Commentary on Joshua Part 5 (No. F006v)

Chapter 20

Cities of Refuge

Chapter 20:1-9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, ²"Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, ³that the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and explain his case to the elders of that city; then they shall take him into the city, and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. ⁵And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand; because he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity against him in times past. ⁶And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'" ⁷So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naph'tali, and Shechem in the hill country of E'phraim, and Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manas'seh. ⁹These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning among them, that any one who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

Cities of Refuge

20:1-9 These cities play an important role in any land obeying the Laws of God as detailed in the Penteteuch (Deut. 19:1-13; Num. 35:1-34).

v. 3 An accused murderer could flee here until his case was adjudicated and he was safe from the “Avenger of blood” of the clan of the deceased. The word avenger here is the same word as next of kin in Ruth 3:9 and other passages and redeemer in others (e.g. Pr. 23:11).

The understanding of a near kinsmen with certain rights and duties being the same.

At the return of the Messiah these cities will be restored and their place under the Law of God (L1) will be restored. Their leadership will be established under the priesthood of Melchisedek (incl. The Zadokites) and allocated to the national systems throughout the world. Those refusing to obey the law of God will die (Isa. 66:23-24; Zech. 14:16-19 (No. 156) cf. Commentary on Hebrews (F058)).

v. 4 The gate of the city was where the council of the elders responsible for the running of its affairs under the law of God met and where business was contracted and disputes decided (Ru. 4:1). The gate was a stucture of several rooms and over two or more stories.

Chapter 21

Towns for the Levites

Joshua Chapter 21:1-45 Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Elea'zar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel; ²and they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasture lands for our cattle." ³So by command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasture lands out of their inheritance. ⁴The lot came out for the families of the Ko'hathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. ⁵And the rest of the Ko'hathites received by lot from the families of the tribe of E'phraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, ten cities. ⁶The Gersonites received by lot from the families of the tribe of Is'sachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naph'tali, and from the half-tribe of Manas'seh in Bashan, thirteen cities. ⁷The Merar'ites according to their families received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zeb'ulun, twelve cities. ⁸These cities and their pasture lands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. ⁹Out of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, ¹⁰which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Ko'hathites who belonged to the Levites; since the lot fell to them first. ¹¹They gave them Kir'iath-ar'ba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture lands round about it. ¹²But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephun'neh as his possession. ¹³And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libnah with its pasture lands, ¹⁴Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemo'a with its pasture lands, ¹⁵Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, ¹⁶A'in with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, Beth-she'mesh with its pasture lands--nine cities out of these two tribes; ¹⁷then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, ¹⁸An'athoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands--four cities. ¹⁹The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. ²⁰As to the rest of the Ko'hathites belonging to the Ko'hathite families of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of E'phraim. ²¹To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in the hill country of E'phraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, ²²Kib'za-im with its pasture lands, Beth-hor'on with its pasture lands--four cities; ²³and out of the tribe of Dan, El'teke with its pasture lands, Gib'bethon with its pasture lands, ²⁴Ai'jalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rim'mon with its pasture lands--four cities; ²⁵and out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, Ta'anach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rim'mon with its pasture lands--two cities. ²⁶The cities of the families of the rest of the Ko'hathites were ten in all with their pasture lands. ²⁷And to the Gershonites, one of the families of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, and Beesh'terah with its pasture lands--two cities; ²⁸and out of the tribe of Is'sachar, Ki'shion with its pasture lands, Dab'erath with its pasture lands, ²⁹Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gan'nim with its pasture lands--four cities; ³⁰and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, ³¹Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands--four cities; ³²and out of the tribe of Naph'tali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Ham'moth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands--three cities. ³³The cities of the several families of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. ³⁴And to the rest of the Levites, the Merar'ite families, were given out of the tribe of Zeb'ulun, Jok'ne-am with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, ³⁵Dimnah with its pasture lands, Na'halal with its pasture lands--four cities; ³⁶and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahaz with its pasture lands, ³⁷Ked'emoth with its pasture lands, and Meph'a-ath with its pasture lands--four cities; ³⁸and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Mahana'im with its pasture lands, ³⁹Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands--four cities in all. ⁴⁰As for the cities of the several Merar'ite families, that is, the remainder of the families of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. ⁴¹The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasture lands. ⁴²These cities had each its pasture lands round about it; so it was with all these cities. ⁴³Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers; and having taken possession of it, they settled there. ⁴⁴And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers; not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. ⁴⁵Not one of all the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

