Publication date
6/1/36
Volume
57
Number
11
Publication page
163
The WatchTower
Priests and Levites
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1936/11/1936-11-3.html
~e 
WATCIHIT0WIER 
AND 
HERALD 
O 
f 
CHR~§T~ 
lPRESENCE 
VOL. 
LVII 
J1J~'l 
1, 
1936 
PRIESTS 
AND 
LEVITES 
~o.l1 
time 
later 
that 
the 
tribe 
of 
Levi 
\Va<.; 
substitutl'd 
by 
Jehovah 
for 
the 
firstbOlIl 
. 
• 
\fter 
the 
exot1u'l 
of 
the 
Jsraelites 
from 
E~ypt 
Aaron 
eontinucd 
to 
i:>cn'e 
as 
~pokesman 
for 
i\Tos(:s, 
(Ex, 
16: 
9,10) 
'rhrn 
.\aron 
was 
put 
in 
C'lJ:lr~(' 
of 
the 
gold('1J 
pot 
of 
manna. 
(Yss. 
3:3,34) 
Still 
later 
.\aron 
alolJe 
aC'('ompanicd 
l\ro~rs 
up 
to 
:\Iount 
Sinai 
at 
the 
~iying 
of 
till' 
law.-Ex. 
I!): 
2·1, 
2;;. 
( 
At 
the 
time 
.:\In,,{s 
and 
Aaron 
\\'ere 
in 
the 
mrJUIl· 
tain 
of 
Sinai 
thLl'e 
were 
then 
prie<,ts 
~('rving 
111(' 
hl'acl· 
Hex, 
but 
they 
hall 
not 
l)('clI 
appointed 
hy 
.JI'JlOvah, 
u<> 
1':11' 
a<.; 
the 
r('ro)'d 
dise1u"cs. 
KOIH' 
of 
those 
pri(,,,t,, 
were 
pl'j'mittcd 
to 
('ollle 
up 
into 
:\!ollnt 
Sinai. 
(Ex. 
]!l: 
2+) 
:-;()/lle 
timp 
latl·t' 
J\arOll 
and 
his 
fOUl' 
~OflS, 
tor(l'1ller 
with 
se\'(·nt~· 
eld('l'" 
of 
the 
r..,raclites, 
\\'01'e 
ill\'it('d 
to 
'('omc 
up 
unto 
thr 
Lord 
ill 
the 
mOlllllain 
and 
w(),."hip 
afar 
oft", 
(Ex. 
24: 
] 
.1·n 
All 
t 
he 
f01(';~l)ill~ 
histori('al 
fa,·ts 
nWlll 
ioned 
took 
placr 
hefore 
.\a 
1'011 
and 
hi" 
SllllS 
\\ 
ere 
~wl('etcd 
for' 
the 
]J1 
irsl 
hood.- 
Ex. 
27: 
2] 
; 
28 
: 
] 
-+, 
'2!) 
~ 
4·1-- 
5 
It 
aPIH'ars, 
therefore, 
that 
.<\al'oll 
was 
ealll'd 
and 
dlO~'('n 
to 
hI' 
the 
hig-h 
prie~l, 
not 
merely 
b('('ause 
he 
was 
a 
LC'vlt(" 
hut 
hecause 
of 
the 
fact 
that 
he 
wa" 
a 
hrother 
of 
:\!oses, 
who 
had 
sllm\ 
n 
his 
faith 
ill 
.Jrh(mJlI 
Cot!. 
:\l08es 
was 
chosell 
hy 
JdlO\'ah 
H'i 
a 
pri('"L 
supe­ 
rior 
to 
Aaron. 
He 
\\as 
also 
a 
prophet, 
boeatl':(' 
of 
hi>:; 
faith 
and 
faithfuhl('''s, 
and 
not 
hecause 
he 
\\'a" 
of 
the 
trihe 
of 
Levi. 
Both 
l\!f)<.;('<.; 
ant! 
.\m'on, 
in 
the 
prrform­ 
um'e 
of 
their 
dutic<; 
to 
whieh 
they 
\\rre 
official]," 
as­ 
signed, 
foreshadow('(1 
Chri"t 
.Jesus, 
the 
great 
1'1'('1>hct 
and 
Priest 
of 
Jehovah. 
It 
And 
l11ave 
given 
the 
Let·ites 
as 
a 
gIft 
to 
Aaron 
lind 
to 
lti.~ 
sons 
from 
among 
tl,e 
children 
of 
lsracl, 
to 
do 
the 
service 
of 
the 
children 
of 
Israel 
in 
the 
tauernacle 
of 
the 
congregation." 
-Nltm. 
8: 
19. 
J 
EnOVAII 
selected 
Anron 
to 
accomp:my 
!lIo<;cs 
to 
B~ypt, 
and 
aftCl'WUl'c]S 
he 
chose 
Ant·on 
to 
minisll:r 
in 
the 
priest's 
office 
as 
the 
high 
priest. 
Pirst 
the 
high 
)lri('st 
was 
chosen, 
and 
tbm 
the 
ulHlerpl'iel-ts. 
