Chapter 5: The Jerichos yet to be conquered

*We all face our own Jericho - the stronghold that blocks our progress into our Promised Land of abundant life. Identifying and defeating our Jericho is the key to taking the whole Land. 

We must trust God and pull it down with God’s mighty weapons. 

Faith is not denial. God told Israel to walk around it 13 times in 7 days. They had a good look at it from every side. Faith does not pretend the problem is not there. We are to look at it squarely in the eye, and although we know we cannot overcome it in our own strength, we must look to God in faith for His power to destroy it. God wanted Israel to know it was impossible for them to do it, so that they had to look to Him and trust Him completely for Victory. 

By knowing the natural impossibility, they knew it was God Who alone who gave them Victory and Who got the glory. Faith sees the problem and our inability, but then it focuses on God and His great ability. Through the eyes of faith we SEE GOD, and that with Him it’s easy. If He told us to do it, then we can do it, for He’s with and in us. So we act in faith knowing that as we do He will put us over!

As they confronted Jericho, they marched around it for a week, sounding the Trumpet that declared God’s Power and Presence. 

We are to do the same: SOUND THE TRUMPET against the problem. We see the stronghold, but we are to meditate on God’s Word and His Power, seeing the stronghold falling down; and we are to declare God’s Word against it, declaring God’s promise of victory, announcing to the stronghold that it is finished. Then when faith has risen, we release all our faith against it (according to Mark 11:23) with a shout of faith, praise, and victory releasing God's power to destroy satan's stronghold (2Corinthians 10:4-6). 

The story of Joshua and Jericho reveals the kind of active obedient faith needed to destroy our Jerichos. As we believe and obey God, He works through us and for us, to do what we cannot do.

*The Final Jericho - the Fulfilment of the Type of Jericho 
Jericho is also a Picture (Type) of what will happen in the End-Times. JERICHO was a place of evil. The Canaanite inhabitants had given themselves over to all kinds of evil, including child-sacrifice, and were ripe for judgement (compare abortion in our day). This Jericho is a picture of all enemy strongholds. 

Ultimately it is a picture of the whole WORLD-SYSTEM, under satan's power (2 Corinthians 4:4), illegally possessing the earth. JESHUA is coming with the armies of God to repossess the earth, and kick satan and his people out. God's people will then 

repossess the earth, and God's Kingdom will then be physically established on the earth. Israel possessing the Land under Joshua is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings coming back to invade and possess the earth, that’s increasingly come under the power of evil. He will then set up His Kingdom and reign over the nations for 1000 years. 

Just as 7 Trumpets blasted for 7 days, so in the Book of Revelation God blows 7 Trumpets over the last 7 years, giving His warnings of imminent judgement, as God's Kingdom comes on the scene. These also herald the last chance for the people on earth to repent. 7 is the number representing spiritual perfection, so we see many 7's, as God's perfect Kingdom is coming to be established. 

As the last day of the 7 days involved an escalation and intensification of activity before the final judgement fell, so we see the same thing as the 7 years of the Tribulation move to their close. The final (7th) Trumpet heralds the pouring out of God’s final judgement and the establishing of His Kingdom: 

“The 7th angel sounded (his Trumpet) and there were great voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). 
In the time of the 7th Trumpet, the World-System (called Babylon) (1) falls down and (2) is consumed by fire, just like Jericho (Revelation 18). Thus Jericho is a Type of the evil world-system (Babylon) that will: (1) be cast down, and (2) be consumed by fire at the 7th Trumpet (see Revelation 18).

Then Revelation 19:11-16 describes the final invasion as Jesus (the Greater than Joshua) leads God's army as it comes to possess satan's stronghold (the earth). Jesus executes judgement on His enemies with the sword of his mouth. He casts out satan and takes possession over the earth, reigning for 1000 years (Revelation 20). The Kingdom of God will then be established upon the earth and God's people will possess their inheritance.

Thus Joshua’s invasion of the Promised Land, after Jericho is destroyed, is a Type of Jesus’ invasion of the earth (Revelation 19), after Babylon is destroyed. He will come to possess the earth and to execute judgement on God’s enemies. 

When the walls of the kingdoms of this world come crashing down, and God starts His Judgement of Fire, then who will remain? Only those who are like Rahab, who believed in the Lord, the God of Israel, and separated herself from the evil of Jericho. Only those who trust in and confess the blood of the Passover Lamb of God, as Rahab did by hanging the scarlet thread out of her window!