The Shape of Numbers – Part One

When the structure of the book of Numbers is taken into account, the repetitive lists are revealed to be significant steps in a mesmerizing literary ziggurat.

After plodding through the instructions-and-constructions of the Tabernacle in Exodus, and pressing on through the detailed and arcane stipulations in Leviticus, the first chapters of Numbers are not a welcome prospect. However, once we understand the significance of what we are actually looking at, everything changes. Everything in the “liturgical blueprint” that we have just read is now being “measured out” in the wilderness. We are standing upon a mountain peak overlooking what amounts to the beta version of Jerusalem. The priestly camp of the saints (as Adam) is always a precursor to the holy city (as Eve, Revelation 20:9). And once those pegs are hammered into the ground and the skins are stretched out, it will be put to the test. Only then, after being qualified in the wilderness, refined by fire, will God lift up Israel among the nations to mediate on their behalf. Judgment begins at the house of God.

Overview

The Mosaic Weave

Discerning the author’s use of the Bible’s covenant-literary pattern makes sense of the otherwise apparently haphazard arrangement of the text. If only the protagonists and advocates of the JEDP theory had understood that the Bible is a fractal! They understood the problem but provided the wrong solution because of their lack of faith in the character, sovereignty, and in many cases even the existence, of God.

The covenant-literary structure not only makes sense of the arrangement of the book, but it also explains the arrangement of each section of the book. The steps in the first cycle work through the A B C D C¹ B¹ A¹ pattern of the matrix, but as part of the first cycle, each step must also relate to the “A” theme of Transcendence/Genesis, that is, the sovereign authority of God. At this level of observation, each step has two coordinates, one for its location (the “forming” coordinate of the external cycle) and one for its contents (the “filling” coordinate of the internal cycle).

This means that the structure of the entire cycle (ignoring any instances where the author has deliberately omitted a step or reversed the pattern to make a theological point), is a “Mosaic weave.” If we limit our observation to two levels of the fractal, and do not zoom in any further, it looks, in theory, like this:

If we remove the chiastic “there-and-back-again” presentation, the central point of the cycle becomes more obvious.

AA – AB – AC – AD – AC – AB – AA
BA – BB – BC – BD – BC – BB – BA
CA – CB – CC – CD – CC – CB – CA
DA – DB – DC – DD – DC – DB – DA
CA – CB – CC – CD – CC – CB – CA
BA – BB – BC – BD – BC – BB – BA
AA – AB – AC – AD – AC – AB – AA

So, what is it that we find at the “DD” crux of the cycle? Numbers 5, the jealous inspection of a suspected adulteress. In cycle 2, it is the condemnation of Moses’ marriage. In cycle 3, it is purification rites concerning death. In cycle 4, it is Israel’s adultery with the Midianite women, who employed the ancient tactic of seducing the men of an opposing army that their own men might then attack and kill them. And, if we zoom in one level more to the “DDD” crux of cycle 4, we discover the fiery zeal of Phinehas, faithful son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, who takes a spear and impales a couple in the act.

Death and sex are at the center of creation because the flesh stands between heaven and the abyss. What is “beside” mediates between what is “above” and what is “below.” This also supports the “scroll” numbering of the Ten Words, which not only corresponds as “head and body” dyads that work through the fivefold covenant pattern but also puts the prohibitions against murder and adultery (the Land equivalent of the sacrificial “knife and fire” of the Garden) at the center of the “X” as a condemnation of the kingly “sins of the penetration of flesh” of Adam and Eve:

TRANSCENDENCE
1 – No false gods          2 – No false oaths

HIERARCHY
3 – Keep the Sabbath     4 – Honor parents

ETHICS
5 – No murder  6 – No adultery

OATH/SANCTIONS
7 – No theft     8 – No false witness

SUCCESSION
9- No coveting house          10 – No coveting contents

It is also worth noting the central point of the history of Israel is the life of David, a man who dodged spears, but also committed murder and adultery, and that the central point of all covenant history is the life of Christ, son of David, the innocent man who was speared on behalf of all Adams.

A Hierarchy of Swords

Although each of the five sections of the book of Numbers follows the sevenfold Creation/Tabernacle pattern, the fact that the book itself follows the fivefold covenant pattern indicates that Israel has failed to open the Mosaic “word” as history. The five become seven when the central step of the covenant (Ethics) “blooms” in a fractal sense into a threefold expression of the Law of God, the Triune Office: Priesthood (Law given), Kingdom (Law opened), and Prophecy (Law received). The “unopened” pattern is thus a symbol of spiritual barrenness.

The sevenfold pattern is not only the pattern of obedience but also the pattern of Dominion. Although the book of Leviticus is the center of the Pentateuch, the book of Numbers of the center of the Heptateuch. How do these two patterns relate to each other? The Ethics at the center of the books of Moses will be the measuring rod by which Israel is Tested in Numbers. And the sword under which Israel will be slain in Numbers will be the sword in the hand of Israel in the book of Joshua. In other words, like a medieval knight, all Israelites must bow to the sword of their heavenly King before they can bear that sword on earth on His behalf.

