Joshua 3:1 "And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged thee before they passed over."

Joshua has the report back from the two spies, and he is ready to get moving into the promise land. There is no way that he is going to wander any longer in the wilderness, but it is time to move into the land and take their inheritance. God has instructed Joshua exactly what to do.

Joshua 3:2 "And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;"

The officers went though the people of all the tribes.

Joshua 3:3 "And they commanded the People, saying, "When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it."

The command from Joshua, through these officers to each of the tribes was that when you see the ark of the covenant passing by you, carried by the priests, the Levites, then you will pack up your tents, and follow after the Ark. It is the ark of God that we follow even today. Remember from the book of Exodus, where each item in the Tabernacle was a type of something that we are to follow even today. God's ark today is His Word, and that Word is giving us the directions and purpose for our lives. The Word is the manna, and the ten commandments giving us direction for living daily. Every thing that we need to be successful in our lives is right here in the Word. As we follow that instruction we come under His protection and receive His blessings in our lives.

Joshua 3:4 "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore."

The officers are reminding the people that it is important to stay behind the ark and follow it because we have not been this way before. The time has come to pass over the Jordan, and head west to take the promise land. Remember that the order under Moses was that no man was to touch the Ark or it would cause them to die. The order was to follow it, and not touch or play around with it.

Today we are closing in on the Millennium age when Christ will return and set up His kingdom right here on earth. It will be completely different than what is happening here on earth in this flesh age. Mankind will not exist in these corruptible bodies, but will be changed into their incorruptible bodies as the angels have, and the evil things of this flesh age will be over and done with.

Joshua 3:5 "And Joshua said unto the People, "Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

"Sanctify" in the Hebrew text is # 6942 in the Strong's Hebrew dictionary. "Qadash; kaw-dash; a prime root; to pronounce or make clean morally, to prepare, keep and purify wholly." Joshua is telling the people to set yourself aside from this rush and tension of going into the promise land.

In these end times, we also should sanctify ourselves and focus on the events that are going on around us, in light of the prophecy from the Word of God. Just as God forwarned the children of Israel what He will do, and what they should do in entering into the promise land, so also we have our instructions for these end times. God has had it written in His Word in such a way that even a child can understand the events of our day.

Joshua 3:6 "And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the People." And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the People."

So here Joshua has started the march into the promise land, and the priests carrying the ark are leading the battle. This is exactly as it will be in these end times also. The war of these end times when the Antichrist is here on earth is not with guns and planes but with words and ideas that go against the Word of God. It is a war of deception, and those that do not have the seal or understanding of the Word in their minds will lose that battle with Satan. This is why we wear our gospel armor in this final battle, to stand ready to fight the good fight and win. No, we don't fight against armies of men, but against spiritual powers of darkness. We will fight against spiritual wickedness in very high places, against Satan, his fallen angels, and of course his children the Kenites.

Though that battle is spiritual, Satan and his angels will be present in body, for they will have been kicked out of heaven by Michael, as recorded in Revelation 12:9. Though Satan will look to be human, no, he will be supernatural with supernatural powers that God will have given him during his five months here on earth. Just as we will be in a spiritual battle, following the instructions from God, these children of Israel are going to see supernatural things as God sets the stage for them to enter into the promise land. We will see that the priest here under Joshua becomes a warrior, and his weapon is the ark of the covenant, the very instructions from God.

We are about to enter our spiritual war, and to win the battle of our day, you have to be strong and of good courage. That is easy when you stay in His Word and follow His instructions. You know the outcome before you start out, just as the Israelites knew what God would do for them before they started their march around the city walls of Jericho.

Joshua 3:7 "And the Lord said unto Joshua, "This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee."

Remember that Moses was symbolic of the Law, which was given to him by God, and Joshua will be in the form of one of the former prophets. Moses wasn't the one magnified, but God was magnified through Moses. God did the leading, and Moses followed. Just as God was with Moses, so also He is telling Joshua that I will be with thee in the same manner. When God does the magnifying, it is for the sake of God receiving all the glory and honor that is due that person. A person accomplishes nothing except God allows it to happen. It is important that each of us keep in focus who is doing the magnifying, and who is to be humble before the Father. God will bless those that love and honor Him for the gifts that He allows us to have.

Joshua 3:8 "And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, `When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.' "

The instruction by God through Joshua to the priests is to take that ark right up to the river Jordan, get your feet into river and stand there in the river. It is important that you are aware of what is in the ark, for it represents the mercy seat of God. Inside of the ark are the ten commandments, the manna, and a rod that budded. The manna is the new manna of the end times, which is Christ. It is given to you from heaven to allow each of us to know exactly what tomorrow brings. The priests carried the ark and went before the people into the water first. Those that serve God even in our day are to go before the waters or nations and make a stand as God's Spirit leads us.

Joshua 3:9 "And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, "Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God."

Notice that Joshua is going to instruct the children of Israel exactly what the Lord has told him to say. These are not the words of some man, traditions, but direct from God.

Joshua 3:10 "And Joshua said, "Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites."

Notice that these seven nations were also present when Abraham was in the land some 460 years prior. Genesis 15:19, 20 "The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." Including then were races of the offspring from the second influx of the fallen angels, however here in Joshua's time, man of those nations were gone. Notice however that the Kenites are mentioned, for they were still around in Jesus day, just as they are today.

