THE WARS OF THE LORD (5)
[p. 309] THE WARS OF THE LORD (5)
Joshua 3:1 - 17; Joshua 5:13 - 15; Joshua 6:1 - 5
JT We considered the war with the Midianites in Numbers 31, when last together, and noted that all the people were representatively engaged in it.
It is not thought necessary to read from Deuteronomy, as the wars referred to there have already been considered in our previous readings.
Entering now into the book of Joshua we have first what is peculiarly sacred and spiritual, that is, the death and resurrection of Christ with reference to death as an enemy. It is formally called an enemy — “the last enemy”, (1 Corinthians 15:26). The people, in this instance, have no direct part in the conflict, it is the ark that is prominent; it is Christ as going before the people, entering into death and rising again, so that death is abolished for faith; publicly it exists, for the waters returned to their former place after the ark had gone over; so it is therefore understood to be a matter of faith. But it is faith in the power of God shown in Christ’s resurrection.
FL What is the thought of Jericho being the first point of approach in this connection?
JT The overthrow of the world is in view, as the immediate result of the victory over death.
FL Your thought is that firstly everything goes on in secret, and is in the hands of God; the people, as yet, are not brought into it instrumentally, but everything depends upon the ark.
JT So that our minds are directed to Christ as entering into death, necessarily alone. It was stressed that the people were to remain two thousand cubits behind.
JEH How would this compare with [p. 310] the Red Sea?
JT Well, it has often been pointed out that the Red Sea is Christ’s death for us, not our death with Him. The needs of our consciences are in view, that whilst still in this world we should, through faith, know that we are justified; hence the wilderness is the result; the world becomes a wilderness to us. We accept death with Christ in Romans, and in the light of His resurrection, “walk in newness of life”, (chapter 6:4). Our resurrection is still future, not present as in Colossians.
ANW Did you wish to emphasise faith especially in connection with the Jordan?
JT Yes, I was going to remark that the wilderness position is a result of the Red Sea, and it is said that the Israelites crossed it by faith. It is faith that is stressed there as corresponding with Romans. Faith is also seen at the Jordan, as in Colossians 2. Faith lays hold of the power of God seen in Christ’s resurrection, otherwise the return of the waters to their former position would have ended the matter; there would have been no more crossing. The outward reign of death holds men in fear as before, save as the death and resurrection of Christ is laid hold of by faith and in the power of the Spirit. Faith understands that death is abolished; Scripture says, He has “annulled death”. Christ has annulled it. That will not be seen publicly until the millennium, but now it is understood by those of us who have faith and the Spirit — the Spirit must have a place in this or we shall not enter into Canaan. The ark in Jordan is light, which faith holds to, but the Spirit is the power of our entrance. The death and resurrection of Christ being a fact, what proceeds until the coming of the Lord is in the saints, contingent on the Spirit.
FL Physical death is not annulled, but to faith death is annulled, as realised by the Holy Spirit, so [p. 311] that we find saints passing away saying, There is no water here.
JT That is right, and on the same principle death does not come into our assembly meetings; we have access into the realm of life.
AP Does the word “faith” in Colossians 2:12 bear on that? You were referring to it: “buried with him in baptism, in which ye have been also raised with him through faith of the working of God”.
JT That passage alludes to Joshua 3.
ANW Do you connect baptism with the Jordan?
JT Yes, in Colossians 2:12, already quoted, we have: “buried with him in baptism, in which ye have been also raised with him through faith of the working of God, who raised him from among the dead”. That is, baptism in its full spiritual bearing enters into the Jordan. It begins in Romans 6:4, where we are not said to be raised with Christ. It is said, “We have been buried therefore with him by baptism unto death, in order that, even as Christ has been raised up from among the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life”, In Colossians, baptism runs on to our resurrection with Christ. It is not actual, of course, but through faith in the working of God, and the Spirit is the present realisation of it pending our actual resurrection when the Lord comes.
ANW But would you not make the Red Sea and Jordan coalesce for that purpose?
JT They do, indeed; but Romans gives you the long period that is required to bring us to the appreciation of it, so that we lay hold of it and go in for it.
