JOSHUA’S GREAT BATTLE — A PREVIEW OF WAR WITH THE ANTICHRIST
Joshua praying for the sun to "stand still"
In my first piece on “Types and Shadows”, we examined the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel and how so much in his career was a foreshadow of the actions of the end-times Antichrist. As we continue in this series, I wanted focus on the book of Joshua, a book that is not often thought of as end-times prophecy, but is. In fact, although this article will focus on one chapter, the case can be made that the entire book of Joshua is a preview of the book of Revelation.
Types and Shadows
Now this article is based on the idea of “types and shadows” in the Bible. This is essentially the Bible’s way of foreshadowing future prophetic events through Old Testament Scripture. Here are some passages that highlight this:
Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Hosea 12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines a ‘similitude’ as: 1. Likeness; resemblance; likeness in nature, qualities of appearance; as similitude of substance.
The Lord has used much of the historic events of the Old Testament to provide a preview of future events. Whether it be the Passover of Exodus foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ on the cross and His shed blood which provides the remission of sins or the 12 tribes of Israel and the twelve disciples, there are many similitudes throughout the Bible. What will happen in the future has happened already in some form or fashion. This is also the case for prophecies of things to come. Thus when reading the Bible any future prophetic event should have a type or shadow in a prior part of Scripture.
Joshua’s Great Battle
Joshua was a mighty military leader and great servant to The Lord. As he led the Israelites into the Promised Land, he wages numerous military campaigns. There is one battle in Chapter 10 of Joshua that raises lots of prophetic, end-time red flags: the battle against Adonizdec.
Joshua 10:1 Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; 2 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. 3 Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. 5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
From the earliest chapter of the Bible Jerusalem was a Holy City of The Lord (see Genesis 14, when Melchizedek, the King of Salem – or Jerusalem, encounters Abraham). But by the times of Joshua, the city had been turned over to paganism. The nations in the Promised Land at the time of the book of Joshua were usurpers, working in Satan’s grand scheme to keep the Israelites out of the Promised Land and destroy the lineage that would lead to the Promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The Names
Adoni-zedec in Hebrew means “King of Righteousness” or “King of Justice.” He was an Amorite-Canaanite King at a time when that culture was deeply into the worship of the gods Baal and Ashtoreth, with pagan sacrifices being conducted in the high places of Jerusalem.1 There is great irony then in his name as “King of Righteousness.” But the prophetic value of this cannot be missed. As the end-times Antichrist, will also enter into power “peaceably” (Daniel 11) and present himself as a substitute for true Lord of Righteousness, Jesus Christ. Reading Revelation 13, which describes much of the Antichrist’s or Beast’s reign, it is apparent that the people of the world are amazed by the Antichrist inasmuch as they eventually agree to worship him. So he too will be a false “Righteous King.”
On the side of The Lord, we see even more prophetic confirmation in Joshua. The name Joshua or Yeshua in Hebrew, means “salvation.” In fact Joshua is the Hebrew form of the name “Jesus” and of course in the end times it will be Jesus who defeats the Antichrist (Revelation 19). So as we see another link to end times prophecy, the type and shadow of this chapter becomes more clear.
Jerusalem
Adonizedec operates out of Jerusalem. In the end-times, the Antichrist will also operate out of the Holy City:
1 Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The Apostle Paul prophesied that the Antichrist or “son of perdition” will sit in the temple of God, proclaiming that he is God and exalting himself over The Lord. The temple of God at that time was and can only be in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. There is no temple there today (as it was destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman Empire) but this verse has led many to believe a future temple will be built. Just as Joshua defeated the pagan usurper to reclaim the Holy City for the Lord, so too will Jesus Christ return to Earth and defeat the false Messiah Antichrist and reclaim the entire world for God.
The Apostle Paul prophesied that the Antichrist or “son of perdition” will sit in the temple of God, proclaiming that he is God and exalting himself over The Lord. The temple of God at that time was and can only be in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. There is no temple there today (as it was destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman Empire) but this verse has led many to believe a future temple will be built. Just as Joshua defeated the pagan usurper to reclaim the Holy City for the Lord, so too will Jesus Christ return to Earth and defeat the false Messiah Antichrist and reclaim the entire world for God.
