Numbers 16:48

48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague ceased.

Numbers 16:48 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:48

And he stood between the dead and the living
The plague beginning at one end of the camp, and so proceeded on, Aaron placed himself between that part of it wherein it had made havoc, and that wherein yet it was not come; the Targum of Jonathan is,

``he stood in prayer in the middle, and made a partition, with his censer, between the dead and living;''

in this he was a type of Christ, the Mediator between God and man, the living God and dead sinners; for though his atonement and intercession are not made for the dead in a corporeal sense, nor for those who have sinned, and sin unto death, the unpardonable sin, nor for men appointed unto death, but for the living in Jerusalem, or for those who are written in the Lamb's book of life; yet for those who are dead in sin, and as deserving of eternal death as others, whereby they are saved from everlasting ruin:

and the plague was stayed;
it proceeded no further than where Aaron stood and offered his incense, and made atonement: so the consequence of the atonement and intercession of Christ is, that the wrath of God sin deserves comes not upon those that have a share therein, the second death shall not seize upon them, nor they be hurt with it; for, being justified by the blood of Christ, and atonement for their sins being made by his sacrifice, they are saved from wrath to come.

Numbers 16:48 In-Context

46 And Moses said to Aaron, Take a censer, and put on it fire from the altar, and put incense on it, and carry it away quickly into the camp, and make atonement for them; for wrath is gone forth from the presence of the Lord, it has begun to destroy the people.

47 And Aaron took as Moses spoke to him, and ran among the congregation, for already the plague had begun among the people; and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague ceased.

49 And they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those that died on account of Core.

50 And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of witness, and the plague ceased.