2 "Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, to take up the censers out of the blaze; then scatter the fire far and wide. For they are holy,
3 the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives; so let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before YHVH; therefore they are holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel."
The use of their censors to decorate the altar is another indication that these negative ideas may be reformed, here by fire, and used in a positive way.
4 So Eleazar, the priest, took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered; and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar,
5 to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no one who is not a priest, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before YHVH, lest he become as Korah and as his company--as YHVH said to Eleazar, through Moses.
6 But on the morrow all the congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of YHVH."
7 And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting; and behold, the cloud covered it, and the Glory of YHVH appeared.
8 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,
10 "Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces.
11 And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone forth from YHVH, the plague has begun."
12 So Aaron took it as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague had already begun among the people; and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
13 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped.
14 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the affair of Korah.
15 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.
The entire people, or all of the thoughts, may now be reviewed from the standpoint of the new understanding of the Spiritual Consciousness. Those ideas which are not of benefit to the emerging Spiritual Consciousness are eliminated or transformed. But there are many which are positive and will live on to support the new Spiritual Consciousness which is developing. The lighted incense represents the light of the spiritual understanding. It alone is capable of both making the judgment required and saving the beneficial thoughts.
17 "Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them rods, one for each fathers' house, from all their leaders according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write each man's name upon his rod,
18 and write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each fathers' house.
19 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
20 And the rod of the man whom I choose shall sprout; thus I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the people of Israel, which they murmur against you."
21 Moses spoke to the people of Israel; and all their leaders gave him rods, one for each leader, according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
22 And Moses deposited the rods before YHVH in the tent of the testimony.
23 And on the morrow Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.
The rods represent the creative forces of man. Names in the Bible refer to natures. The nature in this case refers to the level of enlightenment or purity of the desire nature connected with each of the levels of consciousness represented by the different princes of the Israelites. Only the highest level, represented by Aaron, can truly serve YHVH. And the results of its action will bring forth fruit; represented here by the almonds. The almond tree symbolizes the spiritual powers which come from the inner unfolding of the spiritual self, represented by the opening of the flower petals.
24 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before YHVH to all the people of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
25 And YHVH said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, lest they die."
26 Thus did Moses; as YHVH commanded him, so he did.
27 And the people of Israel said to Moses, "Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
28 Every one who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of YHVH, shall die. Are we all to perish?"