GA Does it culminate in the thought that Christ our forerunner has entered in?
JT Yes, only there it is not the land. The entrance there is to the presence of God — more into [p. 312] the sanctuary. The sanctuary is generally the objective in Hebrews, so that we are to draw near. Entrance into the land is, “Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, the place that thou, Jehovah, hast made thy dwelling, the Sanctuary, Lord, that thy hands have prepared”, (Exodus 15:17). He brought them out that He might bring them in.
JEH Would that be the reason that there is no reference in Hebrews 11 to the wilderness? It says, “By faith they passed through the Red sea as through dry land”, and in the next verse it says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell”, (verses 29,30).
JT That shows the link is with the power for the overthrow of the world. At the Red Sea you escape the power of the world, but the next step is to turn round and overthrow the world. Israel were not called upon to overthrow Egypt; God overthrew Pharaoh and his host, not the nation properly; whereas the overthrow of Jericho implies the overcoming of the world by the saints.
FL If I understand you, the meaning of the Red Sea is developed in the first half of Romans, but Jordan typifies the truth in Colossians, which regards me not only as buried with Christ in baptism, but also as raised with Him through faith of the working of God.
JT Colossians is that, also that we are “quickened together with him”, which is a present thing, involving the work of God in us. There is nothing like that in the Red Sea, nor is the ark seen there.
CAM The ark is the prominent feature here, would you not say?
JT It is most impressive, and yet is intelligible in view of the antitype. We are to keep our eye on the ark, and keep at a respectful distance from it, which means that we can have no part in this conflict.
[p. 313] It is Christ alone entering into death to make a way through it for us.
APT Does the Ethiopian’s conversion link with Romans, and Paul’s conversion more with Colossians? The eunuch went on his way rejoicing, walking in “newness of life”. But of Paul it says, “And straightway in the synagogues he preached Jesus that he is the Son of God”, (Acts 9:20). He had seen the ark. The preaching of the Son of God meant in principle the overthrow of the world.
JT That is good. The Lord Jesus appeared to Paul as risen and glorified. He appeared to him from heaven. Paul saw the Lord and he preached Him as the Son of God, which involves entrance into Canaan.
AP Does it not imply that the wilderness journey was over as far as Paul was concerned for the moment?
JT Yes, the Lord might have taken him up to heaven, not as the thief, through death, but as having seen Him in heavenly glory as Man. He saw Christ as none of the other saints saw Him — he saw Him in His heavenly relations.
FL What is the significance of the two thousand cubits now?
JT Reverence is implied, also that we can have no part in this conflict; that whilst it enters into the subject of “The wars of the Lord”, the people were not with Him in it, nor could they be. They had no part at all in this conflict. He has annulled death and brought life and incorruptibility to light. Life and incorruptibility would suggest the land, really.
AFM Would our part be to keep our visibility clear with regard to these two thousand cubits?
JT Yes, especially in the assembly, because what we should have in mind is the teaching of all this. Its present application implies our being in [p. 314] assembly. In no position is it more essential to have clear visibility than as coming together in assembly.
FL This distance is considerable, but every eye in the camp was to see the ark.
JT It is not only that there is a certain distance to imply reverence, but as the ark was not literally a large object the distance required good eyesight.
AP Do you think that Paul, in emphasising the greatness of Christ in Colossians 1 is calling attention to the ark, in view of the actual journey over the Jordan?
JT I think that is right. Colossians 1 helps as to the distance between us and Christ; the chapter greatly stresses His Person. It says, “for in him all the fulness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell” (Colossians 1:19), without saying anything about His body; but in chapter 2 it is “bodily”, showing that He is brought nearer to us. We can see Him; still there is definite distance between Him and us. Colossians 2 shows our entering the land in correspondence with Christ: circumcised in His circumcision, buried, raised (through faith of God’s power), and quickened with Him.
JHE I was thinking of what you said about good eyesight; Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 would correspond: “being enlightened in the eyes of your heart, so that ye should know ... the surpassing greatness of his power”, etc.
JT Yes. The first prayer is that the eyes of our heart might be enlightened; the second, chapter 3, is that we might be strengthened by the Father’s Spirit in the inner man. Both are needed as we are entering into Canaan — we need good eyesight and also strength.
