Revelation Chapter 16

Joshua and the Conquest of Jericho

“And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rear-ward [the rear-ward, the unarmed host—the people] came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. And the second day they compassed the city [Jericho] once, and returned into the camp: so, they did six days. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times…

And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets [a long blast with the rams’ horns—Josh. 6:5], Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent [Rahab was told, “Thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by”—Josh. 2:18]. So, the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” (Josh. 6:12–17,20)

Several details of this incident in Joshua’s life are purposely omitted because they are beyond the scope and intent of this treatise. The destruction of Jericho signifies the overthrow of mystic Babylon under another similitude. Jericho’s fall indicates the termination of nominal orthodoxy, the end of formalized institutional religion, BUT NOT the literal destruction of all its adherents.

For each of the six days, the priests blew the trumpets intermittently in a repetitive fashion throughout the day as they circled the city once. On the seventh day they marched around Jericho seven times, blowing their horns the same way during all seven circuits. However, when the forefront of the armed men finished their seventh circuit (that is, arrived at the starting point of the various cycles of that day), instead of entering camp, the entire procession came to a halt. A complete stationary encirclement of the city was thus formed. Standing in momentary stark stillness, they awaited the prearranged signal from Joshua. When it came, the priests blew their trumpets in a unique way to give the effect of one very long, continuous blast. To accomplish this, probably one priest blew with a loud sustained blast; then a second priest commenced his sounding ere the first priest became winded; a third priest likewise acted before the second was out of breath. On and on went the trumpets until the seventh sounding ended. The host waited breathlessly until the long sounding ceased (Josh. 6:5). Then, after a split-second pause, all the people in remarkable unison gave explosive vent to their long-pent-up seven days of absolute silence (Josh. 6:10)—they shouted with a great shout, completely unnerving the inhabitants of the besieged city. The shout corresponded in timing to the falling flat of the walls of Jericho.

Silence, Great Shout, Deliverance

In the Joshua illustration the sounding of the trumpets on successive days was on a triumphant note. On the part of the marching host, it was a noise of confidence and joy somewhat like a New Year’s celebration, but to the threatened inhabitants of the besieged city, the sound was strangely ominous. The oddity of the imposed silence on behalf of “the people” of Israel added an aura of puzzling mysticism to the onlooking enemy, instilling even greater fear in their hearts.

It is necessary to digress for a moment. The world does not realize that the real pearl of great price is the present opportunity to be joint-heirs with Christ—to live and reign with him in the next life—if obedient to his instruction in the present life. The common people in Jesus’ day thronged about him and marveled at the grace that poured out of his lips, but they did nothing about it (Luke 4:22). The scribes and Pharisees witnessed his works but saw in him a threat to their own influence, esteem, and office. Of Israel as a nation, therefore, the Apostle John wrote, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11).

Christ could easily have welded that nation together, but he purposely curbed his oratorical powers and influence because he did not want the world to be converted at that time. He said, “I speak these things in parables lest the people be converted, and I should heal them and they should be saved” (Matt. 13:13–15 paraphrase). Jesus will deal with the world in the Kingdom Age.

The common people down through history have been more or less receptive to the message of the gospel and have heard it with some appreciation, but they have not responded with wholehearted obedience; that is, in harmony with the type they remain quiet until the end of the seventh day or era. Then the people will rise up en masse and in wrath against entrenched false Christendom (Orthodoxy, the professed Church). There will be a great shout of anger and resentment followed by anarchy, the most wretched of conditions. The Lord will not bring deliverance until the people wholeheartedly cry out from the depths of human despair: “Deliver us!” When Peter’s feet began to sink in the waters of Galilee, he similarly cried out, and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him (Matt. 14:28–32). Such must be the attitude of earth’s inhabitants in that day of the near future. Man’s extremity will be God’s opportunity to save in a most propitious manner.

Continued with next post.