Part 5 - Israel's Wandering - Twelve Stones

Israel's Wilderness Wandering - Lessons Beyond Space and Time

When Israel crossed over into the promised land after 40 years in the desert wilderness, they passed westward over the Jordan opposite Jericho, and the waters were at flood stage. The waters parted miraculously, as at the exodus, but at this crossing, some very interesting things were done with 2 sets of 12 stones.

1 Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.’” 4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them, “Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 6 Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.” 8 Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed; 11 and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed before the people. 12 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle array before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about 40,000 equipped for war, crossed for battle before the Lord to the desert plains of Jericho. ~ Joshua 4:1-13

Twelve stones were taken out of the dry riverbed, from the middle of the Jordan, and these became a memorial. Twelve other stones were taken from the promised land and put in the Jordan. No reason is given for this ritual.

Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. ~ Joshua 4:9

If you understand the symbolism you can interpret the ritual, and so we should.

Water and the number 12 both signal time, and the esoteric context has to do with space and time, so let's consider the physics. Think about fluid dynamics, about how water flows through a river. Water flows around obstructions like rocks. The interruption in flow causes turbulence, eddies and vortices. Everywhere a passage has a localized constriction, the velocity and pressure of the water changes due to Bernoulli's principle (a law of Continuum Mechanics - see also Venturi and airfoil), and what's called fluid friction changes as the flowing water encounters one kind of surface or another. Removing rocks from a riverbed causes a change in the volume of the river, because the rocks had displaced their volume of water. If you're trying to picture the impact of what was done at the Jordan on the river system, it seems pretty silly, of course. Yet, what was done has to do with time and how a change was made to space-time, and that's quite serious. Most folks just shrug it off when reading the Bible's unexplained accounts of high strangeness, but these things are all recorded for good reasons. The flow of water through the region of the crossing would have been changed. As a prophetic type, which it surely is, we should note that it will be changed - according to the esoteric space-time allegory. The flow of time will be altered. The prophetic reset ritual at the Jordan had to do with creating an orderly flow where the ark had been, causing it to flow around precisely positioned “promised land” rocks where time had been grounded (as explained earlier) by the soles of the feet of the priests who carried the ark. The ark: yes, that's the very fixture that was set in the temple at the center of time; the key to the parting of the Jordan.

Verse 9 of Joshua 4 declares that these 12 stones from the promised land were set up by Joshua. Joshua was the 13th stone mover in the ritual because 12 other men had each removed one stone. The number 12 is a primary time number, and in connection with that set, the 13th signifies time control. This is a key observation, so I'm going to explore it further. Symbols matter, perhaps especially those that have to do with time / space-time.

54 And He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. 55 And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? ~ Luke 12:54-56

Thus far in this series I've called out many of the twelves encountered to illustrate the connection with time. Many instances also involve water or sand. Did you notice the passage above is from Luke 12, and that there's a wet/dry + space-time connection? Some features that appear in the Bible's chapter and verse numberings involving 12 and 13 are worth noting, because the Author oversees every aspect of His Word and our lives, but those numberings that occur in the text itself do seem the more noteworthy. There are those instances where the numbers appear directly in the text, and those that are discovered in the count of things being described in a context, and then also numbers appear as factors or sums or products or in gematria. Many students of the biblical text just assume E. W. Bullinger's observations about meaning in his classic, Numbers in Scripture, make it the be-all and end-all reference standard, but it should rather be recognized as a useful introduction to the concept.

Here are some of the observations we've logged about how the number 12 signals time.

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ~ John 11:9

Hours in the day: Twelve. There's a parable, obviously. Was Jesus just being Captain Obvious by calling out the numerical fact? I think not. Light of the World. That's He Himself, obviously, understanding light as a metaphor, and it's also a cosmological reference. By not stumbling one follows the intended course - walking according to the 12 hours, with continuity. Time continuum.

Twelve is the number of hours in the daytime, and of the nighttime. That's a feature described by the Copernicus style solar-centric model as caused by the rotation of the earth about its axis. Space-time. Twelve is also the number of constellations passed through by the sun in its annual circuit through the celestial heavens. Twelve is the nearest whole number of lunar months in the year. Twelve is the number of Earth's years that it takes Jupiter to make a full circuit through the celestial sphere, which is the planet known as the King or Ruling Planet. Jupiter - that's the very celestial light featured in Revelation 12:1 as the crown of 12 stars seen on the woman's head. It's also featured in Genesis 49 as the scepter that does not turn aside or depart from Judah, the lion or Leo. Those are celestial prophesies that function as markers of exact calendar dates to effectively establish the critical timing of our Lord's comings.

Consider the account of Genesis 6 where the man of flesh has his days numbered at 12 x 10 years. It's a standard we identify with the limit of the span of a man's life, and also with the count of years until the flood - the great flood of water (time), of course.

1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” ~ Genesis 6:1-3

Men began to multiply? Hmmmm. Let's pay attention to the math.

At the exodus, Israel crossed over what's sometimes known as the Red Sea, but in many translations it's the Sea of Reeds. Why reeds? They were used like yardsticks.

11:1 And there was given to me a reed like to a rod, and the messenger stood, saying, `Rise, and measure the sanctuary of God, and the altar, and those worshipping in it; 2 and the court that is without the sanctuary leave out, and thou mayest not measure it, because it was given to the nations, and the holy city they shall tread down forty-two months; 3 and I will give to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy days, a thousand, two hundred, sixty, arrayed with sackcloth; ~ Revelation 11:1-3

John was given a reed like a rod and told to use it to measure. Measuring the temple - temporal - time. Measuring the worshippers suggests something other than their height or girth, perhaps their number as a count, which would relate to a particular moment or perhaps span of time. Time spans are given in that context, and both factor neatly using the mirrored pair of time numbers, 12 and 21.

