NUMBERS 9      Other translations  -  previous  -  next  -  notes  -  discussion  -  Numbers  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

Numbers Chapter 9

Summary of the Spiritual Sense

1. On the conjunction and appropriation of good and truth with man in a state of obscurity, when faith is in its prime and is sanctified by love, on account of deliverance from evil and falsity, vers. 1-5.
2. On the cause of non-conjunction and non-appropriation, and the remedy, vers. 6-12.
3. The consequence of neglect; and provision for those in the external church, vers. 13-14.
4. Concerning revelation from the Lord by the Word; and also concerning states of progress and of rest according to the Word, vers. 15-23.

1.  The Lord speaking to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, denotes revelation from the Lord by Divine Truth giving perception to the man of the Spiritual Church when he is in obscurity as to good on account of deficiency as to truths, 2001, 2951, 7010, 1822, 8753; and in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, denotes that yet he is in some truths conjoined with good through deliverance from evil, 7900, 3814, 851, 5104, 8866.

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2.  The children of Israel being required to keep the passover in its appointed season, denotes that such conjunction should be confirmed by the appropriation of good according to the state, 2342, 2187, 2212, 7867.

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3.  In the fourteenth day of this month, between the evenings, keeping it at the appointed season, denotes that good is conjoined with truth in man in passing successively from an old state to one that is new, 7900, 5194, 1686, 7901, 10135; and according to all the statutes thereof, and according to all the ordinances thereof, denotes according to the state specifically as regards things external and internal, 7995, 3382.

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4.  Moses speaking to the children of Israel that they should keep the passover, denotes that then man is prompted from within, and disposed from without to such conjunction and appropriation, 7010, 2951, 2342, 2187.

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5.  Actually keeping the passover, in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings in the wilderness of Sinai, denotes conjunction and appropriation when faith is in its prime and is sanctified by love, although the state is new and comparatively obscure, 2342, 2187, 7900, 3814, 10135, 8753; and according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel doing, denotes because there is perpetual influx from the Lord by Divine Truth, and man then cheerfully co-operates, 2001, 5486, 7010, 4258.

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6.  Certain men that were unclean by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day, denotes that some truths with man cannot be conjoined with good, and thus fully appropriated on account of the prevalence of evils and falsities, 718, 2342, 2187, 10130, 5407, 3900¹⁰, 487; and their coming before Moses and before Aaron then, denotes that, nevertheless, they are under the influence of Divine Truth and Good in that state, 7010, 9946.

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7.  Those men saying "we are unclean by the dead body of a man," denotes confession from the light of truth, that they are impure through evil, being drawn into external delights, 1822, 7010, 5407, 3900¹⁰; and "wherefore are we kept back that we may not offer the oblation of the Lord in its appointed season among the children of Israel?" denotes that thus they are debarred from fully acknowledging the Lord in worship, as to the external man, 248, 349, 2212.

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8.  Moses saying "Stay you; that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you," denotes that they are undecided, and so far, not fully receptive of influx from the Lord, 3175, 3163, 2001, 5486.

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9.  This is evident, because by Jehovah is denoted the Divine Being as to His love, 2001; by speaking is denoted influx, 2951; by Moses is represented Divine Truth, or the Word; and by saying is denoted perception, 1791, 1822.

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10.  Speaking to the children of Israel and saying "If any man of you or of your generations be unclean by reason of a dead body, denotes revelation, in the case where evils for a time prevail with them, 25,91, 1822, 10130, 5407, 3900¹⁰; being on a journey afar off, denotes being in a state of instruction, 5996, 7908, 8918; and being still required to keep the passover to the Lord, denotes that conjunction and appropriation will still be possible, 2342, 2187.

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11.  Keeping the passover in the second month, on the fourteenth day between the evenings, denotes a state of the reciprocal conjunction of good with truth, and of truth with good, at the end of a state of temptation, because the second month denotes the conjunction of good with truth, 851, 3814, 5194, the fourteenth day, denotes the conjunction of truth with good, as well as a holy state on account of two and seven being involved, 5194, 7900, and between the evenings, denotes the end of a state of temptation and thus of purification, and also the beginning of a new state, 10135, 7901; and eating it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, denotes that then the undelightful things of temptation are coming to an end, and good purified from falsity may be realized, 7853, 7854.

