YT 21 Joshua part 16 Chapter 7:21; 1 Kings 16:34

The Book of Joshua

Part 16

The Prophecy of Joshua

1Kings 16:34; Joshua 7:21

Recapping:

Who would have thought that after the victory of Jericho, Joshua would be giving
a prophecy of the nation’s return to idolatry, and the worship of the Host of Heaven?
Really? Israel has all that they could ask or hope for and yet….

As was previously mentioned last lesson, there is never an excuse as to why

someone does something, but there is always a reason ~ the reason is always enmity.

ENMITY

As we consider the two men ~ Hiel of 1Kings 16 and Achan of Joshua 7 in

connection to the figurative pictorial of Jacob’s time of trouble ~ the near fulfillment of
the Tribulation ~ hopefully what will become clearer is the treacherous result of the
deception of the enmity to themselves and to others.

Each man had a reason why they did what they did; although it may appear to
themselves that they did it for “good” reasons, the truth is that each man had a false
sense of self-importance ~ the result of enmity.

Enmity is the thing itself, the state of being actively opposed or hostile.
Lawlessness is the fruit borne from enmity. Both enmity and lawlessness are the result
of being a creation. Man is a creation and does not want to be what he is ~ a creation.

Nonetheless, man is what he is and always will be ~ a creation ~ and never any
more than a creation. A creation is not responsible for the way it is created. Who made
the creation of humanity? God did. Who then must take responsibility for enmity? God
must.

There needs to be the understanding that God did not create enmity. He made a
creation who is other than Himself ~ the One who is the pre-existent, self-existent,
uncreated. If God makes a creation (because the creation is not God), the result is the
creation is at enmity with God; actively hostile and opposed to the creator.

God cannot overrule a man’s freedom of choice. What God can do though is take
responsibility for enmity ~ take responsibility of the state of being of enmity manifested
in lawlessness through the power of Righteousness offered in the Eternal life.

The greatest problem is not the enmity of humanity, but the deception of

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enmity. Deception is an experiential thing ~ you can have definitions but definitions
aren’t tangible.

There are numerous meanings of the definition of the word deception. These
include double-dealing, fraud, cheating, trickery, deviousness, slyness, wiliness, guile,
lying, pretense all of which ends with the same result ~ treachery. Treachery is the result
of the deception of enmity.

With treachery comes deceitfulness, betrayal and disloyalty. Thus, the action of
the deception of enmity is the practice of deceiving the dishonest and untruthful heart, to
both one’s self and others, by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

Thus, man is not at fault for being at enmity, nor for the deception of enmity, or
the deceitfulness of the heart, but for staying at enmity when provided the power of
Righteousness through the gift of Eternal life; and for not ruling over enmity after
receiving the gift of Righteousness.

It takes submission to God ~ to believe and receive the power of

Righteousness which will take care of enmity; and it takes love for God to wake up to
His righteousness to rule over the deception of enmity. Deception is deception ~ you
cannot see it. So how is the enmity of your own thinking revealed? Through
righteousness. How can you rule over the enmity that you have? Through
righteousness. And the only way to get there is through the love of God and love for
God ~ which takes cooperation.

It is of the upmost importance that man acknowledge that he is a creation

responsible to the Creator for the keeping of his heart ~ guarding the heart with all
diligence, as provision has been made for such keeping (Prov. 4:23).

LEADERSHIP OF THE NATION

As we consider Hiel and Achan, we need to bear in mind two things. It is

important to remember that what is being discussed are the “cliff notes” of the pictorial
of the near fulfillment of the Tribulation. Today’s lesson is mere highlights of the near
fulfillment of prophecy and in no way the complete pictorial.

We also need to bear in mind the leadership of the nation as a community. Both
Hiel and Achan are Jews. The near and far fulfillment of the tribulation deals with the
nation of the Jews ~ it is Jacob’s time of trouble ~ his tribulation. Part of the problem is,
when reading the scriptures, we either personalize it, or apply it to the church. We need
to keep remembering what the text is speaking of, who it is speaking to, and what we
are looking at.

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The leadership of the nation of Israel is communal ~ there are leaders like
Joshua and Elders and Princes, etc. The leader is not responsible for the individual’s
enmity but is responsible to follow God to lead. Therefore, depending on the leadership,
the result can be disastrous. As is evident in the days of the Kings, most of them did evil
in the sight of the LORD and Ahab was particularly evil.

Likewise, whenever Israel is left to her own devices, she turns her back on the
heart of the matter ~ the issue of the heart ~ and the deception of the deceitfulness of
enmity. References of the heart permeate scripture.

