Battle of Jericho Compared To End-Time Prophecy

I would like to talk about prophecy today at the Feast of Tabernacles, because we know prophecy is important. Prophecy reveals to us the plan that God has for mankind and has for his saints. And a particular prophecy I would like to talk about today may surprise you, because I would like to talk about the Battle of Jericho.

Many people think the Battle of Jericho is simply an interesting historical event that occurred as Israel was entering the Promised Land. And indeed it is. It is very interesting. It is historical. But we may fail to realize that there is far more in the events of the Battle of Jericho than first meet the eye. Prophecy is often dual in fulfillment. It has an earlier, minor event that pictures something much greater and larger yet to come. And this is also true of the Battle of Jericho. What actually happened at the Battle of Jericho and the future events that it portrayed are fascinating. And help us to understand more clearly the plan of God and what God has in store for this world. Let's begin by reviewing some background. If you'll turn to Joshua chapter 5, we'll take a look at some background. Jericho was a city that existed on the west side of the Jordan River. Moses had recently died and the Israelites were finally entering the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness. Joshua had already led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land of Caning. And that crossing itself was made possible by a supernatural separation of the waters of the Jordan. And it was so supernatural that they just didn't walk through mud to cross the river. They literally walked through dry land. And after crossing the river, they camped at a place called Gilgal, which was on the east border of Jericho. So Joshua led this first military campaign against the Canaanites in this sparsely populated central highlands north of the Dead Sea. Now the name Jericho means moon, because Jericho was believed to be one of the centers of lunar moon worship. And many archaeologists who have studied Jericho believe it is the oldest city in the world. And we know, of course, that it was the first city conquered under Joshua. It was a stronghold. And it became a major barrier that prevented Israel from entering the new world. They had been promised and they had to overcome that barrier. Jericho was an oasis. Surrounding it was nothing but desert, nothing could live there. But it was fed by a perennial spring. And in the Old Testament, its name became known as the city of palm trees. So it was an oasis, a very special spot. And because of that, strong fortifications of walls had been built to protect this oasis. Now let's pick it up in Joshua 5, beginning in verse 10.

But they ate the food in the land of Canaan that year. So we see that they observed the Passover previously. This generation had been circumcised, who were born in the wilderness. So this must have been a very large Passover since it was the first time many of them could observe it. And the events surrounding the fall of Jericho occurred during the days of unleavened bread. And we know, of course, that the days of unleavened bread picture the removal of sin. And it was during these spring holy days, around 1400 BC, when this occurred, that God revealed a startling prophecy about future events through the battle of Jericho. Let's get into the story here, verse 13. And it came to pass. When Joshua was at Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood opposite of him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, are you for us or for our adversaries? So he said, no, I'm not for your adversaries. But as the commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped 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 sandal from your foot for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua did so. It says in the reary Bible notes regarding this verse, quote, Joshua worshipped the captain of the Lord as Yahweh, acknowledging that this was his war and that the Israelites were part of the Lord's host, which also included angels and forces of nature. End of quote. So we see here that the command to take off his sandals was a direct parallel of what God had told Moses in Exodus chapter 3 and verse 5. The commander of the army is the very one who would later become known as Jesus Christ. Joshua worshipped him, knowing the Ten Commandments and knowing the prohibition against bowing down and worshipping anything on heaven and earth. That was not God. Joshua was told to remove his sandals from his feet exactly as Moses had been told while he was in the presence of God in Exodus chapter 3. So I want you to notice and make a mental note of the fact that the commander has his sword drawn, because this is a description of the conquering Christ as he returns to earth, as we will see later. Chapter 6, beginning in verse 1.

