1 YHVH spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2 "Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by families, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head;
3 from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war, you and Aaron shall number them, company by company.
To number something means to take stock of it, to analyze it and know what it is about.
4 And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.
The members of the Tribes were the Children or descendants of the twelve children of Jacob. As we have found before, children in the Bible, are a symbol for ideas. Since we know that our consciousness is in the wilderness, we know that we are at a consciousness level of confusion. When in this place, one of the things we should do is take stock of our ideas.
5 And these are the names of the men who shall attend you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
Reuben means behold a son; it symbolizes faith in reason, and is associated with Aquarius. Its leader is Elizur, which means God is a rock or refuge. Shedeur means sender of light, and symbolizes the focusing of the mind. This means that focusing the mind on the strength of God and living in the consciousness of God strengthens the mind’s ability to remain strong and rationalize.
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
Simeon means hearing and obedient. It symbolizes one who listens and obeys and is associated with Gemini. Its leader is Shelumiel, which means God is wholeness. Zurishaddai means the Almighty is a rock. This means that the steadfast existence of living in the consciousness of God completes the person who does this. This complete person has full consciousness of God and is obedient to God. The intuition is one means of communication, and has been purified of error at this point.
7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
Judah means Praise YHVH. It symbolizes the mental acceptance of the need to connect with
God, and is associated with Leo, the Lion. Its leader is Nahshon, which means oracle or prophet. It also translates as seer. (In our present times, this is the tribe which has retained it identity. It is known as the Jews.) Nashon symbolizes foreknowledge. Amminadab means people of willing generosity. Foreknowledge comes from the connection with God, experiencing connection with all things. This causes the individual to become more generous in all their affairs. This generosity is what Amminadab symbolizes.
8 from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;
Issachar means who brings reward, or compensation and symbolizes the willingness to work, Zeal. It is associated with Taurus. Its Leader, Nathaneel means given of God or instructed of God. Zuar means reduced or littleness. This means that the willingness to do the spiritual work given in this system is empowered by acknowledging the divine within and limiting the presence of the lower nature.
9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;
Zebulun means habitation and dwelling. It symbolizes Order. It is associated with Pisces. Its leader, Eliab, means God is father or strength. Helon means strong, and firm. This means that the ability to keep the thoughts in proper\divine order and make yourself a temple of God comes from the firm belief that all power comes from God.
10 from the sons of Joseph from Ephraim, Elishama, the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh: Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur;
Ephraim means very fruitful or productive and symbolizes the Will. It is associated with Sagittarius. Its leader is Elishama, which means God understands. Ammihud means people of excellence. This means that the Will is empowered by becoming spiritually pure, which opens the way to communication with God.
Manasseh means who makes to forget and represents Denial and Forgetfulness. It is associated with Scorpio. But, its leader Gamaliel, means Guidance of God. Pedahzur means the rock of redemption. This means that the solid effort to redeem oneself through spiritual purification produces the spiritual guidance needed for this work, and removes error\sin from your consciousness.
11 from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
Benjamin means son of good fortune and symbolizes an active faith. It is associated with Cancer. Its leader is named Abidan, which means Father of judgment (righteous). Gideoni means destroyer of evil. This means that the desire to transmute the lower nature or “destroy the evil” produces the ability to properly judge each belief within and evaluate it, empowering active faith in your inner divine nature or God. This strengthens self-confidence.
12 from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
Dan means rule of righteous judgment and symbolizes the earliest expression of judgment. It is associated with Virgo. Its leader, Ahiezer means Helpful brother, and symbolizes the spiritually purified intuition. Ammishaddai means people of the Almighty. This means that the spiritual empowerment of the intuition comes from the active connection with God, and is a faculty that enables one to judge all things righteously.
13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;
Asher means prosperous and blessedness. It is symbolic of the rewards of uprightness. It is associated with Libra. Its leader, Pagiel, means Peace or visitation of God. Ochran means confused. This means that in times of confusion, you can rely on the inner guidance of God, which comes through your Intuition. This spiritual guidance is a type of reward for your keeping your mind in harmony with God.
14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Reuel;
Gad means abundance and good fortune. It symbolizes power and the material rewards which accompany it. It is associated with Aries. Its leader, Eliasaph, means God gathers and increases. Reuel means led of God or companion of God. This means that allowing yourself to be led by God and working with him in all you do causes greater physical manifestations of abundance and good fortune.
15 from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan."
Naphtali means my wrestling with Jah or YHVH. It symbolizes the struggle between the mortal and the divine. It is associated with Capricorn. Its leader, Ahira, means Brother, nourisher, or shepherd. Enan means having eyes. This means that the mental experience of seeing God both nourishes Life, and produces internal conflict as we struggle to come to terms with existing in God.
16 These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.
17 Moses and Aaron took these men who have been named,
18 and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by families, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,
19 as YHVH commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
Taken together the faculties that are our army against our lower nature are simply the methods used to purify the self, and the trusting of God within to guide us in the right direction. We then live in that new consciousness for the rest of our natural lives. These faculties are often discovered while we are still spiritually confused. This confusion is symbolized by the wilderness of Sinai. However, if we pay attention and use all these faculties, we have our way out of this state of confusion.