A Plan of Destruction
Adonizedec’s hostility towards God’s people is obvious. Once he heard of the victories of Joshua and how the Gibeonites made peace with him, Adonizedec wanted to wage war with them just for extending peaceful relations the God’s chosen nation. It seems the “Roadmap to peace” with Israel was just as treacherous then as it is today, with nations still unwilling to achieve peace with Israel. And thus Adonizedec sought to destroy them. So too will the Antichrist seek to persecute and kill the saints of God in the end-times (Revelation 13:7).
The pagan King then forms a confederation with ten kings to go wage war against the Israelites by attacking one of their allies. In the end times, the Bible informs that the Antichrist will also form a confederation with 10 Kings:
Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
We know from Revelation 13, that the Antichrist’s government will be global. He will have control over all nation of the world. However, prior to being the sole global dictator, he will share his power. The final world government shall be composed of ten regional rulers who will be in power for “one hour” with the beast. The angel sent to explain the visions the Apostle John views in chapter 17 identifies the horn on the beast as these rulers. Daniel chapter 7 also identifies the 10-horned beast with an 11th horn rising from them that would become the Beast of Revelation. After the set time of “one hour”, the ten regional rulers will then conspire to transfer all of their power and authority to the Beast giving him complete global control. And the end goal of this confederation is the same as it was in the times of Joshua: to wage war and conquer God’s people.
10 Region Government Today?
For many people who have researched global government or the One World Order, they have come across articles or illustrations referencing a map that was created by the Club of Rome, which in its own words is a ” …a global think tank and centre of innovation and initiative.” The map envisions a world divided into 10 regions:
Although this may not be the final map used in a global government. It is this author’s belief that it will be something similar. Some prophecy scholars advocate that the Antichrist’s Kingdom will be a “revived Roman Empire” comprised mostly of present-day Europe and the Mediterranean. However, this does not jive with the descriptions of the Antichrist’s authority in Revelation which is global. And with the European Union formed, African Union coming to fruition and similar, regional confederacies springing up, this prophecy is becoming more and more of a reality.
Signs in the Sky
In this incredible battle that took place between the Israelites and the confederacy of Adonizedec, there are some very powerful and unique prophetic markers that again show a type and shadow to the book of Revelation and the end-time period to come. The enemies of Israel were first hit with hailstones from the sky:
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
In Revelation, one of the judgments we read is very similar: Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Joshua’s battle was also famous for being the day the “sun stood still”: 12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Now some may question how the sun can “Stand still” if the Earth rotates around it. But we must remember language of the ancient times and perspective. The sun could be described as moving even if it is the Earth that is moving but from the perspective of an ancient writer, if the Earth did not rotate for a day it would appear that sun “stood still.” Even today, we use terms like “sunrise” and “sunset” as a reflection of how the sun appears from our perspective. In Revelation, at the time the Biblical “Day of The Lord” starts, when God Almighty Himself will rise to pour out His punishment on the sinful world, we see similar unprecedented signs:
Revelation 6:2 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood
Revelation 6:2 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood
In both instances, the sun and the moon have unprecedented actions that would surely signify God’s Hand at work. Interestingly, in Revelation, these signs are accompanied by a devastating global earthquake that sends all the rich and powerful people of the world into hiding in holes and caves.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
In Joshua, the signs of God gets a similar reaction:
16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
Joshua eventually defeats Adonizedec and all of the usurper Kings and in like manner Jesus will defeat the Antichrist with the brightness of His Coming (Revelation 19).
The other key component of this battle is that God Himself fights for Israel. The book of Joshua further describes it as a day like no other. This is later referenced in Zechariah 14: ” 1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle”. [emphasis added]
This passage which is prophesying about the final end time battle of Armageddon, again links the Joshua Chapter 10 battle to the end times. That battle with Adonizedec was the day when God fought and once again in the Day of The Lord (during the end times tribulation), God will once again rise up to fight on behalf of Israel.
As we see in this overlap of the signs in these battles we can conclude that Joshua was indeed a type of Jesus Christ and his war to lead God’s nation into the Promised Land was a shadow of Jesus Christ’s future defeat of the Antichrist and reclaiming the Earth for the saints of The Lord. These remarkable patterns that The Lord has put in the Bible help inform us when we are trying to interpret prophetic Scripture. Any future event should have a prior type in Scripture and we should study the Word diligently to find out to confirm what we may think to be true. And all of this will help us to keep our eyes open to world events as the Word of God becomes more and more of a reality.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter. — Proverbs 25:2.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter. — Proverbs 25:2.
Footnotes
1http://focusonjerusalem.com/sagaofjerusalem.html
2http://www.clubofrome.org/eng/about/3/
No comments:
Post a Comment