FL In Laodicea eye-salve was needed. It is greatly needed in the times in which we are.
ANW Would the “officers” be like the apostle’s doctrine in regard to this movement; (chapter 3:2)?
JT I think so. Joshua, of course, exercises authority, but his authority is more in keeping with Colossians, that sort of authority. In the officers you have authority, as in 1 Corinthians, which is essential to the position. The ark was borne by the priests, and when their feet touched the edge of the water, the power of God was manifest. Attention is called to the Lord Jesus in His holy steps into death. He went into it Himself. Mary anointing His feet, is honoured as understanding that He was going into death Himself; the completion of His walk is in view, what He was here as walking entered into His competency to deal with death.
CAM Do you attach the priestly element to the Lord Himself?
JT Yes; it is just that which is represented; the holiness that entered into His movements, as, for instance, at Gethsemane. I think what you get in the gospels, after the Lord’s supper, is particularly indicated here. He moved out to meet Satan, who had the power of death.
CAM You were alluding to Mary as being intelligent regarding the movement of the ark of the covenant. May I ask whether there were those intelligent at the time of her anointing His feet, or whether it needed the period of forty days after He arose in which to bring them to the fuller understanding?
JT The forty days were needed to accustom the disciples to the new state that the Lord had inaugurated in His resurrection, but Mary, I think, is honoured in that it is mentioned that she anointed His feet beforehand, for His burial. She could not have told you that she understood it, but the Spirit of God, I think, honours her in mentioning this, and so the disciples, whether near or far, in those wonderful [p. 316] moments after the Supper was instituted, when He went out to the mount of Olives and Gethsemane, would all take notice of and recall that these were the steps that immediately led into death. The mention of the priests’ feet does not imply that we have any active part in what is typified here. I do not think anything may be made of the movements of the priests; it is more the element that was typified in them. The ark, as a figure, could not move itself, hence the priests were essential to the movements. We should understand these movements; the apostles and all that were near the Lord after He was taken and delivered over to death would afterwards understand and recall those movements. The deepest spiritual instruction is found in them.
FL Is there something analogous here to what we get in Numbers, where the ark went before the people to search out a resting-place for them?
JT Numbers 10 is the beginning of what culminates here, just as the Lord at a certain point in His blessed pathway began to move upward to Jerusalem; (Mark 10:32). They were amazed, it says, and were afraid as they followed. They began to understand that “the way” He was on led to His death. Thomas says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him”, (John 11:16). The ark had already begun to move; indeed, it was so from the mount of Transfiguration. Every step from that point, I think, was like the movement of the ark into the Jordan.
AP It says in Matthew 16:21, “From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go away to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised”. Does that fit in here?
JT Yes; and then as He goes up to the mountain, and comes down again. He repeats that He is [p. 317] going to die, to suffer at the hands of men; (Matthew 17:9 - 12).
JHE In John 18 we read that Jesus and His disciples went beyond the torrent Cedron to the garden, and then later Judas comes. Jesus says to the band, “if therefore ye seek me, let these go away”, (verse 8). He was going to enter into death alone.
JT Exactly. All was closing in as He entered the garden. He was entering into the actual territory of Satan’s power in death. It was all condensed there, and that is what is before us here. Moses and Elijah on the mount, spoke to Him of His decease. He came down to go to Jerusalem and die.
FL In connection with your reference to Mary, the Lord attributed intelligence to her; she anointed Him against His burial; she is not found at the sepulchre, as if she would not look for Him there.
JT I think we are entitled to see it in that way. She had “passed over” anticipatively. He was known at Bethany as the resurrection and the life. The principle of passing over is what we lay hold of as we see Him go into death. Mary anointed His feet for burial. His feet were carrying Him into death. That, in her mind, would not be the end. He who raised Lazarus would come out of death Himself. Mary was a characteristic believer.
ABP Had she gone through the experience of lodging by Jordan in John 11? It says here in verse 1, “They came to the Jordan and lodged there”.
JT I think so. It seems as if she had come to Jordan in her spirit, but also regarded Christ as about to enter it.