And the very first wall was made of solid stone that was approximately 15 feet high. And then, if you were fortunate enough to get over that, you would notice that a butted up against it was even a taller mud brick wall that you had to scale. And excavators have found that even if this first wall was breached, the attackers would find themselves in no man's land, because ahead of them was a second wall. And now they were trapped between the first wall and the second wall, which was also a mud brick wall, from which defenders could hurl spears and rocks and arrows. So, from human eyes, from a human perspective, it was an impregnable city that mere men could not defeat. But the commander of the Lord said that I will give this city to you. Let's pick it up now in verse 3. He says, You shall march around the city, all you men of war, you shall go around the city once, you shall do this six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark. But on the seventh day, this was an extra command, On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets, and it shall come to pass when they make a long blast with the ram's horn. And when you hear the sound of the trumpet, this is the seventh time, on the seventh day, that they would march around the city, That all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and people shall go up every man straight before him. And then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, Take the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before 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 again, by today's standards, Jericho was a small city. It was about nine acres total. It would have taken someone about 30 minutes to walk around the city of Jericho at a leisurely pace. But I want you to consider from their eyes, from the perspective of Joshua and the Israelites, that this is an unusual battle plan. It would require great faith to exercise this battle plan. Why? Well, as you're marching around the city, guess who has deadly spears and rocks and arrows to throw at you while you're marching around the city? They were learning another lesson of God's, and that is that we have to walk by faith and not by sight. So again, recapping after the crossing of the Jordan, once again, the prominence of the Ark of the Covenant was there among the people. It would remind Israel that this was the work of God. It wasn't their work. It wasn't really their battle. It was God's work and God's battle. So they would have the Ark of the Covenant, and that represented God's very presence. And the trumpet blast, of course, were also symbolic of the presence and the voice of God. So they began to do as God commanded. Let's pick it up here in verse 8. And so it was when Joshua had spoken to the people that the seven priests, bearing the seven trumpets of ram's 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 priest who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the Ark. While the priest continued blowing the trumpets. So on the first day, the priest, the armed men, the Ark of the Covenant, the rear guard, dutifully do as they are instructed. Verse 10, Now Joshua commanded the people, saying, You shall not shout, or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, shout. Then you shall shout.

So here the people are instructed quietly to march around the city until they are told to shout. Verse 11. So he had the Ark of the Lord circle the city, going around at once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priest took up the Ark of the Lord. Then the seven priests, bearing the seven trumpets of ram 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 guard came after the Ark of the Lord, while the priest continued blowing the trumpets. And the second day, they marched around the city once, and they returned to the camp. And they did this for six days. So we see they did these things dutifully exactly as God had commanded them to do. Now, verse 15. But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. Only on that day they marched around the city seven times. So, per their instruction, this event on the seventh day occurred. And it may have very well occurred on the seventh day of Unleavened Bread, or on a Sabbath. It was a very special day, because rather than just marching around the city once, as they had previous days, they were to march around the city seven times. Why?

Well, God doesn't do things without a purpose. He doesn't do things without sending a message for his children to understand and perceive his plan. Let's continue, verse 16. And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people, Shout!

For the Lord has given you the city! Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who were with her in her house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. I think most of us are familiar with the fact that when the spies went to Jericho, they were saved by Rahab the harlot, who protected them from the king, and let them loose, let them out of the gates of the city, so they could go back and report to Joshua how it was in the city of Jericho.

And her words to the spies were, I know that your Lord is God. That's faith. That's belief. And she asked the spies that her and her family could be protected, and they said they certainly would protect them. Verse 18, And you, by all means, abstain from the accursed things, remember they were told to literally destroy everything in the city, except, we'll see for a few items here, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. But all of the silver and gold, the vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord, and they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.

Verse 20, So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets, and it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city, and they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

I want you to notice this key phrase here in verse 20, that every man went straight before him. That tells us something unique about Jericho. Archaeologists say that the city, in their studies, was destroyed by fire and by earthquake. Again, recapping what they were told on the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times. At the seventh time, they were told to shout. They shouted, and the walls fell flat. Now, these were stone walls. They weren't like what we saw on 9-11.

