The Ancient Witnesses

158 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

Jesus offered his life; There’s a Promised Land lock, Jesus Christ is the Rock, Moses down on one knee, Joshua-Jesus the key.” 12

“I love that guy!” said Preacher. “What’d he say?” asked Joseph. “Joshua was the Old Testament type of Jesus,”

explained Father Greg, “he led Israel into the Promised Land, while Jesus leads the New Testament people of God into eternal life and adds them to the Church. 13 Mentor thanked Tertullian and Father Greg, and Irenaeus continued his teaching. “Moses died according to the word of the Lord, and Joshua succeeded him. Joshua parted the waters of the Jordan and made the people pass over into the Promised Land. Now, when he had overthrown and destroyed the seven nations that dwelt therein, he assigned the people to temporal Jerusalem , where David was king, and Solomon his son built the temple to the name of God, according to the likeness of the tabernacle which had been made by Moses after the pattern of the heavenly and spiritual things.” 14

12 Based on Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews , 9 (ANF 3, 163).

13 Moses failure—the basis on which he was excluded from entering the Promised Land—is explained in Num. 20:1-13. The “rock knife” refers to the flint knives Joshua used to circumcise Israel as second time in accordance with God’s command (Josh. 5:2). Joshua’s activities thereby prefigure Jesus and the inclusion of the “new people”of God into the Church.

14 John Behr, St. Irenaeus of Lyons , On the apostolic preaching (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997), 59.