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12.  Not leaving any of it until the morning, denotes that states of temptation cease when this takes place, 7860; not breaking a bone thereof, denotes that ultimate truths being purified remain entire, 8005; and keeping it according to all the statute of it, denotes that good is conjoined with truth in external things, 2342, 3382.

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13.  The man that is clean, and is not in a journey, denotes one neither in a state of temptation, nor of instruction, 4545, 5996, 7908, 8918; forbearing to keep the passover, denotes neglecting to appropriate good in externals as well as internally, 2342, 2187; that soul being cut off from his people, denotes to be in danger of separating good from truth entirely, 5302, 1259; not offering the oblation of the Lord in its appointed season, denotes non-acknowledgement of the Lord by ascribing all good to Him in his conduct, 10227, 349, 2212; and that man bearing his sin, denotes that then evil and falsity together will be confirmed in him, 9937.

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14.  A stranger denotes one who is not of the church and yet is; instructed and agrees thereto, 1463; to be willing to keep the passover, denotes being willing and realizing the conjunction and appropriation of good and truth externally, 2342, 2187; doing according to the statute and the ordinance of it, denotes realization externally and internally, 7995, 3382; and one statute both for the stranger and for him that is born in the land, denotes that the law is the same both for the natural and the spiritual man, 8013.

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15.  The day that the tabernacle was reared up, denotes when the church is established in man by means of the Word, 487, 3210, 3540³, 6315; the cloud covering the tabernacle even the tent of the testimony, denotes the appearances of truth from the Word and its literal sense, 8106; and its being on the tabernacle at even as it were the appearance of fire until the morning, denotes that in every state of obscurity the man of the church has good and truth from the Word, and also in every state of brightness, 8108.

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16.  So it being always; the cloud covering the tabernacle, and the appearance of fire by night, denotes that this is perpetual because all heavenly states with man are from the Word; and even in his obscurity its good and truth are revealed to him. This is seen by observing that in states of brightness, denoted by morning, the revelation of Divine Truth is moderated by the obscurity of the human understanding, and in states of obscurity, denoted by evening and night, the love of the Lord in the heart vivifies and cheers the soul, 8108.

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17.  The children of Israel journeying whenever the cloud was taken up from the Tent, and encamping where the cloud abode, denotes that all states of progress and rest with man, are according to the Word, the former taking place when its good and truth are revealed, and the latter when they are in obscurity, 8108, 1457, 4236, 3613.

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18.  The children of Israel journeying and encamping at the commandment of the Lord, denotes that thus by the Divine Providence instruction is received from the Word, and by Him from the Word, are all the states of man ordinated and arranged, 1457, 8560, 4236; and remaining encamped as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle, denotes that man, from himself is not aware of such ordination and arrangement, because with regard to this he is in obscurity, 4236, 8106.

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19.  When the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel keeping the charge of the Lord and not journeying, denotes that during such obscurity progress in spiritual life is delayed; yet there is no retrogression, although there is no progress, 8106, 3613, 3382, 1457.

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20.  By the cloud being sometimes a few days upon the tabernacle, is denoted delay on account of obscurity as to good, more than as to truth, because the terms many and few, in the internal sense, have relation, respectively, to states of truth and good, and not to mere number, 6172, 6654, and because in Matt 20:16, the few that were chosen evidently denote the good, and the many that were called those who are in truths without good, altogether apart from the numbers; for otherwise it would have to be concluded that only a few of the human race will be saved, which is very far from being true, 3755⁴, 3900⁴; arid by remaining encamped, or journeying according to the commandment, or mouth, of the Lord, is denoted that it is good from the Lord which determines man's state as to progress, and as to the ordination and arrangement of truths, 8560, 2001, 4236, 1457.

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21.  The cloud being sometimes from evening to morning, denotes successive states of obscurity and brightness, 8106, 8108; the cloud being taken up in the morning, and their then journeying, denotes that man is led forward in states of brightness, 1457, 8108; the cloud continuing by day and by night, denotes sometimes no progress in both states, 8106, 8108; and still journeying when the cloud was taken up, denotes progress afterwards, 8106, 1457.

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22.  By two is denoted conjunction, 5194; by days, and months, and a year are denoted respectively states of obedience, of faith, and of love, according to the series, 487, 851, 7828; the cloud tarrying and abiding on the tabernacle, denotes that obscurity of state involves delay, 8106, 4236, 3613; and journeying when the cloud was taken up, denotes that the removal of obscurity means progress, 8106, 1457.

