Joshua 5 : 13, What's the Meaning of the Captain of the Host of the Lord?
1) Direct Answer
“The Captain of the host of the LORD” in Joshua 5:13–15 is the LORD Himself appearing in a man-form—the pre-incarnate Christ—coming as the Commander of Heaven’s armies to take charge of Israel’s battles.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Joshua falls on his face and worships Him, and He accepts it and says, “Loose thy shoe… for the place whereon thou standest is holy” (Joshua 5:14–15). That matches the burning bush where the LORD said the ground was holy (Exodus 3:5). Created angels do not accept worship (Revelation 22:8–9), but this One does, which shows He is God.
- He appears with a drawn sword (Joshua 5:13), like the One who judges by the sword of His mouth (Revelation 19:11–15; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17).
- He comes as Captain—just as Jesus is called the “Captain of our salvation” (Hebrews 2:10). The same LORD who led Israel now leads His people to victory by His Word.
- The “host of the LORD” are His armies—both the heavenly host and His covenant people on earth (see Exodus 12:41; Psalm 103:20–21). He is supreme over both.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- If this were a mere angel, he would refuse worship, but he receives it and declares the ground holy—so this is the LORD.
- Joshua asks, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” The answer is higher: “Nay; but as Captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.” In other words, the question isn’t whether God is on our side; the issue is whether we are under His command.
- The drawn sword shows the battle is the Lord’s; victory comes by exact obedience to His Word—just like Jericho fell when Israel followed His instruction.
4) Reinforcing Statement
It’s not three Gods. The one God, who later was manifested in flesh as Jesus Christ, stood before Joshua as the Captain of the LORD’s host. He still leads His people today, and every wall falls when we stand under His command.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Israel and the Church: Israel at Kadesh-Barnea
53-0328 §71
You really get down and mean it before God, God will take you over, across there. No matter what the seminary preachers say, we can have the Holy Ghost because God promised it to us. That's where Caleb based his faith, that's where Joshua based it, because God said, "It's yours. I've already given it to you." Hallelujah! I like that. Not "I will." "I have!" "Those who He called, He justified." Is that right? "And those who He justified, He glorified." Is that right? Then, brother, in Heaven we're already glorified...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 4:E-114
...a moment here, as most people know that I was ordained a Baptist preacher and I have steadfastly declared that the Baptists have missed it for saying you receive the Holy Ghost WHEN you believe, for that is not so. You receive Him "SINCE you believed." Acts 19:2-6. "He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then...
The great warrior Joshua
55-0119 §37
...uld be judged. Now, the church come to Kadesh, where they was going to be judged. Then the churches all sat in counsel here a few years ago, "Could we consider this baptism of the Holy Spirit? Could we consider the gifts of the Spirit returning to the church? I'll tell you what it would do, our documents drawed up like this, we cannot move to it." The next one said, "We cannot receive it." Others said, "We cannot receive it." But there was some people said ... went over into the promised land and come back with the...
To take on the whole armor of God
62-0701 §81
In his army ... He presents his army in the form of five offices. First, apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists. That's his army, that's his soldiers, that's his commanding officers---all with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, waiting out there to meet the enemy on any grounds he comes upon; to meet the enemy with the Word of God (amen), each one backing one another up, with Him the chief captain. Not out there in front, up here, above, back behind; but in them. That's the army. Vindicating. Vindicating wh...
Letting off the pressure
62-0622B §26
And now, they'd never been to that land. They knowed nothing of it, but they followed him. Finally they came to Kadesh-barnea. And there Joshua, the great warrior (meaning Jehovah-saviour) went over the Jordan, and brought back the evidence that that land was there---where a man could live in peace, raise his family, his children, and be a nation, and God would bless them. And how that he brought back the evidence that God had not lied to the people---that the land was there. And it was a good land. It was flowing...