Gathering of the nations for battle

Joshua 10:1-11

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

• Nations gather against those allied with Joshua.
• Joshua and his armies assemble to come to the aid of their allies.

Nations gather against those allied with Joshua.
“Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.” Joshua 10:1-2

We might wonder how the king of Jerusalem could be afraid of Joshua, so the map below helps to explain this. Jerusalem is seen on the east side of the map, in blue lettering, along the blue eastern route. The king of Jerusalem heard about the defeat of Ai and Jericho and how the people of Gibeon formed an alliance with Joshua. Ai was to the north of Jerusalem, Jericho to the east, and Gibeon northwest. The king of Jerusalem thought his country would be the next on Joshua’s list of places to conquer. Ai is seen to the east of Bethel, near the top center of the image, in black lettering. Jericho is seen all the way to the east of the picture towards the top, near Gilgal. Gibeon is seen in the green lettering, southwest of Ai.

“Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, ‘Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” Joshua 10:3-4

The king of Jerusalem gathered the five kings of nations to fight against the nation of Gibeon for making peace with Joshua and the Israelites. This is like the global government making war against Jesus Christ and His followers. The nations of today fear that the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will bring their global government to a halt. That’s because we see our body as the temple of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit. The nations of the global government see the human body as being the temple of the entity that gives people what to think, feel, say, and do. This entity is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 The “he” in this verse is the “man of sin”. Click here for a post on the “man of sin”.

The above verses of Joshua 10:3-4 is describing the gathering of the nations for the final Battle of Armageddon, “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared….For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty…And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” Revelations 16:12, 14, 16

“Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.” Joshua 10:5

The nations came together to fight against the people of Gibeon, the allies of Joshua. The same as the nations of today coming against Jesus Christ and His followers.

The Amorites included the five kings. They were the kings of the nations of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. As seen on the map above, Jerusalem is in blue lettering and southeast of Gibeon [green lettering]. Hebron is just about due south of Gibeon, a little to the west, near the bottom of the picture. Jarmuth is southwest of Gibeon, along the red path to the west of the picture, about midway. Lachish is south and a little west of Jarmuth. Eglon is southeast of Lachish.

As you can see by the map, it looked like a slaughter waiting to happen as the five kings gathered against Gibeon. This is the way it seems relating to the global government and its global culture coming against Christianity, which is to come against the allies and children of Jesus Christ.

Joshua and his armies assemble to come to the aid of their allies.
“And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.” Joshua 10:6

The people of Gibeon needed Joshua in a time when they were about to be slaughtered. This represents the allies of Jesus Christ crying out to God during their time of severe persecution and potential slaughter. “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Revelations 6:10

This will definitely be happening sometime around the events of the Sixth Trumpet, in Revelations 9:13-21 and Revelations 11 [takes place during the events of the Sixth Trumpet]. Our Lord Jesus returns when the Seventh Trumpet blows [Revelations 11:15-18].

“So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.” Joshua 10:7

Like Joshua who descended from Gilgal to bring salvation to the people of Gibeon, our Lord Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven to bring eternal Salvation to those whose sin is forgiven.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 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.” Revelation 19:11, 14-15

“And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them will stand before you.” Joshua 10:8

The Lord delivered the nations into the hand of Joshua, in the same way that the nations are given into the hand of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Revelations 11:15

“Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.” Joshua 10:9-10

Joshua came quickly and defeated the enemy of Gibeon with a great slaughter. Our Lord Jesus returns quickly and defeats this world with a great slaughter. “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:27

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” Revelations 19:17-18

“For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” Revelation 16:6

Our Lord Jesus does not come in a ten-year plan, a twenty-year plan, or no other such earthly timetable.

“And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.” Joshua 10:11

The great hailstones come in the Seventh Plague of Revelations 16:21, as quoted, From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.”

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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, 3:11