RESURRECTION
RESURRECTION
JT My thought was to consider the resurrection in a general way, but more especially as the testimony to God’s power. This chapter sets forth the power that was inherent in Christ personally. At the Red Sea the authority of God appeared. Moses was told to stretch out his rod over the sea. That involved God’s power, as is seen in the way resurrection is viewed in Romans; but it also involved God’s authority; Moses’ rod represents this. The ark of the covenant, as we know, was not in existence at the passage of the Red Sea. The prominence given to the ark here in Joshua points to the power that was inherent in Christ personally in grappling with death. These are two points which are necessary for our souls to take in if we are to understand resurrection. The presence of death in the world necessarily affected the authority of God; and in the death of Christ, as typified in the Red Sea, what is more especially emphasised is God’s power. It is that aspect of His death that is in view in the epistle to the Romans.
RSS Why do you say that death, as it exists in the world, calls in question the authority of God?
JT Because it afforded the enemy a means of holding man in bondage, Hebrews 2: 15.
RSS But God brought it in.
JT Yes, but Satan took advantage of it and used it as a means of holding man in bondage; the Red Sea typifies death in a more extended form, as I might say, than that which is set forth in the Jordan. I think the Jordan is death concentrated and active. A river overflowing its banks suggests a concentrated [p. 94] power in activity. I think it is used in that way to symbolise death in all its power concentrated, as it appeared at the death of Christ. That is, we have death set forth in the Red Sea in its extended form, as covering the whole history of the race, and in Jordan as concentrated in all its power against Christ. It is in the latter form that we see the power that was inherent in Christ in dealing with it.
RSS The one aspect of the resurrection would be set forth in the Red Sea, and the other in the Jordan?
JT Yes. The ark of the covenant was at Jordan, but not at the Red Sea. As to types representing death, I think Jordan is the power of death, the totality of it, concentrated in the hand of Satan, and brought to bear on Christ in Gethsemane; therefore, the power that was inherent in Him comes to light in meeting it.
AFM In 2 Timothy we read, “Christ who has annulled death, and brought to light life and incorruptibility by the glad tidings”.
JT I think that is an allusion to it. There it is what Christ did, whereas in Romans it is what God did.
Ques What do you make of the fact that as soon as the priests’ feet touched the water Jordan receded.
JT I think it refers to the inherent holiness of Christ in dealing with death. Death had to recede. As well as active power there was inherent holiness in Christ, which the priestly side represents. I think it is proper to connect the passage of Jordan and entrance into Canaan with the promises of God made to the fathers, because the truth of resurrection is especially connected with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In taking up Abraham God showed that everything should be on the basis of His power. “I am the Almighty God”, He said. And in the [p. 95] New Testament the Spirit reverts to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Lord alluded to them in meeting the Sadducees. He says: “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God”. Then He cited what God said to Moses: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”, and added: “God is not the God of the dead but of the living”. The great point in Romans is God’s power. He can call things which be not as though they are.
AFM It was in view of the light Abraham gained in regard to Isaac that he buried Sarah, was it not?
JT Sarah’s is the first mention of a burial in Scripture, and undoubtedly it is in view of the light in which God made Himself known to Abraham; that is, he buried her in the light of resurrection.
RSS And when we get burial mentioned in Scripture we also find resurrection. The first mention of a burial follows upon the great resurrection chapter, Genesis 22. There we have Isaac raised up figuratively.
JT Hence the great importance of connecting the entrance into Canaan with the light communicated to Abraham. That is, we have here, in Joshua 3, typically the nation coming up out of Jordan on the principle of life from among the dead.
Ques. What is Canaan?
JT Canaan is the sphere of purpose — the promised land.
I should like to have it made clear how the abolition of death places the believer in the wilderness. We have to take account of the way in which we are placed in the wilderness.
Ques Why does God present Himself in this chapter as the Lord of the whole earth? In connection with the ark He says: “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth”.
JT [p. 96] Because it is a question of God’s right to dispose of the earth. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof”. Psalm 22 shows the death of Christ, Psalm 23 the wilderness, and Psalm 24 God is taking up His right to the earth. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof”. At the Red Sea it is a question of God’s right to the people. Satan held sway over them and that questioned God’s authority. God had a right to the people. But what comes to light at the Jordan is that God has a right to the whole earth as well. At the Red Sea it is not a question of the inheritance, but of the people, and God’s authority over them.
AFM There is a way through the Red Sea into the wilderness and a way from the wilderness through the Jordan into the land. Will you make the two a little more clear?
JT At the Red Sea God asserts His authority, because Satan had held His people under his influence by means of death. The Red Sea was the barrier out of Egypt, the barrier that lay in their way. Saints need to be clear as to the fact that, through the death of Christ, God has disposed of the power of the enemy as holding them in bondage.