FL She would have the sense that death could not hold Him. That was impossible!
AFM Is there a parallel between the priests’ feet touching the brim of the Jordan and the Lord delivering up His spirit in John — He was superior to everything that was [p. 318] transpiring?
JT I think that is right. This whole book should be read specially in connection with John’s gospel. If the Son of God goes into death, that is the end of death. Its abolition is already anticipated. John has that in mind all through His gospel. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”, (chapter 2:19).
JEH The title that is given to the ark is exceedingly significant. You would thus expect results — “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth”.
JT What could stand in its way? Divine title to the territory enters into that. It is very exhilarating in John to see from the outset the Person who was there. The abolition of death is in prospect; and in Mary’s act there was accumulative testimony to it; I believe her act of anointing the Lord’s feet points to it, however imperfect her understanding might be.
CAM You were calling attention recently to John 11, as a military victory. The details in that chapter, one after another, are very wonderful.
JT The deliberation with which the Lord moved, and Thomas himself understanding that the movement had death in prospect — “Let us also go that we may die with him” — imply that. Thomas’s remark is mentioned to his credit.
ANW He was almost using Colossian language. I was thinking of the word “with”, which is characteristic of Colossians.
FL There are here three figures of leadership and power that are quite remarkable. Would you tell us how they compare? There are Joshua, the captain of Jehovah’s hosts, and the ark.
JT Joshua is the leader. He represents that side. We are plainly in a highly spiritual realm [p. 319] here, and have to learn to see how one thought merges in another. So that Joshua was ostensibly the captain of Jehovah’s hosts. He was a reliable man in military affairs. The first mention of Joshua is that he was allowed to choose his own army and to lead it, and he led it to victory; (Exodus 17). We have to keep that in mind. He is seen here as representing that side, and it is said in chapter 4 that Jehovah magnified him; meaning that he represented the element of spiritual leadership seen in Christ; the principle is that he becomes greater and greater in our eyes as typical of Christ. But in chapter 5 Joshua is just one of ourselves, for after all, he is only a man; the Man with the drawn sword is Christ. Joshua as leader drops out of view for the moment. We have to compare that figure and the ark in chapter 3, the power is in the ark; the people are not in the conflict. The ark stays in the bed of the Jordan, where the great pressure was, until all the people passed over. I believe, in principle, that goes on all the time, in the passing over by the saints through faith, the waters of death are out of the way. We pass over through faith by the Spirit. But then in chapter 5 it is the Captain of Jehovah’s hosts. But others are to have part in this, namely, all the saints. The overthrow of the world is in view, and we are all brought into that, which is chapter 6. So that we have to see how Joshua merges in Christ as spiritual leader. He has an historic place; so has the ark: but the Captain of Jehovah’s hosts has no historic place; this is the first mention of Him. The old corn of the land has no historic place either; it is first mentioned here in chapter 5. So that the ark is expressive of power, involving the deity of Christ; Joshua is leadership spiritually, merging in the Captain of Jehovah’s hosts, who is Christ. The Captain of Jehovah’s hosts has more to do with the heavenly side of warfare.
FL “[p. 320] Who is he, this king of glory? Jehovah of hosts, he is the king of glory”.
JT Quite so; “mighty in battle”.
CAM In apprehending Joshua’s leadership we see that it merges in the greatness of Christ, like that expression in Colossians 3, Christ is everything and in all.
JT Joshua is a man like ourselves; so are Moses and Aaron. That is God in Christ coming down to us in one like ourselves, so that we should understand. But then Joshua is magnified, and Moses is magnified; which means that we are gradually coming into the light of who Christ is.
AC Speaking of Joshua and the highly spiritual plane here, is there special instruction in the command, evidently from him, as to the distance, two thousand cubits, between the ark and the people: “Ye shall not come near it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore”?
JT What you find in Joshua and others is that while they have instructions from God, they show their spiritual intelligence in their manner of conveying them to the people: they epitomise or enlarge on what they hear. This principle is intended to mark all ministry. It is not delivered merely verbatim; it is presented in a calculated way by those who minister, compare Exodus 12:21 - 28; John 16:12; 1 Corinthians 3:1.
