“The two apartments of the Tabernacle, the `Holy’ and the `Most Holy,’ represent two phases or stages of the new life to which we are begotten by the Holy Spirit.

“The Tabernacle `building,’ with its two parts, represented the two conditions of all who undergo a change of nature from human to spiritual.

The first apartment, the ‘Holy,’ represented the condition of all those who (as Levites— justified believers) have consecrated their human nature to death, that they might become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), having been begotten of the Spirit.

Its second apartment, the `Holy of Holies’, (or “Most Holy”) beyond the `Vail’ of death—represents the condition of the faithful over-comers, who will attain to the divine nature. These, after having completed their consecration in death, will be fully changed, born from the dead by the First Resurrection, to the divine nature and organism.

No human being, be he ever so full of faith, be he washed from every sin, and in God’s sight justified freely from all things and reckoned perfect, can have any place or privilege in the spiritual things represented in the interiors of the Tabernacle and Temple. He cannot even look into spiritual things, in the sense of appreciating them.

But during the Gospel age, such (believers, justified by faith) are `called’ (Rom 12:1) to consecrate and sacrifice their human nature in God’s service, and to inherit instead the spiritual nature—as members of the Body of Christ.

“The fact that all things in the Tabernacle itself 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 (believers) who are consecrated to sacrifice, even unto death, enter the divine conditions represented in the Tabernacle.” (T19, 20)

“The Court and the Tabernacle may properly be viewed from two different standpoints, the one representing the final accomplishment of those things typified and the other representing the tentative accomplishment of those things and the progress toward their full attainment. For instance, not everyone who makes the consecration to death and passes beyond the first vail of consecration, into the holy or spirit-begotten condition will be a priest, and yet only the priests were allowed in the Tabernacle. Those who come into this Tabernacle now by consecration and fail to become priests will fail to keep their standing in this place. They purpose to live up to their consecration, but come short: hence they fail to maintain their standing as priests, but fall back and become Levites.

“Likewise some come into the Court and assay to be antitypical Levites (believers) who do not attain to all the privileges of Levites because they do not conform their lives fully to do all that is required of Levites. Such are reckoned as coming into the Court condition for a time, but failing to go on and make a consecration, lose their standing, the prospective standing of Levites. As it is only a tentative standing, originally, they must come up to certain requirements to make it sure, to make their selection as Levites firm, positive, lasting.” (R4656:2)

“The `Holy’, represents the present condition of those begotten of God through the word of truth. (Jas. 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 vail of consecration, and beyond the intellectual sight of the world AND the unconsecrated believers. These enjoy the inner light of the `golden candlestick,’ (representative of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit) while all others are in `outer darkness’; these eat of the special spiritual food, (the “deep things” of the Word of God as enlightened by the Holy Spirit) represented in the unleavened `bread of presence,’ and offer incense (their prayers and daily sacrifices) at the golden altar, acceptable through Christ Jesus.”

“The `Most Holy’ represents 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 vails—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 vail, who, having entered as our Redeemer, hath consecrated for 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 `Vail’ into the `Most Holy,’ catching glimpses of the glory, honor and immortality beyond the flesh; which hope is an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast, entering into that which is beyond the vail (the second vail). 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 reckoned covered with Christ’s righteousness, we are a step nearer to God, but still human—in the `courtyard condition.’

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 Pet. 2:9)

The steps are clear:

1. By faith in Christ’s ransom-sacrifice, represented in the Brazen Altar, we enter the `Gate’ to the `Courtyard’—the vail of unbelief and sin is passed (This is the “First Step”). This step is one which our Lord Jesus never took, because not being of the 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 vail, or vail 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 (or through the Holy Spirit) 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 `showbread,’ 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. (1 Pet. 2:5)” T20–22

“When having been justified freely by faith in the ransom, they (believers in general) hear the call, `Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, (ransomed, justified and therefore) acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service’ (Rom. 12:1); and when in obedience to that call, they fully consecrate their justified humanity to God, a living sacrifice, side by side with that of Jesus, it is accepted of God; and in that very act the spiritual life is begun . . . From the moment of consecration these are reckoned of God as `new creatures.’ ” (A196)

“Thus all the saints, all the consecrated, are in a `heavenly’ or `holy’ condition now—`seated (at rest and communion) with Christ in (the first of these) heavenly places,’ but not yet entered into the `holiest of all.’ No, another vail must first be passed. As the passing of the preceding vail represented the death of the HUMAN will, so the passing of the second vail represented the death of the HUMAN body; 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. (1 Cor. 15:50, compare John 3:5, 8, 13)” T22

“In seeking for the lessons of the Tabernacle types we should remember that they represent both progress and completion.” We will elaborate in our next post.