The walls did not pancake down, as we saw on the Twin Towers. These were solid objects, but they didn't fall outward. They fell inward. And that is rather unique. You see, if you're a city and you're being conquered by an army, the way that they scale the walls, the walls are pulled down outward. But the fact that these walls fell inward made it possible for the armed guard and the rear guard to go straight before them and not have to climb over rubble, not have to find an opening somewhere in the wall of the city.

But the way that the wall literally fell inward made it possible for every man to go straight before him. Verse 22, But Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the country, go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has as you swore to her.

And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. And they brought out all of her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. But they burned the city. I'm going to ask you to make special note of that, because we'll see that reoccurrence soon. They burned the city and all that was in it with fire, only the silver and gold and the vessels of bronze and iron they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. So Rahab, Rahab the monogamously challenged and her family are saved.

And this represents the fact that our God is a merciful God. You see, Rahab was a sinner and she deserved to die, just like every one of us. But God was calling Rahab to a new life. He was calling her to an understanding. And she acknowledged that Israel's God was God. And because of her faithful attitude, she was given the grace of God, and God had mercy on her and her family. Again, I want you to take mental note how the city was burned with fire and silver and gold were to be saved for use in God's house.

Now let's take a look at verse 26. Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city, Jericho. He shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates. So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout the country. There is a city today called Jericho that is controlled by the Palestinian authority, and it is right next to the ancient ruins of that old city of Jericho.

So this was the Battle of Jericho, and by God's direct intervention by spiritual forces, God caused the mighty walls of Jericho to fall flat and the city to be destroyed.

But did this historical event picture something more powerful, something more profound that is yet to occur in the future? Did this historical event have any significance regarding the coming kingdom of God? The answer to that question is absolutely yes.

Many of the future events found in the Book of Revelation and in the prophets are pictured symbolically by these actual events that occurred during the fall of Jericho.

And today we'll look at some of those events, and we will see how many of the prophecies yet to occur in the Book of Revelation and in the prophets, events soon to unfold, were prefigured, seen thousands and thousands of years before their time, represented by the Battle of Jericho.

So now let's look at some prophecies and see some parallels that exist between the Battle and Fall of Jericho and the soon-coming kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Parallel number one is that Jesus Christ comes as a conquering king. Jesus Christ comes as a conquering king. Revelation chapter 19 and verse 15, if you'll turn there with me. Revelation chapter 19 and verse 15, speaking about a prophecy of the returning king of kings, Jesus Christ, says, now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. So symbolically speaking, Jesus Christ is the Word.

And what comes out of his mouth as the Word is a sharp sword because it is sure to happen.

It's absolutely guaranteed to occur whatever he utters, whatever he states. In Joshua chapter 5 and verse 13, we saw that Joshua worshiped the captain of the Lord who bears a sword and was ready to destroy the one obstacle they had from entering their promised land. Here in Revelation, this is Jesus Christ. It's the conquering king with a sword ready to strike the nations. Other references to Christ with a sword are in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 16. Revelation chapter 2 verses 12 and 16. So again, parallel number one is Jesus Christ as the conquering king.

Parallel number two, the seven trumpets. Revelation chapter 8, beginning in verse 1, if you'll turn there with me. Revelation chapter 8 verse 1.

We know, of course, that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God and was the only one who could open the seven seals in the book of Revelation. And it comes to this point in Scripture that he opens the seventh seal. And here's what is revealed. Revelation chapter 1, I'm sorry, chapter 8, beginning in verse 1, when he opened, he opened the seventh seal.

There was silence in heaven for about half an hour, and I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Now in Joshua chapter 6, we saw how the ark of the covenant, the very presence of God, and here we saw in Revelation that it said, he opens the seventh seal. So the presence of Jesus Christ is definitely there. In Joshua, we saw how the ark of the covenant was marched around the city for six days, once per day.

The ark definitely represented God's presence and approval. What we saw in Joshua chapter 6, we saw that seven priests were given seven trumpets. The priest in Joshua's account represented the seven angels given the seven trumpets in the book of Revelation.