GMacP There is a remarkable expression in chapter 3:10: “Hereby shall ye know that the living God is in your midst”. Would this be realised in the assembly, do you think — the living God in the midst?
JT Quite so. The presence of God is realised as we are together according to the order presented [p. 321] in our chapter.
WB-w You spoke of our passing over as seen in this type. Does that work out in the assembly?
JT Yes; the forces of death are held back. That is, faith understands, and as we take this ground the Spirit sustains us as free of death. The number of actual deaths does not diminish, but for faith death is annulled. Martha linked the resurrection with “the last day”; but the Lord says, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes on me, though he have died, shall live; and every one who lives and believes on me shall never die”, (John 11:25,26). “Though he have died” refers to the departed saints, according to Thessalonians; but he “that lives and believes on me shall never die” refers to Colossians. That is the ground we take. Death is to depart to be with Christ, awaiting the resurrection, which is but a matter of time. The resurrection of the saints is bound up with Christ’s — “the first fruits, Christ; then those that are the Christ’s at his coming”, (1 Corinthians 15:23).
CAM So that during the entire faith period, the Jordan is held back for faith.
JT Yes. We can thus meet and enjoy eternal life together, because death is abolished, and we know it. Our Saviour Jesus Christ has abolished death and brought life and incorruptibility to light. It is for faith, the Spirit being the power; if the Spirit were not here it could only be an abstract thought with us, but the Spirit being here with us, “the living God is in your midst” as has just been remarked. Death is not on our spirits.
AFM We have meetings for the Lord’s supper, for prayer, for ministry, and for the reading of the Scriptures. Do we enter into eternal life in each of these meetings, or would you confine it to the meeting for the Lord’s supper?
JT To the meeting for the Lord’s supper and, in a modified way, to the others. I believe when we come together “in assembly”, we are where this teaching should come especially into view because we are looking toward the land.
JTJr Is it a change of position when it says, “remove from your place”,? Does that involve a change of position with us?
JT Quite so. Lodging implies carefulness on the part of those in this position. As regards the inquiry about meetings for prayer, for reading the Scriptures, for ministry, and other meetings such as this, there is a peculiar kind of atmosphere in such gatherings that you do not get anywhere else. Being together “in assembly” is special, but the general thought is that we are in a realm of eternal life as amongst the saints where the Spirit is free.
WB-w Would you apply Joshua’s rising early in the morning and the removing from Shittim as fitting in with coming together in assembly?
JT I think so. They came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. That is a very careful movement. Jehovah in the prophets, alludes to this journey to prove to Israel His righteousness — what Balaam answered Balak “from Shittim unto Gilgal”, (Micah 6:5). They are beginning that journey now, and what God is, and what His righteousness is, enter into it. The movement is a careful one; the prescribed distance between them and the ark is to be maintained as they enter the Jordan. The people did not come to a particular place on land, but to a river. It says: “and when ... they were come to the Jordan”. They come right up to death. Their eye was now to be on Christ; the ark, which figuratively is the power of God and the glory of God. It is a mysterious object, and is a question of the deity of Christ in such circumstances.
JS The intensity of the conflict would be seen as the priests’ feet touch the water; death is rolled back.
JT Yes. See the power — as soon as their feet dipped in the edge of the water it rose up in a heap. It is the “exceeding greatness” (Ephesians 1:19) of God’s power in dealing with death.
AC Do you not think it would be a great incentive to the people that Joshua should speak with such assurance of the dispossession of these seven nations? No power, however formidable, could stand against the people of God.
JT That is what we ought to see here. We are in the presence of the greatest power against us, “the last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26); but it is overcome by God’s superior power.
ABP What is the difference between this and Elijah’s smiting the waters of Jordan with his mantle?
JT Elijah is more Christ Himself dealing with Jordan; Elisha is typical of the saints passing over, using the mantle that fell from Elijah; that is, it is in the power of Christ, I think, as the apostle says, “Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me”, (2 Corinthians 12:9). “Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters”, (2 Kings 2:8) It is not said that Elisha did this: “he took the mantle of Elijah ... and smote the waters”, (2 Kings 2:14) The former is direct divine power in exercise; the latter is this power as used by the saints.
