Commander of the LORD’s Army

Then the Commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:15

Joshua had been Moses’ general. Now he was supreme leader of all Israel. With more battle experience than anyone else, no one dared to challenge him, at least, not until that day. He was alone on a battlefield when a man approached him with a drawn sword.

“Friend or foe?” Joshua cried out.

“No,” the man answered, “But Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshipped Him.

Theologians explain that this story in Joshua 5 is actually a theophany, a visible manifestation of God to mankind. The Commander of the LORD’s Army had a human body but received worship from Joshua and declared the ground on which He stood to be holy. His appearance must have been remarkable because General Joshua immediately humbled himself and surrendered as soon as he knew who He was.

Revelation 19 explains that Christ will come on a white horse with the host of heaven to defeat the armies of the antichrist at the battle of Armageddon. His appearance will be terrifying. His eyes will be like flames of fire and his robe dipped in blood. A sharp sword will come out of his mouth to strike the nations. Behind Him will be every warrior angel and weapon in God’s arsenal.

I’m glad that He is my friend. How terrible it would be to be His foe. So, at the last battle in human history, Christ, the Commander of the LORD’s Army, returns. Even so come Lord Jesus!