and timing of future event available. These arise by studying the model of Jericho’s fall. We compare this to the Earth during the time of Tribulation.
- We see the Church is in Heaven during this period. This confirms the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church
- We see there is a gap in time between the Rapture and the Start of the Tribulation Period. The Seals on the scroll must be opened before the Tribulation Period begins
- After the Last Seal in Revelation 6 is opened, the Tribulation Period / Day of the Lord (OT) begins.
- This period concludes with the return to Earth of the Church with Jesus and then comes the final battle of Armageddon
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 6:20-27 | Revelation 19 | This will be Feast of Trumpets! See next section |
The Feast of Trumpets at the Lord’s Return
In the last section, we examined the parallels between Joshua conquering Jericho. We also discussed the Lord conquering the Earth after the Tribulation. Let’s take another look at the Lord’s return as found in Matthew.
Lev 23:23-25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.”
Mat 24:30-31 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
I wrote another post last year called: Understanding the Feasts of the Lord: A Biblical Prophecy Study. It is a good reference to this post. It sets the stage for understanding that Matthew’s Gospel has a Jewish audience in mind. It does not necessarily target the Church. It also gives more background on how The Feast of Trumpets is linked to these passages in Matthew. From the passages referenced above, we can see a couple of keys.
- It is at the return of the Lord
- It is commissioned with a loud trumpet blast
- The trumpet is calling the camp (Jewish people / Elect), to take them somewhere. Leaving behind the Gentiles at this point
The return of Jesus to Earth and Armageddon leads to the death of many. A remnant will remain. This is similar to what was pictured in Joshua above. There, Rahab and her family were spared from the destruction of Jericho. In the next section, we will see where God’s elect go to. The Feast of Trumpets also known as Rosh Hashanah, is part of the judgment cycle. Here is a Google summary of Rosh Hashanah, the 10 Days of Awe and Yom Kippur:
Rosh Hashanah, the 10 Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur constitute the Jewish High Holy Days, focusing on introspection, repentance (teshuvah), and atonement. Rosh Hashanah marks the creation of the world and divine judgment, the 10 Days of Awe provide a window for repentance, and Yom Kippur culminates in divine sealing of judgment.
Summary
The fall of Jericho begins the judgment cycle against the Amorites and Canaanites in the Promised Land. The Google summary of these Feasts mentions that it was given to the Israelites as a time for self-reflection. It is a period of repentance leading up to the most important Holy Day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Joshua 6:20-27 | Mat 24:30-31 | Lev 23:23-25 “Feast of Trumpets” |
The Judgment in the Wilderness
I believe the events at Jericho were orchestrated by God. They picture how God chose the uncircumcised followers of Joshua, representing the Church, to enter into Heaven (Rapture). It was not the followers of the Law, the Israelites who died in the Wilderness, that were chosen. This next step isn’t explicitly mirrored in the Jericho story. It concerns the judgment of the Jewish people who survive the Tribulation Period. This step is also missing from the Book of Revelation as well. I believe this is not a coincidence. The Book of Revelation is also about the followers of Jesus during the Tribulation Period. The Jewish context of the Book of Matthew follows the events of the Jewish people, not the Church!
Here we see the fulfillment of Rosh Hashanah. In the prior section, we saw the Lord coming with a “loud trumpet call”. This mirrors how the Lord called the Israelites to the mountain at Sinai. Now, just as the Church was gathered to Jesus in Heaven at the Rapture, the Jewish people who survive the Tribulation Period are gathered back into the Wilderness (Mt. Sinai?). This use of the “taken” and “left” I believe was intentional by the Lord. It indicates that the Israelites are being taken into judgment. This parallels the Church who was taken to Heaven and were judged at the Bema Seat judgment. This will now be the judgment of the Jewish remnant after the Tribulation Period.
Mat 24:38-44 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Eze 20:33-36 “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.
The purpose of the “taken” and “left” statements are clear now. This is the beginning of the judgment cycle for the Jewish remnant. Notice that God is identifying who he is judging here. It is the descendants of the Israelites who were at Mt. Sinai and made covenant with God.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Not pictured | Mat 24:38-44 | Lev 23:23-25 “Feast of Trumpets” |
Yom Kippur
We are finishing the judgment cycle of the Jewish people to complete the timeline of events at the Lord’s return. These events are missing from the Book of Joshua. As I mentioned in the last section, they are also missing from the Book of Revelation. I believe this omission was intentional by the Lord. We are following this path. It does lead to the next picture in Joshua. We should keep these events in order, to tell the story.
Lev 23:26-32 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”
Mat 24:48-51 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 25:1-13 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.Eze 20:37-44 I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. “As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols. “For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers. And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
Summary
These passages complete the judgment cycle promised the Jewish people in the Old Testament. The Feasts were given to the Jewish people. They map out the first and second coming of the Lord. This occurred on the program the Lord had for them. Jesus made a genuine offer to bring in his Kingdom to the Jewish people. They refused this offer during his first coming. This refusal is mirrored in the Book of Joshua. It is mirrored by the generation of Israelites who were following Moses. They refused to go into the Promised Land the first time. They were judged in the Wilderness just like Moses was judged before they entered the Promised Land for his disobedience. The Feasts predicted this and so now we have the “Fall Feasts”, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper depicted here. This is now at the second coming of the Lord. This is the Judgment before the Kingdom is set up.
