Saturday April 27: 22 Aviv

It was on this day, according to tradition, that Joshua and the children of Israel began their march around the city of Jericho. It’s recorded in Joshua 6:

Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord.” So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. (Joshua 6:6-9)

With the march around Jericho, thus began the third and final phase of the Exodus from Egypt. The first phase was the Passover, deliverance from Egyptian slavery and crossing through the sea. The second phase came at the foot of Mt. Sinai when Israel was given the Torah, God’s instructions they were to live by when they were in the land. And then came the conquest of the land, beginning at Jericho. But the argument could be made that they did not completely conquer the land as God had prescribed. If that is accurate, this third phase remains incomplete and unfulfilled.

That would suggest there is more to come in this regard and, considering that we are living in the end of days, this might come to pass in our lifetime. Slowly but surely, Israel’s hold on contested areas such as the Golan Heights is being recognized by key nations as legitimate. There are those Israeli politicians who feel that other contested areas should be annexed as part of greater Israel. Of course, most of the nations of the world will not go along with this and that means conflict just as it was when Joshua and the children of Israel entered the land. It’s also just the kind of conflict that the Bible describes as occurring at the end of days.

Ultimately, we see that, like Joshua (whose name means, “He will save” in the future tense), the Messiah, Yeshua (whose name means, “He saves,” in the present tense), is the One who will leads His people into the land. He is the One who will secure complete victory over the nations and judge those that are gathered against Jerusalem to destroy His people. You see, contrary to popular opinion, the climatic battle does not occur at Armageddon, but in Jerusalem. It’s recorded in Joel 3:

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land.” (Joel 3:1-2)

That is exactly what the nations are trying to do, now and so it would seem that we are, indeed, living in the end of days – the days of redemption. If that is so, according to what Christ said, you and I should be looking up.