Jericho’s fall brings several outcomes into view. Rahab and her household are brought out alive. Certain objects are set apart for Jehovah. The city is burned.
I want to keep those distinctions visible as we bring Revelation beside the account. A city’s judgment does not tell us everything about the people and possessions within it.
What Belongs to Jehovah?
Before the wall falls, Joshua identifies the silver, gold, bronze, and iron as holy to Jehovah and directs them to His treasury. Israel is warned against taking what has been devoted to destruction, because doing so would bring trouble upon its own camp. Joshua 6:17–19 — LSB
Receiving the city does not give Israel unrestricted permission to take everything within it.
This returns me to a question that has followed our studies: what has been given, and what is someone taking without permission?
The instruction determines how these things are to be treated.
People Are Brought Out Alive
Joshua sends the two spies to bring Rahab and her family out according to their oath. The account then records the city’s burning and the preservation of the designated metals for Jehovah’s treasury. Joshua 6:22–25 — LSB
People, sacred property, and the condemned city have distinct outcomes.
I want to preserve those differences before assigning a broader meaning to any part of the scene. Otherwise, a comparison can become so general that the details which first drew my attention disappear.
The Call to Come Out
Revelation 18 announces Babylon’s fall and records a heavenly voice calling God’s people to come out of her. The stated purpose is that they avoid participating in her sins and receiving her plagues. Her judgment includes burning. Revelation 18:2–8 — LSB
Here again, the passage distinguishes people from the city whose judgment is announced.
The wording also identifies responsibility: the sins are called hers, and the people are warned against sharing in them.
That matters alongside our earlier discussion of carrying wrongdoing and committing it. I want to follow what each passage actually attributes to its participants, rather than decide their standing from proximity or appearance.
What the Merchants Mourn
Babylon’s merchants mourn because their trade has ended. The cargo list includes precious materials, clothing, food, animals, and human lives. Revelation 18:11–13 — LSB
That final detail makes me pause. People appear within the account of what was bought and sold.
As I compare this with Jericho, I am watching how each passage treats possession, human life, and what belongs to God. The connection raises questions without requiring every object or person to have an identical counterpart.
Following Each Account’s Order
Jericho gives us an account in which the promised rescue is carried out during the city’s destruction. Revelation gives a proclamation, a call to separate from participation in sin, and descriptions of judgment.
I want to retain those differences while following the shared subjects.
Next, we can return to the witnesses and the seventh trumpet in Revelation, keeping the distinction between an announced outcome and its completion in view.
Threads to Follow
Given and taken: The limits within Jehovah’s instructions.
People and possessions: Preserving their distinct treatment.
Participation in sin: Whose actions are being described?
Coming out: The command, its purpose, and the response.
Announcement and completion: Following the outcome without flattening the sequence.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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