The Tabernacle Complete

“All the Levites are consecrated to God. But the `more than conquerors,’ are the selected ones, the ones who stand the tests and prove faithful. Such as fail to stand these tests, then, will be rejected from the condition represented in the Holy (and “Most Holy”), which is the `gold’ condition and represents the divine nature.

“Being denied the liberty accorded to the priests, these will go out from this condition and will have merely the standing of justification, which, if they maintain will constitute them worthy of eternal life. But that life will not be human life, because they gave that up in order to become priests. Their failure puts them out of the Holy condition back into the Court condition.

Only the priests will be in the Holy. Only the Levites will be in the Court.

But even the chosen ones, while separated in their minds, will be co-mingling with the others so far as their persons are concerned. The Court, therefore, in its last analysis, represents the spirit-begotten ones as separated from the world. Their vitalized justification is represented by the white raiment and the white curtains which separated them from the Camp. The Great Company class are, therefore, not represented in the Camp, but are attached to the priests. The white linen curtain of the Court was suspended by silver hooks. Thus, this class was represented by the `silver’ as in contradistinction to those who were represented in the `gold’ of the Holy and the Most Holy.” (R4745)

“In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, some appointed to great honor, and some to a less honor.” (2 Tim 2:20)

“Here he says, now in this great house (I’m going to describe the inmates of this house, likened unto vessels), there are vessels of various degrees of use. Your better translation does not say vessels unto dishonor, because God would not have a dishonoring vessel in his house; even we ourselves, by choice, would not have dishes or things that are useless to be put in among the China.”

“It was a law in ancient Israel that they must “bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.” Should the vessel be unclean, it must be rejected as one in “which is no pleasure,” and the offering would not be accepted by the Lord. That same law remains unchanged in the statute book of Christ.” (Isa 66:20)

“For that reason, there, we will say that in this great Master’s house every vessel has its function. He says there’re golden vessels, and there’re silver vessels, wooden vessels, and earthen vessels, all in the Master’s house. Notice the order: the gold, the church, the divine vessels; the great company, the silver vessels, purged as gold and silver—the sons of Levi; then the great earthen trees, the trees of righteousness, the nobles of the earth (the ancient worthies), standing head and shoulder over all mankind as a vessel of great use, but wooden vessels gain their sustenance from the earth for their stability; and then, the earthen vessels, the world of mankind.

God’s great empire embracing the universe and comprising many planets or worlds and various orders of being is likened to a great house.

Thus said Jesus (John 14:2, 3), “In My Father’s house (kingdom) are many mansions [dwelling places, conditions or planes of being or honor]… I go to prepare a place (a position of honor) for you (the Lord’s chosen, the elect, the faithful overcomers who will attain the divine nature).” While there was already in the universe a great variety in creation, various orders of being, there was up to that time no “new creation“; the arrangement had not been completed for the existence of such an order of beings. The Lord Jesus Himself had not yet attained the heights of that glorious Divine nature. His expectation was that in His resurrection He would receive that exaltation: “As the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself” also. He would go away, and during His absence He would “prepare a place” for those who should constitute His Bride and joint-heir; preparations would be made for His followers to be exalted with Him, and He would come again and receive them unto Himself, that where He was, there they should be also.

It should be noted that if this place, this position of honor had not yet been prepared for the Church, then logic dictates that this place is not the same place occupied by the Heavenly Father Himself. The Lord is on the right hand of the Majesty on High, the highest plane or position of honor, the Church is invited to occupy a position (of honor) next to (or lower than) her Lord, the Head of the Church. They will occupy the same plane of existence as their Lord, that where he is they will be, but he nevertheless is still the Head of the body, the Church and retains the highest position of honor. Although the Great Company is part of the “new creation” nevertheless no mention is made of a (new or separate) place being prepared for these it being assumed that they will occupy the same level of honor or plane of existence as that of the angelic hosts.

When therefore the Apostle speaks of various kinds of vessels, some to honor and some to less honor in a “great house,” we may properly have in mind the universe, the marvelous and vast domain over which Jehovah presides. His language specifically declares that there is a variety in His house in which there is a manifestation of the “much diversified wisdom of God.” Disciples of the Lord Jesus realizing their call to glory, their call to membership in the new creation and to be with Him in the place that He has gone to prepare for them, are admonished to give diligent heed to the Father’s word of counsel, His instruction, and to zealously apply that counsel and instruction to the life in such a way that they may make their calling and election sure as vessels unto honor, of a very high and honorable order. There must be cleansing, there must be purging and refining and sanctification of the spirit. “This is the will of God concerning you, even your sanctification.” (The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom, March 1928, Page 43)

Presently the posts within the courtyard typify those who have entered the courtyard or tentatively justified condition through faith in Christ (the entrance curtain), these posts were composed of bare wood thus denoting their mortal or corruptible nature, had they been made of copper or covered in copper this would have indicated that they were perfect human beings as copper is a symbol of human perfection. They did however stand in copper sockets, which teach that although not actually perfect; their standing nevertheless is that of perfect human beings. The white linen curtains which they upheld represent the “Robe of Christ’s righteousness”, which covers or justifies their fallen nature. This curtain was upheld by silver hooks and rods which represent the truth which not only sustains them, sustains their faith and thus their justification, but likewise binds them one to another. As we stated in an earlier post, presently this represents the tentative accomplishment of those things typified and the general progress toward its full attainment.

