The battle between Joshua and Jesus

In Hebrew, the names "Jesus" and "Joshua" are the same. Some today will argue for a difference in the Hebrew names. In the first century, Barnabas considered those names the same.

English: Again, what does Moses say to "Jesus" the son of Nun when he gave him this name, since he was a prophet, for the sole purpose that all the people might hear that the Father was revealing everything about his Son Jesus. (Holmes, 2007, p. 421)

Greek: τί λέγει πάλιν Μωϋσῆς Ἰησοῦ, υἱῷ Ναυή, ἐπιθεὶς αὐτῳ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα, ὄντι προφήτῃ, ἵνα μόνον ἀκούσῃ πᾶς ὁ λαός; ὅτι πάντα ὁ πατὴρ φανεροῖ περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Epistle of Barnabas [12:8]

If the names were not the same, you would think that someone would have told Barnabas this whenever he mentioned it.

More: Epistle of Barnabas

English: Moses said to "Jesus" the son of Nun when he gave him this name, as he sent him to spy out the land, "Take a book in your hands and write what the Lord says, that in the last days the Son of God will cot off by its roots all the house of Amalek". (Holmes, 2007, p. 421)

Greek: λέγει οὖν Μωϋσῆς Ἰησοῦ, υἱῷ Ναυή, ἐπιθεὶς τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα, ὁπότε ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν κατάσκοπον τῆς γῆς· Λαβε βιβλίον εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου καὶ γράψον, ἃ λέγει κύριος, ὅτι ἐκκόψει ἐκ ῥιζῶν τὸν οἶκον πάντα τοῦ Ἀμαλὴκ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπ’ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν. Epistle of Barnabas [12:9]

Exodus 17:13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. [kjv]

ויחלש יהושע את עמלק ואת עמו לפי חרב׃ [he]

και ετρεψατο ιησους τον αμαληκ και παντα τον λαον αυτου εν φονω μαχαιρας [lxx]

The Hebrew word "יהושע" (ye-ho-wo-su-a) ≈ "of Joshua".

The ancient Greek word "Ἰησοῦς" ≈ "Jesus, Jeshua, Yeshua, Joshua" and which came from the Hebrew for "Joshua"

Exodus 17:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. [kjv]

ויאמר יהוה אל משה כתב זאת זכרון בספר ושים באזני יהושע כי מחה אמחה את זכר עמלק מתחת השמים׃ [he]

ειπεν δε κυριος προς μωυσην καταγραψον τουτο εις μνημοσυνον εν βιβλιω και δος εις τα ωτα ιησοι οτι αλοιφη εξαλειψω το μνημοσυνον αμαληκ εκ της υπο τον ουρανον [lxx]

Exodus 17:13

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KJV: And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Hebrew: ויחלש יהושע את עמלק ואת עמו לפי חרב׃

Greek: και ετρεψατο ιησους τον αμαληκ και παντα τον λαον αυτου εν φονω μαχαιρας

Brenton: And Joshua routed Amalec and all his people with the slaughter of the sword.

Exodus 17:14

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KJV: And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

Hebrew: ויאמר יהוה אל משה כתב זאת זכרון בספר ושים באזני יהושע כי מחה אמחה את זכר עמלק מתחת השמים׃

Greek: ειπεν δε κυριος προς μωυσην καταγραψον τουτο εις μνημοσυνον εν βιβλιω και δος εις τα ωτα ιησοι οτι αλοιφη εξαλειψω το μνημοσυνον αμαληκ εκ της υπο τον ουρανον

Joshua led the Israelites against Jericho as in the song "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho" but neither Joshua nor the Israelites actually fought a battle.

Who fought the battle?

In Hebrew, the name of "Jesus" is essentially the same as "Joshua". יהושע - Jeshua

Zechariah prophesies about Jesus fighting in battle in what appears to be the end times and part of Revelation.