If that sounds complicated, simply find the sword icon in the Moses column (Israel under the sword) and the sword icon in the Israel column (Israel bearing the sword). Note that the same pattern occurs in Genesis 2-3, where Adam was under the sword of God for the construction of Eve, and intended to bear the sword upon qualification as a legal representative of God prior to his conquest of the primeval land.

Moses	Heptateuch	Israel
TRANSCENDENCE	Genesis Creation	TRANSCENDENCE
HIERARCHY	Exodus Division	HIERARCHY
ETHICS	Leviticus Ascension	ETHICS: Priesthood
OATH/SANCTIONS	Numbers Testing	ETHICS: Kingdom
SUCCESSION	Deuteronomy Maturity	ETHICS: Prophecy
—	Joshua Conquest	OATH/SANCTIONS
—	Judges Glorification	SUCCESSION

The death and resurrection of Israel

Since Numbers sits at the center of a sevenfold matrix, it is also the transformation of Israel by holy fire from above. Like the seven Spirits before the throne of God, this step is itself sevenfold. The structure of the book places the nation on the altar as a living sacrifice. The Israel which is “counted” as a sacrifice at the beginning is not the same as the Israel which is “counted” at the end. Only Israelites were “numbered” because they were to be holy substitutes for transgressors. What is interesting is that the “resurrection body” in this case was uncircumcised, picturing the final Pentecostal transformation of Israel into the Church, a “body” with a circumcised heart, rendering the circumcision of the flesh redundant.

Although it is only fivefold, the architecture of the book still relates to the Tabernacle. It is simply limited to the vertical sequence of the domains, that is above, beside, below.

• The Genesis cycle is entirely positive, which corresponds to God’s judgment of the cosmos as “very good.” However at the center of this cycle is the liturgical test for personal adultery, also known as the “jealous inspection.” This corresponds to Israel’s “corporate” adultery at the center of the entire book.
• The Exodus cycle begins with a new exodus, this time from Sinai, and concludes with Israel’s tenth sin, an allusion to the Ten Commandments. The refusal to enter into the Promised Land results in the “Egyptian-hearted” generation being cut off.
• The Leviticus cycles focus upon the Levitical priesthood. Just as Moses’ national headship was challenged in the previous Hierarchy cycle, so now Aaron’s sacerdotal headship is challenged in the Ethics cycle. The priestly purification is then extended to the common people, with an atoning crisis before encouraging victories that remind them that God has not abandoned His promises to Abraham.
• The Numbers cycle introduces Balaam as the covetous serpent, a false prophet who, when he cannot personally destroy Israel, tempts the nation to commit idolatry and adultery, and forces God’s hand against her. The Oath/Sanctions theme is brought to a climax in the ministry of Phinehas as the “right arm” extension of the High Priesthood.
• The Deuteronomy cycle works through the elements of the Tabernacle in a sequences of steps related to the future conquest of the Land.

ANALYSIS

TRANSCENDENCE: Genesis – The Most Holy Place
Israel is “named” and arranged as an Edenic ziggurat (Numbers 1-8)

The first major cycle is relatively long, but its bounds are made obvious by the location of the jealous inspection at the center (as mentioned) and the chiastic correspondence of the detailed arrangement of the twelve tribes in chapter 2 (Delegation) with the detailed presentation of their offerings in chapter 7 (Vindication). In “Creation” terms, these two correspond to the establishing of the firmament as a “veil” between heaven and earth and the establishing of Man as a mediator between heaven and earth, hence the mention in Hebrews that Jesus’ flesh corresponded to the veil in the Temple.

The reader is used to genealogies and tribal lists, but the deliberate redundancy of the offerings of the tribes in Numbers 7 is remarkable. Each offering is identical, yet each is listed in full. Surely this was a waste of heavy clay tablets and/or expensive parchment? Architecture is important to God, no less literary architecture, so the explanation for this strange extravagance must be found in the structure of the text. The “fullness” of the offertory in chapter 7 is the result—or the liturgical response, of the military “forming” of Israel in chapter 2. The nation is arranged as a holy mountain, the Ethics purify the people for holy war, and then they symbolically ascend that isometric mountain as a stairway to heaven, picturing the future glories that the nations would bring into the house of God.

