Jesus: The Second Joshua —

According to the Apostle Paul, the events of the Exodus and the Conquest foreshadowed things that were to come—greater things (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). Moses, for example, was a foreshadow or a type of Christ. Consider the similarities between Moses and Jesus. Both:

• escaped the decree of a king and avoided certain death when they were babies.
• lived in Egypt as children but later returned to their homeland.
• were known by their followers to be humble yet strong.
• were tempted in the wilderness.
• were attested by God through signs and wonders.
• worked a miracle at the sea.
• miraculously fed thousands of people with bread.
• spoke God’s word and taught God’s law from a mountain and both
• were mediators between God and His people.[1]

It’s no wonder that Scripture refers to Jesus as the “prophet like Moses!” (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:22, 7:37) But Moses’ successor Joshua was also a type of Christ.

For example, both Joshua and Jesus:

• descended from a man named Joseph,
• had humble, obscure beginnings but rose to places of honour,
• were anointed by God,
• were filled with God’s Spirit,
• led and shepherded God’s people,
• did for God’s people what Moses could not do.
• delivered God’s people from the enemies of God and
• promised rest and provided it and both even
• shared the same name.[2]

Joshua means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is Salvation” and is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek name Jesus. That means that if you were to read the New Testament in Hebrew Jesus’ name would be rendered as Joshua. Likewise, if you were reading the Old Testament in Greek, Joshua’s name would be rendered as Jesus. So these names are one and the same. Hence Jesus could accurately be referred to as a “second Joshua.”