# 23~ TWENTY FOUR & FIVE ~ BIBLE NUMBER MEANINGS~ 3-31-12
TWENTY-FOUR is the number that denotes the PRIESTHOOD, it is found in our KJ Bible NINE times, twice in the O.T. and seven in the N.T. as; "FOUR AND TWENTY".
Both Moses and David ordered all things connected with the Tabernacle and Temple worship by the direct revelation from God, as a copy of things in the heavens.
* For those listening that might not know, the Tabernacle was the portable place of
worship for Israel during their wilderness journey.
When God brought Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness, He set up a system of worship which centered around the Tabernacle-a portable Temple-a large tent with an enclosing wall of curtains. The Levites were trained to erect, dismantle and carry the Tabernacle from place to place. The design of the Tabernacle was given to Moses by God at Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:8), and it was constructed by the skilled craftsmen of Israel.
Both priests and Levites sprang from a common ancestor. They traced their lineage back to Levi, head of one of the original twelve tribes of Israel. But these two offices were different in that the priests were a specific branch of Levites that descended through Aaron. The priests and Levites were all descendants of Levi in general, but they performed different duties as to do with the Tabernacle.
Priests officiated at worship by offering various offerings and by leading the people to confess their sins.
The Levites were assistants to the priests. They took care of the Tabernacle as well as the Temple later on, and the Levites performed all other tasks, such as providing music, serving as doorkeepers, and preparing sacrifices for offering by the priests.
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* If you’ll recall, John the Baptist Dad Zechariah was a priest:
Luke 1:5 & 8 - 9 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia:
* Course of Abijah is one of the several divisions of Jewish priests.
From the days of David, the priesthood was organized into TWENTY FOUR divisions (1 Chr. 24:1--19). This was done partly because of the large number of priests, and thus providing each division an eight-day service twice each year.
The course of Abia: was the eighth division, and one of only four divisions which returned from the Babylonian captivity.
8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, (the course of Abia)
9According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. -- It had been predetermined by LOT to go into the Lord’s temple that day and to burn incense.
To draw lots, means to determine an event by drawing a previously designated object to determine a person’s job appointment or specific job.
And as we’re told in Lk.1:9 to do with the priest Zacharias,-- his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.--
Priests and Levites were designated by drawing lots, for sanctuary service, 1 Chr. 24:5-31; 26:13; Neh. 10:34; Luke 1:9.
Let us not get the idea that this was some sort or method of gambling, no one was going to gain or lose anything of personal value, but because of the great number of preists and Levites this was a practicle and egually honest way to do it.
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In Exodus 40: we find the sevenfold phrase "as the LORD commanded Moses" witnesses to the divine ordering of all to do with the place of worship, the Tabernacle.
It was so with the twenty-four courses of priests in the earthly Temple as well; these were formed on the "pattern of things in the heavens."
Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith HE, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
In I st. Chronicles 24:1-18, David is found there distributing the priesthood among TWENTY-FOUR of the descendants of Aaron.
__REMEMBER, Aaron and Moses’ were brothers, Aaron was 3 years older than Moses, they were of the tribe of LEVI, all priest were Levites__
Aaron had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
On their very first day of service, after their seven-day consecration, Nadab and Abihu, the two oldest sons of Aaron (Ex. 6:23), were slain in the court of the tabernacle.
It probably was because they put hot coals in their censers which were not from the altar of burnt offering.
Leviticus 10:1-2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
After Nadab and Abihu died they had left no children, Aaron had two sons left, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Among the sons of Eleazar there were SIXTEEN chief men, and of the sons of Ithamar there were EIGHT chief men, making TWENTY-FOUR (David made these to be governors of the "sanctuary". (TABERNACLE)
Notice that Eleazar had SIXTEEN sons and Ithamar had EIGHT. These numbers stand for LOVE and the NEW BIRTH.
To rightly intercede for others we need to have LOVE toward God, and toward the ones for whom we are interceding for, and we must also be BORN AGAIN.