21:1-42 The Cities of the Tribe of Levi

Levi did not receive an allottment of a territory because of its religious function and the tithe was its inheritance under the law (see Tithing (No. 161) Comp. 13:14,33). This remained so until the Assyrian Captivity and the Levites assigned to the Northern tribes of Israel went into captivity with Israel north of the Araxes (those east of the Jordan went into captivity some years before the main body. All parties went into Europe after the fall of the Parthian Empire along with the Celtic tribes to which they had been allocated by the Assyrians and with which they had completely interbred before the move to the Northwest (under Odin and the Judiciary). The Israelite tribes were educated in the faith by the Apostles, as we saw in the First Century CE (see Establishment of the Church under the Seventy (No. 122D); No. 212F).

After 722 BCE, the Levites from Judah, Benjamin and Simeon reorganised the full divisions of the Levites from the three divisions that were left, plus whatever few returned from the captivity. This was for the proper functioning of the Temple divisions, on a rostered basis. Most did not return, regardless of what is claimed today by those claiming to be Levi from the R1a Ashkenazi Khazzars, and the Sephardi Hg. E1a and E3b sons of Ham (see No. 212E).

There will be a Second Exodus to Israel from the north and elsewhere in the world at the return of the Messiah for the restoration (Isa. 65:9-66:17; 66:18-24). These people will form an essential part of the living priesthood of Melchisedek for the Millennium; with the Spirtual Host of the First Resurrection (No. 143A) allocated to the Resurrected 144,000 in Israel, under the Apostles, with the Messiah (Rev. Ch. 7; F066ii), the Great Multitude being allocated, throughout the world, to all nations, in place of the demons, who persecuted them, and who were placed in Tartaros at the Return of Messiah (No. 210A and 210B). They will be placed in the Second Resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment (No. 143B) for retraining (see Judgment of the Demons (No. 080)).

21:43-45 The conquest of Western Palestine was now complete and the two and a half tribes of the Transjordan are then free to return home to the lands allotted them east of the Jordan (1:12-18).

Chapter 22

Eastern Tribes Return Home

Joshua 22:1-34 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, ²and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you; ³you have not forsaken your brethren these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. ⁴And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as he promised them; therefore turn and go to your home in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵Take good care to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." ⁶So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their homes. ⁷Now to the one half of the tribe of Manas'seh Moses had given a possession in Bashan; but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brethren in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, ⁸he said to them, "Go back to your homes with much wealth, and with very many cattle, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren." ⁹So the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the LORD through Moses. ¹⁰And when they came to the region about the Jordan, that lies in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of great size. ¹¹And the people of Israel heard say, "Behold, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel." ¹²And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh, to make war against them. ¹³Then the people of Israel sent to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, in the land of Gilead, Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest, ¹⁴and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. ¹⁵And they came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, ¹⁶"Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this treachery which you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD, by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD? ¹⁷Have we not had enough of the sin at Pe'or from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD, ¹⁸that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you rebel against the LORD today he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. ¹⁹But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us; only do not rebel against the LORD, or make us as rebels by building yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. ²⁰Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'" ²¹Then the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, ²²"The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the LORD, spare us not today ²³for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. ²⁴Nay, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? ²⁵For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. ²⁶Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, ²⁷but to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."' ²⁸And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.' ²⁹Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, cereal offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!" ³⁰When Phin'ehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manas'sites spoke, it pleased them well. ³¹And Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest said to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manas'sites, "Today we know that the LORD is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD; now you have saved the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD." ³²Then Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³And the report pleased the people of Israel; and the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them, to destroy the land where the Reubenites and the Gadites were settled. ³⁴The Reubenites and the Gadites called the altar Witness; "For," said they, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God."

22:1-34 The Transjordanian tribes return home.

