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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: |
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| 2 Reckon up the sum of the sons of Kohath, out of the midst of the sons of Levi,–by their families, by their ancestral house: |
Sons of Kohath – Meaning "Ally" or "Comrade"; type of the Ancient Worthies. F129
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| 3 from thirty years old, and upwards, even unto fifty years,–every one that can enter into the host, to do service in the tent of meeting. |
From thirty years – The time when a Jew became of age, and therefore when John and Jesus began their ministries. B58; R561:6*
No Levite was permitted to engage in the work of the Tabernacle under the age of 30. R1161:2
Not until Jesus attained the age of 30 was he the full-grown man, ready for sacrifice. R1682:5
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| 4 This, shall be the labour of the sons of Kohath, in the tent of meeting,–the most holy things. |
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| 5 So then Aaron and his sons shall enter, when the camp is to set forward, and take down the screening veil,–and enwrap therein the ark of the testimony; |
Aaron – Type of The Christ. T38
Shall come – This should not be misunderstood to mean that he and the underpriests never went in thither during succeeding days; but only once a year for the purpose of atonement. T91
And his sons – Representing the members of Christ's Body. T36
The covering vail – Type of the death of the human body. T22
And cover the ark – Type of The Christ. T121
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| 6 and put thereon a covering of badgers' skin, and spread a complete wrapper of blue, over above,–and put in the staves thereof. |
Of badgers' skins – Typifying that spiritual things are hidden from the unconsecrated. T127; R1365:1
Wholly of blue – Symbol of faithfulness. T30
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| 7 And, over the Presence-table, shall they spread a wrapper of blue, and put thereon the dishes and the pans and the bowls and the libation cups, the perpetual bread also, thereupon, shall remain; |
Upon the table – Type of the Church as a whole, including Jesus. T115
Shewbread – Representing the Word of God, spiritual food. T115; R5621:6
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| 8 and they shall spread over them a wrapper of crimson, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skin,–and shall put in the staves thereof. |
A cloth of scarlet – Symbol of the blood of the ransom. T34, T109
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| 9 Then shall they take a wrapper of blue, and cover the light-giving lampstand, and the lamps thereof, and the snuffers thereof, and the snuff-trays thereof,–and all the oil-vessels thereof, wherewith they minister thereunto; |
The candlestick – Type of the complete Church. T115
Of the light – Type of the spirit of truth. T116
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| 10 and shall put the same, and all the vessels thereof, within a covering of, badger's skin,–and shall put it upon a frame. |
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| 11 And, upon the altar of gold, shall they spread a wrapper of blue, and shall cover the same in a covering of badgers' skin,–and shall put in the staves thereof. |
The golden altar – Type of the Church in the present sacrificing condition. T120
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| 12 And they shall take all the utensils of attendance wherewith they attend in the sanctuary, and put them within a wrapper of blue, and cover the same in a covering of badgers' skin,–and put them on a frame. |
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| 13 Then shall they remove the fat-ashes from the altar,–and spread over it a wrapper of purple; |
A purple cloth – Symbol of royalty. T34
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| 14 and put thereupon all the utensils thereof, wherewith they minister thereupon–the fire-pans, the flesh-hooks, and the shovels and the tossing-bowls, all the utensils of the altar,–and shall spread over it a covering of badgers' skin, and put in the staves thereof. |
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| 15 So shall Aaron and his sons make an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the utensils of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set forward, then, after that, shall the sons of Kohath enter to bear it, but they must not put forth a touch unto that which is holy, else should they die,–these, shall be the burden of the sons of Kohath, in the tent of meeting. |
Shall not touch – None except those who are walking in the footsteps of Jesus could have a deep, full appreciation of the divine plan. R4876:1, R1365:1, R2002:5
Lest they die – Because these things illustrated something greater and more important to come later. T12
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| 16 But, the care of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, [shall be]–the light-giving oil, and the fragrant incense, and the perpetual meal-offering, and the anointing oil, the care of all the habitation, and all that is therein, both as to the sanctuary, and as to the furniture thereof. |
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| 17 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: |
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| 18 Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off out of the midst of the Levites. |
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| 19 This, therefore, do ye for them, so shall they live, and not die, when they approach the most holy place,–Aaron and his sons, shall enter and set them, man by man, over his labour, and unto his burden; |
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| 20 but they shall not enter to see, for a moment, that which is holy, else should they die. |
But they – Representing justified believers. T19
Not go in to see – The curtains were kept down. They were forbidden to look in when the priest lifted the curtain and passed under it. R3053:6
Only New Creatures can enter into and see spiritual things. R3054:1
The holy things – Typifying the things of the New Creature, begotten of the Spirit. T19
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| 21 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying: |
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| 22 Reckon up the sum of the sons of Gershon, even of them also,–by their ancestral house, by their families; |
The sons of Gershon – Meaning "Refugees" or "Rescued"; type of those of mankind saved during the Millennium. F129
