Read Numbers 4 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
4:1-16 {p} The duty of Kohath and Eleazar the priest
4:17-20 {p} That Kohath may live and not die
When the camp prepares to move, Aaron and his sons come and cover the ark of the covenant with the veil that separates the Most Holy Place from the holy place. Then they cover it with skins, then a blue cloth. Then they set its poles through its rings, and it is ready to move.
Likewise the table of showbread is spread with a blue cloth, then its utensils, and its bread, then it is covered with a scarlet cloth. Then a covering of skins, then they insert its poles and it is ready to move. The lampstand and golden altar of incense is covered with blue.
The sons of Kohath were given the charge of carrying these things. But they had to take care that they did not even watch Aaron and his sons covering them and getting them ready to move, lest they die, let alone touch them themselves.
The altar of burnt offering is covered with a purple cloth. Why not a blue cloth?
We have seen the blue, purple, and scarlet colors mentioned before; the curtains and veil of the tabernacle were made very specifically in these colors. Blue represents heaven, also God by extension. The heavens are blue, to an observer on earth. When Moses and the elders of Israel saw YHVH God, under His feet was a paved work of sapphire stone (Exo 24:10). The tradition of Israel says that when the pillar of fire led them by night, the color of the fire was blue. Blue is a distinct primary color, not a mixture.
Scarlet represents man, as adam literally means, ruddy, or blood in the face. Red is a distinct primary color, not a mixture. When blue and red come together, a new color is born, which is 100% blue and 100% red: purple. When God and man come together into one person, Messiah is born. The purple cloth covers the altar of sacrifice, because Messiah was born on this earth to offer up Himself once for all (Heb 7:27).
Here in Numbers, God is emphasizing His absolute separateness from man—from even the Levites, lest they die. Because of these commands in the Law, and the deaths of Nadab and Abihu for offering profane fire before Him, and other instances we will read about, His separateness was absolutely seared upon the consciousness of Israel.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split … Mat 27:50-51
So you can imagine what the veil being torn by supernatural means at the death of Jesus said to Israel. It would be a paradigm shift of tectonic proportions!
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