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23.  Encamping or journeying at the commandment, or mouth, of the Lord, denotes that states of rest or progress are from the Lord, 4236, 1457, 8560; and keeping the charge of the Lord at the commandment, or mouth of the Lord, by the hand of Moses, denotes that man must co-operate with the Lord, believing that he receives life from Him continually by Divine Truth, 3382, 8560, 878, 7010.

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Discussion

It is so well known in the Christian world that the feast of the Passover was appointed to commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, and that, generally, it signifies man's deliverance from the bondage of sin, that it is not necessary to demonstrate these things. But it is not so well known what the particulars concerning this feast signify, nor can it be known apart from an acquaintance with the correspondences in which the Word is written. What, for example, is meant, spiritually, by the destruction of all the firstborn of the Egyptians, and the sacrifice of the lamb in order that the firstborn of the Israelites might be preserved? A thousand guesses may be made, and many fancies indulged, to account for such facts, and to show what they signify as far as the spiritual life is concerned; but without this universal law of correspondence, no satisfactory explanation can be given; and therefore this should afford strong presumptive evidence, not only that the law itself is a law of Divine Order, but that it is applicable both to the works of the Lord and to His Word. And when we consider further, what wonderful results have followed from its application to the Word, through the explanation of several of its books in series, we ought to be fully convinced that these books are the Word of the Lord, and were not the work of any finite man. Let us then reverently consider the subject now before us; and as a preliminary step, reflect on what is said on the above-named points. The firstborn of the Egyptians, denote faith separated from charity, and the firstborn of the Israelites faith conjoined with charity, 7778, 352; while a lamb denotes the good of innocence, and in the supreme sense the Lord Himself from whom all innocence comes, 7840, 3994⁶, and thus we learn that, personally, we are delivered from evil by means of a true faith in the Lord grounded in the good of innocence from Him; and that to keep the Passover, is to be conjoined with the Lord, and to appropriate good from Him. And before leaving this point, it may be interesting to notice the signification of the blood of the lamb being sprinkled on the lintel, and on the two side posts of the houses. The blood, of course, signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence; putting it upon the posts and upon the lintel denotes that, in this connection, it signifies the truths and goods of the natural degree, the houses denoting what has relation to good, and eating denoting enjoyment, or making this truth and good a part of the natural life; while doing it in that night signifies when evil is condemned and rejected by the regenerating man, even in the state denoted in our chapter by "between the evenings," 7845. And thus we see that these are all practical truths that have to be realized by each of us; and we may be sure that the same is the case with all the other particulars named in the paragraph just referred to, and also in our first section. A word, however, must be said, on the expression "between the evenings," because different opinions are held as to its precise meaning. Spiritually, it signifies the state of transition from the old and corrupt life to the beginning of the new life, 7844; but literally, some suppose it is the time between the setting of the sun and the moment when the stars become visible; others maintain that it is to be reckoned from the time when the sun begins to decline from the meridian to its setting; and others, again, that the two evenings were the time immediately before, and immediately after sunset (Kitto, are. "Passover"). But now, considering these differences of opinion, the following words have special interest: "That by between the evenings is not meant the time between the evening of one day and the evening of another day, but the time between evening and morning, thus, inclusively, night or twilight, is evident from this, that the continual burnt offering of a Iamb, was not only made in the evening, but also in the morning. Hence it may be manifest that the like is signified in other places by between the evenings, as where it is said that they should offer the passover between the evenings (Exod 12:6; Num 9:5. 11), which is also explained elsewhere in these words, 'You shall sacrifice the passover in the evening, when the sun has set.

at the stated time of departure out of Egypt, afterwards you shall roast and eat it in that place which Jehovah your God shall choose, and you shall respect the morning, and shall go into your tents ' (Deut 16:6, 7)." And to this it may be added that as, clearly, the passover was sacrificed, or was commanded to be sacrificed, when the sun was set, it follows that the first evening was just after sunset and that therefore the second evening was just before sunrise on the following morning, "between the evenings," thus meaning the time between the sunset of one day and the sunrise of the next, corresponding as already stated to the state of transition between the old life and the new.

