Luke: Sending out the 70 or 72
After Jesus sends out the 12 disciples in Luke 9, he then sends 70 disciples out in Luke 10.
Similar to Luke 9, Jesus sends them out without a purse, a bag or sandals.
They report back after this journey and say that ‘even the demons submit to us in Your name’.
70 or 72?
In about 50% of the oldest copies of the Gospel according to Luke, it is recorded that 72 disciples were sent out, not 70.
Most commentators say this is a scribal error which was passed down through subsequent copies. However, the cost of copying anything in ancient times was very expensive. So a scribe who made such a fundamental error could be dismissed from their job.
This discrepancy does help us understand what the symbolic meaning of 70/72 means and also the meaning of the 12 being sent out too.
Septuagint
Most of the time, when the New Testament quotes the Old Testament, it uses the Septuagint.
The Septuagint was a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek from around the 3rd Century BC. When the English translators came to translate the Bible into English, they went to the Jews and used the their Old Testament text. This is called the Masoretic Text. It was compiled around 1000AD and there are some small but significant differences from the Septuagint, especially around the Old Testament verses which prove Jesus is the Messiah.
In the Septuagint, there are 72 nations listed in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10. However in the Masoretic Text, it only lists 70.
This means, it is likely, the copies saying 72 disciples were sent out are referencing the Septuagint. While those scribes used 70 were referencing a different source, the one used to compile the Masoretic Text.
So symbolically speaking, these 70/72 disciples were sent to the nations. This means all the nations will hear the Gospel of Jesus.
Who did the 12 Disciples get sent to?
If the above is correct, then the 12 were sent to the twelve tribes of Israel. Israel is not mentioned in the Table of Nations. God chooses to create Israel to be His own nation, made up of the Children of Israel and the ‘mixed multitude’ who left Egypt with them. This ‘mixed multitude’ were made up of all the nearby nations and probably included some Egyptians.
Elim
If we look at the end of Exodus 15, we see the Children of Israel settle briefly in Elim. They find 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees there.
Palm trees prolifically produce dates. Twelve springs would easily quench any amount of desert-thirst.
Symbolically speaking, the springs connect with the 12 disciples sent out by Jesus and the palm trees connect with the 70.
The Children of Israel and the ‘mixed multitude’ rested at Elim, amongst these springs of water and palm trees. This shows that the Gospel of Jesus is freely available to abundantly feed and water all the nations of the World.