Neville Goddard on Numbers 4:2-20 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Numbers 4 in context

Scripture Focus

2Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,

3From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

4This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:

5And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:

6And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

7And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:

8And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

9And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:

10And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar.

11And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:

12And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar:

13And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:

14And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it.

15And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

16And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

17And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

18Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:

19But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:

20But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

Numbers 4:2-20

Biblical Context

The Kohathites are to serve from age thirty to fifty, handling the most holy things and transporting sanctuary equipment while avoiding direct contact with holy objects; the passage emphasizes careful order and regulation in worship.

Neville's Inner Vision

To me, Numbers 4:2-20 speaks not of priestly partitions alone but of the structure of consciousness. The Kohathites are a state of disciplined attention chosen to guard the most holy things of my inner temple while the life around me moves. The ark of testimony stands for my essential I AM, unchangeable, true, and present, while the coverings, blue cloths and hides, symbolize layers of belief and image I place over my awareness to honor that truth. The instruction that they may not touch what is holy until ready reminds me that I must mature in perception before intruding into sacred states. The moving camp becomes the ongoing drama of my thoughts; the burden of bearing the sanctuary is my commitment to carry the quality of worship where I go, not merely where I sit. The precious tools—lampstand, table of showbread, altar—are the instruments of inner expression, and to cover them with care is to affirm that my inner light is maintained, not flaunted. This is true worship: a steady, reverent order within, through which the presence of the Most Holy becomes a living fact in daily life.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and assume the role of Kohathite inside your inner temple. Imagine carrying the ark of your inner truth, covering it with blue cloths, and feel your awareness maintain sacred order as you move through daily life.