FL As a practical thing, I have been greatly impressed with what has been brought out in this passing over Jordan in assembly aspect. But is it not a fact that each one of us as we are left here, is brought face to face in a practical way with this matter of passing over; that is, the power of death is known as annulled for us as we leave this scene to be with the Lord?
JT John 12 would help us as to that. We can [p. 324] understand that the company at Bethany, Judas excepted, would have a sense of the victory over death. I might ask Lazarus what his experiences had been; but I would say to him, The Lord loves me, too, you know! And Lazarus would own that what Christ did for him, He will do for all of us who may die. It is a question of the love and power of Christ; what will He not do for us? So that entering into death on my part now is an incident; it is a solemn occasion, of course, but still, it is an incident. “He shall never see death”, the Lord says of everyone who keeps His word.
ANW You referred just now to “in assembly” in 1 Corinthians 11. Is that on the wilderness side for the moment, rather than on the Gilgal side?
JT It is. It is a change of position upon removing from Shittim, which was the last encampment properly in the wilderness. They removed from that and were now on the march into the land — from Shittim to Gilgal. We have to understand that journey. They moved and came to the Jordan; that is, they came into the presence of death — and what is going to happen? It overflowed all its banks. You can understand what exercises the people would have as in this position, but then what triumph! For as the feet of the priests touched the waters, they disappeared, we may say, they rose up in a heap by the city Adam, far up the river, “and those that flowed down towards the sea of the plain, the salt sea, were completely cut off”. It is the abolition of death. I think we can understand how that applies to our coming together in assembly.
JS At the Red Sea the water was in sight, but in Jordan it disappeared.
JT Yes. We begin with the wilderness, but we move from that position and go to Jordan. There is a lodging-place, which I think suggests making ourselves ready, preparatory for [p. 325] the passing over.
AFM Would that not also apply with regard to the individual passing over? We see Christ in the bed of the river, by faith, and have an impression of Himself as having wrought all this great victory for us, and so go over dry-shod.
JT Yes. The position in which He is seen here is most touching, and endears Him to us. It is in keeping with earlier experience, because the spiritual rock that followed them was the Christ, (1 Corinthians 10), a type of the Lord Jesus humbly serving the people, corresponding with the thought of the Hebrew servant of Exodus 21. And the first movement of the ark is similar. It went before to seek out a resting place for the people. All that is to bring the love of Christ before us. Now He would go before to die for us so that the eye is on the same ark, as going down into death, and it remains in the Jordan until all the people pass over. It is meant to bring the love of Christ before us in regard to this matter, so that we might go into Canaan to possess it.
JHE In this faith period, we come together in assembly, and we see a whole loaf and a full cup, but then there is also the thought of His body unreservedly given and His blood shed.
JT A dead Christ is before us in these symbols, which are also a memorial of Himself as absent. These are partaken of in the wilderness, but the change of ground, I think, is in the movement from Shittim to the Jordan, and the lodging place, with a view to entering into the land.
APT In John 11:44 it says, “And the dead came forth, bound feet and hands with grave-clothes, and his face was bound round with a handkerchief. Jesus says to them, Loose him and let him go”. Where do you apply that?
JT That is a service we may render to a brother. That was not done for Christ. The statement of the handkerchief that was on His head is noted in John 20,
[p. 326] but that alludes to His dignity, I believe. I think we have to own that, great as the resurrection of Lazarus was, it is not resurrection properly. Lazarus died again; but Christ does not die again. It is only in Christ risen that you see the abolition of death. It is in Him risen that we understand the land of Canaan, and that death is no more. The resurrection of the saints will correspond with His, marked by incorruptibility, glory, power, and spirituality, for “it is raised a spiritual body”, (1 Corinthians 15:42 - 44).
FL Is there not a remarkable blending here of three things, which I suppose speak of Christ the passover, the manna, and the old corn of the land?
JT Yes; these are to be apprehended together at this point. There is nothing stilted about a Christian normally. Normally all the elements of support and growth are found with him. The “old corn” is added here, it belongs to the land. It is Christ as indigenous to heaven.
