THE DAY OF THE LORD

Amazingly, right after God judges the rebellious Levites the entire nation of Israel gathers against Moses and Aaron and accuses them of killing the LORD’s people!  Moses and Aaron do not even have time to respond for immediately after their grumbling against them God sends a plague to destroy them.  Once again, however, Moses and Aaron intercede and make atonement for the people, but not before 14,700 die in the plague.

Moses and Aaron of course represent God’s overcomers, the Bride of Christ.  This time God wants to make it abundantly clear that they represent him and that he has chosen them to lead his people.  He therefore commands that each tribe bring a staff with that tribe’s name written on into the tent of meeting, the place where the presence of God dwelt among them.  Aaron’s name is specifically written on the staff of Levi.  The next day Moses goes into the tent of testimony and “behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.”  (Numbers 17:8)  Thus God proved to all Israel, who in this parabolic history represents the entire world, that Aaron was his anointed and chosen vessel. Following this God commands Moses to place the staff that budded before the testimony in the tent to be kept as a sign for the rebels. 

So, what exactly does the staff that budded represent?  We see this staff mentioned or referred to in at least two other scriptures, Jeremiah 1:11-12 and Hebrews 9:4.  In the first reference God gave Jeremiah a vision wherein he saw an almond rod.  The Hebrew word for almond in Jeremiah 1:11 is shaqed and sounds like the Hebrew word for watching (Hebrew shaqad) which occurs in verse 12.  The almond branch or rod therefore relates to wakefulness and watchfulness.  Consider how this relates to the five virgins who remain in a state of watchfulness before the Lord’s coming in Matthew 25:1-13.

Hebrews gives us more information about Aaron’s rod, saying,

For there was a tabernacle made; the first, in which was the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. And behind the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, in which was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. (Hebrews 9:2-5 KJ2000)

This reference is very important because it tells us that the almond rod relates to the glorification of our natural bodies.  The ark of the covenant and its contents symbolize this mystery in many respects.  First, the ark is made of wood which is of the earth.  God made Man of the dust of the earth.  Trees decay to dust.  So this wood represents man.  Second, pure gold covers the ark.  This speaks of man coming into purity and perfection before God.  Third, within the ark we find three things: 1) the jar of manna showing that we have internalized the bread of life, Jesus; 2) the tablets of the covenant which is the Law of Moses.  This shows that God’s Law has now been written on the overcomer’s heart; and 3) Aaron’s rod that budded which represents that death (our carnal flesh) has put on eternal life.  Over all this sits the mercy seat or seat of atonement which shows that we remain submitted to Christ, our Creator, our perpetual covering.

Now remember the principle, first the natural, then the spiritual.  In our day we have seen the natural rod blossom, bud, and produce its fruit of wickedness.  See Ezekiel 7:10-11.  Following this, according to all God’s patterns, comes divine judgment.  Sometime after the fruition of the evil rod comes the fruition of the Almond Branch.  Let us continue to pray for and intercede for the rebellious as did Moses and Aaron.  Perhaps God will have mercy and only destroy a few in the plagues to come before he glorifies his Almond Branch who will rule with a rod of iron.