The Jebusites were the founders of Jebus, or Jerusalem, and David defeated and destroyed them, and turn the city into the place for God's house, the temple. God later declared it to be his city, the city of peace. These seven nations give here are the natural enemies of Israel, and Joshua is telling the people that God promised that He would take care of all of them. If the people would have listened forty years prior, God would have done that for them then, had they been strong and with good courage.

Joshua 3:11 "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan."

The ark of the covenant of God went into the river first, and the people followed. Today our ark marks the way for us to follow.

Joshua 3:12 "Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man."

God was completely fair, and each of the tribes are represented in this action.

Joshua 3:13 "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap."

God is telling the people that He is going to dam up the river as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the ark touch the waters of the Jordan. Just as many people disbelieve that God parted the Red sea, also disbelieve this report on the Jordan being dried up. God created the universe and He controls all the elements of His creation. He can do what ever He wants to do.

Joshua 3:14 "And it came to pass, when the People removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the People;"

As the ark of the covenant passed by each tribe and family with the tribes, they would break out and fall in behind the ark.

Joshua 3:15 "And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)"

As the priests carrying the ark approached the river Jordan they stepped into the river, the banks of the river were up, for at harvest time there was much rain, and the water from the river overflowed their banks. Stop and think what is going on here. God told the priests to get the ark and head for the river that was overflowing their banks. At the same time the people were right behind the ark, and expecting to pass through the river Jordan. Why would they even expect the river to part? Because God did that for them some forty years prior, and their faith in God was so strong that they could not understand why the river would not part. The instant that the priest feet hit the water, it simply was not there, it was taken instantly as the feet came down on where the water should be.

Remember that portion of the scripture dealing with how it will be when we enter into the promise land of the Millennium age. Paul wrote of it in I Corinthians 15:50 - 52. First of all Paul warned us that these flesh and blood bodies call the incorruptible body can not enter into the kingdom of God. When Jesus returns to this earth at the seventh trump, the kingdom of God will be right here on earth.

I Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,"

Paul is showing us a mystery that most pastors of the Word simply don't get, especially those all tie up in the rapture doctrine, for this verse destroys their traditional dogma. There is a point in time when all people living on the face of this earth will not die, but be changed. Remember the subject here is that there are two different bodies, the flesh and blood corruptible body, and the spiritual body as the angels have, called the incorruptible body. The point is that only the incorruptible can exist in the kingdom of God, or during that time when Jesus returns to earth to set up his thousand year reign right here on earth. So at this certain point in time all flesh is done away with, or changed into that new body as the angels have. That incorruptible body will not age or get sick, and has complete memory of God's word.

I Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

This change comes faster than you can wink your eye, and the instant is at the seventh or last trump. Remember that the seals are not in order, but the trumps are. So Satan will come at the sixth trump, and this changing into the incorruptible body takes place after Satan has sat in his temple in Jerusalem and declared himself to be God. It is then that at an instant all change takes place and the entry into the promise land happens. That is how this took place in Joshua's day, for at the instant that the feet of the priests touched the water, the water ceased to exist there and the feet landed on dry ground. As the priest put his foot forward for that last step, it was by faith. That water will stay in that upright position until all the children of Israel have passed through the Jordan, and were safe on the other side.

Joshua 3:16 "That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the People passed over right against Jericho."

"Zaretan" in the Hebrew text, means "splendor of the dawn". So what this is telling us is that the water from the river spilled over into the dead sea; which is the "sea of the plain". If you block a river that has a fast flowing stream, the water has to go somewhere when it is dammed up. As all this was happening, the people could see what was happening from the walls of the city, and they could see their enemy coming through the river on dry ground. If they had fear in their minds before, this should cause real terror for the entire city. The enemy is now camped right outside their walls.

Joshua 3:17 "And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the People were passed clean over Jordan."

As the priest stood there on dry ground holding the ark of the covenant, all the people passed by and saw the ark of the covenant. They knew in their hearts and minds that God is the one holding back the waters, and providing for their safety.

There is another time coming soon when there will be another flood, and that flood will be caused by Satan. It is written in Revelation 12:13 - 17. Lets review that flood of the end time, for we are living in the close of this earth age when this shall happen.

Revelation 12:13 "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child."

We read in the ninth verse of this chapter that Satan and his fallen angels are going to be cast onto this earth by Michael the arch angel. Satan is the dragon, and this is talking about that time when Satan will be here to persecute the woman, the bride of Christ. Remember that the ark that stood in the stream to hold the water back was the Word of God, the manna from heaven, the truth.

Revelation 12:14 "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. from the face of the serpent."

God servants today must remember that the ark of the covenant held the Word of God, and the things that happened in Joshua's day are types of what we can expect today in our time. The war of the end times has already begun, for they are the things that cause people to follow the false messiah, the serpent who is Satan. These are all names given to Satan as we read in Revelation 12:9.

Revelation 12:15 "And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood."

The flood that Satan the serpent brings is a flood of lies that flow right out of his mount, but that flood will be stopped to protect those that will be strong and have their spiritual armor on and in place.

Revelation 12:16 "And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth."

Our only protection when Satan comes, is when we absorb the Word of God, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us, as written in Mark 13:11.

Revelation 12:17 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

These are examples of what we shall face in these end times, and it is important that we as the remnant keep the commandments of God and have the Testimony or gospel of Jesus Christ sealed and planted firmly in our hearts and minds.