20 The people of Reuben, Israel's first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
21 the number of the tribe of Reuben was forty-six thousand five hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Reuben reduces to 6. This means that the faculty of this tribe is what begins communication between Man and God. It denotes the progress of Man toward God. In the preparation for the war against the lower nature of Self, it denotes the examination of your own beliefs.
22 Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, those of them that were numbered, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
23 the number of the tribe of Simeon was fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Simeon reduces to 8. This means that the faculty represented by this tribe begins the process of resurrecting the heart; elevating the emotions and passions and the start of a new spiritual awakening. It symbolizes listening to the Inner Desires and the Intuition.
24 Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
25 the number of the tribe of Gad was forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Gad reduces to 2. It is the beginning of manifestation – Duality. It is Spirit becoming Matter, which always expresses itself as duality. It is the beginning of physical manifestation of the results of this path.
26 Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
27 the number of the tribe of Judah was seventy-four thousand six hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Judah reduces to 8. It means that acknowledging the need to connect with God elevates the emotions and passions in the soul.
28 Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
29 the number of the tribe of Is'sachar was fifty-four thousand four hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Issachar reduces to 4. This means that possessing Zeal for the spiritual work brings completion to the individual practicing it.
30 Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
31 the number of the tribe of Zebulun was fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Zebulun symbolizes the process of Order, which perfects things, moving them to a more spiritual state. Putting one’s life in order makes for a more productive spiritual life and allows for greater manifestation of the spiritual forces you are working with.
32 Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
33 the number of the tribe of Ephraim was forty thousand five hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Ehraim reduces to 9. This means that through the conscious elevation of the intellect and heart, the alchemical marriage is able to take place. This marriage is the Key to the Kingdom of Heaven or Enlightenment.
34 Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
35 the number of the tribe of Manasseh was thirty-two thousand two hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Manasseh reduces to 7. This means that the process of letting go, of not “lusting for results” is necessary to attain perfection. Just do the work and record it, but do not lust for immediate results. If you do the work properly, results will come.
36 Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
37 the number of the tribe of Benjamin was thirty-five thousand four hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Manasseh reduces to 12. This means that the Imagination is the ultimate key to spiritual perfection. This number can be further reduced to 3, which denotes the Holy Trinity, and the birth of the Divine Child within that is the result of the raising to spiritual perfection of the Heart and Intellect.
38 Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
39 the number of the tribe of Dan was sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Dan reduces to 6. This means that the ability to judge righteously comes from the communication between Man and God. That is, listening to the Intuition and spiritualized intellect.
40 Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
41 the number of the tribe of Asher was forty-one thousand five hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Asher reduces to 10. This means that the rewards of God have to do with manifestation in the physical world. Those who follow the laws of God live productive, peaceful, happy lives. Ten further reduces to 1, the number of Unity. This means that living in accord with the Laws of God enables one to live in constant unity with God, attaining all the spiritual and material rewards that naturally comes with that state of being.
42 Of the people of Naph'tali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war:
If we held these ideas (the meaning of the names of the leaders) in our mind and truly believed in them, we would indeed have an army with which to fight the negativity, fears, selfish passions and emotions of our lower nature.
43 the number of the tribe of Naph'tali was fifty-three thousand four hundred.
Through the process of Theosophical Reduction, the number of people from the tribe of Naphtali reduces to 3. This is the symbol of the Holy Trinity. It is the birth of Anointed One within. This comes from the struggle between Man and God. The Divine part always wins out eventually, and the new state of consciousness, called Anointed, is the result. This is enlightenment.
44 These are those who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered with the help of the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers' house.
The ideas that form our spiritual army that will aid us in transmuting our lower nature are in order, faith in your reasoning abilities, trusting your instincts when you have spiritualized yourself and found completion in God, mentally acknowledging the need to connect with God and allowing yourself to be guided internally toward that connection, zealously working toward achieving the connection with God and acknowledging the manifestations of that connection (what are here called rewards), putting your thoughts in order and realizing that God is the source of your strength and empowerment, Understanding how to control this power according to your spiritual will, mental detachment and not “lusting for results” from the work you are doing, your spiritualized Imagination, purification of your thoughts and ideas, Peace of Mind, your material possessions and position.
45 So the whole number of the people of Israel, by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go forth to war in Israel—
All of the above listed faculties are meant to be used to transmute the lower nature into the higher nature.
46 their whole number was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
The number of these 12 tribes denotes the full expression of the connection between Man and God in the form of a Spiritual Awakening or Sacred Marriage that causes a very positive state of mind that permeates the individual.
47 But the Levites were not numbered by their ancestral tribe along with them.
49 "Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel;
50 but appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it; they are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall tend it, and shall encamp around the tabernacle.
The name Levi, in Aramaic, means uniting, loving. So the children or tribe of Levites represent the thoughts that come from the consciousness of love. Obviously these are the thoughts that will be associated with and ultimately will serve God.
51 When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any of else comes near, he shall be put to death.
Only the uniting thoughts of Love are allowed to directly serve God, because they are the same energy as God.
52 The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, every man by his own camp and every man by his own standard;
53 but the Levites shall encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony, that there may be no wrath upon the congregation of the people of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony."
All the energies of the psyche (Tribes of Israel) are to be organized. The energies of Love, however, are the center of it all, and are what keeps the mind in the state of Harmony with God.
54 Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that YHVH commanded Moses.