Zechariah 14:1

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KJV: Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

Hebrew: הנה יום בא ליהוה וחלק שללך בקרבך׃

Greek: ιδου ημεραι ερχονται του κυριου και διαμερισθησεται τα σκυλα σου εν σοι

Zechariah 14:2

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KJV: For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Hebrew: ואספתי את כל הגוים אל ירושלם למלחמה ונלכדה העיר ונשסו הבתים והנשים תשגלנה ויצא חצי העיר בגולה ויתר העם לא יכרת מן העיר׃

Greek: και επισυναξω παντα τα εθνη επι ιερουσαλημ εις πολεμον και αλωσεται η πολις και διαρπαγησονται αι οικιαι και αι γυναικες μολυνθησονται και εξελευσεται το ημισυ της πολεως εν αιχμαλωσια οι δε καταλοιποι του λαου μου ου μη εξολεθρευθωσιν εκ της πολεως

Zechariah 14:3

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KJV: Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Hebrew: ויצא יהוה ונלחם בגוים ההם כיום הלחמו ביום קרב׃

Greek: και εξελευσεται κυριος και παραταξεται εν τοις εθνεσιν εκεινοις καθως ημερα παραταξεως αυτου εν ημερα πολεμου

When did the Lord fight in the "day of battle" before this time prophesied?

Zechariah 14:4

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KJV: And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Hebrew: ועמדו רגליו ביום ההוא על הר הזתים אשר על פני ירושלם מקדם ונבקע הר הזיתים מחציו מזרחה וימה גיא גדולה מאד ומש חצי ההר צפונה וחציו נגבה׃

Greek: και στησονται οι ποδες αυτου εν τη ημερα εκεινη επι το ορος των ελαιων το κατεναντι ιερουσαλημ εξ ανατολων και σχισθησεται το ορος των ελαιων το ημισυ αυτου προς ανατολας και το ημισυ αυτου προς θαλασσαν χαος μεγα σφοδρα και κλινει το ημισυ του ορους προς βορραν και το ημισυ αυτου προς νοτον

Joshua meets the caption of the Lord's hosts.

He is told to take off his shoes as he is on holy ground - in a manner similar to Moses at the burning bush.

Joshua 5:13

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KJV: And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

Hebrew: ויהי בהיות יהושע ביריחו וישא עיניו וירא והנה איש עמד לנגדו וחרבו שלופה בידו וילך יהושע אליו ויאמר לו הלנו אתה אם לצרינו׃

Greek: και εγενετο ως ην ιησους εν ιεριχω και αναβλεψας τοις οφθαλμοις ειδεν ανθρωπον εστηκοτα εναντιον αυτου και η ρομφαια εσπασμενη εν τη χειρι αυτου και προσελθων ιησους ειπεν αυτω ημετερος ει η των υπεναντιων

Angels are messengers from God.

Details are left as a future topic.

Good angels (messengers) always tell the person to not fall down and worship them (Daniel, John, etc.). Bad angels may not do the same.

One of the themes in Paul's letter to the Colossians is to warn about the worship of angels.

The captain of the Lord's hosts (soldiers or angels) does not have this restriction.

Joshua 5:14

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KJV: And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

Hebrew: ויאמר לא כי אני שר צבא יהוה עתה באתי ויפל יהושע אל פניו ארצה וישתחו ויאמר לו מה אדני מדבר אל עבדו׃

Greek: ο δε ειπεν αυτω εγω αρχιστρατηγος δυναμεως κυριου νυνι παραγεγονα και ιησους επεσεν επι προσωπον επι την γην και ειπεν αυτω δεσποτα τι προστασσεις τω σω οικετη

Taking off the footwear at a holy place is reminiscent of what Moses experienced at the burning bush.

Joshua 5:15

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KJV: And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Hebrew: ויאמר שר צבא יהוה אל יהושע של נעלך מעל רגלך כי המקום אשר אתה עמד עליו קדש הוא ויעש יהושע כן׃

Greek: και λεγει ο αρχιστρατηγος κυριου προς ιησουν λυσαι το υποδημα εκ των ποδων σου ο γαρ τοπος εφ ω συ εστηκας αγιος εστιν

Joshua then gets instructions on what they are to do - march around seven times, blow trumpets, etc.

The captain of the Lord's hosts will do the actual fighting work. In Revelation, this is by the word of His mouth, just as the creation in Genesis was by the word of His mouth.

This appearance is one example of what is called a "theophany" which cames from the Greek for "appearance of God".