HIEL AND ACHAN

Each man, Hiel and Achan, individually are a figurative pictorial of the one heart
of humanity with its deception of enmity. There is only one heart of humanity with its
willingness to be deceived about itself. Deception is deception. However, when you put
them together to look at that near fulfillment, then what you have is the picture of the
conspirators of Israel in the last days. It takes both of them together to see this one
pictorial of the conspirators.

The revelation of that figurative pictorial is seen in the definition of the names of
each man and their actions. Their actions reveal the thinking of the heart.

As said, each man has his reason for doing what he does but each man reveals
the one heart of humanity with its desire of self-love. There is nothing in man to satisfy
nor fulfill himself.

STRICT ORDERS

What does Joshua have to say after the victory of Jericho and about the man
who is going to rebuild Jericho?

Joshua 6:26:

“And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying Cursed be the man before the
LORD that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in
his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.”

After the victory of Jericho, Joshua whose name means “Jehovah is salvation”
adjured the nation. He appealed earnestly, giving Israel strict orders under oath and
threat of penalty.

“Cursed” the man before the LORD. The word cursed is a verb generally
denoting to inflict with a curse. This verb in a more specific sense means to bind; to hem
in with obstacles; to render powerless to resist.

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THE MAN OF THE PROPHECY

This future man, deceiving himself into thinking that he is more than he is ~ a
creation of God ~ and thinking himself to be more than a creation, is thus cursed before
the LORD. Cursed is the enmity of humanity with its beguiling art of deception. Cursed
is the hostility of men in the flesh.

Doing what is right in his own eyes he will lay the foundation of the city ~ the
underpinning of the city of worship with the sacrifice of his firstborn and in his youngest
shall he set up the gates. This man isn’t without knowledge of what he is doing.

Hence, shedding the blood of his children is an offensive and appalling act
practiced by pagans and denounced of God. This son of Israel will begin and end the
building of Jericho as a place of worship and set himself up as the designated prophet
and priest, by shedding blood. Killing man in God’s image, he desecrates the Covenant
Son, in the likeness of man and in the image of God.

Prophets and priests had social standing in the nation as spokesmen of God. Of
course, they did not appoint themselves as prophets and priests. They were given this
grave responsibility from God. They spoke His words, foretelling the Truth of the
Covenant Son and acted on His behalf as mediators between God and man. Prophets
and priest had a holy calling.

Therefore, the unnamed man in Joshua’s prophecy who in rising up and building
that which the LORD tore down and offering human sacrifice will be rendered powerless
to resist the LORD ~ the Covenant keeping God of Israel.

This man is cursed by his deliberate decision to rebel against his Creator. Here
is a rebel, who given freedom of choice that he might choose to fulfill his purpose of
creation to become a son of God ~ instead he is intent on building Jericho and his social
stature as well. To do such a thing is to say in the heart ~ in your face God!

THE MAN HIEL

So, who was Hiel? We know what kind of man he is from Joshua’s prophecy. He
is cursed before the LORD ~ but how does he present himself?

Remember that names in the Scriptures have significance. Persons and places,
often named according to the word of the LORD, were named to reflect the
circumstances surrounding that particular time and place or as a figurative of a
prophecy of that which shall be.

What does Hiel’s name and the names of his children figure? And what about his
birth place? Most importantly we will need to consider his link to King Ahab ~ a willful
king who sets himself up against the Most High God.

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1 Kings 16:34:

“In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in
Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according
to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

1. Hiel: ~ God lives; the life of God

2. Bethel: ~ house of God
3. Abiram: ~ my father is exalted
4. Segub: ~ fortified, raised

Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).
Hiel’s name and place of birth would appear, at first glance, that figuratively his life was
a walking testimony of the Covenant Son (God lives; house of God). Appearances
however can and are often deceiving. Hiel’s actions speak louder.

Linked to King Ahab, a willful king, and worshiper of the idol Baal, Hiel’s actions
are anti-God. He and Ahab it would appear are close allies. With his act of rebuilding the
city, once accursed of the LORD, the revelation of this truth is confirmed.

Although his name and birth place figuratively speak of the Truth of God: God
Lives and His Covenant Son: the Life of God ~ what becomes crystal clear is that Hiel
himself did not choose to believe that God lives and receive the life of God offered in the
Covenant Son as his own.

In his deliberate decision to rebuild Jericho, this man of the city of the house of
God/Bethel, built the city of the moon/Jericho, for the purpose of worshiping the host of
heaven.