22:10 The Land of Canaan. One sees, from this text, that the land of Canaan is strictly the land west of the Jordan. Israel spreads over Canaan and also the lands east and this will all be absorbed into Greater Israel at the return of the Messiah. Moab and Ammon will become part of Israel, (as the inheritance of Abraham), at the return of the Messiah. The Edomites or Idiumeans were absorbed into Israel ca. 160 BCE by the conqests under John Hyrcanus and the Macabbees (see No. 212E).

v. 12 Here holding to the Law that forbade the offering of sacrifice anywhere but at the one central sanctuary appointed in one of the tribes of Israel (Deut. 12:13,14), which, in this case, was at Shiloh, and thus the erection of another altar was taken as a sign of disloyalty to Israel and to God.

The Key of David

The place of sanctuary and sacrifice was then later at Hebron, until Jerusalem was occupied by David ca. 1005 BCE. Benjamin had not occupied Jebus as its inheritance and thus the Jebusites remained in occupation until the army under David occupied it. Benjamin was almost wiped out for their sins as we see from Judges. The occupation was at the virtual mid point, half way between the creation of Adam and the reclamation of Jerusalem by the Australian Light Horse on 7 December 1917 as prophesied by Habakkuk (F035) and Haggai (F037) (see also Outline Timetable of the Age (No. 272)) (see summary below). It was also at the midpoint between the birth of Abraham and the birth of Messiah ca. 5 BCE (see No. 019; and 282A, 282B, 282C). The Rule of David (No. 282B) was for seven years at Hebron and then 33 years at Jerusalem. The structure of his rule is the Key of David in prophecy that looked forward to the period of the Measuring of the Temple (No. 137) in the last days. In the Final rule of the Last Days the church is dealt with under the same time frame of seven and thirty-three years. The Idol or Worthless Shepherd died and the Measurement was declared from 1987 at the New Year of the Third year of the Second Cycle of the 120^th jubilee. This was the forty years of this generation spoken by Christ. By the New Year of 1994, the next third year of the Third cycle, the Sardis system was measured and scattered. The next phase of the restoration occurred for the final phase of the Measurement to the 120^th Jubilee and the Return of the Messiah for the millennial system. In this year the final phase of the Churches of God was established as foretold by Jeremiah 4:15-27. This was the final Philadelphian system (see Pillars of Philadelphia (No. 283)). This event established the final phase of the church for the return of the Messiah for the millennial system. This church is given the understanding of the Key of David (Rev. 3:7). Messiah is the embodiment of the Rule of Solomon and the Key of David (No. 282C) and the process of the rule at Jerusalem in the construction of the Temple (see also The Golden Jubilee (No. 300)). The establishment of Israel on a progressive basis is shown and foretold in prophecy and shows the central importance of the nation and its location in the plan of God.

From 1994 to 1997 the Sardis system was brought to judgment and it became Binitarian and Trinitarian in major areas. Its demarcation church adopted the name Living as foretold in Rev. 3:1. As an organisation the Sardis system was removed from the First Resurrection as was the Laodicean system spewed from the mouth of God (Rev, 3:16). Over the last five years of the end phase of the Last Days the Wars of the end reached the wars of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets and the world began to die (No. 141C). As God foretold through the prophets (cf. Mal. 4:5 and in Rev. 11:3ff). God then sent the Witnesses for 1260 days to Jerusalem to restore the Nexus of the Law of God (No. 141D) and bring Judah to conversion back to the Temple system, its Law and its calendar as practised by the Church of God over the Millennia and in the Church of God in these last days as foretold in Revelation 3:9 (No. 156). The world kills these Witnesses and they lie in the streets for four days and on the morning of the Fourth Day Messiah and the host arrive and resurrect the elect of the First Resurrection (No. 143A) and begin to subjugate the earth and resore the Law and the Testimony (No. 141E and 141E_2). See also Isa. 8:20.