So again, as revealed here, the seventh seal is unwrapped by Jesus Christ himself, and it's composed of seven trumpets. The presence and approval of Jesus Christ is revealed, and he instructs that these seven angels be given these trumpets, and these trumpets are initiated by God, ordained by God upon a rebellious mankind and a great world-ruling empire known in the book of Revelation as Babylon the Great. These trumpets, under the name of Jesus, announced the wrath of God on the nations and governments of this world. The kingdom of God cannot begin until this government, this spiritual Babylon that exists on this earth, is removed and is destroyed and collapses. Just as the Israelites could not go to the promised land because Jericho was the barrier. Jericho was the city that was impregnable. Human beings could not conquer the city of Jericho. My brethren, our conqueror, Jesus Christ, is coming, and he will destroy spiritual Babylon. He will destroy the system that the nations of this world follow, directed by Satan the devil himself, that holds the entire world in bondage, that holds mankind in hostage, represented, of course, by the trumpets of God.

The third parallel are what occurs with the first six trumpets. The first six trumpets.

We'll read some scriptures here. Revelation 8 and verse 6. Let's read about some of these trumpets. For the sake of time, we won't read about all of them, but we'll read about many of them. Revelation 8 and verse 6. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets, remember they had been symbolically represented by the seven priests who had seven trumpets in Joshua's account. They prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. So with this trumpet blast, the earth is harmed. Verse 8. Then the second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. So with this trumpet blast, the oceans are harmed. Verse 10. Then the third angel sounded, and a great star fell out of heaven like a torch burning, and it fell on a third of the rivers, and on the springs of water, in the name of the stars wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water because it was made bitter. So in this trumpet blast, this sound, the fresh waters of the earth, the rivers, and the lakes.

I live in Cleveland, which is right near the greatest fresh-bodied water system on earth known as the Great Lakes.

It will be destroyed, sadly.

Let's continue here. Verse 12. Then the fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened, a third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.

So the heavens are darkened at the blowing of the fourth trumpet.

Continuing, and I looked and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, I wonder where we heard that earlier, saying with a loud voice, whoa, whoa, whoa, to the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blast of the trumpet of the three angels who were about to sound. So in Jericho's time, the priest marched around the city, warning of its impending destruction and doom.

Each day, one by one day at a time, the trumpets blew and blasted a signal of impending destruction upon the city.

Here in Revelation, massive destruction occurs with each trumpet sound.

We have following the three woes, the three woes are the fifth and the sixth and the seventh trumpet blast, as I said, they're all known as the three woes, and each trumpet blast signals the impending destruction of spiritual Babylon that is in control of the earth.

The fifth trumpet blast warns of months of torment to come. The sixth trumpet blast, one-third of mankind, die in terrible warfare as a result of world wars.

Let's now go to the fourth parallel, the seventh trumpet and the seventh last plagues. The seventh trumpet and the seven last plagues. This is the fourth parallel. Revelation chapter 11, verse 15.

It says, then the seventh angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven.

Where did we see shouting or loud voices occur earlier?

Saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the one who is and the one who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reigned, and the nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints.

That's you. That's the reward that you and I have because of the calling that we have accepted, and those who fear your name small and great, and that you should destroy those who destroy the earth.

So the seventh trumpet announces eminent coming of the kingdom of God, and there are a few inset chapters, but we'll pick it up here in verse 15, and we'll learn more about what comprises this seventh trumpet. Revelation chapter 15 and verse 1.

The inset chapters are not necessary for what we're reviewing today, but we'll pick it up in Revelation chapter 15 and verse 1. It says, then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. So the seventh trumpet blast is comprised of the seven last plagues, also known as the third woe. Do you remember what we read in Joshua 6 chapter verses 15 and 16?

Well, we read that on the seventh day, representing the seventh trumpet blast, what did they do?

They marched around the city seven times. Each time represented one of the seven last plagues to occur on earth before Jesus Christ establishes his world-ruling government.

