A Comparison between the Great Pyramid and the Tabernacle, continued

As stated in our last post, the Golden Lampstand represents the complete Church from its Head, Jesus to and including the last members of the “Little Flock” whom he is taking out from among men to be partakers of the divine (Gold) nature. As our Lord so stated: the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches’ (Rev 1:20) The Church whose seven stages or developments were symbolized by the seven congregations of Asia Minor (Rev 1:11). Yes; that lampstand represented the entire church of the First Born, not the nominal, but the true Church. The form of its workmanship was beautiful—a fruit and a flower, following successively—representing the true Church as both beautiful and fruitful from first to last.

Located at the top of each branch was a lamp in the shape of an almond. A peculiarity about the almond tree is that the fruit-buds appear before the leaves. So with the `Royal Priesthood:’ they sacrifice or begin to bring forth fruit before the leaves of professions are seen. (The leaves of profession cannot come first.)

“The light from this lamp was of olive oil was, `beaten,’ or refined; and the lamps were always kept lit.

THE FOLLOWING POINT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND: This oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and its light represented holy enlightenment—the spirit of the truth.

Its light was for the benefit of the priests alone, for NO others were permitted to see it, or to proffer from its light.

Thus was represented the spirit or mind of God given to enlighten the Church, in the deep things of God, which are entirely hidden from the natural man (1 Cor 2:14), even though he be a believer—a justified individual (residing in the “courtyard condition”). None but the truly consecrated, the `Royal Priesthood,’ are permitted to see into this deeper light, hidden within the Tabernacle in the `Holy.’

“The priests (the fully consecrated believer, the Lord’s anointed) always have access to the “Holy”; it is their right and privilege; it was intended for them and them alone (Heb 9:6), whereas in contrast the Levites (representative of the un-consecrated believer those residing in the “courtyard condition”) were forbidden to even attempt to look upon the holy things contained within the Tabernacle, upon penalty of death.

So you see through the strict enforcement of the type, (in this case the death sentence appointed for violators), the Lord assured the antitype, (the substance or reality, which he intended to emphasize), that it is forbidden (nay impossible) for one abiding in the “courtyard condition” even though he be a believer to see, to look upon (to comprehend) the things hidden in the “Holy or spirit begotten condition”.

The reason being is that the Vail of human-mindedness (the natural mind, with its various limits both in conception and understanding) comes between them and the sacred things; the only way of access being to fully consecrate and sacrifice wholly the human will (mind) and nature.”

No ordinary Israelite (typical of the non-believer in the worldly or “camp condition”), nor any ordinary Levite (tentatively speaking, the believer in the “courtyard condition”), ever saw the lighted Lampstand. Even when the Camp traveled, it was covered (Num 4:9, 10) so as not to be visible to the people.

Thus the teachings of the Scriptures as exemplified in the Tabernacle picture wholly contradict those of the church nominal (the professing church), who erroneously teach that all believers in Christ, whether they be fully consecrated or not are granted the Holy Spirits enlightenment, this however is not true, only those who have passed beyond the First Vail, who have entered into covenant relationship with the Father, a “covenant by sacrifice” Psa 50:5, and who have subsequently entered the “Holy” are privileged to receive of the light of the Golden Lamp-Stand, THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

It is worthy of note that the Word of God, the Truth (the Bible), is represented in both the Laver in the Courtyard, and in the Golden Lampstand in the Holy, The difference? The Laver was made of polished copper (Exod 30:18; 38:8) and contained water for the cleansing of the priesthood (the Levites) that served the Tabernacle (R2671:5), whereas the Lampstand was made of beaten gold (Exod 25:31; 37:17) and its lamps contained oil for the enlightenment of those (the Priests) who served within the Tabernacle.

There is however a corresponding difference with regard to the particular aspects of the Truth, reflected in these two pieces of furniture, respectively. The one in the Court—the Laver, made of copper—bespeaks the basic elements of the Truth, never hidden from those of humankind who would “see” (comprehend) the perfections of the man Christ Jesus; and in so doing see their own need of cleansing, ere they would be able to follow in His footsteps into the Sanctuaries of God.

The elementary or basic aspects of the Truth are such as the Apostle Paul designates the “first principles of the oracles of God”—the “milk” of the Word. (Heb 5:12, 13) These involve repentance from dead works, faith toward God, baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment (Heb 6:1,2), all of which center in the ransom sacrifice of the man Christ Jesus; and where there is faith there is a consequent justification. The Laver stood in the Court. It is by or through means of these elementary truths, these first principle doctrines, the “milk of the word” that we as prospective members of the bride of Christ have come to be sanctified, begotten of the Spirit.

“The Laver which stood in the Court full of water, at which the priests washed their hands and feet…, is a symbol of the cleansing effect of the truth upon the outward conduct of believers in general. It symbolizes the putting aside of filthy practices—lying, stealing, etc., and the putting away of filthy communications out of our mouths—slanders, envy, strife, backbiting, etc., a cleansing as proper for the natural man as for the consecrated saints.” (R1543:6)

On the other hand, the Lampstand, made of beaten gold, bespeaks of the deeper, diviner elements of the Truth, to those only who by consecration of their justified all’s unto the Lord have “died” to their human hopes, interests and ambitions, and, as sanctified and anointed “priests,” are now in the light of the Golden Lampstand…”

The deeper aspects of the Truth are such as the Apostle Paul designated “Strong meat” (Heb 5:14), and involve membership in the (royal) priesthood with a recognition of Christ Jesus as the High Priest (Heb 3:1), membership in the “Seed of Abraham” (Heb 6:12–17; Gal 3:29), membership in the “body of Christ” (1 Cor 12:13), the sharing of Jesus’ cup in a communion of saints (1 Cor 10:16), and the hope of glorification with Jesus (Heb 6:12,19) which belongs only to the predestined, foreordained respondents to the high calling (Rom 8:24,29; Phil 3:14; Heb 3:1). Thus does this deeper aspect of the Truth involve sanctification (a setting apart) by God’s Holy Spirit.

Continued with next post.