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| 23 from thirty years old and upwards, even to fifty years, shalt thou number them,–all that may enter to take rank in the host, to do laborious work in the tent of meeting. |
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| 24 This, shall be the labour of the families of the Gershonites,–in labouring and in bearing:– |
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| 25 they shall bear the curtains of the habitation, and the tent of meeting, the covering thereof, and the covering of badgers' skin which is over above it,–and the screen, at the entrance of the tent of meeting; |
For the door – Typifying the death of the human will. T22
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| 26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court which is near the habitation, and near the altar, round about, and their cords, and all their articles of service, and all that is to be done to them, when they shall do their labour. |
Of the court – Typifying the condition of justification. T19
Gate of the court – "I am the way" (John 14:6); I am the door" (John 10:9). There is only one way of access to God. T18
And by the altar – The Brazen altar, type of the ransom sacrifice. T22
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| 27 At the bidding of Aaron and his sons, shall be all the labour of the sons of the Gershonites, to the extent of their every burden, and to the extent of all their labour,–so shall ye appoint unto them in charge, their every burden. |
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| 28 This, shall be the labour of the families of the sons of the Gershonites, in the tent of meeting,–and, the charge of them, shall be in the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. |
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| 29 As for the sons of Merari,–by their families, by their ancestral house, shall ye number them; |
The sons of Merari – Meaning "Bitterness"; type of the Great Company, saved so as by fire through bitter experiences. F129
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| 30 from thirty years old and upwards, even to fifty years, shall ye number them,–all that enter into the host, to do laborious work in the tent of meeting. |
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| 31 And, this, shall be their charge of the burdens, to the extent of all their labour in the tent of meeting,–the boards of the habitation, and the bars thereof, and he pillars thereof and the sockets thereof: |
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| 32 and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets and their pins and their cords, to the extent of all their articles, to the extent of all their labour,–and, by names, shall ye put under their care the articles of their charge of burdens. |
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| 33 This, shall be the labour of the families of the sons of Merari, to the extent of all their labour in the tent of meeting,–in the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. |
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| 34 Then did Moses and Aaron, and the princes of the assembly, number the sons of the Kohathites,–by their families, and by their ancestral house; |
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| 35 from thirty years old and upwards, even unto fifty years old, all that might enter the host, to labour in the tent of meeting; |
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| 36 and they who were numbered of them, by their families, were found to be–two thousand, seven hundred, and fifty. |
Those that were numbered – 17,160 Levites to 5 priests (Exod. 28: 1), showing much larger proportion saved in next age compared with Gospel age priests. R443:1
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| 37 These, were they who were numbered, of the families of the Kohathites, all that might labour in the tent of meeting,–whom Moses and Aaron did number, at the bidding of Yahweh by the mediation of Moses. |
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| 38 And, they who were numbered of the sons of Gershon,–by their families, and by their ancestral house; |
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| 39 from thirty years old and upwards, even to fifty years old,–all that might enter the host, to labour in the tent of meeting: |
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| 40 yea they who were numbered of them, by their families, by their ancestral house,–were found to be–two thousand, and six hundred, and thirty. |
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| 41 These, are they who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who might labour in the tent of meeting,–whom Moses and Aaron did number, at the bidding of Yahweh. |
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| 42 And, they who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari,–by their families, by their ancestral house; |
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| 43 from thirty years old and upwards, even unto fifty years old,–all that might enter the host to labour in the tent of meeting; |
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| 44 yea they who were numbered of them, by their families,–were found to be–three thousand and two hundred. |
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| 45 These, are they who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari,–whom Moses and Aaron did number, at the bidding of Yahweh, by the mediation of Moses. |
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| 46 All they who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel did number, even the Levites,–by their families, and by their ancestral house; |
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| 47 from thirty years old and upwards, even unto fifty years old,–all that might enter, to toil in the work of labouring and in the work of bearing burdens, in the tent of meeting, |
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| 48 yea, they who were numbered of them were found to be–eight thousand, and five hundred, and eighty. |
Of them – Of the Levites, representing all believers. T 118
Were 8,580 – Of whom only five, or one in 1,716, were sacrificing priests; possibly this is also typical. T118
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| 49 At the bidding of Yahweh, were they put in charge, by the mediation of Moses, man by man, over his labour, and over his burden,–yea, they who were put in charge by him, were they, whom Yahweh commanded Moses. |
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