Brethren, we serve a mighty God. We serve a great God who has a plan that is so clear for us as his people to understand, that should give us hope and encourage us and inspire us to know that God's promises are sure, and that you and I have been given a tremendous part to play in fulfilling his promises to this world.

The fifth parallel is that loud voices precede the fall of the great city. Number five, loud voices precede the fall of the great city. Revelation chapter 16 and verse 16. Revelation chapter 16 and verse 16.

John was inspired to write, and they gathered them together in a place called in Hebrew Armageddon, and we know this will be a place of a tremendous battle. Verse 17, then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven. I want you to notice what it says. It says, a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven and from the throne, saying, it is done! And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as has not occurred since men were on the earth.

We saw in Joshua chapter 6 and verse 16 that on the seventh day, after the seventh time, that they had walked around the city, Joshua had given them an instruction. He said, shout!

And the shouting of that battle represented what we're reading here in the book of Revelation.

Turn with me. Hold your place in Revelation, but turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 16, and we'll see a statement that Paul wrote. We just read in Revelation how great voices were heard out of heaven just before the fall of Babylon. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 16.

I want to encourage you to recognize the linkage here between the Battle of Jericho and what we just read in the book of Revelation and what Paul said would occur regarding the resurrection of the faithful. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 16. Paul wrote, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 2 Of course, because we observe God's holy days and we keep the feast of trumpets, we understand the tremendous meaning regarding the Scripture and the resurrection of the dead that we all look forward to, especially our loved ones and those in the faith who died over many, many years that we miss and long to see again.

But again, at Jericho, on the seventh day, after the seventh time around the city, the people shouted while they were blowing trumpets. And at that time, the walls of Jericho fell. The sixth parallel is the fall itself. If you turn back to the book of Revelation, back to the book of Revelation chapter 16 and verse 19. Revelation chapter 16 and verse 19.

2 We must remember that great Babylon is symbolic of a system that holds the nations of this world together. It is a system that has been structured by the God of this world, Satan the devil, because he owns the world presently. And he has created this system that causes all the problems that exist in our world today, including the diseases that kill so many children every day, and starvation, and the emptiness that exists in human lives. And all the problems that we see in the world today are part of that system of great Babylon. Revelation chapter 16 and verse 19. It says, Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath, and every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Let's see how quickly this occurs. If you'll turn with me to Revelation chapter 18 and verse 2. Revelation chapter 18 and verse 2.

Revelation chapter 18 and verse 2. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon, the great, is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, and a prison for every foul spirit in a cage for every unclean and hated bird. So here at the seventh last plague, loud voices, noises, occurred just before the cities of the nations fell. These nations collapsed at the sound of a loud voice exactly like the shout that occurred before Jericho's walls fell flat. At this point in prophecy, the world is at war. And Jesus Christ, because of his great mercy, personally intervenes in this climatic war, because otherwise mankind would destroy itself and all vestige of human life from the face of the earth. So again, here we see in Revelation, the world's evil systems of rebellious government fall prefigured in Joshua chapter 6 by the shouts that occurred as the walls of Jericho fell down. Parallel number seven, the city is destroyed by fire. Parallel number seven, the city is destroyed by fire. Revelation chapter 18 and verse 17.

It says, For in one hour such great riches came to nothing, talking about this great Babylon and the nations that supported it on the earth, every shipmaster, all who traveled by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning. We have an old saying in Ohio, where there's smoke, there's fire.

I'm sure you have the same saying as well. Saying, What is like this great city? And they threw dust on their heads and they cried out weeping and wailing and saying, Alas, alas, that great city in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth. For in one hour she is made desolate. Think how quickly that is for a world-ruling empire to collapse in an hour.

Think what a miracle that was in Joshua's time. When they were blowing the trumpets and the people shouted, and instantaneously the walls of Jericho fell flat, prefiguring a time when spiritual Babylon will fall in an hour. So here in Revelation Babylon is suddenly destroyed with a fire, with a fire, and the smoke of her burning is seen by others who witness it.

