Steps to Glory As Shown "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."—John 14:6 Excerpted from "Tabernacle Shadows of Better Sacrifices," pp. 20-23 The fact that all things in the Tabernacle were made of gold, representative of the divine nature, implies that it represented the condition of such only as are called to the divine nature. Only those of the Levites who were consecrated to the work of sacrificing (the priests) had access to the Tabernacle; so only those of the household of faith who are consecrated to sacrifice, even unto death, enter the divine conditions represented in the Tabernacle. The "Court," the justified human condition, is entered by faith only; but while we must retain the faith that justifies, we must do more, if we would experience a change of nature and become "new creatures," "partakers of the heavenly calling," to be "partakers of the divine nature." Entering the "Holy," therefore, implies our full consecration to the Lord’s service, our begetting of the spirit and our start in the race for the prize of the divine nature—the terms of which are, faithfulness to our vow, crucifying the justified flesh, presenting our human wills and bodies living sacrifices to God; no longer to seek human pleasure, honor, praise, etc., but to be dead to these and alive to the heavenly impulses. Yet, into this condition, also, we still come through Christ Jesus our Lord, who not only opened for us the "Gate" of justification through faith in his blood, but who also opened the "Door" (the first veil) into the Tabernacle, "a new way of life," as spirit beings, through and beyond the second veil, by the sacrifice of our justified flesh. Hence the two apartments of the Tabernacle, the "Holy" and the "Most Holy," represented two phases or stages of the new life to which we are begotten by the holy Spirit. The "Holy" represented the present condition of those begotten of God through the Word of Truth (James 1:18). These, as heavenly minded "new creatures," though still "in the flesh," have their real (inner) life and walk with God within the first veil of consecration, and beyond the intellectual sight of the world and the unconsecrated believers. These enjoy the inner light of the "golden candlestick," while others are in "outer darkness"; these eat of special spiritual food, represented in the unleavened "bread of presence," and offer incense at the golden altar, acceptable through Christ Jesus. The "Most Holy" represented the perfected condition of those new creatures who, faithful unto death, gain the great prize of our high calling through a share in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6). Then, beyond both veils—the fleshly mind and the fleshly body—they will possess glorious spiritual bodies as well as spiritual minds. They will be like their Leader and Forerunner beyond the veil, who, having entered as our Redeemer, hath consecrated us this new and living way—or new way of life (Heb. 10:20; 1 John 3:2). The spiritual-minded creature in the "Holy" by faith looks forward through the rent "Veil" into the "Most Holy," catching glimpses of the glory, honor and immortality beyond the flesh; which hope is as an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast, entering into that which is beyond the veil (Heb. 6:19; 10:20). We see, then, that justification by faith, our first step toward holiness, brings us into a condition of "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). When our sins are forgiven, or reckonedly covered with Christ’s righteousness, we are a step nearer to God, but still human —in the "Court." If we would attain the prize of the high calling which is of God in Christ Jesus, and enter through the "Holy" into the "Most Holy," we must follow In the Footsteps of Jesus, our Leader and Head—"the High Priest of our profession" [i.e., the High Priest of our order of priesthood] the "royal priesthood" (Heb. 3:1; 1 Peter 2:9)— (1) By faith in Christ’s ransom-sacrifice, represented in the Brazen Altar, we enter the "Gate" to the "Court"—the veil of unbelief and sin is passed. This step is one which our Lord Jesus never took, because not being of Adamic stock, but holy, harmless, separate from sinners, he never was outside the Court condition. (2) Renouncing our justified human wills, and all our human aspirations and hopes, we pass the first veil, or veil of human-mindedness —counting the human will as dead; henceforth consulting not it, but the will of God only. We now find ourselves as "new creatures" in the "Holy"—in the first of the "Heavenlies" or Holies (Eph. 2:6—Diaglott), and begin to be enlightened by the "Golden Candlestick" (God’s Word) respecting spiritual things—"the deep things of God," and to be refreshed and strengthened daily with the truth, as represented in the "shew-bread," lawful for only the Priests to eat. (Matt. 12:4) And thus enlightened and strengthened, we should daily offer up sacrifices at the "Golden Altar," acceptable to God through Jesus Christ—a sweet perfume to our Father (1Peter 2:5). Thus all the saints, all the consecrated, are in a "heavenly" or "holy" condition now— "seated [at rest and in communion] with Christ in [the first of these] heavenly places," but not yet entered into the "holiest of all." No, another veil must first be passed. As the passing of the preceding veil represented the death of the HUMAN will, so the passing of the second veil represented the death of the HUMAN body; and both are requisite to complete our "sacrifice." Both fleshly mind and fleshly body must be left behind before we can enter into the "holiest of all"—perfected as partakers of the divine nature and its spirit conditions: for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1Cor. 15:50). Compare John 3:5, 8, 13. |