Jehoya 
It 
inxlrudcd 
Mo<,cs: 
"And 
take 
thou 
unto 
th~ 
Aarun 
thy 
11I'other, 
and 
his 
sow; 
with 
him, 
from 
amon~ 
thc 
(·hildrl'll 
of 
Israel, 
that 
be 
may 
mini<,ter 
unto 
me 
in 
the 
Jiril':-:t's 
ofliec, 
ewn 
Aaron, 
Na(lal) 
and 
Abilm, 
Elrll7.:tr 
and 
Ithnmar, 
Aaron's 
sons. 
AIlf1 
fur 
Aaron's 
SOilS 
t 
hOll 
shalt 
malw 
(:oat8, 
and 
thou 
shalt 
make 
for 
tlH'1ll 
gil'(lIe", 
nnd 
!JtJllllC'tS 
shalt 
thou 
make 
for 
th('lO, 
for 
gl(I)'y 
and 
for 
IIranty. 
4\nd 
thou 
shalt 
put 
thc'm 
UJion 
Aaron 
thy 
IIrolh('r, 
and 
his 
SOilS 
with 
him; 
and 
shalt 
auoint 
them, 
and 
con"eeratl\ 
them, 
and 
~au('tit)' 
th('m, 
t 
hat 
they 
may 
miuister 
unto 
me 
in 
the 
prirst's 
of/ie·('." 
(Ex. 
28:1,40,'1J) 
Aaron 
was 
a 
Levite.­ 
Ex. 
4: 
1-1:. 
2 
The 
tl'ihe 
of 
l.e\ 
i 
was 
takrn 
hy 
thr 
Lord 
in 
the 
place 
lUll} 
stead 
of 
the 
fil·stbol'll. 
(Num. 
:J:·n) 
After 
the 
seleetioll 
of 
thr 
high 
prie"t 
and 
the 
underpri(·:;ts 
1he 
Levites 
\\'rre 
gin·n 
to 
the 
pl'i('sts 
to 
l)r 
sen'anl<; 
to 
thelll, 
the 
[lril'sts, 
(~um. 
k:]9; 
18:2:3) 
At 
the 
time 
the 
hi~h 
}lrirst 
:lnd 
the 
underprj('sts 
W0rr 
srlected 
to 
be 
M'rvnnts 
of 
Cou 
in 
the 
prirst's 
office 
the 
tribe 
of 
Levi 
WWi 
1I0t 
ewn 
lIIent 
iOlled 
as 
an 
offieial 
tribe 
or 
officidly 
recogniz('(1. 
Latrl' 
the 
tribe 
of 
Levi 
was 
made 
an 
ofiirial 
tribe 
and 
c()ll<.;cernted 
to 
the 
service 
of 
the 
Lord 
Jl'hovah, 
and 
that 
only 
after 
the 
sl'lection 
of 
Aaron 
Hlld 
his 
sons, 
to 
serve 
in 
the 
priest's 
offi('e, 
had 
be<'n 
made. 
3 
\Vhm 
the 
pntriardl 
.J;)('oh 
pronounced 
a 
ble'ising 
LEVITES 
011 
his 
tweh'e 
sons, 
in('luding 
lA'vi, 
there 
was 
no 
prom· 
8 
The 
prirsts 
weJ'e 
se\('('f('(l 
from 
the 
tribe 
of 
Levi, 
ise 
mauc 
to 
Levi 
that 
a 
prie<.;thood 
~hould 
come 
out 
of 
and 
those 
of 
the 
trihe 
of 
J,rvi, 
aside 
from 
the 
prie<,l 
.. 
" 
that 
trihe. 
Nothing 
was 
then 
said 
about 
or 
any 
prom- 
wcre 
given 
~rl'\'i('1' 
to 
thr 
Israrlites 
and 
\\,('I'e 
the 
se1'\'­ 
ise 
mude 
cO!l('crning 
thr 
prirsthood. 
(Gen. 
49: 
5-7) 
ants 
to 
the 
pri(~~lhood. 
utherwi:-.c 
they 
rrndt:r,'d 
a<;"isl­ 
'l'he 
fat 
her 
and 
mothrr 
of 
?Io~,es 
and 
Aaron 
were 
dis- 
allec 
to 
the 
priests 
in 
the 
pl'rforlllanec 
of 
thr 
srniec 
of 
tinguished 
for 
their 
faith 
in 
Jehovah 
rathcr 
than 
for 
the 
Lord 
in 
JSl'flrl. 
Poes 
this 
indicate 
two 
scparate 
and 
the 
fact 
or 
heing 
of 
the 
tribr 
of 
IJevi. 
(Ex. 
2: 
1-10; 
distinct 
ela"ses 
of 
spirit-be~ottf'n 
Olles, 
to 
wit, 
1hc 
6: 
]6-:20) 
They 
were 
('ommended 
for 
their 
faith 
in 
pricsts, 
repre<;clIting' 
the 
"little 
11ock" 
(Luke 
1~: 
3~), 
Jehonth. 
(Heb. 