Only believers in the Lord will enter the Kingdom upon his return. This is the reason for judgment. Understanding these events helps us. It also aids in comprehending the “foolish and wise virgins” parable. This parable is written in this judgment set of passages in Matthew’s Gospel. Again, you must recognize that Matthew’s Gospel was written to a Jewish audience. It was not written to the Church. This recognition leads to the correct understanding of the parable. It shows Jesus, the bridegroom, calling the “Bridesmaids” not the “Bride” for judgment.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Not pictured | Mat 24:48-51, Mat 25:1-13 | Lev 23:26-32 “Yom Kipper” |
The Judgment of the Gentiles
The judgment of the Jewish people was not in the Book of Joshua. We have now progressed forward to the next event. This is the judgment of the Gentiles. It is depicted both in the Book of Joshua with the story of Rehab’s rescue. It is also depicted in the Book of Matthew.
Mat 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Jos 6:22-25 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Jos 2:18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.
Heb 11:30-31 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
The Gentiles who remain after the Tribulation will also be judged. The Lord will not allow anyone to enter the Kingdom he will set up if they don’t believe. Here in Joshua chapter 6, we see as Jericho fell (the gentile world system), Rehab was saved by her faith. At the second coming, the Church returns with the Lord. The remnant of the gentiles who survive the Tribulation Period will first be judged. This judgment will find the believers who by faith will enter into the Kingdom. These passages in Joshua also picture what faith is required. The scarlet cord that saves Rehab and her family represents the Blood of Christ. It was the lifeline that saved them.
Summary
The judgment is complete. The Jewish and Gentiles have been judged. It is by faith that both groups will either find eternal life with the Lord or away from the Lord. Yom Kippur is the picture of the Jewish people being judged it does not address the Church. We have this reaffirmed by the Parable of the Foolish and Wise Virgins. The Bridesmaids were judged not the Bride.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Jos 6:22-25, Jos 2:18 | Mat 25:31-46, Heb 11:30-31 | None. Yom Kippur is for the Jewish people. |
The Clean-up and Consummation
The Book of Joshua has several more chapters that begin with the clean-up of the Promised Land (Joshua chapters 9-12). In these chapters, Joshua and his army remove the Amorite and Canaanite people from their newly inherited land. This is a picture of the renewal of Earth after the Tribulation period. There is too much to cover here. Joshua’s story continues and parallels the remaining events leading up to the establishment of the Lord’s Kingdom in the Millennium. It is another blog post, for another day. Joshua’s experience is an exhaustive picture of the End-times. This blog post focused on the parallels between the Book of Revelation and the Book of Joshua. Therefore, it ends with the clean-up in summary form and the establishment of the Kingdom.
The Book of Revelation was given to the Church to “show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Rev 1:1). It was meant as a guide for future events. The Church will always be with Jesus. Therefore, the Church will receive their home “New Jerusalem” as the last of the events depicted. This happens during the time of the restoration of Earth before the Millennial Reign of Christ begins. Many scholars place the events in Revelation Chapter 21-22 after the Millennial Reign of Christ. Demonstrating why this is not the case is an exhaustive study. I am linking the article here so you can see the defense of this concept Biblically.
Rev 21:1-10 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
Jos 13:6-7 all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
The home of the Bride returns to Earth as our permanent inheritance. Here on Earth, we see the Israelites now inheriting their land in Joshua Chapters 13-21. This concludes the parallel’s between the Book of Joshua and the Book of Revelation! I previously mentioned the need for another blog post. It should cover the remaining steps depicted in Joshua that conclude the End-times events. The specific details of the land division to the Jewish people have yet to be shown. The recommitment to the covenant with God also remains to be depicted. These steps are in Joshua chapters 13-24. The last fulfillment depicted shows Joshua and his followers in the Promised Land. They are there after their inheritance is committed to the Lord. The next book of the Bible is Judges. It details that the Book of Joshua ends with God as the King of Israel. His people are his servants. They are living (tabernacling) with their King.
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Jos 13:6-7 | Rev 21:1-10 |
The Feast of Tabernacles
Lev 23:33-44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. “These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, besides the LORD’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.
Deu 16:13-15 “You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
Jos 24:14-21 “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Jos 24:16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.” But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”Rev 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
So the story and the long set of parallels / allegory ends. We find in Joshua, the land is conquered, cleansed and then divided as an eternal inheritance. We also see in the Book of Revelation. New Jerusalem descends to Earth. It becomes the eternal home of the Church. In both cases we end with Jesus the Messiah on the throne! Amen, and maranatha!
| Joshua | New Testament / Revelation | Feasts of the Lord |
| Jos 24:14-21 | Rev 22:1-5 | Lev 23:33-44, Deu 16:13-15. “Tabernacles / Boothes” |
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