Naming his first born, my father is exalted and his youngest fortified, Hiel raised
and then sacrificed his children ~ an offensive and appalling act practiced by pagans
and denounced of God. Those actions only solidified his lustful desire to set himself up
as the designated prophet and priest. Who were supposed to offer the offerings? The
Priests. Who foretold the words of God? The Prophets.

In the luminaries, we have the picture of a King Priest. Jesus is Prophet, King
and Priest. Hiel has some understanding of the luminaries; he couldn’t pervert
something that he didn’t have some understanding of. Hiel names each of his sons
figuratively of the work of the Covenant Son as Prophet and Priest to whom Hiel likens
himself. In the Covenant Son, His Father is Exalted, Fortified and Raised as God is how
Hiel thinks of himself.

THE FIGURATIVE OF THE NEAR FULFILLMENT OF HIEL

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Thus far, we have had the prophecy of Joshua; the time of Hiel; and now we
have the figurative of the near fulfillment of Hiel. Hiel in the near fulfillment figuratively is
the pictorial of the False Prophet during Israel’s time of Jacob’s trouble ~ the Tribulation.

In figure, the Tribulation of Jacob’s time of trouble is likened to the birth pangs of
a woman before she delivers. The Tribulation of Jacob’s time of trouble will produce the
birth of the remnant nation to enter into the kingdom of God on earth. Laid out is the
ongoing work of God’s Eternal Covenant to have a kingdom of sons of God, man in His
image after His likeness. But Israel must first experience the pains of birth.

FALSE PROPHET

There is a teaching that the false prophet is a Gentile and not Jewish. However,
in light of the figurative pictorial, and that of the Scripture, it is not only impossible but
not practical.

There is not much mentioned in the Scripture concerning The False Prophet.
Only three references to a personage identified as the False Prophet are all found in the
book of Revelation and connected to the Beast, also known as the Antichrist ~ the Man
of lawlessness. The man of lawlessness (a Gentile) has obtained his power to rule over
Jerusalem in Jacob’s time of trouble; and his throne from the Dragon (Rev.16:13; 19:20;
20:10).

As we have learned from our studies of the Eternal Covenant in the luminaries
with their message of the stars with their signs, the figure of the Dragon is identified as
Satan.

The imagery used in the Revelation account concerning the False Prophet gives
credence to the likelihood of the False Prophet being a Jew. The fact that he “speaks”
like a dragon reveals his true character as a false prophet. Worship is the issue: the
taking of Jerusalem and the kingdom, the temple rebuilt, the sacrifices, and the center
of activity in Jerusalem.

The definition and test of a false prophet is found in Deuteronomy 13:1-5. The
first three verses fit The False Prophet during the Tribulation.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5: Read

All the days of the nation, Israel has seen herself as a separate people. The only
time Israel gets into trouble is when she gets mixed up with the other nations. She is a
community unto herself. And having been commanded to be separate ~ she is the face
of God to the world ~ which is why she is hated. As Jehovah’s servant, Israel’s issue to
the world is one of worship. Who are you going to worship ~ who are you going to
serve? ~ which leads us back to man is a creation.

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Jerusalem will be the seat of the world-wide system of politics and economics,
and worship will be the driving force behind the whole system known as Mystery
Babylon.

It is this issue of worship that will be the primary “in” with Israel and the willful
king ~ the man of lawlessness; Israel will need her own prophet and priest.

The False Prophet (Jew) will be the “mediator”, the link between the man of
lawlessness (Gentile) and Israel. Much like the prophet Daniel of old, Israel will see the
false prophet as having the ear of the king.

Unlike Daniel, however, the false prophet will be anti-God and anti (His) Christ ~
the Covenant Son. He will be, in fact, cursed ~ just as Hiel, his figurative pictorial.

We must remember that the end goal is in the taking of Jerusalem, the capital
city of Israel, the place where the LORD put His name. So, the man of lawlessness
needs a strong ally to obtain his goals. Israel wouldn’t align themselves with a gentile
leader but a false prophet would.

The man of lawlessness needs someone he can trust and more importantly who
the Jews will trust and what better person than the return of “Elijah.”

Their own Scriptures speak of Elijah’s return before the great and terrible day of
the LORD (Mal.4:5-6). Remember that John the Baptist was continually asked, “Are you
Elijah?”

This self-appointed False Prophet during Jacob’s time of trouble will do great
wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on earth in the sight of men,
setting him on par with the great prophet of God, Elijah.

