Finally, Korah and the Reubenites Dathan, Abiram and On, along with 250 Israelite chieftains, congregated themselves against Moses and Aaron, saying: “That is enough of you, because the whole assembly are all of them holy and Jehovah is in their midst. Why, then, should you lift yourselves up above the congregation of Jehovah?”​—Num. 16:1-3.

Thus, Korah disregarded the fact that Moses and Aaron had received their appointment from Jehovah, and that the holiness of the congregation depended on obedience to God’s law. It was not a holiness, a pureness or cleanness that they possessed inherently. Korah wrongly maintained that Moses and Aaron had arbitrarily seized a standing above a congregation of equals, wherein each member was holy.

KORAH PERISHES BUT NOT HIS SONS

Moses’ words, however, fell on deaf ears. The next morning Korah with 250 chieftains boldly took their station before the tabernacle entrance in the courtyard, there to offer incense. Jehovah then forcefully demonstrated that only men of the house of Aaron should serve as priests. A fire from Jehovah consumed Korah and the 250 with him.​—Num. 16:35; 26:10.