The Twelve Memorial Stones are What the Holy Scriptures are All About

Joshua 4

Click for a description of the image and mark of the beast.

• The twelve tribes of Israel and twelve Apostles are memorial stones.
• The command is given to the twelve to pick their memorial stones.
• What do the memory of the Twelve mean for us today?
• When Jesus has nothing more to say, the words will be spoken, “It is finished.”
• The wars begin and crossing over to God through Jesus is prevented.
• We are set apart in this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The twelve tribes of Israel and twelve Apostles are memorial stones.
“And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: ‘Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe’…” Joshua 4:1-2

When all the people crossed over the Jordan, that symbolizes when the followers of Jesus Christ will cross over into eternal life in the promised land of the New Jerusalem. It is also a guarantee that through Jesus Christ we will cross over into the presence of God within us, as we become the home of the Holy Spirit.

When the Jordan was crossed, it was an event that would be memorialized. The memorial would begin with choosing twelve men. Joshua would choose twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, the same way that Jesus Christ chose His twelve Apostles. The Old Testament is already a memorial to the twelve tribes of Israel, and the New Testament is a memorial to the twelve Apostles [chosen by Jesus Christ].

The Lord commanded Joshua to have the chosen of the twelve tribes to get memorial stones, and where to find them, “…and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You will carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’” Joshua 4:3

The memorial stones are taken from the place where the current of sin is stopped to allow us to cross into the presence of God through Jesus Christ. That is the place where the Cross of Christ stands, and the forgiveness of sin happens. As we read the Old Testament, we are memorializing the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and as we read the New Testament, we memorialize the Twelve Apostles. The Old Testament points to Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. The Bible memorializes God and His Son through Jesus Christ working through the Twelve Tribes and Twelve Apostles.

As we lodge in the night of this world, waiting to cross over into the eternal promised land, we have the memorial of the Twelve tribes and Twelve Apostles with us. God speaks to us about Jesus Christ in that way.

The command is given to the twelve to pick their memorial stones.
“Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;” Joshua 4:4 

Joshua personally handpicked and called twelve men for a specific purpose, to carry the memorial stones from the bed of the Jordan river. The twelve tribes of Israel will forever be remembered down through history, even as I write this blog. This is also prophetic of Jesus Christ handpicking and calling twelve Apostles for a specific purpose, to establish an eternal memory of the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The specific purpose of the twelve is mentioned here, “…and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel…” Joshua 4:5

The ark of the Lord held back the waters, through the power of God, while the twelve men picked up their stone. The task of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ was to follow the way of Jesus (the ark of the Lord) to take up their cross (each one took up a stone on his shoulder). They would take up that stone, that cross, from the midst of the Jordan, and the waters of the Jordan represents opposition to crossing into the presence of God. The twelve Apostles are memorialized for overcoming obstacles and facing death to bring the message of the Cross to the world. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to pick up that stone, to take up our cross, and to share the message of the remission of sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

What do the Twelve mean for us today?
What do the twelve stones mean to us today? What do the twelve tribes mean to us? What do the twelve Apostles mean to us? The Bible (Old and New Testament) is the twelve memorial stones that we can carry with us wherever we go “…that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’” Joshua 4:6

The Holy Spirit tells us what the twelve stones should mean to us as written here, “Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones will be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:8

As followers of Jesus Christ, the twelve stones represent the remission of sin by cutting off the waters that would carry us into the dead sea. We are given life through the Cross of Jesus Christ, and we will cross over into the eternal city of the New Jerusalem. The twelve stones also represent to us that all Scriptures are written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to show the scarlet thread of Christ’s blood being seen in everything the Israelites have done.

The twelve memorial stones of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles are the Bible. As the adopted children of God, through Jesus Christ, wherever we lodge, live, or lay down, we should always have with us the twelve memorial stones of the Holy Scriptures, just like the children of Israel did, “And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.” Joshua 4:8

Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, while the waters were held back, exactly where the ark of the covenant was being held up by the priests. “Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.” Joshua 4:9

Those stones are still there today, as the Holy Spirit is symbolizing that Jesus Christ has made a path for us to cross over into the presence of God, and to cross over into the eternal promised land. That is the path we follow through the Holy Scriptures by following the scarlet thread of His blood that connects the twelve tribes of Israel to Him and His twelve Apostles. It is the scarlet cord that ties to the Cross where Jesus shed His blood to reconcile us to God by the remission of sin.

We can say that the twelve stones left in the Jordan represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel who gave us the “scarlet cord” of the Old Testament to cross over to Jesus Christ. The twelve stones taken from the Jordan, and set up in Gilgal Joshua 4:20, represent the Twelve Apostles bringing us to Jesus Christ.