Coming now to our second and third sections, which may be considered together on account of the connection between them, it is only necessary, in the first place, to observe that they are not only easy to comprehend, spiritually, but are of great practical importance. For who cannot see that this description is according to our actual experience? We are in the course of regeneration, and our principles of faith and charity are, so far, established; and yet we are unclean by the dead body of a man, that is, evils and falsities in the natural man, which is as yet void of spiritual life in several respects, infest and contaminate us. And it is well for us if, in this state, we can acknowledge our deficiencies, and are uncertain about our duty, until we are enlightened from the Word, according to vers. 7-9. And it is still better, in this case, if in spite of our weakness, we persevere in our worship of the Lord; for this is what compliance with the instruction here given really amounts to; and to eat the passover in the second month exactly as directed, is to convert what would otherwise be a failure into a success, by doubling our exertions to be conjoined with the Lord, even in our extremity, which is denoted by eating the passover in the evening, and by resolutely abstaining from the tempting evil, and patiently enduring the necessary conflict, which are denoted by eating with unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. But, indeed, in addition to these experiences, we now, as final results, cease to contaminate our life of good by continuing to indulge in the delights of evil, which is involved in not leaving any of the passover until the morning, 8480; and also we preserve our truths entire, in being victorious, which is signified by not breaking a bone of it, 8005. But with regard to the next section, which concludes what is said about the passover, what has already been said, combined with the explanation in giving the references thereon is sufficient to make its meaning clear; and we now proceed, therefore, to study the last section.

As the tabernacle and the tent of meeting represent the heavens in successive order, so also, in a lower degree, they represent the church, and in particular every man who has the principles which make the church within him. And the church is said to be established in man, when faith and charity are his ruling principles instead of the loves of the world and of himself, at the beginning of regeneration; and this is the sense in which we are to regard the words commencing the section on account of all that follows, because the journeyings of the Israelites denote the successive states of progress with the man of the church, 8102^1/2. But the cloud covered the tabernacle; and we have seen from the series what that indicates spiritually. This, however, is not all that is involved in the fact. It is true that through the literal sense of the Word there is revelation 1o man in every state. But it is also true that the same sense hides the glory and the beauty of the internal sense, which describes those principles which are represented by the tabernacle and all things in it, and this for the best and wisest of purposes, namely, lest man should enter into those truths before he is prepared, and so it is written, "Over all the glory there shall be a covering" (Isaiah 4:5). And here particular attention should be paid to the last clause of ver. 18. Encamping denotes the ordination and arrangement of man's truths under good, which is entirely the work of the Lord; and as this refers to the progressions of man's regeneration, although it may also be applied to angelic life as well, we may consider one point in connection with it, which is revealed in the Writings of the church. It is that, as we advance, we acquire what is called the good of truth, that is the state as to love and charity, which may he obscurely realized at any period of our life by obeying the truth; and this state of good is clearly that to which the encampment corresponds, while the arrangement of the camp at any particular spot, corresponds to the arrangement of truths by the Lord according to that particular state of good. Now we do not know what that is; hut we may be sure that it is one step in our journey towards our own heavenly society in which we shall realize and understand our proper position in the heavenly kingdom, which will be permanent. And these reflections may encourage us to "run with patience the race set before us" (Heb 12:1). For we may depend upon it, that every state of our life has its relation to that which is eternal.

And now, lastly, it is very interesting indeed to notice and reflect upon the several different things specified in the rest of the chapter. First, there is the state of obedience during seasons of repose; secondly, there is the state when good is in obscurity and not so much truth, as indicated by the distinction many and few; thirdly, progress made in a state of brightness signified by morning, and repose in a state of obscurity represented by night; fourthly, states of repose continuing both during states of brightness and states of obscurity; and, lastly, seasons of repose in states of obedience, or of faith, or of love, respectively, from all of which we may learn something with regard to our conduct in life. But certainly the closing statement of the chapter, namely, that states of rest and progress are all from the Lord, is worthy of very serious consideration. For it teaches us emphatically, that we cannot from any self-derived intelligence, or under the influence of any merely worldly or selfish motive, promote our own spiritual progress, or enjoy any seasons of spiritual repose. Of course, the contrary does appear to us, at certain times, to be surely the case, since the motives just mentioned do cause people to do many good things, but although usefulness to others may thereby be promoted, it is yet quite evident that no one can advance in the religious life by such actions, since it is impossible to serve two masters, or in other words, to act from selfishness and charity at the same time as ruling motives. Hence, therefore, if we would properly act according to the commandment of the Lord, we must cease to allow self and the world to rule us, at the same time remembering that to take proper care of ourselves and our property is not, necessarily, cither selfish or worldly.