After the division of Israel at the death of Solomon, the sacrifice was in both Israel at Samaria and also in Judea at Jerusalem as two nations. Another Temple was opened at Elephantine in Egypt in the 5^th Century BCE during the Babylonian Captivity, and from Cambyses’ occupation of Egypt (ca. 525 BCE). This Temple made contribution for the construction of the Temple in Jersualem when it was constructed under Darius II (see The Sign of Jonah and the History of the Reconstruction of the Temple (No. 013)). Also, from 160 BCE, a second Temple was built in Goshen, in accordance with the instruction from God (in Isa. 19:19), at Heliopolis by order of the High Priest Onias IV. There were also sacrifices made in the divisonal locations under the Levites. These sacrifices will be reinstated under Messiah in the millennial system run from Jerusalem for the provisions under the law and the Terumah levies (Zech. 14:16-21). Also Israel, and the whole world, will keep the Sabbaths and New Moons and Feasts or they will die (Isa. 66:23-24).

v. 17 The Sin at Peor Num. 25:3-5

v. 20 Achan 7:1

vv. 26-27 It was not a real altar but a witness to all Israel, as a memorial for future years in case there was division.

Chapter 23

Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders (23:1-24:28 Joshua Ending his Work)

Joshua 23:1-16 A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, ²Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years; ³and you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. ⁴Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west ⁵The LORD your God will push them back before you, and drive them out of your sight; and you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you. ⁶Therefore be very steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, ⁷that you may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down yourselves to them, ⁸but cleave to the LORD your God as you have done to this day. ⁹For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations; and as for you, no man has been able to withstand you to this day. ¹⁰One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he promised you. ¹¹Take good heed to yourselves, therefore, to love the LORD your God. ¹²For if you turn back, and join the remnant of these nations left here among you, and make marriages with them, so that you marry their women and they yours, ¹³know assuredly that the LORD your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you; but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on your sides, and thorns in your eyes, till you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. ¹⁴"And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed ¹⁵But just as all the good things which the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you, ¹⁶if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you."

23:1-16 Joshua’s Farewell Admonitions

In this address Joshua does what Moses did, and impresses upon Israel the importance of keeping the law of God given to Moses by the Angel of the Presence, the Elohim of Israel of Deut. 32:8, and Ps. 45:6-7; who we know as Jesus Christ (Acts 7:30-53; 1Cor. 10:1-4; Heb. 1:8-9). The punishment for failing to keep the law as determined by Christ to Moses, is death (Num. 15:32-36). He sent Israel into captivity again and again (cf. Judges) and placed upon them the curses (No. 075), because they have failed to keep the law that he gave to Moses. These Canaanite and foreign tribes became a continual snare to Israel and Judah and still are to this day. Messiah will deal with that once and for all at his return.

God determined that mankind was to be created and to become Elohim according to His Predestination (No. 296) (see the Elect as Elohim (No. 001) and Man as the Temple of God (No. 282D)). God set this plan into operation from the foundation or “laying down” of the world (1Pet. 1:20), when He determined the Plan of Salvation (No. 001A) for mankind. The test of the Patriarchs and Prophets and the Elect of the First Resurrection is to keep the Laws of God (L1). Antinomianism and the claim that “the Law has been done away” is simply a plan by the demons to deceive those that can be deceived and so prevent their taking a place in the First Resurrection (Phil. 3:11; No. 143A). The Doctrine of Heaven and Hell is the other major Antinomian doctrine to deceive mankind. Antinomian doctrines are at Nos 096D; 164C, D and E. Judah’s persistent refusal to keep God’s Laws correctly saw them sent into dispersion, from 70 CE, with the fall of the Temple (No. 298). Israel’s repeated Antinomianism under the Sun and Mystery Cults (see No. 235) has seen them spread over Europe, and subject to constant war. Only God’s Promises to Abraham have seen them inherit anything. The repeated adherence to the Talmud, by Judaism, and the Hillel Calendar (see 195, 195C), has seen them face the Holocaust in 1941-1945; and all Israel will face this last Holocaust from 2021 to 2025/6. It will occur under the Witnesses (No. 135; 141D). It will end at the Return of the Messiah (No. 141E; No. 141E_2). The world is beginning to die now from the “vaxxes” and other poisons following on from the viruses of 2019 and the poison vaxxes of 2020/21. These wars are the Wars of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets of Revelation (see Wars of the End Part I: Wars of Amalek (No. 141C) and F066 ii).