42 months =21*2
1260 days = 12*105

If you consider the two witnesses independently, each prophesied for 1260 days so we add them for a total of 2520 days.

2520 = 12*21*10

The twelves inherent in the reed measuring of Revelation 11 are more subtle than what we find in the time numbered chapter 21. Many popular Bible versions use the word, reed, in verse 15 .

10 and he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and did shew to me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, and her light [is] like a stone most precious, as a jasper stone clear as crystal, 12 having also a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve messengers, and names written thereon, which are [those] of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel, 13 at the east three gates, at the north three gates, at the south three gates, at the west three gates; 14 and the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who is speaking with me had a golden reed, that he may measure the city, and its gates, and its wall; 16 and the city lieth square, and the length of it is as great as the breadth; and he did measure the city with the reed — furlongs twelve thousand; the length, and the breadth, and the height, of it are equal; 17 and he measured its wall, an hundred forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of the messenger; ~ Revelation 21:10-17 (YLT)

In chapter 21, verse 12 alone identifies three sets of 12! The numbering of the city wall in cubits is 144, which is 12*12. It's “the measure of a man, that is, of the messenger.”

A sea of reeds is a sea (water as time) of standards of measurement for space-time and some metric of note that has to do with those interacting with heavenly domains. That's what was parted and what Israel crossed through in their exodus stargate transit model!

The account of the crossing over the Sea of Reeds from Egypt begins in Exodus 12. What we find at the beginning of that time signal numbered chapter is an instruction to initialize the calendar, to reset their accounting of - TIME!

1 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. ~ Exodus 12:1-2

The word, month, appears 3 times in verse 2 as the declaration is doubled for clarity and emphasis. And again, in most years on the Lord's calendar, the number of lunar months is 12.

When you read through Exodus 12 you should easily discover how the pervading theme is about times and timing. With regard to the Passover, it is established on the calendar so it ends on the 21st day of the month and features the number 7 as its duration. The passing over of the Sea of Reeds is celebrated on that 21st day. The mirror of 12 is 21, and this number is also a primary time number. The factoring of 21 into 3 * 7 identifies two other primary time numbers of note. Passover is in the first month of the year, so the Feast is celebrated in the third set of sevens of every year. The Feast was established as a memorial forever, for all TIME! More emphasis is placed on timing by reason of calling the Feast, Hag haMatzot, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The reason why the bread was unleavened is because they didn't have TIME!

33 The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders. ~ Exodus 12:33-34

The last plague in Egypt happened on the night that began the Feast. It's known as the plague of the firstborn, which has to do with the selection according to age or time sequence. The destroyer angel came about midnight, as I already mentioned in Part 4, which we account as being 12 o'clock.

We don't know the exact number of those who left in the exodus but there is one numbering given in the text.

37 Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. ~ Exodus 12:37-38

This numbering of 600,000 is the only one recorded, and we should see that as serving the Author's purposes. It identifies the people primarily with the number of man, 6, but the number also factors to 12*5000. The way they passed over the sea actually highlights that particular factoring.

and God turneth round the people the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, and by fifties have the sons of Israel gone up from the land of Egypt. ~ Exodus 13:18 (YLT)

They passed through the sea, not as a disorderly mob but in martial array, organized in ranks of fifties.

600,000/50=12,000 or 12 * 1000.

There's a similar accounting made that involves the other contingent, the Egyptian army.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; 7 and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. ~ Exodus 14:5-7

The number of select chariots is the only count offered for the size of the pursuing army: 600. That's exactly 1 for every 1000 of the only number given for how many children of Israel passed over, being 600,000 men on foot.

600 = 12*50

Twelve: Another highlighting of the time number, which appears as a factor paired with the number associated with a martial array - and they were the pursuing army.

According to the song that was sung after having passed over, these were cast into the sea. (as the water of time - and note, as stones - at the bottom of the sea.)

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deeps cover them;
They went down into the depths like a stone. ~ Exodus 15:4-5

It should well be noted that the number 60 is a very obvious factor in both of those numberings and that 60 is another important time and space-time number. There are 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute. Locations on the globe of the earth are identified in a geographical coordinate system of latitude and longitude. A location is given in coordinates specifying direction, degrees, minutes and seconds. Each degree has subdivisions of 60 minutes, with 60 seconds per minute. Distance in space, and time - space-time - because of the apparent rotation about the earth's axis through 360 degrees in 24 hours.

Now, because the chapter in Exodus numbered 12 began with a calendar reset, the attention given to the exactness of the timing at the chapter's end places even more emphasis on the number's connection with time.

41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be observed for the Lord for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the Lord, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations. ... 50 Then all the sons of Israel did so; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that same day the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts. ~ Exodus 12:41-42, 50-51

Israel came out on the very anniversary of when they went in, at Pesah. When Israel eventually crossed over the Jordan it was once more at the time of Pesah. These observations highlight the importance of timing, and alert us to watch for time symbolism.

So, Exodus 12 is dense with time signaling. We've seen many other twelves in chapter and verse numberings where time is the key, like in Daniel 12:12, and in Revelation 12:12 which I already mentioned.

11 From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! ~ Daniel 12:11-12

1335 ~ 1+3+3+5=12
1290 ~ 1+2+9+0=12

In the following passage we find time symbols being combined in the first dealing of the Lord's people upon having crossed over the Sea of Reeds. Note the 12 springs of water!

25b There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters. ~ Exodus 15:25b-27

That's it for this post. More to follow, Lord willing.