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A

    ROYAL 
   

    THEOCRACY 
   

2

1

9

    heaven, 
   

but

he

    that 
   

    came 
   

    down 
   

    from 
   

    heaven, 
   

    even 
   

the

Son

of

man

."

    Moses' 
   

    visionary 
   

    appear- 
   

    ance 
   

    with 
   

    Jesus 
   

at

the

    transfiguration 
   

    merely 
   

    testified 
   

    that 
   

    Christ 
   

    Jesus 
   

is

a

    prophet 
   

    like 
   

but

    greater 
   

    than 
   

    Moses 
   

as

    well 
   

as

    Elijah 
   

.

As

    Moses 
   

    said 
   

on

    those 
   

    plains 
   

of

    Moab 
   

not

    many 
   

    days 
   

be-

    fore 
   

his

    death 
   

:

    "Jehovah 
   

thy

God

    will 
   

    raise 
   

up

    unto 
   

    thee 
   

a

    prophet 
   

    from 
   

the

    midst 
   

of

    thee, 
   

of

thy

    brethren, 
   

    like 
   

    unto 
   

me

;

    unto 
   

him

ye

    shall 
   

    hearken 
   

."

    (Deuteronomy 
   

18

:

    15-19, 
   

A

.R

.V

.)

The

    apostle 
   

    Peter 
   

was

    with 
   

    Jesus 
   

at

the

    transfigura- 
   

    tion 
   

and

    later 
   

    confirmed 
   

    this 
   

    truth 
   

    that 
   

    Jesus 
   

is

the

    Greater 
   

    Moses 
   

    .-Acts 
   

3

:

    20-23 
   

.

By

    Jehovah's 
   

    miracle 
   

of

    dividing 
   

the

    flood- 
   

    waters 
   

of

the

    Jordan 
   

    river 
   

    Joshua 
   

led

the

Is-

    raelites 
   

    across 
   

the

    torrent 
   

bed

    dryshod, 
   

and

    then 
   

the

    conquest 
   

of

the

    promised 
   

    land 
   

    began 
   

.

    Jehovah 
   

had

    promised 
   

    their 
   

    forefathers 
   

to

    give 
   

    them 
   

the

    land 
   

.

Now

he

    commanded 
   

his

    chosen 
   

    nation 
   

    that 
   

    they 
   

    should 
   

    destroy 
   

the

    accursed 
   

    Canaanites 
   

in

the

    land 
   

and

    wipe 
   

out

    their 
   

    reli- 
   

    gion, 
   

    else 
   

    religion 
   

    would 
   

    prove 
   

a

    snare 
   

to

    them 
   

.

God

had

    sentenced 
   

    those 
   

    demon-worshipers 
   

to

    death, 
   

and

he

    made 
   

the

    Israelites 
   

his

    execution- 
   

    ers, 
   

"in

the

    image 
   

of

God

."

The

war

    which 
   

the

    Israelites 
   

    waged 
   

    upon 
   

the

    Canaanites 
   

was

at

the

    command 
   

of

the

    great 
   

    Theocrat, 
   

    Jehovah 
   

.

It

was

    Theocratic 
   

    warfare 
   

and

    righteous, 
   

for

the

    cleansing 
   

of

the

    land 
   

    which 
   

had

    been 
   

    polluted 
   

by

the

    idolatry 
   

and

    bloody 
   

    deeds 
   

    done 
   

in

    religion's 
   

    name 
   

.

God

was

    with 
   

the

    Israelites 
   

in

    this 
   

    war- 
   

    fare 
   

and

    performed 
   

    miracles 
   

for

the

    victory 
   

of

his

    nation 
   

and

the

    destruction 
   

of

the

    enemies 
   

.

A ROYAL THEOCRACY 219 heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man.” Moses’ visionary appearance with Jesus at the transfiguration merely testified that Christ Jesus is a prophet like but greater than Moses as well as Elijah. As Moses said on those plains of Moab not many days before his death: “Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” (Deuteronomy 18: 15-19, A.R.V.) The apostle Peter was with Jesus at the transfiguration and later confirmed this truth that Jesus is the Greater Moses.—Acts 3: 20-23. By Jehovah’s miracle of dividing the floodwaters of the Jordan river Joshua led the Israelites across the torrent bed dryshod, and then the conquest of the promised land began. Jehovah had promised their forefathers to give them the land. Now he commanded his chosen nation that they should destroy the accursed Canaanites in the land and wipe out their religion, else religion would prove a snare to them. God had sentenced those demon-worshipers to death, and he made the Israelites his executioners, “in the image of God.” The war which the Israelites waged upon the Canaanites was at the command of the great Theocrat, Jehovah. It was Theocratic warfare and righteous, for the cleansing of the land which had been polluted by the idolatry and bloody deeds done in religion’s name. God was with the Israelites in this warfare and performed miracles for the victory of his nation and the destruction of the enemies.