• The Creation cycle counts the “Adams” of Israel, all able-bodied warriors aged twenty years and over. It was a sin for David to carry out a census in the way that Gentile kings counted their troops as an inventory of military strength. A census carried out by God was a reminder that the men of Israel were set apart as an extension of the spear-wielding priests of the Tabernacle. Their purposes were holy, and their use of the sword was to be both just and merciful. The census of the Levites is omitted because their domain was the tent of God—guarding the Garden rather than the Land.
• The Division cycle arranges the tribes around the table as a gigantic cross, not as a “zodiac” as some surmise. This is because the priestly “camp of the saints” relates to the self-sacrifice of Adam, whereas the kingly walls of the “holy city” relate to the glorification of Eve. Thus, the cross within the square is the Lamb at the heart of the City. In visual terms, this “construction” of a Jacobean stairway to heaven lifts the Tabernacle up into the air to mediate between heaven and earth. Just as the Tabernacle was a cross laid out upon the ground, so also the tents of Israel were an isometric projection of a mountain with four “rivers” of history flowing from the four ministries of the clans of Levi.¹For more discussion, see Jacob’s Ziggurat.
• The Ascension cycle explains the sudden shift to the Levites and the priesthood. What we must notice is that the Lord takes the Levites as substitutes for Israel’s firstborn. This relates to the fact that only legal representatives from Israel were permitted to ascend Sinai to dine with God on behalf of the seventy nations. The “Passover” household tables of Israel were not the table of God, otherwise there would have been no need to establish the mediation of the Aaronic priesthood. Those who promote paedosacraments, whether merely paedobaptism or both paedobaptism and paedocommunion, will discover that when understood in architectural terms, the Old Testament offers no more support for these erroneous practices than does the New. The sacraments are not for the guarded but for the guardians.
• The Testing cycle is connected to other parts of the Bible and only makes sense in that context. At the center of the second half of the Book of Exodus, between the instructions for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31) and the account of the construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 33-40) is the sin of Israel with the golden calf. Thanks to Moses’ mediation, the hand of the Lord was stayed, but He said that He would visit Israel again for that sin. That visitation comes at the center of the Book of Numbers, where the “Garden variety” idolatry (Adam, Eve, serpent) has grown into a “Land shaking” adultery (False Prophet, Harlot, Beast). It should be obvious that all of this is necessary background for the imagery in the Book of Revelation, which is a prophecy against first-century Jerusalem and her pagan “lovers.” Numbers 6 seems a strange inclusion until we understand the connection between liturgy and culture. The woman with the cup of testing in the Revelation is the woman from Numbers 5.
• The Maturity cycle, likewise, is odd until its liturgical and prophetic meaning is understood. It comprises the “bridal” step of the sequence, which explains the stipulation against the cutting of the hair. The fact that both men and women could take this vow is alluded to in the description of the baptisms in the Book of Acts. While only faithful men can serve as priests, it is the bride who testifies of the empty tomb of the bridegroom who engages in holy war outside of the sanctuary. The abstinence from grape products is a temporary refusal to indulge in the kingly produce of the land. The prohibition against touching dead bodies relates to the nature of the bridal people as a “resurrection body.” It seems that both the Apostle Paul and his enemies took vows as they engaged in holy war (Acts 18:18; Acts 23:12). This vow made the man or woman an extension of the Tabernacle in a special, and usually temporary, way. Only Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist, were Nazirites from birth. The Revelation uses the characteristic of long hair to describe the murderous Judaizers who, as holy “zealots,” considered themselves to be doing the will of God (John 16:2; Revelation 9:8).
• The Conquest cycle is not only an image of the kings of the nations bringing their glorious tributes into the house of God, but the contents of each listing make each of the houses of Jacob a miniature tent of the Lord. As long as the tribes of Israel submitted to God, so also would the nations which surrounded Israel submit to God. Submission to heaven (Oath) brings dominion on earth (Sanctions). God’s tent on top of this ziggurat of tents was the holy “head” of which each tribe was part of the “body.” Because it was holy, they were holy. This event was later pictured in the Bronze Sea of Solomon’s Temple, a giant “basin” carried on the backs of twelve bronze bulls. The difference between the Tabernacle and the Temple was that the empty basins were received by the Tabernacle, but the rivers of living water were symbolically distributed from the Temple as gifts of cleansing, represented in the basins upon the chariots in the courtyard. The final fulfillment of this event is the numbering of the Jewish believers as lambs for the slaughter under the Herodian and Neronic persecutions in Revelation 7. Like Jesus, each of them would become a human tabernacle, and house of seed, flesh, and skin, torn apart, purified, and reassembled upon the crystal sea, the referent of the “sapphire pavement” in Exodus 24.
• The Glorification cycle begins with the setting up of the seven bowl-lamps upon the lampstand. This was the glorified version of the burning bush upon Sinai, the seven eyes of God watching over the nation. This is followed by the consecration of the tribe of Levi, whose members are washed and shaved offered as a living “firstfruits.” This brings another mention of the Levites being taken as substitutes for Israel’s firstborn, the Sons of God standing in for the sons of men. The preliminary “filling” of Day 3 (grain and fruit bearers—nature) is always a promise of the ultimate “filling” of Day 7 (bread and wine bearers—culture). We must never conflate the sons of men with the Sons of God, since the latter mediate for the former. The natural comes first, then the spiritual. Finally, just as the Levites were sanctified among Israel, so also were the priests sanctified among Levi. The Israelites themselves were also ordered as a stepped mountain with increasing degrees of holiness as one ascended to draw near to God. The Succession step describes each Levite priest serving his time and then passing the baton on to the next generation.²For more discussion on the end of the priestly vow, see The Shape of Leviticus.

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