When Jesus has nothing more to say, the words will be spoken, “It is finished.“
Those of us who dedicate our body as the home of the Holy Spirit and make a practice of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the ark of the covenant) are holding back the Christless waters. The Christless waters carry people to the dead sea where everyone is dead to God, dead to Christ, and dead to the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of Christ is already scarce in this world, so we must come to Him before His word is no longer available. When Christ is done in this world and has nothing more to say, He will utter with His last breath, “It is finished.” We must hurry to cross over into the presence of God through Jesus Christ, as is symbolized here, “So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.” Joshua 4:10

A day is coming when the presence of the Holy Spirit will not be in this world (Christ will be finished speaking) and there will be lawlessness and persecution. “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8

The ark of the Lord (the covenant made through Jesus Christ) will be the last thing to leave this world before total lawlessness ensues. The faithful and few followers of Jesus Christ will see it happening, but we have already crossed over into the presence of God. To happen “in the presence of the people” means the people of God will witness the very last days when the word of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are coming out of the world. “Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.” Joshua 4:11

The wars begin and crossing over to God through Jesus is prevented.
“And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.” Joshua 4:12

The men spoken about in that verse are the men of war who refused to inhabit the promised land as their inheritance. They agreed to cross into the West side of the Jordan only to help the Israelites fight for their promised land, but they decided to settle on the East side of the Jordan because of the prosperity that was there for them, and that is where they left their family while they fought. As explained in Numbers 32, and specifically in this verse, “Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. We will cross over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance will remain with us on this side of the Jordan. So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh…” Numbers 32:31-33

This is exactly similar to the nation of Israel today who refuse to cross over into the New Covenant to accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Yet, they are fighting tooth and nail in this world to retain their land of the State of Israel, as represented here, “About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho.” Joshua 4:13 

On the day of the great battle of the Lord, the Battle of Armageddon, it will be a great victory for the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will be exalted in the sight of all the people of God. All people will fear Him on that day, as symbolized through Joshua, “On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.” Joshua 4:14

Concerning the Battle of Armageddon, it’s just about the last significant event to happen in this world. When the Holy Spirt is taken from this world and people are no longer drawn to Jesus Christ, the doors to Salvation will be closed. That is symbolized when the ark of the Testimony came up from the Jordan, “Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” Joshua 4:15-16

When the waters of the Jordan return and overflow the banks, that symbolizes the day of chaos and lawlessness. During this time of global tribulation, God is not closing the door to people who want Him, but the world is so corrupt under the global government of the beast. Nobody wants His Salvation. That will be a day of total calamity on this earth, “Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.” Joshua 4:17-18

We are set apart in this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.” Joshua 4:19

Gilgal is a place where the people of God gathered after crossing the Jordan, and their intent was always to keep themselves set apart from the world around them. For the followers of Jesus Christ, after we cross over into the presence of God, through Jesus Christ, we are set apart from the rest of the world, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4 Wherever we are set apart, we keep the memories of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles with us, we cling to the Bible and embrace the Holy Spirit, like Joshua did, “And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.” Joshua 4:20 Jesus Christ set up the twelve stones to symbolize everything in the Bible as the scarlet cord of His blood connecting the Old Testament to the New Testament.

We can say that the twelve stones left in the Jordan, Joshua 4:9, represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel who gave us the “scarlet cord” of the Old Testament to cross over to Jesus Christ. The twelve stones taken from the Jordan, and set up in Gilgal, represent the Twelve Apostles bringing us to Jesus Christ.

The journey of the twelve tribes of Israel and of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ are written for parents to share with children, “Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’” Joshua 4:21

Unfortunately, today’s atheistic culture, which is global, silences what Christian parents teach their children at home and are reprimanded in the schools. Then, the children are taught the practices of the vales of this world, “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.” Revelation 13:6-8 The “he” in this verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

In this cold and unaccepting world, we are to teach the children the meaning of crossing the Jordan into the promised land, “…then you will let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’;” Joshua 4:22 

We are to teach the children what it means to cross over into the presence of God through Jesus Christ. It’s the Gospel message of holding back the waters that carries a person into the dead sea of physical and spiritual death. It’s a message of crossing over into the promised land of eternal life in the New Jerusalem.

“…for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over,
as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over…”
Joshua 4:23

and

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16

The Bible has been distributed to the peoples of the earth so that we can know what God does, that He is almighty, and He is eternal, “…that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:24

The almighty hand of God is easy to see because global warming is here, and it is instrumental in destroying the power center of the beast, Revelation 16:8-10. The global government is here as talked about in Revelation 17 and in Daniel 8. The image and mark of the beast is here as revealed in Revelation 13. And most importantly, Jesus Christ is here who reconciles us to God by the remission of sin and gives us eternal life.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1