11: 
2~) 
Aaron 
was 
chosrll 
as 
the 
and, 
second, 
the 
Levite", 
repr('senling 
the 
less 
faitllful 
spokcunall 
or 
"prophd" 
of 
~roses 
to 
appear 
before 
class 
called 
the 
"tribulation 
saint'>" 
and 
oftcn 
rall<d 
Pharaoh 
hecause 
of 
the 
inability 
of 
~ro,>c's 
to 
speak 
the" 
great 
multitude" 
1 
rfhe 
ScriptUl'('<; 
do 
not 
SlIp­ 
fluently. 
(Ex. 
7: 
1, 
2) 
After 
that 
the 
firsthorn 
of 
J~r:lI"l 
port 
that 
('o!wlusioll. 
There 
srcms 
to 
be 
no 
S('1'iptlll'al 
were 
sanctified. 
(Ex. 
12: 
12; 
13: 
1,2) 
It 
was 
some 
support 
for 
tllc 
cOI1<>lu"ion 
that 
the 
trilJc 
of 
Lcyi, 
tlwt 
163 
She WAICrI TOWER AND HERALD OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE Vou. LVII June. 1, 1936 No. 11 PRIESTS AND LEVITES “And I have given the Levites as a gft to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Tsracl, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation.”’—Num, 8:19. EITIOVAIL sclected Aaron to accompany Moses to J Heypt, and afterwards he chose Aaron to minister in the priest's office as the high priest, First the high priest was chosen, and then the underpriests. Jchovah instructed Moses: And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from amony the children of Isracl, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s offiee, even Aaron, Nadab and Abiko, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons, And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and benncts shalt thou make for thei, for glary and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the pricst’s ofiiee.”’ (Ex. 28:1,40,41) Aaron was a Levite— Ex, 4: 14. 2The tribe of Levi was taken by the Lord in the place and stead of the firstborn. (Num. 3:41) After the selection of the high priest and the underpriests the Levites were given to the priests to be servants to them, the priests. (Num. 8:19; 18:23) At the time the high priest and the underpriests were seleeted to be servants of God in the priest’s office the tribe of Levi was not even mentioned as an official tribe or officizlly reeoenized. Later the tribe of Levi was made an official tribe and consecrated to the service of the Lord Jehovah, and that only after the selection of Aaron and his sons, to serve in the priest’s office, had been made. * When the patriarch Jacob pronounced a blessing on his twelve sons, including Levi, there was no promise made to Levi that a priesthood should come out of that tribe. Nothing was then said about or any proemise made eonecrning the priesthood. (Gen, 49: 5-7) The father and mother of Aloses and Aaron were distinguished for their faith in Jehovah rather than for the fect of being of the tribe of Levi. (ix. 2: 1-10; 6: 16-20} They were commended for their faith in Jehovah. (Ifeb. 11:23) Aaron was chosen as the spokesman or ‘‘prophct’’ of Moses to appear before Pharaoh beeause of the inability of Moses to speak fluently. (Ex. 7:1, 2) After that the firstborn of Israel were sanctified. (Ex, 12:12; 18:1,2) It was some 163 time later that the tribe of Levi was substituted by Jehovah for the firstborn. After the exodus of the Israelites from Keypt Aaron continued to serve as spokesman for Moses. (Ix. 16: 9,10) Then Aaron was put in charge of the golden pot of manna. (Vss. 33, 34) Still later Aaron alone aecompanicd Moses up to Mount Sinai at the sivine of the law.—Ex, 19: 24, 20. “At the time Moscs and Aaron were in the moun. tain of Sinai there were then priests serving the Israclites, but they had not been appointed hy Jehovah, as fur as the reeord discloses, None of those priests were permitted to come up into Mount Sinai. (ix. 19:24) Some time later Aaron and his four sons, together with seventy elders of the Israelites, were invited to ‘eume up unto the Lord in the mountain and worship afar off’, (x. 24:1-14) All the forcgoing historical facts mentioned took place before Aaron and his sons were selected for the priesthood.- Fx, 27:21; 28: 1-4, 29; 44. 5Tt appears, therefore, that Aaron was called and chosen to be the high priest, not merely because he was a Levite, but beeause of the fact that he was a hrother of Moses, who had shown his faith in Jchovah God. Moses was chosen by Jchovah as a priest superior to Aaron, JIle was also a prophet, because of his faith and faithfulness, and not because he was of the tribe of Levi. Both Moses and .Aaron, in the performance of their duties to which they were officially assigned, foreshadowed Christ Jesus, the great Prophet and Priest of Jchovah. LEVITES ®The priests were selected from the tribe of Levi, and those of the tribe of Levi, aside from the pricsts, were given service to the Israclites and were the servants to the priesthood. Otherwise they rendered assistanec to the priests in the performance of the service of the Lord in Isracl. Does this indicate two separate and distinct classes of spirit-begotten ones. to wit, the priests, represcuting the “little flock’? (Luke 12:32), and, sceond, the Levites, representing the less faithful class called the ‘‘tribulation saints’’ and often ealled the ‘‘great multitude’? The Seriptures do not support that conelusion. There seems to be no Scriptural support for the conelusion that the tribe of Levi, that

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