No not 7 rounds of Jericho – Mystery

Did you know that the Israelites did not march around the city of Jericho seven times as we often hear? There was a significant reason behind what GOD instructed them to do. Let’s understand the facts and the mystery behind it.

While learning about the wall of Jericho, we can uncover many vital pieces of information. Actually, YHWH did not tell Joshua to march seven times around Jericho. If we read carefully the instructions given by YHWH to Joshua, it is written:

“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.’” (Joshua 6:2-4)

This clearly means that YHWH instructed Joshua to march around Jericho once every day for six days, and on the seventh day, He instructed them to march seven times. If we add a single round each for the six days and seven rounds on the seventh day, it sums up to 13 rounds, not 7. But why did YHWH make the Israelites do this? There has to be a reason and a lesson behind every instruction of GOD. The apostle Paul assures us, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

For many decades, the wall of Jericho has been compared to our problems, and the power and might of GOD are projected in the demolition of the wall, illustrating that GOD has the supernatural and mighty power to demolish every strong wall of any problem in the lives of those who trust in His name. The incident of Jericho showcases this nature of GOD with extreme detail, highlighting how GOD plans everything, which is truly amazing.

Let’s look into some facts about Jericho.

The word Jericho in Hebrew means ‘city of palms.’ Jericho is the oldest city in the world and the lowest city on earth, situated 275 meters or 900 feet below sea level. It was located at the crossroads of two main travel routes: the north-south route through the Jordan Valley and the east-west route connecting the east side of the Jordan River with Jerusalem, the Samaritan cities, and the coastal plain cities of the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, the Israelites had no other option but to cross through Jericho. The city of Jericho is also known as Tel Jericho or Tell Es-Sultan. The city was fortified with double walls, which were enormous and overwhelming in size and strength. The walls were constructed of large stones at the base and mud bricks continuing upwards. The exterior wall’s stone base was about 5 meters (15 feet) high, and the mud-brick wall on top of it was another 8 meters (25 feet) high, for a total of 13 meters (40 feet). The width of the wall was 6 meters (20 feet) wide, and we know that Rahab’s house was over the wall, as mentioned in Joshua 2:15. The details about the wall of Jericho have been confirmed through decades of archaeological findings, proving the authenticity of the Bible once again.

But the most significant detail is how well Jehovah planned everything with the Israelites. The city of Jericho was actually a place of satanic worship where they sacrificed children and virgins, and it was also a centre of many satanic rituals. This was the main reason why GOD told the Israelites not to spare anyone except Rahab. Since the city was a fortress of Satan and his followers, the Israelites were head-to-head with Satan and his power. That is why YHWH Himself intervened to destroy Satan’s army, indicating that He is with His chosen people as their ever-present help, fortress, and strong tower.

If we pay proper attention to what GOD instructed Joshua, we will be surprised to see the facts and details in them.

To understand this, we should look carefully at the wall of Jericho. The width of the wall of Jericho was 6 meters. YHWH instructed the Israelites to march around Jericho once a day for six days. This means that the six rounds mentioned in Joshua 6:3 were actually for every single meter of the 6-meter width of the wall. The height of the wall was 13 meters, meaning when YHWH made the Israelites circle around Jericho a total of 13 times, it was for every meter of the height of the wall. The foundation of the wall of Jericho was 6.7 meters, meaning the 6 rounds of six days and seven rounds on the seventh day were for every meter and every inch.

Joshua was a person who feared GOD and always humbled himself before the Lord. The city of Jericho was a big obstacle for Joshua and the Israelites, but Joshua gave room for YHWH to work in the midst of the crisis. He did not complain, disobey, murmur, or question, and as a result, YHWH revealed that no matter the obstacle or problem, He would not let even an inch of it remain.

In these perilous times, everyone faces some problem or another; no one is spared. We should know that GOD gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers, expecting them to fight well. In our lives, families, ministries, houses, work, studies, or wherever we have problems, if we have given control to GOD and trust Him for whatever He is doing, then He is more than able to destroy even an inch of that problem, and He surely will, as He is in control. It may be that in order to demolish your wall of Jericho, you may have to circle around it, go through hardships, pray earnestly, lose money, or whatever it takes. But if you have given control to GOD and believe and depend completely on Him and His timing, then gather yourself, strengthen your faith, and remind yourself of what Moses said to the Israelites before parting the Red Sea: “Be still and see the salvation of GOD” (Exodus 14:13). All the devices of Satan are going to be destroyed and demolished, even an inch, because the word of GOD promises, “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).