Christ is our High Priest. His people are eternally secure because He intercedes for them every hour (twenty-four) of the day and night.
God said in Psalm 121:4-8 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
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Revelation 4:4 And round the throne were FOUR and TWENTY seats: and upon the seats I saw FOUR and TWENTY elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
The identity of the 24 elders can be established from observing the description. They are clothed in white, indicating purity; seated on thrones, suggesting responsibility and status; crowned with victors’ crowns of gold; and they themselves bear witness that they have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and, therefore, constitute a kingdom of priests
Their seats or thrones show a reward of authority in the millennial kingdom.
Old Testament saints and the Tribulation Martyrs are not yet included, since they will not be resurrected and rewarded until after the Tribulation period. Rev.20:4
Therefore these TWENTY-FOUR Elders in Revelation 4: is speaking of the CHURCH, just after the rapture.
Later these TWENTY FOUR elders, together with the FOUR beasts (or living creatures in chapters 4 & 5) are singing that "Christ has redeemed them by His blood from every (1) kindred, (2) tongue, (3) people, and (4) nation; and has made them unto God kings and PRIESTS; and they shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10)
A priest is one who intercedes for another.
There are TWENTY FOUR hours in a day and night. -- You and I pray for others every day who don’t necessarily have to be sinners, in that regard we are priest, we’re interceding for others.
Sinful man needs a priest every hour of his life. JESUS is the HIGH PRIEST; He’s seated at the right hand of the FATHER INTERCEDEING FOR US NOW. He’s the Only Mediator today. People today should never confess their sins to some man that claims to be a priest, who is really a sinner himself.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; -
We pray too the Father in Jesus name, the Father hears our prayers for Jesus sake.
Ephesians 4:32-- even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
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* Before there was every a priesthood declared, Job was a priest.
Job continually made offerings for his children and prayed for them.
Job 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Godly fathers and mothers are interceding for their children when they might be off some place that they have no business being at.
I remember hearing Brother Oliver Green on his radio program telling about his sister praying for him when he’d be off doing ungodly things, and her prayer was answered, he became one of the great preachers of our day, he passed away back in the 70’s but his radio minister is still on the air. He was from Greenville S.C.
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* Now let’s look for a few minutes at the number TWENTY FIVE:
The number TWENTY FIVE stands for "THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"
It is found in our KJ Bible thirty one times, as TWENTY AND FIVE.
Moses prayed for God to forgive the sins of Israel, and not to blot out that nation. He prayed, Numbers 14:13-19 "Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now--Then God said to Moses, "I have pardoned according to my Word." (Vs 20)
This forgiveness took place as the result of the INTERCESSION of Moses, and because of God’s mercy, & GRACE. It followed the intercessory work of Moses. TWENTY-FOUR stands for the believer’s priesthood. TWENTY-FIVE is the next number after TWENTY-FOUR. Forgiveness of sins follows intercession. Paul prayed for Israel that they might be saved.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.
The number TWENTY-FIVE is connected with a pardon for Jehoiachin, King of Judah. Jeremiah 52:31-32 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon (son of Nebuchadnezzar) in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, (looked upon with favor) and brought him forth out of prison, 32And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,-
Jeremiah states that Jehoiachin’s prison garments were changed, and that he did eat bread before him all the days of his life.
vs. 33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
Here is a picture of a pardoned sinner. This happened on the TWENTY-FIFTH day of the 12th month. (ADAR -Feb. or Mar.) A picture of Christ, who forgives our sins, changes our garments and feeds us on the bread of life all of our days.
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption (20) through his blood, the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, according to the riches of His GRACE (5). TWENTY FIVE.
This verse contains REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS OF SINS, and GRACE. --- (TWENTY) has been found to be the number for REDEMPTION and (FIVE) the number of GRACE. When, these two numbers are added it gives us TWENTY-FIVE for FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
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The Levites were TWENTY-FIVE years old when they began their service at the TABERNACLE.
Numbers 8:24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
No one is ready to do service for God until our SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. From that time onward we can serve Him.