Also, in Matthew’s gospel, the gospel of the King, Jesus sitting down upon the
Mount of Olives and His disciples with Him, spoke concerning the sign of His coming
and of the end of the world.

Matthew 24:21-26:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

“Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he
is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”

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Down through the ages many of those false Christs and false prophets will do
many amazing things ~ great signs and wonders but none as great as the False
Prophet.

He will wield more power than any prophet before him as can be seen in the
description of his capabilities.

Also, he exercises all the power of the Man of Lawlessness plus he causes
worldwide worship of the Man of Lawlessness, whose deadly wound was healed.

It will be the phenomena of the healing of the deadly wound of the Man of
Lawlessness that will cause people to marvel and be willing to worship him.

The False Prophet deceiving those on the earth by his miracles, convinces the
earth-dwellers to make an image in homage to and of the Man of Lawlessness ~ the
beast ~ that he gives “life to.”

Anyone not willing to worship this beast will be killed. This leads to the necessity
of an identifying mark to ferret out all dissidents. The False Prophet is willing for the
worship of the Beast because he’s got the power.

Jesus’ forewarning in Matthew should be a red flag to those in Israel when the
False Prophet, a power house in his own right, starts backing a Gentile as the
Christ/Messiah they have been waiting for.

In a nut shell:

The False Prophet could possibly be in the position of prime minister or

ambassador to the UN or World Security Council (though this could be connected to or
a branch of the UN).

This position of authority would give him a recognized position in both the secular
and religious spheres mainly because of the rebuilt Temple and reinstating of the Jewish
sacrifices.

Thus, both of these positions would make for a powerful bond between two
leaders, the False Prophet and the Man of Lawlessness. Israel wants her temple and
her sacrifices but she needs help. She is not going to willingly follow the Gentile leader
but she will if she has her false prophet ~ who then will come in and present himself as
the High Priest.

TRIBE, FAMILY, HOUSEHOLD, MAN BY MAN

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Joshua 7:17-18:

“And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and
he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought
his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of
Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.”

Tribe of Judah: Judah is the fourth son of Jacob and his first wife, Leah. The
meaning of the name Judah is Praise (see the explanation for his name in Genesis
29:35).

From the family of Judah ~ the family of the Zarhites was taken and from that
household ~ man by man Zabdi was taken and Zabdi brought his household man by
man and Achan was taken. Thus, four names are mentioned in connection to Achan.

1. Judah: ~ praise
2. Zerah: ~ a rising (as in the sun) of the tribe of Judah
3. Zabdi: ~ my dowry, who was the son of Zerah
4. Carmi: ~ my vineyard, who was the son of Zabdi and:

THE MAN ACHAN

Achan’s name means ~ troubler.

Thus, figuratively speaking within the definitions of the names is the pictorial of
praise, rising as in the sun of God’s “dowry” ~ His vineyard.

A dowry is the wealth transferred from the bride’s family to the Bridegroom. The
Bridegroom is the Covenant Son. The nation Israel is the wealth transferred in the
settlement or wedding gift to His Covenant Son.

Yet before the event of the wedding gift (the vineyard of Israel given to the Son)
can take place, the troubler of the nation must be dealt with.

This troubler is one who desires to be more than he is and thereby troubles
Israel. As mentioned previously, in light of Israel’s understanding of the Eternal
Covenant in the heavenly revelation the nation is expecting to have a king. Why?
Because the stars with their signs say the King is coming. Israel having just come into
their land of promise and taken Jericho would be expecting a king.

How can you have a kingdom without a king? Achan is from the tribe of Judah
from whence the line of kings will be established. From the prophecies concerning the
sons of Israel given by their father Israel and the blessings of the tribes given by the
man of God, Moses, undoubtedly was the thinking that from the tribe of Judah the king
would come.

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Additionally, from the figurative pictorial of the messages of the stars with their
signs in the Eternal Covenant is the understanding that the King would also be a Priest.

Hence the figurative pictorial of the spoils of the Babylonian garment, the shekels
of silver and the wedge of gold hid in the earth in the midst of my (Achan’s) tent ~
comes into play within the pictorial. What good does it do Achan for the goods to be hid
~ except there be a pictorial?

THE FIGURES OF THE GARMENT SILVER AND GOLD

Joshua 7:21:

“When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred
shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and
took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver
under it.”

Goodly: ~ that which is appealing and pleasant to the senses ~ (lusts of the flesh).
Achan is sensual.

