Wednesday May 22

So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Joshua 6:20

The Fall of Jericho in the Light of Prophecy

Jericho is a type of the world. As Jericho falls and is laid in ruins as soon as Israel is in the land, so the world is laid in ruins for the believer who apprehends his position in Christ. “This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 Jn. 5:4). Faith obtained this victory over Jericho. It was a faith that trusted in the Lord and acted in obedience to divinely given instructions. We must walk in faith and in the power of His Spirit, as crucified unto the world and the world crucified unto us. The world must remain in ruins for the believer even as Jericho was not to be rebuilt.

The wall reminds us of hindrances and obstacles in our lives as believers, as we pass through this world. The enemy tries to terrify us by these circumstances, and we often find ourselves measuring the walls, studying the difficulties, and being occupied with our perplexities and trials. We focus on the walls, instead of focusing on the Lord and His power. By faith, walls still fall down.

The fall of Jericho is even richer when viewed in the light of prophecy. Jericho is the type of the world ripe for judgment. The high walls are types of the walls of unbelief, apostasy, wickedness, and self-security. Seven days Israel had to march around the walls. Seven priests with seven trumpets were there. On the seventh day they had to march around seven times and blow the seven trumpets. The number “seven” stands for divine completion and reminds us of Revelation with its seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven vials. As the walls of Jericho fell, so comes the day when all the high and exalted things will be laid low. It is the prophetic picture of the coming Kingdom.

A. C. Gaebelein