Parallel number eight, wealth of the nations is gathered. Wealth of the nations is gathered. Parallel number eight. If you'll turn with me to Zechariah chapter 14 and verse 13. It's a beautiful prophecy about the world tomorrow, and also how the feast of tabernacles will be kept in the kingdom of God. But before that time of peace, there obviously is a time of war, and we'll pick it up here in verse 13. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand. Again, this is Zechariah chapter 14. Now we're in verse 14. Judah also will fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered to Gareth. Gather gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and on the mule and on the camel and the donkey and on all the cattle that will be within those camps. So anyone who camps near Armageddon to fight the return of Jesus Christ will be under a plague. Picking it up here. So shall this plague go up.

We pick it up again. So shall this plague be, and it shall come to pass.

So that's a period of time after the wars are over. It shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go from year to year to worship the king, the lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

And it shall be that whichever the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the king, the lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. And if the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain. They shall receive the plague on which the lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles. And this shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up and keep the feast of tabernacles. It's God's holy day. It's his appointed time. And he calls the nations together at this time in the world tomorrow to come and worship him and celebrate his presence and his glory and his greatness during the feast of tabernacles. And if you don't do that, then you'll receive a plague similar to those camps who were prepared to fight against Jesus Christ.

I want you to notice a couple of things that would be gathered after the battle. It says gold and silver in verse 14. In Joshua chapter 6 and verse 19, we saw that gold and silver were saved from the fall of Jericho. Other things were to be destroyed, but gold and silver were to be saved to honor God and be used in his glory. And now the ninth parallel, and our final parallel, the ninth parallel is that few survivors remain. And this is sad, but this is part of God's plan, and we need to understand and appreciate that God will resurrect people whose lives were cut short because of war, because of tragedy, because maybe they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Our God is a merciful and a loving God, and within his plan he will raise those to life again in a better world who are the victims of war and the victims of tragedy. Isaiah chapter 24 and verse 4. Isaiah chapter 24 and verse 4.

Isaiah chapter 24 and verse 4. Isaiah, in looking at the world as the result of the climatic events to come, says this, The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The haughty people of the earth languish.

The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants because they have transgressed to the laws changed to the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, the curse has devoured the earth, and all and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. We also read in Zachariah 14 where it said, And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of the nations which came against Jerusalem. So as far as a percentage of mankind that are still alive, it will be a small percentage that survives to begin the millennium of the kingdom of God.

You know, in Joshua chapter 6 and verse 22, we saw how only a small percentage of those who lived in Jericho were saved. It was Rahab and her family. They were spared from the fall of Jericho, and this represented that only a small percentage of mankind would be left alive after the fall of spiritual Babylon that will soon occur and as a result of world war.

Oh, brethren, the events surrounding the fall of Jericho indeed have significant meaning for us today as it did in Joshua's time. There is a reason God inspired these events almost 3500 years ago.

In order for Israel to enter the promised land, a powerful city stood in the way and had to be removed by God. For the kingdom of God to be established on this earth, a powerful city, spiritual Babylon, must also be removed by God in order for the kingdom of God to be established.

Jericho could not be defeated by mere men. It took divine intervention by God for the city to fall. And in a similar way, it's going to take God's intervention for the Babylonian system that controls our present world itself to collapse and to fall. You and I have been called to prepare for the events that God inspired thousands of years ago. And as sure as Jericho fell and its ruins are studied by archaeologists today, so too will be the fall of Babylon. And it will become a byword. It will become a place uninhabited in the world tomorrow. There's coming a time when the final resurrection of the Roman Empire will raise its head, and wicked spiritual forces who are determined to destroy the earth and mankind will be established. But much in the same way that Jericho fell, so too will that kingdom. Let's return to the book of Revelation. There's something that I wanted to emphasize here. We've read this. Revelation chapter 11 and verse 18. We read this a little earlier, but I wanted to emphasize a part of this verse a little more strongly than I did earlier. Revelation chapter 11, verse 18. It says, the nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, and the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great.