God is allowing this holocaust, under the demons, to clean out mankind for the Millennium. Only the Holy Seed will be left alive for the Millennium (Isa. 6:9-13; Amos 9:1-15). The world will be run from Israel under the law of God. It thus becomes obvious what the plan is as developed by God so that Israel was given the law under Moses and reinforced in the occupation under Joshua and then again and again under the patriarchs and prophets and from the Church of God under Christ. God’s Plan is the same and Israel is the key for the salvation of the Gentiles under the Laws of God (L1).

Chapter 24

Covenant Renewed at Shechem (24:1-28 Address to Elders; 2-24 Covenant Made)

Joshua 24:1-33 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. ²And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphra'tes, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. ³Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; ⁴and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Se'ir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. ⁵And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it; and afterwards I brought you out. ⁶Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. ⁷And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt; and you lived in the wilderness a long time. ⁸Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. ⁹Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and invited Balaam the son of Be'or to curse you, ¹⁰but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I delivered you out of his hand. ¹¹And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the men of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Gir'gashites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites; and I gave them into your hand. ¹²And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. ¹³I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you dwell therein; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards which you did not plant.' ¹⁴"Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." ¹⁶Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;¹⁷for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; ¹⁸and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." ¹⁹But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. ²⁰If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good." ²¹And the people said to Joshua, "Nay; but we will serve the LORD." ²²Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." ²³He said, "Then put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel." ²⁴And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." ²⁵So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. ²⁶And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the LORD. ²⁷And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." ²⁸So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. ²⁹After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.³⁰And they buried him in his own inheritance at Tim'nath-se'rah, which is in the hill country of E'phraim, north of the mountain of Ga'ash. ³¹And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work which the LORD did for Israel. ³²The bones of Joseph which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt were buried at Shechem, in the portion of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph. ³³And Elea'zar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gib'e-ah, the town of Phin'ehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of E'phraim.

Covenant renewed at Schechem

God established His Covenant with Israel again at Shechem and it was to remain intact for all time (see The Covenant of God (No. 152)).

The covenant was renewed under Christ and the Church (see First and Second Statements of the Covenant (see No. 096B), and the sacrificial element was fulfilled by Christ (see Distinction in the Law ( No. 096)). (See also The Koran on the Bible, The Law and the Covenant (No. 083).)

v. 33 Eleazar dies and was buried in Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, given to him as a Levitical city, and is succeded by his son Phineas.

The priesthood of Melchisedek from Shem at Jerusalem is to be restored at Jerusalem under Messiah as the High Priest of Melchisedek (No. 128) (cf. F058).

Summary

God is immutable. He does not change (Ps. 15:4) and Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Heb. 13:8). God established the earth and this solar system for the creation of mankind and their progression to elohim. The Elect were written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the earth (Rev. 17:8). Our deeds were known (and those ordained by God) before our formation in the womb (Jer. 1:5; 4:15-27, Rev. Chs. 2 and 3 (F066). God demands that we serve Him only and not the false gods from “beyond the river” (Sin and the Golden Calf (No. 222), Moses and the God’s of Egypt (No. 105); Mysticism B7_1; Origins of Christmas and Easter (No. 235)).

God established the Law which stands for all time (Mat. 5:18) and all mankind is to worship Him under the law (No. 002); and under the Law, is The Shema (No. 002B). God knew that we would all sin including the Host and so He set aside a system that would bring Salvation to the creation and the Host under the Plan of Salvation (No. 001A). God selected a line from Noah and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to form a nation which was to become the central group that He was to use to draw all men under the Law and add them to the key tribes under the apostles and the patriarchs and prophets and the key elements of the 144,000 and the Great Multitude of the First Resurrection. From this line, a star, (Messiah) was to come out of Jacob (Num. 24:17).

This nation of Israel was the Plan of God (No. 001B). It was also to become the Vineyard of God (No. 001C). It was to be given the Promised Land, which it was to retain with, and from, the Return of the Messiah. The Tribes were sent into Egypt as Seventy and were sent into captivity in order to become a powerful nation under duress. The Elohim that had been given them as his inheritance (Deut. 32:8) went into Egypt. He selected Moses and Aaron and then gave Moses the entire law again, as it had been given to the patriarchs, after Israel had been taken out of Egypt through the Red Sea and baptised into Moses and into Christ as the subordinate elohim of Israel (Ps. 45:6-7; Heb 1:8-9; Acts 7:30-53) in the cloud and in the sea (1Cor. 10:2) and by their stay in the wilderness (1Cor. 10:1-4).