Now when that which is “in part” has been made “perfect”, reached “the final accomplishment of those things typified”, the posts of the courtyard will no longer represent the tentatively justified as that place or condition of being will have been done away with, ceased to be, henceforth the posts will represent the “Great Company” class, the antitypical Levites.

How is this typified? What has changed?

Actually nothing at all, all the various elements are still there however some have taken on their alternative or additional meanings, take for instance “copper”, copper not only represents human perfection, but also justification. “Silver” likewise has more than one meaning, primarily it represents truth, but it can also represent purity, reality and faithfulness.

So now how are these posts representative of the “Great Company” class?

As gold represents the most highly honored or divine class so silver represents a class of lesser honor, a secondary class who felled to make their calling and election sure, but retain their faith in the Lord and refuse to deny him. Both classes had to be purified even as written, “He (the Lord) will purify the sons of Levi (all the Levites, all the fully consecrated), and purge them as gold and silver.” Two classes, some who are purged (tried and cleansed) are found to be of the gold class, while others (not sufficiently attentive to their consecration) will require further work, a class which must be purged or purified by fire in the great time of trouble soon to come, there they will receive their cleansing in the blood of the Lamb. Mal 3:3; Rev 7:14

As it is written, “Many shall be purified and made white and tried.” Dan 12:10

So the various “silver” items associated with the posts, the silver Chapiters, hooks and rods all represent this secondary class, the antitypical Levites the Great Company, as for the wooden posts, these being bare wood represents their mortality, felling to reach the divine or immortal plane such remain mortal beings howbeit spirit beings, even as angels are mortal beings. And lastly their justification represented in the copper sockets having been vitalized is represented by the white raiment and the white curtains which separated them from the Camp.

“And I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands…” Rev 7:9

“The symbol of the white garment does not cease when the imperfections of the flesh are left behind and the disciple receives the new glorious spiritual body. However, he will no longer need the imputation of Christ’s Righteousness to cover his imperfections. He will have no imperfections. He will be fully perfect, and able to do the Divine Will. But he is still represented as under a robe of righteousness. It is, however, no longer an imputed righteousness. He no longer has “Rags” which need covering; but in the full glory of perfection is able to stand before God in his own righteousness. He is still clothed in white linen. White linen is the righteousness of saints, says the Revelator.”

The palm branches which they held are a symbol of victory or deliverance, thus even these proved overcomers, faithful unto death, but NOT more than overcomers like their more faithful brethren, but nevertheless overcomers.

“Our Master declares that not all who say, Lord! Lord! Shall enter into the Kingdom; so, too, some who say, `Lord, here I consecrate my all,’ promise more than they are willing to perform. They know not what they promise, or what it truly costs in self-denial, to take up the cross daily and to follow in the footsteps of the Master, to `go to him without the camp (to the utter disregard and destruction of the human hopes, etc.) bearing the reproach with him.”—Heb 13:13

“This is a class which, after making consecration and being accepted and spirit begotten, refuses or neglects to `go to him outside the camp bearing his reproach’—even unto death. This class does not repudiate the Redeemer, or `the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified’. As the `scape-goat’ remained tied at the door of the Tabernacle, so these in antitype remain loyal, outwardly, to their consecration, but bound—as the Apostle declares, `who through fear of (this)death (this sacrificial death) were all their life time subject to bondage.’ (Heb 2:15)

“The Lord will `deliver’ these however, but not to the glory, honor and immortality which he will bestow upon the class typing the Lord’s goat. Their deliverance will mean tribulations, which will test their loyalty by forcing them into the `wilderness’ of sorrow, disappointment, separation. (How true! this is) They may suffer just as much tribulation as the Lord’s goat class as they go unto death. The difference is that one class (represented by “gold”) endures willingly, voluntarily, joyfully, while the other (represented by “silver”) endures under compulsion of circumstances; or, failing so to endure, is cut off in the second death.”

“So far as the great company is concerned, God’s permitting them to share in the trouble at the end of this age will be for their own development. Their covenant was unto death; and unless they lose their lives in obedience to the Lord, unless they prove faithful unto death, they will not be worthy of any position on any plane. Hence it will be to their own personal advantage that they suffer in that time. They are said to suffer for the iniquities, the sins and transgressions of the people of the world as the anti-typical scapegoat. (Lev 16:21, 22) Instead of allowing that merit of the great company to go for nothing, the Lord makes a credit of it, as it were, to balance the world’s account for willful sins.” (R5463:6–R5464:1)

Continued with next post.