Brethren, we are the saints spoken of here in Scripture. We are the rear guard of the kingdom of God. During the battle of Jericho, there were a group of individuals who went behind the Ark of the Covenant. It represented God, and it went behind. It wasn't in front like the armed troops. It went behind, and it's called in the book of Joshua, the Battle of Jericho, the rear guard. And God called them for a special place. He's called us, the battle, this world's real enemy in a fight for liberty. It's a fight against Satan the devil for control of the human race.

Brethren, please don't grow weary of battle. Please don't grow weary of your personal battle against Jericho. Please don't turn around and go back into the desert and go back into the wilderness. Remember the example of those who went before us, and never forget that there are people in their graves waiting for the saints to be prepared so that they can love them and teach them and guide them regarding God's way when they are resurrected from the dead.

Ten thousand years from now, they'll be telling stories about how we overcame tremendous obstacles, how we overcame the Jerikos in our lives, and how our faith endured. People will admire our strength. They'll admire our determination in spite of our personal problems and weaknesses.

I want to encourage you to realize that everything you experience in life is for a purpose, especially the painful events that you go through in life. They're not wasted. Even if they're mistakes, if you continue on the journey and continue to want to desire the mind of Christ, even the mistakes we make, the painful events God can work with to mold us into the kind of people that he wants us to be. Everything that occurs in your life is preparing you for service in the kingdom of God. And if you're saying to yourself, well, what about the mundane things that I do? I have a job that I don't like. Or I have duties and responsibilities that are monotonous. They're mundane. And even those things can teach you patience, can teach you humility, can teach you consistency. Again, Revelation chapter 11, the end part of verse 18, I think, is very powerful.

It says that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints and those who fear your name small and great. And if you've been saying to yourself, God can't use me, I'm too small.

God can't use me because I have problems, because I'm struggling through life.

The next time you feel like God can't use you, I hope that you will remember that sometimes Noah drank too much. Abraham was too old. Isaac was a daydreamer. Jacob was a liar. Leah was homely.

Joseph was abused by his family. Moses had a stuttering problem. Gideon was afraid.

Samson had long hair and was a womanizer. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.

Elijah was suicidal. Jonah ran away from God. Naomi was a widow. Job, he went bankrupt.

Peter denied Christ, and at times he was a hypocrite. The disciples fell asleep when they were supposed to be praying. Martha worried about everything. Zacchaeus was too small.

Paul was too direct, and he was sarcastic. And Timothy, he had an ulcer. So remember that in spite of your personal weaknesses, God can use you. He is using you as you grow and develop the mind of Christ. Please don't get discouraged.

Please don't abandon your calling. One final scripture for the day. If you'll turn with me to Philippians chapter 1 and verse 17, written by the Apostle Paul when he was in prison. Philippians chapter 1 will begin in verse 1.

Philippians chapter 1 beginning in verse 1. What Paul wrote at congregation is as true today as it was back then. And the same words that Paul meant for these people is exactly true for you. Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ. To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are to Philippi with the bishops and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, making a request for you with all with joy. Verse 5, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing that He, that's God, He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Just as it is right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart and as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of me with grace. And brethren, every one of us in this room today are partakers of God's grace. We have been given an incredible and powerful calling. We have had revealed to us the truths of God regarding the events soon to occur to this earth. God's plan is revealed through His holy days, including the Feast of Tabernacles and assumed coming last great day or eighth day. We have been given so much and we have been blessed in so many ways because of the grace of God. Let us continue our journey. Let us be determined to destroy the Jericho's that are in our lives, to be determined to rely on God and walk not by sight but by faith, and to overcome those obstacles in our lives. If we do that, we will please the Christ. We will please our God and as His rear guard, as He returns to earth, we will be there to share all honor and glory and power with Him that He gives to us at that time.

Have a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles.