Numbers 2:32

These [are] those that were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers,.... As the number was taken by Moses and Aaron, assisted by twelve princes of the tribe, who were now constituted captains over them, as so many hosts or armies:

all those that were numbered of the camp throughout their hosts: of the four camps, of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan, throughout the respective tribes or hosts that belonged to each of them,

[were] six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty; 603,550 men, which is exactly the sum total of them, as taken Numbers 1:46. It is a large number, considering in how short a time, and that great part of it a state of bondage, from seventy persons, they rose unto it; but the spiritual Israel of God, consisting of his people of all nations, is a number which no man can number, Revelation 7:9; besides, the number of the sealed ones, of every tribe, Numbers 2:4; Now this encampment of the people of Israel was an emblem of the form and order of the spiritual Israel or church of God, under the Gospel dispensation. Christ in human nature is the tabernacle, who is in the midst of his people by his gracious presence; as the heart and life of the congregation of his saints, in whom they all centre and terminate, and where he sits enthroned as King of saints; and as the Levites encamped in four squadrons next unto the tabernacle, all around it, to these answer the living creatures in Ezekiel 1:5; which design the ministers of the word, who are in the highest place in the church, between Christ and the congregation, and are near to him, to be supplied by him; then encamped the whole body of the people of Israel by their standards, with their ensigns, to whom answer the wheels in Ezekiel 1:15; and the twenty four elders in Revelation 4:4; all which show the church to be militant, and that there is an order in Gospel churches, which makes them both comely and terrible, Song of Solomon 6:4; and may teach every member to abide by his standard, and follow his ensign and ensign bearer, Isaiah 11:10.