The Elect are to rule the world, and then the entire universe from Israel and the expanded lands from the return. God has decided to come to the earth and rule the universe from Jerusalem after the Second Resurrection. This will be in and over what was initially all Eden for eternity. That is until He determines otherwise and we are sent to develop the universe (see the City of God (No. 180); Commentary on Revelation Part V: F066v).

*****

NB Jehovah = Yahovah

Bullinger’s Notes on Chapters 20-24 (for KJV)

Chapter 20

Verse 1

The LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

spoke. See note on Joshua 1:1 .

Verse 2

children = sons.

Verse 3

killeth any person = smiteth a soul. Hebrew. nephesh. See App-13 . Literally a killer, smiting a soul.

unwittingly = unknowingly (anglo-Saxon).

Verse 6

until. The cities of refuge, being cities of the priests, bore the sin of the mauslayer. What the high priest was to the Levites, the Levites were to the nation. On the Day of Atonement, therefore, all the sins of the nation came into his hand. On his death he was freed from the Law (Romans 6:7 ; Romans 7:1-4 ), and those whom he represented were freed also. Compare Romans 5:9-11 .Hebrews 7:23-25; Hebrews 7:23-25 for the contrast.

Verse 7

appointed =. separated, and thus sanctified.

Verse 9

killeth any person = smiteth a soul". Hebrew. nephesh. See App-13 .

Chapter 21

Verse 1

Eleazar the priest. See note on Joshua 14:4 I.

children = sons.

Verse 2

Shiloh. See note on Joshua 18:1 .

The LORD commanded = Jehovah commanded. Compare Numbers 35:1-4 .Leviticus 25:33 .

hand. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for what is effected by it.

suburbs = common lands, or pasture lands; and so throughout the chapter, fifty-seven times.

Verse 3

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

Verse 4

came out. i.e. out of the bag containing the Urim and Thummim. See note on Exodus 28:30 . Num 28:55 .

Verse 8

as the LORD. According as Jehovah.

Verse 11

Arba. Compare Jos 14:12-15 . 1 Chronicles 6:55 .

Verse 12

Caleb. Compare Joshua 14:14 . 1 Chronicles 6:56 .

Verse 15

Holon. 1 Chronicles 6:58 = Hilon.

Verse 16

Beth-shemesh. Some codices, with four early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and Beth-shemesh".

Verse 18

Anathoth. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and Anathoth".

Verse 21

in mount = in the hill country of.

Verse 23

Gibbethon. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and Gibbethon".

Verse 24

Aijalon. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and Aijalon".

Verse 29

En-gannim. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and En-gannim".

Verse 31

Helkath. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and Helkath".

Verse 34

Kartah. Some codices, with five early printed editions, Aramaean, and Vulgate, read "and Kartah

Verse 36

And out of the tribe of Reuben. See note on Joshua 21:38 . Reuben. Some codices, with one early printed edition, add "a city of refuge for the manslayer

Bezer . Some codices, with Septuagint and Vulgate, add in the desert".

and Jahasah . Some codices omit this "and

Verse 37

Kedemoth. Some codices, with six early printed editions, and Septuagint, read "and Kedemoth

Verse 38

By an Homoceoteleuton ( App-6 ) some scribe, writing as far as "four cities "at end of Joshua 21:35 , went back with his eye to the same words at the end of Joshua 21:37 , and omitted, by an accident, the two verses Joshua 21:36 and Joshua 21:37 , and continued at Joshua 21:38 , which commences with the some words which end Joshua 21:35 . Hence they are not contained in the current text of the Hebrew Bible. The Authorized Version puts these verses in, however, without a note; the Revised Version also, but with a note. The two verses are contained in all the early printed Hebrew Bibles, the Septuagint and Vulgate, and very many codices. They were first omitted by Jacoh ben Chayim (1524, 1525), and the current Hebrew printed texts have followed him.

Verse 44

man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

Chapter 22

Verse 2

Moses the servant of the LORD. See note on Deuteronomy 34:5 .

