Joshua 3:14-17 

The land of Canaan which God had found for the Israelites was a land flowing with milk and honey, a sign and foreshadow of the Kingdom of God which we as believers must enter.  The fact that the Israelites had to cross the Jordan River to enter the land of Canaan signifies that we believers must also cross the spiritual Jordan River through faith to enter the kingdom of God.
 
 


Geographical Characteristics of the Jordan River
The land from the upper region of the Galilee to the lower region of the Dead Sea is usually referred to as the land of Canaan.  Above the Sea of Galilee is Lake Huleh which serves as the source of the Sea of Galilee. The distance from the Sea of Galilee to the Jordan River is 96 kilometers, and from Lake Huleh to the Dead Sea is about 130 kilometers. By subtracting 96 kilometers from the total distance of 130 kilometers, we get 34 kilometers which is the distance from Lake Huleh to the Sea of Galilee.  The source of Lake Huleh is Mt. Hermon, which is 11.3 kilometers away from the lake. As the snow melts and water flows down from Mt. Hermon, it forms Lake Huleh, and the water flows further to form the Sea of Galilee, and even the Jordan River.  The elevation drop from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea is as high as 175 meters.  The river is 0.9~4 meters deep and 28~30 meters wide, making it an extremely wide river with very strong water currents that it would be almost impossible to cross it on a boat. When it rains heavily, the current is so strong and rough that the river banks often shift.  This makes the Jordan River the last obstacle before entering the land of Canaan. This bears great significance in the history of redemption. We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven with our perishable body.  Thus, our body is an ob-stacle like the Jordan River. However, just as the water was divided by the miraculous and sovereign work of God, He will remove whatever obstacles we may encounter.

Preparation for Crossing the Jordan River
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River on the 10th day of the first month in 1406 BC. 
The day before, on the 9th day of the first month, God said, “Consecrate yourselves, for . . . the Lord will do wonders among you” ( Joshua 3:5).  So ‘consecrating’ was the foremost important preparation for crossing the Jordan River. Just as those who did not consecrate themselves could not cross the Jordan River, we cannot enter Heaven, the kingdom of God without consecrating ourselves. That is why Joshua commanded all the Israelites to con-secrate themselves prior to crossing the river.  God has always emphasized consecration whenever there was something important ahead of them. Before the Israelites received the Ten Commandments, God repeatedly emphasized consecration to them by saying “Con-secrate yourselves today and tomorrow” (Exodus 19:10).

Then, how can we consecrate ourselves? Jesus Himself is the consecration and the Holy one (Acts 2:27), therefore we will become holy and consecrated when we believe in Jesus and draw close to Him.  No matter how many good deeds we may have done in our lives, if we do not believe in Jesus, we are not clean. On the contrary, no matter how grave our sins may be, if we truly believe in Jesus and hold onto him, we become holy and consecrated (Ephesians 1:7). That is why we have to believe in Jesus Christ. So, how should we believe in Jesus and rely on Him?

Without the Word of God and prayers, we cannot become holy (1Timothy 4:5).  Only the Word of God is the truth and it is what sanctifies us ( John 17:17). 

The Period of Crossing the Jordan River
The Bible describes the period of crossing the Jordan River as ‘the days of harvest’ ( Joshua 3:15). In Hebrew, this is ‘Katseer,’ meaning ‘harvest’. In the Bible, it says that the latter rain comes down in the days of harvest (Proverbs 26:1), and that it is the time to gather the wheat (Proverbs 6:8).  From the Redemptive historical point of view, this means that God will surely harvest this world before we enter the spiritual land of Canaan, the kingdom of God. So when is the time of harvest?

It is when the water level of the Jordan River is the highest. The main scripture passage states, “Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest.” This is the time when the snow melts down from Mt. Hermon and the latter rain comes down. So, the strong cur-rent gushes down the Jordan River and the water overflows all its banks. Assuming that the Jordan River is the last obstacle prior to entering the land of Canaan, for us, it is the time when Satan works the hardest for the final time. Anyone who sees the strong current gushing forth and the waters overflowing all its banks cannot help but get frightened, and will feel that it is impossible to cross the river by man’s power.
 
 
When is the harvest period in the end time?
The harvest period is the metaphor of the last days of the world.  Thus, there will be a harvest period before we enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:39). The saints are the woman clothed with the sun in the book of the Revelation (Psalms 84:11, Malachi 4:2, Revelation 12:14-15).  This woman flees into the wilderness to her place for the latter three and half years, but the great water that pours out of the mouth of the dragon sweeps her away. Likewise, anyone who gets swept away by the river pouring out from the mouth of the dragon in the end time will not be able to enter the land of Canaan. We must be saints who are not swept away by the rivers of the world but enter the land of Canaan by crossing the Jordan River. This river signifies the numerous rivers of wickedness in the world. One of them is the river of humanism.  These days, 32% of American churches support homosexuality.  The bible tells us that our faith has to be centered on the Word of God, and not on humanism.  We must follow the will of God, not the will of man. Another river is the river of mammonism where money is their god, and the river of materialism where everything is thought to be possible with money. These days, people have become slaves of money and easily forsake the chastity of faith when it comes to money.  Money should never be the center of our thoughts, but only faith.  We must establish the chastity of faith so that even if billions of dollars were to be given to us, we will not follow after it if it is not in accordance with the Word of God (Matthew 5:26).  Also, there is the river of religious pluralism where people believe there is salvation even through other gods besides Jesus.  We must understand that there is no salvation other than through Jesus.  I bless in the name of the Lord that we will live a life following only the Word of God and not become swept away by the rivers of the world.
 


 
In the last days, regardless of great obstacles like the Jordan river that come before us, God is telling us not to fear but to cross it. No matter how powerfully the river overflows, when the Ark of the Covenant goes forward, everything will split apart. I pray and bless in the name of the Lord that our saints will be victorious in crossing and overcoming any rivers of obstacles by holding onto the ark of the covenant and praying earnestly.

From the History of Redemption Seminar for Cell Group Leaders, October 24, 2013