Korah, Dathan, and Abiram By God’s appointment these men had been entrusted with special honors. They had been of that number who, with the seventy elders, went up with Moses into the mount and beheld the glory of God. They saw the glorious light which covered the divine form of Christ. The bottom of this cloud was in appearance like the “paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.” These men were in the presence of the glory of the Lord and did eat and drink without being destroyed by the purity and unsurpassed glory that was reflected upon them. But a change had come. A temptation, slight at first, had been harbored; and as it was encouraged it had strengthened until the imagination was controlled by the power of Satan. These men upon the most frivolous pretense ventured upon their work of disaffection. At first they hinted and expressed doubts, which took so readily with many minds that they ventured still further. And being more and more confirmed in their suspicions by a word from one and another, each expressing what he thought of certain things which had come under his notice, these deluded souls really came to believe that they had a zeal for the Lord in the matter and that they would not be excusable unless they carried out to the full their purpose of making Moses see and feel the preposterous position he occupied toward Israel. A little leaven of distrust and of dissension, envy, and jealousy was leavening the camp of Israel. {3T 343.3}

Kora, Datan og Abiram
Ved Guds forordning er disse mænd betroet med særlige æresbevisninger. De har været blandt dem som sammen med halvfjerds ældre, tog op sammen med moses til bjerget og beskuede Guds herlighed. De så det herlige lys som dækkede Kristi guddommelige skikkelse. Den nederste del af denne sky var i sit udseende »ligesom safirfliser, som selve himmelen i stråleglans.« Disse mænd var i nærværelse af Herrens herlighed og spiste og drak uden at blive udslettet af den rene og (344) uovervindelige herlighed som blev genspejlet på dem. Men ændring er kommet. En fristelse, først en lille, er næret; og idet den blev ansporet er den blevet styrket indtil indbildningskraften blev styret af Satans kraft. Disse mænd vovede på det mest betydningsløse påskud at blive oprørske. Først antydede og udtrykte de tvivl, som hurtigt tog fat i så mange mennesker at de vovede at gå endnu længere. Og være mere og mere bestyrket i deres mistanke over hvad hinanden siger. Hver især siger noget om nogle ting, han har bemærket, disse bedragede sjæle kom virkelig til at tro at de nærede iver for Herren i den sag. De havde også den tro at de ikke kunne undskyldes, før de havde arbejdet så hårdt, at Moses kunne "ses" og mærke den urimelige position han havde over for Israel. En smugle surdej af mistillid og af splid, misundelse og skinsyge gennemsyrede Israels lejr.