Ques What is the wilderness?
JT It is what the world has become to those who believe in God who raised Christ from the dead.
ARS Do you learn in the wilderness what you are in yourself?
JT That is another chapter of wilderness experience, and that leads to Jordan, but what intervenes between the Red Sea and Jordan is the formation of the tabernacle and all that pertained to it, especially the ark of the covenant; therefore, what we see is that the believer there is learning something of Christ personally. The ark of the covenant is what Christ is personally. So the passage of the Jordan is connected with the epistle to the Colossians.
[p. 97] Ques After you learn the Red Sea you are prepared to learn what Christ is personally, so that affection may take up what He has gone through; that is, the Jordan. It is a question of affection and privilege, is it not?
JT I think so. The ark of the covenant refers to Christ personally, and the fact of its coming into view in the wilderness corresponds typically to subjective growth in the believer.
WJN Do you mean that in the wilderness you get light as to these things?
JT Yes.
WJH It is a question of the testimony in the wilderness, is it not?
JT The wilderness is presented in several ways in Scripture; among these, and most specifically, it refers to the normal progress of the believer in his soul, and that involves the apprehension of Christ personally.
WJN What is on my mind in regard to testimony is in connection with the ark being carried right through. Has not that some significance?
JT Yes; but that would be connected rather with the saints viewed collectively in the wilderness, which is another line of truth. There are different viewed of the wilderness. In the first place, it is what the world has become to those who believe in God who raised up Christ. Then, too, the wilderness is the place where we learn what God is, and what we are in ourselves, and also where we learn Christ personally, the ark of the covenant. All this leads to Jordan, and results as to the believer’s experience in a state that corresponds with Canaan; so that, in a certain sense; that is, as to state, such are always over Jordan.
From another point of view, the wilderness may be looked upon as a scene in which the saints, viewed as having entered Canaan, have to pursue a [p. 98] path that is contrary to them. For faith they are risen and glorified, and so set forth the heavenly traits here in the wilderness. They are a heavenly people in the wilderness. Philippians contemplates such a people.
WB The Red Sea is what a soul is brought into individually. He is brought to God. Christ died, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”.
JT Yes, that sets you on your path in the wilderness. You are there with God.
WB You get what answers to this in Romans 5. We experience what God is to us in the pathway.
JT Yes; but Romans does not contemplate the believer as risen. It is important to distinguish between the teaching of Romans and Colossians and Ephesians in regard to resurrection. Romans does not regard us as risen with Christ. It regards us as believing in God, who raised up Christ for us. We are brought to God, and an experience begins which ends in Canaan.
RSS Does not the beginning of Romans 8, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”, involve the power of resurrection?
JT Yes, but it is put abstractly. It is “those in Christ Jesus”, not you who are in Christ Jesus. “In Christ” in Scripture always involves new creation. Romans 8 shows what the believer has in the Spirit, although still in the wilderness. It does not contemplate you as having reached God’s purpose. It shows how the believer is rendered independent of the flesh because of the Spirit. It is not the Spirit introducing you into Canaan, but the Spirit sustaining you in the wilderness, rendering you independent of the flesh.
AFM In Romans we come to the edge of the Jordan, where Joshua 3 begins. In Colossians we [p. 99] cross over and reach Gilgal. In Ephesians we are in possession of the land.
JT Colossians brings us as far as Gilgal.
WJN Is not Colossians more on the line of light than experience?
JT Yes, it is light that corresponds with the subjective state in those to whom the light is given. In Romans and in Ephesians God addresses souls according to their state. The Colossians were not equal to the light given to the Ephesians, hence you do not get the fulness of light in Colossians that you get in Ephesians. In Colossians the Spirit regards the saints as raised on the principle of faith. They see more than the Roman saints could have seen. Romans contemplates the believer as seeing God’s power in raising Christ, but it does not contemplate him as seeing God’s power in raising the saints. In Colossians the light communicated contemplates that they were equal to seeing that God’s power raised them while raising Christ.
What I should like to make clear is how God has disposed of death in its extended authority over man’s spirit, so that we are wholly relieved of the pressure of Satan’s power. But then you have to come to the other side, namely, that God has a sphere of His own into which He introduces us, and in that sphere everything is on the ground of resurrection, not only the resurrection of Christ, but our resurrection also.
Rem That sphere is Canaan.
JT Yes, so that the saints get on to that ground. I think the entrance into Canaan corresponds with the light communicated to Abraham, that everything in God’s world is put on the ground of resurrection.
Ques How does the power of God act towards us in bringing us to that point?
JT Every nation relies on the power that is inherent in it, otherwise it exists only on sufferance.
[p. 100] What we want to see is that the system inaugurated by God relies upon its own inherent power, the power of God demonstrated in the resurrection of Christ.
