Numbers 10:34 tells us that the cloud of Jehovah was over the children of Israel by day when they set out from the camp.
When the ark set out, Moses said, "Arise, O Jehovah, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate You flee before You" (v. 35). We are not the enemies of God or the haters of God; we are His army and His lovers. Judges 5:31 says, "Let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might." Because we love God, we do not flee before Him; rather, we are as the sun going forth in its might. We may be small in number, but we are here as His army and as His lovers.
When the ark rested, Moses said, "Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of thousands of Israel" (Num. 10:36). What does this mean? In studying this verse, we need to realize that sometimes the Old Testament prophets did not know the full meaning of what they were saying. We may apply this principle to Moses' speaking here. It is not likely that, when he uttered this word, Moses was clear that the ark was a type of the incarnated Jehovah. Today we realize that the ark and Jehovah cannot be separated. Moses, however, might have felt that Jehovah was separate from the ark. Thus, when the ark rested, he said, "Return, O Jehovah." This is a logical application of this word spoken by Moses. But there should also be a greater meaning to Moses' word. In order to understand such a word, we need the whole Bible, because sometimes the speaking of the prophets was fulfilled much later.
Numbers 10:35 is quoted in Psalm 68:1. Then in Ephesians 4:8-10 Paul applied this word to the ascension of Christ. Ephesians 4:8 uses the word height. In the quotation of Psalm 68:18, height refers to Mount Zion (Psa. 68:15-16), symbolizing the third heaven, where God dwells (1 Kings 8:30). Psalm 68:1 implies that it was in the ark that God ascended to Mount Zion after the ark had won the victory. A quotation from Numbers 10:35, verse 1 of Psalm 68 indicates that the background of this psalm is God's move in the tabernacle with the ark as its center. Wherever the ark, a type of Christ, went, the victory was won. Eventually this ark ascended triumphantly to the top of Mount Zion. This portrays how Christ won the victory and ascended triumphantly to the heavens. Hence, the rising up in Numbers 10:35 refers to the rising up to the heavens in Christ's ascension.
This being the case, the word return spoken by Moses in verse 36 must refer to the second coming of Christ. If the arising in verse 35 refers to Christ's ascension, then the return in verse 36 must refer to His second coming. Christ left us by His ascension, and He will return to us by His second coming.
From this we see that this word spoken by a great prophet of God should be interpreted by the entire Bible, in particular by Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4. If we put the whole picture together, we will see a full view of God's economy.
God's economy is the Triune God incarnated to be the ark. The ark, therefore, implies the Trinity, Christ's incarnation, and Christ's living in His humanity. How much the ark speaks to us! In Numbers 10 the ark rose up. Moses' understanding might have been that when the ark set out, the God who was somewhat embodied in the ark rose up. However, Psalm 68 applies this rising up to Christ's ascension (see v. 18), as Paul does in Ephesians 4. The application of Numbers 10:35 in Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 indicates that Moses' word in Numbers 10:36 must refer to Christ's second coming. Hence, concerning Moses' word in Numbers 10, there was an application at Moses' time, and there is also an application in God's economical plan.
When God's people went to war, the ark went out to fight. In Psalm 68 the ark went out to battle, and, after winning the victory, it came back to the top of Mount Zion. Paul interpreted this and applied it to Christ, who first descended by being incarnated and by entering into Hades, and who then ascended from Hades to earth in His resurrection and from earth to heaven in His ascension (Eph. 4:9-10). Today Christ is still in the heavens. One day He will return. Therefore, Moses prayed, "Return, O Jehovah." This surely refers to Christ's second coming. This is the way to understand this great word spoken by a great prophet of God. By this we can see a full picture of God's economy, from Christ's incarnation to His second coming.