‘Then the tent of meeting shall set forward, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place, by their standards (or ‘in their ranks').'
Once the two powerful groups had gone forward the Levites would go forward after them, carrying the Tent of Meeting and its furniture. The Ark, however, would have gone forward with the leading group (10:33-36), once the cloud had indicated that it was time to move (Numbers 9:15-23). The Ark was the symbol of the God of battle, God active on their behalf, the guarantee against dangers ahead. The Tent of Meeting was Yahweh's earthly Dwellingplace while at rest, but would be folded up while on the march. Concentration would then be on the Ark in its blue (heavenly) covering.