RSS That power is in Christ?
JT Yes, but in Christ as among His people. The ark of the covenant, you may say, goes forward on our side.
AFM Reference has been made to affection as that by which we are now drawn over to the other side. Is there not another view, in which actual dissolution of the body takes place; by actual death we pass the last barrier between the wilderness and the land?
JT Yes, quite so; but what is in view here is not that. It is God’s people getting their feet practically on the ground of divine purpose. You not only want the light of resurrection, but also the power, and you cannot really enter into Christian privilege without it.
Ques How do you get that?
JT By the Spirit.
AFM We have deliverance from the enemy’s power at the Red Sea; then the wilderness, where we learn not only ourselves, but we also learn Christ — the ark of the covenant; and we are finally brought to the bank of Jordan, which lies between us and God’s purpose for us, and in order to enter into God’s purpose we must go through Jordan; that is, we must accept death and resurrection with Christ. This brings us over to His sphere; having affection we follow, we want to get our feet on that platform.
Ques Is there any similarity between that and when Peter walked on the water to join the Lord?
JT What comes to light there is that the Lord sustains him. It is a question of sustainment that comes from the Lord. What I have in mind is,
[p. 101] that before you can enter into what I call proper Christian privilege you must know resurrection; not only must you see God’s power as active in raising Christ, but also in raising the saints — that we are raised.
Rem That is typified in taking the people right through.
JT So that you are now in full correspondence with the light communicated to the fathers; the people are now typically on the ground of the land of promise. There we are on ground that is unassailable. We are not there on sufferance. We are on ground that is unassailable on account of the power that was demonstrated in the resurrection of Christ.
WB I do not quite understand about the ground being unassailable, because “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against ... spiritual wickedness in high places”. Does not that refer to the assembly?
JT But before that kind of warfare we have the testimony of Jordan, which signifies all hostile power in the hand of the enemy concentrated against Christ and against His people. That is overthrown. It is not simply that a way is made through it. It is entirely overthrown.
Ques Is it overthrown by the priests’ feet touching the water?
JT It is overthrown by Christ going into it.
The point is that every vestige of death is destroyed, the waters were cut off. There was no water to be seen. Now, what power is there greater than that? There is none. The power of death has been broken. Therefore the platform on which we stand is unassailable; There is no power capable of coping with it.
Rem And the way is now free right in.
JT Now you are free. Just as a nation at war, the position of the nation is assailed. If it is victorious it is by inherent power, and the nation stands upon that power, otherwise it is simply living on [p. 102] sufferance. Our position is unassailable. The power that has been demonstrated to protect the position is infinitely greater than the power against it.
Rem I see that the power is there; but, as a matter of fact, the people got out of the land afterwards because they did not do what the Lord told them.
JT God reaches a point in testimony that shows what He can do. What we may do in responsibility is another matter. The point is what He can do.
Ques Does it contemplate what He will actually do by-and-by?
JT It does. The thousand years, the millennium, in Scripture refer to what God can do. One thousand is ten multiplied by one hundred. Ten represents man’s responsibility, in which in every case he broke down. It is always so when it is a question of responsibility. Now, for the thousand years God multiplies ten by one hundred and maintains it intact; everything is maintained intact in the way of testimony. The book of Joshua sets forth the power of God in accomplishing His promises to the fathers. He was the Almighty God, and hence nothing failed, every promise was fulfilled. The whole land of Canaan was given to Abraham’s seed.
AFM As to how we are brought into the good of it, is it not a question of light? It says: “Ye are risen with him through faith of the operation of God”.
JT That is the light of it; but there is an additional thought, namely, that we are quickened with Him. That refers to what is subjective. We are made to correspond to the light which has been presented to us.
Ques In what way are we quickened with Him?
JT By the action of the Spirit. It refers to His formative work in our affections. Apart from [p. 103] that the light would be ineffective with us; we could not appreciate it.
Rem As quickened you can take a step forward to follow the light.
JT Yes; you are prepared for it, and God gives it to you as you are prepared for it.
RSS Why was it that the people were to remain at a distance of two thousand cubits from the ark?
JT To maintain the personal distinctness of the deity of Christ in dealing with death. He had to go into it alone.
AFM Reference is made to the way. “Ye have not passed this way heretofore”. It suggests that no one but Christ could lead that way.
JT I think so. And it is very important that whilst we are associated with Christ in the operation of God His distinctness as a divine Person is maintained in the soul.
JNH Ordinarily the Levites properly carried the ark. We notice here that the priests do that.
JT Because it refers to the intrinsic holiness of Christ. It is well to connect Gethsemane with the passage of Jordan.
WB What is the difference between the term here, “The Lord of the whole earth”, and the thought of the God of the earth in Revelation?