Babylonish: ~ designating Shinar. The name of the plain where the city and nation of
Babylon were begun by Nimrod ~ the man whose name means ‘we rebel’.

Babylon was the “center” of the known world with all the peoples united in their hostility
of enmity against the Creator. The central worship was that of the host of heaven.

Garment: ~ a feminine noun indicating a cloak, splendor, robe or glory. This was a fine
piece of clothing. Most likely very expensive and as it is clearly identified as a
Babylonian garment. This connects the robe of glory with the worship of the host of
heaven. Achan is coveting the priesthood.

Silver and gold: ~ figuratively, the metal of silver type’s redemption and gold type’s
Deity. Kings wore gold and were considered by pagan nations as gods.

Hid in the earth in the midst of my tent: ~ the phrase is figurative of the thinking of
the spoils in connection to the man Achan.

THE PICTORIAL OF THE MAN ACHAN

Of the earth, earthy and hid in his tent ~ his heart, are those appealing and
pleasant things to the senses ~ those lusts of the flesh which are temporal.

He is drawn by his own strong desires to be priest/king. He covets that above

anything else.

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This is revealed in the order of the spoils as laid in the earth. The silver which
speaks of redemption is on the bottom. It is of the least value to him.

The gold is next. Seeing himself as Deity, the King of the tribe of Judah, all that
remains is for him to be priest (as the revelation of the stars with their signs declare in
the Eternal Covenant). The king is priest, hence the Babylonian garment, the robe of
glory needed. This is not an excuse but this is Achan’s reasoning.

THE FIGURATIVE OF THE NEAR FULFILLMENT OF ACHAN

Achan is figurative of that inner circle of Jewish leaders who secretly make an
allegiance with the Man of Lawlessness and thereby transgress the covenant of God
and commit folly in Israel.

Setting into motion the pictorial of Joshua 7:5, the hearts of the people melted
and became as water. Israel will be unable to stand before their enemies ~ turning their
backs and fleeing in Jacob’s time of trouble.

Connecting 1Kings 16:34 with Joshua 7:17-18 ~

THE PICTURE OF THE CONSPIRATORS OF ISRAEL IN THE NEAR FULLFILLMENT

OF THE TRIBULATION

It takes both pictorials of the deception of the enmity of Achan and that of Hiel
laid alongside one another, for the complete pictorial of Jacob’s time of Trouble.

What needs to be remembered is that each one, Achan and Hiel, willingly
partook of the deception of enmity in their compliance of deceit. “Therefore to him that
knoweth to do good, and doeth not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Achan had the explicit
charge of the LORD God of Israel not to take of the accursed thing thereby, troubling
Israel and breaking His Covenant.

Likewise, Hiel had knowledge of Joshua’s prophecy as is clearly indicated in the

text of 1 Kings 16. Thus, both the False Prophet and the Jewish Council who, through
the deception of their own enmity, will be lulled into thinking the Man of Lawlessness is
going to solve all their problems even though they know it’s not so. Hence, the art of
deception.

Not until the Man of Lawlessness desecrates the temple in that pleasant land ~
the land of Promise given the seed of Abraham ~ will the art of deception reveal itself.

Waxing himself great, boasting of himself even to the host of heaven, the Man of
Lawlessness will set himself in opposition to the host of heaven and of the stars to the
ground (Daniel 8:10). He will magnify himself even to the prince of the host and take

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away the daily sacrifice and the place of God’s sanctuary ~ for the purpose of making
himself as God.

At that time those who willingly served him will “awake” to the deception of their
enmity and confess ‘indeed have I sinned against the LORD God of Israel’ yet without
repentance.

Nonetheless, afterward comes the joy. After the pain of travailing comes the joy
of the birth. The Tribulation of Jacob’s time ~ the chastisement of the LORD will produce
the birth of the remnant nation to enter into the kingdom of God on earth.

THE CONCLUSION OF THE DECEPTION OF ENMITY

In Conclusion:

For the one refusing the Seed of the Eternal life offered and the power of
Righteousness to rule over enmity ~like Achan and Hiel, beware ~ you can have your
life the way you want it, be where you want to be, but the end of those ways is death.

For those who have received the Seed of Eternal life ~ wake up Sons of God!
You can have your life the way you want it; be where you want to be; but be careful: if
you refuse to wake up to your righteousness comes the leanness of the soul.

The heart with its desire of self-love cannot satisfy. There is nothing in you to
satisfy yourself. You cannot fulfill yourself. You are a creation of God and responsible to
God.

This concludes the lesson. Next time ~ Joshua 8

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