WB-w The waters “that flowed down towards the sea of the plain”. What is the thought of the power of death in that sense?
JT I suppose the sea of the plain would be an allusion to judgment in its final character — death in its final setting as the permanent judgment of God upon the wicked.
WB-w It is called the last enemy to be destroyed.
JT Quite; death and hades were cast into the fire; the lake, I think, would be suggestive of that — the permanency of judgment. That is the end of it. “Death shall not exist any more”, (Revelation 21:4). That will be when it is cast into the lake of fire.
RWS Matthew 27:52,53 speaks of many bodies of the saints arising, going out of the tombs, after Christ’s arising, and entering into the holy city and appearing [p. 327] unto many. Would that connect with what you have been saying?
JT It is an illustration of the people passing over, but after His resurrection; that is, after He had dealt with death. Faith understands that the thing is dealt with so that all the people should pass over. “And many bodies of the saints fallen asleep” — (notice the word “bodies”, making it very concrete) — “arose, and going out of the tombs after his arising, entered into the holy city and appeared unto many”. What became of them we are not told. It is to emphasise the great principle that the passing over was going on. Matthew 27:50 - 54 presents the great public testimony to the power present when Christ died, enhanced by the confession of the centurion.
AP Does the faith side enter into what Elisha did in 2 Kings 6, when the sons of the prophets came and spoke of making a place to dwell in, and the iron fell into the water, and what Elisha did there?
JT Yes; there could be no building without that. Building is in resurrection.
AP Jordan was shown to have been overcome by what Elisha was able to do there?
JT Yes; the iron swam. The suggestion is that there is the energy of life in those that are raised, so that “quickened together with Christ” in Colossians is to put us, as to our state, in correspondence with the full position. Quickening implies that you have energy.
JTJr The word in Joshua 3:3 is: “Go after it”. There is energy there; is that the thought? And then at Jericho the people “shouted with a great shout”.
JT Quite so; the shouting suggests energy and victory.
TEH The prophet cut down a stick and cast it in where the axe had fallen. What is the thought in [p. 328] that?
JT I suppose that would be an allusion to Christ. A stick would float in Jordan; it would not be engulfed in the water. By casting in the stick, he “made the iron to swim”. The allusion is doubtless to Christ going in to death, and we come up out of it with Him. The iron fell into Jordan — the stick was cast into Jordan.
WB-w In that case there was water in the Jordan, but here the ark stood firm on dry ground.
JT That is the reason why I understand the instruction here should be connected with the assembly. It is where death is annulled for the moment; where we are to be consciously free, and not affected by it. It is a very great thing to be in the assembly in this knowledge, in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are free to be with God and to enjoy the heavenly position: “raised up together” — that is, with one another. The twelve stones were taken up from the bed of the Jordan and carried over. Our origin is in death, according to this passage. The beginning of our history is figuratively in the Jordan; so we are in the assembly as having no past sinful history at all. We come up out of death with Christ and are elevated together to heavenly places.
WB-w The ark of the covenant of Jehovah on dry ground in the midst of Jordan implies that there was no water to be seen anywhere.
JT Yes; its presence there is the reason that the water is held back. Divine power held it in a heap very far by the city Adam, and the waters that flowed down towards the salt sea were completely cut off. Its presence in that position is the secret of the waters being entirely out of view.
JEH Psalm 114:5, referring to this great event, says, “what ailed thee ... thou Jordan, that thou turnedst back?”
CJE Will you say something about verse 5 — “[p. 329] And Joshua said to the people, Hallow yourselves”? Is there any application in that to ourselves, such as preparation for our meetings?
JT Just so. The question of our state enters into all this, and that is the point in “hallow yourselves”. We have here events of great spiritual import, and it particularly enters into the saints’ position in assembly; we are to be impressed with the holiness and carefulness required in our movements. We have to be careful, as in this position above all others, that is, when we come together in assembly, and I believe that is why the apostle says, “I speak as to intelligent persons: do ye judge what I say”, (1 Corinthians 10:15). The assembly is characteristically composed of intelligent persons.