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

Verse 3

God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .

Verse 4

as = according as.

them . A special various reading called Sevir ( App-34 ), with many codices and two early printed editions, reads "to you

Verse 5

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ) in this verse.

soul . Hebrew. nephesh . App-13 .

Verse 8

divide = share.

Verse 9

children = sons.

Shiloh . See note on Joshua 18:1 .

word . Hebrew "mouth", put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for what was spoken by it.

Verse 10

borders = windings or hendings.

to see to = to look at, i.e. in appearance.

Verse 11

Behold. Figure of speech Asteriamos ( App-6 ) over against - in front of. i.e. on the oast side of Jordan. at the

passage of = beyond, or opposite to.

Verse 16

trespass. Hebrew. chata. App-44 .

Verse 17

iniquity = perverseness. Hebrew avah. App-44 . Peor. Compare Numbers 25:3 , Numbers 25:4 .

Verse 19

tabernacle. Habitation. Hebrew mishkan. App-40 .

Verse 22

The LORD GOD of gods. Hebrew. El Elohim Jehovah . Figure of speech Epizeuxis ( App-6 ).

transgression. Hebrew. maal. App-44 .

save us not this day. Note the Figure of speech Parentheaia . App-6 .

Verse 23

offer = offer up. See App-43 .

offer make ready. App-43 .

Verse 24

What have ye. ? Figure of speech Erotesis . App-8 .

Verse 27

a witness. Compare Genesis 31:48 , and see Joshua 22:34 below, and Ch. Joshua 24:27 .

Verse 28

Behold = behold ye. Not the Figure of speech Asterisms .

pattern = construction.

and you . Note Figure of speech Ellipsis , "and [between] you. " App-6 .

Verse 29

God forbid = far be it from us.

Verse 30

it pleased them. Hebrew "was good in their eyes".

Verse 34

Ed. Hebrew "a witness. "This, and the verb "shall be", not in the received Hebrew text. (Some codices have it.) Literally "called the altar. A witness it is, &c. "

God = the God. Hebrew ha-Elohim. App-4 .

Chapter 23

Verse 1

a long time after. Eight years. See App-50 .

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

old and stricken in age. Aged 102. Compare Joshua 13:1 . Figure of speech, Pleonasm . App-6 . Hebrew. "old and advanced in (or come into) the days".

Verse 2

called. Probably at Shiloh.

and . Note the Figure of speech Palysyndeton. App-6 .

Verse 3

God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4

Verse 4

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismoe. App-6 .

Verse 5

as = according as.

Verse 6

the Book of the Law. See note on Exodus 17:14 , and App-47 .

that ye turn not . Compare Deuteronomy 5:32 ; Deuteronomy 28:14 .

Verse 9

man. Hebrew. ish . App-14 .

Verse 10

for. The Hebrew accent (Legarmeh) puts the pause or emphasis on this word, as calling attention to the basis of all blessing and success.

Verse 11

selves-souls. Hebrew. nephesh , App-2 .

Verse 12

Else. The Hebrew accent (Legarmeh) puts the pause or emphasis on this word, as marking the solemn alternative.

Verse 13

any of these. Some codices, with four early printed editions, read "all these".

they shall be. Compare Exodus 23:33 , Numbers 33:55 .Deuteronomy 7:16 .

Verse 14

behold, this day I, &c. Punctuate "behold this day, I am, &c. "Joshua lived 8 years longer. Compare Deuteronomy 4:16 .

souls. Hebrew. nephesh . App-13 .

thing = word. Compare Joshua 2:21 , Jos 2:45 .

the good things = the good words.

Verse 15

evil things = the evils threatened.

Chapter 24

Verse 1

God. Hebrew ha-Elohim, the God. App-4 . Compare Joshua 22:34 .

Verse 2

Thus smith the LORD . A supplementary revelation by the Spirit of God, who knows all (Hebrew. Jehovah.

saith = hath said.

the LORD God. Hebrew. Jehovah Elohim . App-4 .

flood = the river Euphrates.

Verse 3

I took. Genesis 11:31 - Joshua 12:1 .

and gave . Genesis 21:1-3 .

Verse 4

Jacob and Esau. Compare Genesis 25:25 , Genesis 25:26 .

