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While we may be keenly interested in the typical teaching of this passage as it
illuminates the days of antichristian rebellion that are still future, it will be more
profitable to observe the bearing of this tragic end upon ourselves. One might object, and
say that such things can have no possible bearing upon the church. Let us see. Two
utterances of Moses stand out prominently in chapter 16::--
"The Lord will show who are His" (verse 5).
"Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men" (verse 26).
These words re-appear in II Tim. 2::--
"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord
knoweth then that are His, and, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity" (II Tim. 2: 19).
In what way does II Tim. 2: resembles Numb. 16:? Let us remember Korah's
objection to the possibility of some being called to glory higher than others, though all
members of the same congregation, and then let us see the way in which the apostle deals
with that same spirit:--
"But in a great house (parallel with the whole congregation) there are not only vessels
of gold and of silver (like the offices of Moses, Aaron, and the Levites), but also of wood
and of earth; and some to honour, and some to no honour. If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master's
use, and prepared unto every good work" (II Tim. 2: 20, 21).
Some object to the distinctive glory of the church of the mystery by appealing to the
fact that all the Lord's people, of whatever calling and company, are redeemed by the
same precious blood, and belong to the same Christ. This is no valid objection. The
Lord could choose and has chosen some of the redeemed to "inherit the earth", some to
walk the streets of the New Jerusalem, and some to enter their inheritance in the heavenly
holiest of all. The same answer that Moses gave to Korah must be given here. It is a
matter of the Lord's sovereign choice. Limiting ourselves to the one company, the
church which is His body, some express themselves in almost angry terms when any
suggestion is made to the teaching of Philippians, with its out-resurrection and prize, or to
II Timothy with its contest and crown, endurance and reign. These possible distinctions
in the one church in the heavenlies are no more objectionable than the evident distinction
between the comely and uncomely members of the one human body, or the distinctions
that obtained in Israel. To any who would seek further argument, we would commend
the chapter in Dispensational Truth entitled: "An election within an election."
Returning to Numb. 16: and 17: we observe that the censers of the men who
rebelled were beaten out into sheets for a covering of the altar, and to act as a memorial
of their rebellion, while the rod that budded was placed in the holiest of all before the
testimony, as a token against the rebels:--