RSS “The priests that bare the ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth”. It is Jehovah. Would that be connected with the promises to the fathers?
JT Yes. Jehovah as a name represents God’s faithfulness, whereas the Lord here is Master or supreme Ruler. Both names are in this chapter of Joshua. In Revelation I think that God asserts His creatorial rights on earth and over men. Men would readily give glory to the God of heaven, but the truth involved in the book of Revelation is that He is God of the earth.
RSS “And Joshua said ... ye shall know that the living God is among you”. This refers to God in another way.
JT That expresses my thought of the chapter. It shows that the power is inherent; the living God is amongst us.
WHC It was in the mind of God that Israel should have gone immediately from Egypt into the land, without having to go through the wilderness. Is not that the thought in Ephesians?
JT But it was God’s thought that they should go through death. They could have gone to Canaan by land; but God prevents them from doing that. That was, no doubt, the way the Philistines went up, and hence they were enemies of God’s people. I think God permits things to test us, and works out His purposes by that means. It was eleven days journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea; that is, to the entrance of the land. They could have gone up in eleven days, but it took forty years. I think that while God tested them by the testimony of the spies He worked out His purpose through their want of appreciation.
RSS And it brought out that everything of the flesh must go before they really could enter the land. The brazen serpent and the springing well follows.
Rem It involves the idea of responsibility, too, on their side.
JT Yes, it does.
WB Is not the history of Israel given as a great lesson as to how one progresses from the bottom to the top? We have to begin at the bottom. We see things from the top, but we have to begin with the Red Sea and go up.
JT The important thing is the knowledge of God. One great element in the knowledge of God is to know His power; and I think you will find His power in Romans, Colossians and [p. 105] Ephesians. But Ephesians gives the greatest exhibition of His power.
RSS Where is the power of God specially referred to in Colossians?
JT The operation of God when He raised Christ from the dead, chapter 2: 12.
RSS And in Romans at the end of chapter 4, “Believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead”?
JT Yes, He was able to perform what He had promised.
WHC Paul preached that Jesus was the Son of God, and the resurrection was the declaration of it.
WB Is there any possibility of a soul getting on according to God apart from the knowledge of resurrection?
JT When he does not know resurrection he is exposed to the power of evil. Saints are sure to accommodate themselves to the world if they do not know the power of God as for them, if they are not in the truth of resurrection.
Ques What is the significance of the water piling up far, by the city Adam?
JT To show how completely death was overthrown.
Ques Why does it say “at the time of the harvest”?
JT That was the time when Jordan was at its highest.
AEM I was thinking of all the power of the enemy being concentrated against Christ. They were all driven back, put out of sight, utterly routed and defeated.
JT I think it helps to think of the difference between a sea and a river. Whilst a river is not so great a body of water, yet it is more condensed and active than a sea.
RSS It is very helpful to see the difference between the Red Sea and the Jordan. As I understand [p. 106] it, the Red Sea is more the thought of meeting death in a general way.
JT Yes, in the way in which death affected man. But it is another matter to see it as brought to bear, by the devil against Christ. That was what came to light at Gethsemane.
RSS In connection with the question as to why the waters were out off to the city Adam, I think it indicates that the waters entirely disappeared. They were cut off far above the place, and they exhausted themselves in the Dead Sea, so that when the people passed over there was no water to be seen. When they passed through the Red Sea the waters were in sight, as a wall to them on either side. And when the Lord in John 8 was speaking to the Jews He said to them, possibly in view of what we are speaking of now, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death”. He does not see the water. God’s people crossing over do not see the water.
JT The resurrection of Christ did not involve the complete disappearance of death. We know it has continued ever since. As to the wilderness position, it remains; but for faith we see that God has raised Christ; Christ is out of it, and when we cross the Jordan we are out of it too. It is an immense thing for the saints to arrive at the point where they know that the living God is among them. That is what we want to know. When you reach that point you are invulnerable; there is no power that can cope with you. They crossed over against Jericho — the place where Satan’s political power was located.
Ques How is it that when God promised the land to Abraham the promise extended as far as the Euphrates, and then afterwards as we see here, when the children of Israel entered the land the boundary seems to be the Jordan. Is it through Jordan they pass into [p. 107] the land?
JT The confines of Canaan strictly refer to what is properly privilege, divine privilege for us. That is God’s thought for us. It is all well to exercise influence over Moab, and Gilead, and all the territory beyond Syria, but our proper living sphere is Canaan. The two and a half tribes missed that. Canaan is the central point. It is well to influence other spheres, as David did. David and Solomon extended their dominions to the Euphrates, and exercised influence over all the territory promised by God, but the proper living sphere for God’s people is Canaan; and that for us is the heavenly position. It is well to influence other spheres, but our living associations are in Canaan.