Revelation Typified in Joshua?

[Warren]

Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in. - Joshua 6:4-5


I noticed the seventh seal of Revelation parallels day seven in Joshua, when seven priests (angels) blowing seven horns proceed seven times around Jericho (Jerusalem), revealing the ark of the Testimony. Is eschatology foreshadowed in Joshua's war with the ten tribes of Canaan? I'm working on parallels for my own study purposes, turning to Joshua instead of the prophets, as Origen once did, but I could do with input from other eyes.

 

[Peairtach]

In the Book of Revelation Christ and His people are involved in a spiritual war with the Devil and his angelic and human minions. The Earth has been given to Christ and the Church and they are re-possessing it from the "Strong Man", Satan, by means of the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, just as Joshua and the Israelites were given Canaan. So there are strong parallels as well as contrasts, between the Book of Joshua and the Book of Revelation, and between the Book of Joshua and the Book of Acts and subsequent Church history. It took 400 years for Israel to conquer Canaan by God's grace, and it has taken 2,000 years for the NT Church ( the Israel of God, Gal. 6:16) to reach her present extent by God's grace.

The sword of OT Israel was one of judgment for God's enemies in the conquest of the Land, but one of redemption under God's blessing for God's people. In this age, the Word of God is both an agent of salvation or judgment depending on the response to it.

I think there are seven nations/tribes that are devoted to judgment in the Pentateuch, rather than ten, are there not (?)

Some would say that the Seven Trumpets aren't contained in the Seventh Seal, but that with the opening of the Seventh Seal the Book of Revelation proper is opened (cf.Revelation 1:1)and the story of New Testament redemptive history in symbols begins, appropriately with the declaration of war on the Devil's stronghold of this world, as the war on Canaan began, with the blowing of trumpets.

I recently read a book by Francis Schaeffer on Joshua which was quite helpful and suggestive.

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[MW]

Is eschatology foreshadowed in Joshua's war with the ten tribes of Canaan?

This is definitely worth pursuing. The conquest theme is inherently eschatological. From Noah onwards we understand that the Lord gives rest and it requires cataclysmic judgment. That theme is intertwined throughout biblical revelation. It is worth noting that the typical Joshua didn't bring the people into rest, Hebrews 4. That was for the antitype. Also worthy of note is David's rest from enemies, with the season and circumstances for building the house of God, as well as the historical significance of the covenant with his house. You can see what I mean about the theme being intertwined throughout revelation.

 

[Warren]

Thanks both of you. I'll pursue this war and peace motif further, until I return with more. I love the Bible's metanarrative.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Hello Warren,

Greg Beale in his, New International Greek Testament Commentary: Revelation, Eerdmans 1999), p 468ff., talks on this topic of Joshua and the trumpets and their relationship to Revelation; in the footnotes he also gives some other writers on the topic.

 

[Warren]

Cool, I'll check it out sometime.