Esau. Compare Genesis 36:8 . Deuteronomy 2:5

but Jacob. Compare Genesis 46:6 .

children = sons.

Verse 5

I sent. Compare Exodus 3:10 ; Exodus 4:14-16 .

Verse 6

Egypt. After this word the Septuagint preserves a sentence omitted by Figure of speech Homoeoteleuton: "And they became there a great, populous, and mighty people, and were afflicted by Egypt"; the scribe's eye going back to this preceding word Egypt and continuing 2 from there. the Red sea. Compare Exodus 14:9 .

Verse 7

darkness. Hebrew. ophelah, thick and intense darkness. (Occurs only here.

and the . Note Figure of speech Ellipsis ( App-6 ) = "and [between] the".

have seen = saw. have

done = did.

Verse 8

they fought. Compare Numbers 2:21 , Numbers 2:32 .

Verse 9

sent. Compare Numbers 22:5 .Deuteronomy 23:4 .

Verse 11

men = lords or rulers. Hebrew. ba'al .

Verse 12

two kings. Promise began to be fulfilled here. See Exodus 23:28 . Deuteronomy 7:20 .

Verse 14

and in Egypt. So that they were idolaters there. Compare Ezekiel 23:8 . Three systems of idolatry referred to in verses: Joshua 24:14 , Joshua 24:15 , Chaldean, Egyptian, and Canaanite.

Verse 17

He . The italics not needed. There is a Figure of speech Homseoteleuton ( App-6 ), which the Septuagint supplies: "He (is God. He] brought us up", &c. The scribe's eye went back to the latter "He".

people = peoples.

Verse 18

God forbid = For be it from us.

Verse 19

Ye cannot serve. The Ellipsis must be supplied by adding from Joshua 24:14 . "Unless ye put away your idols". See App-6 .

holy. See note on Exodus 6:5 .

GOD. Hebrew. El. App-4 .

sins. App-44 .

Verse 20

then. Compare Joshua 23:15 .

Verse 23

strange gods = strangers' (or foreigners') gods.

Verse 25

made a covenant: i.e. by sacrifice. Compare Jeremiah 34:18 , Jeremiah 34:19 .

Verse 26

the Book of the Law. See note on Exodus 17:14 and App-47 .

an = the.

Verse 27

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .

it hath heard. Figure of speech Prosopopmia . App-6 .

Verse 28

every man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

Verse 29

died. In 1434, after living seventeen years in the Land. App-50 .

Verse 30

mount = the hill country.

Gaash. The Septuagint adds here: "And they placed with him in the tomb in which they buried him the knives of stone with which he circumcised the sons of Israel is Gilgal, when he brought them out of Egypt, as the Lord appointed them; and there they are until this day. "

Verse 31

all the days. The expression is not necessarily a long period. in Joshua 11:18 it-seven years; in Joshua 23:1 = within ten years; here it = three years. See App-50 .

works = work.

Verse 32

the bones of Joseph. Compare Genesis 50:25 .Hebrews 11:22 . Shechem. Where God first appeared to Abraham in Canaan (Genesis 12:6 ), and where he built his first altar (Genesis 12:6 , Genesis 12:7 ).

Jacob bought . Compare Genesis 33:19 . Not Acts 7:16 , nor Genesis 23:0 , which was quite a different transaction.

Verse 33

Eleazar. He dies and is succeeded by his son Phinehas. Compare Judges 20:28 . Phinehas had been acting as deputy High Priest as far back as 1444; ten or twelve years before his father died. Compare Joshua 22:13-32 .

Ephraim. The Septuagint adds here: "In that day the sons of Israel took the ark of God, and carried it about among them; and Phinehas exercised the priest's office in the room of Eleazar his father, till he died, and he was buried in his own place Gabaar. But the sons of Israel departed every one to their place, and to their own city. And the sons of Israel worshipped Astarte (i.e. the Asherah; see App-42) and Astaroth, and the gods of the nations round about them; and the Lord delivered them into the hands of Eglom king of Moab, and he ruled over them eighteen years".

[Note Astarte and Astaroth consort of Baal is the Goddess Easter worshipped in Israel to this very day ed.]

PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA