The Golden Pillars

In our previous posts we discussed some of the various requirements necessary for one to pass the second entrance or barrier (the “First Vail”) into the “Holy” of the Tabernacle, the spirit begotten condition, chief amongst which was the sacrifice of our human life rights or restitutional life rights.

These same earthly or human life rights secured through the ransom sacrifice of our Lord will eventually be restored to all mankind in the next age during the “times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21), however presently during the Gospel Age these rights are only given to the select few, those especially called, and only for the special purpose that they might as joint sacrifices with their Lord willingly sacrifice these life rights that they might obtain a heavenly inheritance instead.

NOTE: “There is a difference between offering our sacrifice and presenting ourselves. It is not we, but rather the High Priest who does the sacrificing. Before the High Priest accepts one as a member of his body, he imputes to that one a sufficiency of his merit to give him life-rights. By virtue of being reckoned perfect, one has life-rights, a condition which permits him to be a sacrifice.”

“The Father invites us to come in and be living sacrifices (joint sacrifices) with Christ, partakers of his sufferings (the “Sin-Offering”, “filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ” 1 Pet 4:13; Col 1:24) so that when proven faithful we might be glorified with him, nevertheless with the full understanding that Christ’s one sacrifice, once for all, was sufficient in itself as the ransom-price (the propitiation or atoning sacrifice) for the sins of the whole world, and we as joint sacrificers in no way add to or contribute to this sacrifice. (1 John 2:2).” R4855:5

This joint sacrifice is made “holy and acceptable” through the imputation of the merit of Christ’s righteousness (the “wedding robe”) which we received upon the acceptance of our consecration at the door of the tabernacle. At such a time having been baptized into Christ death (i.e. made participators in his death, Rom 6:3) we figuratively died and were joined to the “one body” (1 Cor 12:12, 13; Eph 4:4), the body of Christ, henceforth we as human beings are no longer recognized in the flesh, but resin anew, new creatures in Christ Jesus. “In view of the sacrifice of the human nature, the gift of God in exchange is, a spiritual nature, and hence the term “new creatures.” R2980:4, 4784:3

And so we see that the dividing line between the earthly (or natural man), the unconsecrated believer, and that of the spiritual (the Anointed or New Creature), the fully consecrated is the “Vail of Consecration” the “door” to the Tabernacle. This distinction between the natural and the spiritual was pictured in the tabernacle by the use of “copper” as used in the courtyard (representing human justification and/or perfection, whether reckoned or actual) and “gold” in the tabernacle itself (representing the spirit begotten condition and/or the spirit born condition).

All of the various golden items used to depict the spirit nature, more specifically the divine nature were kept hidden from the sight to those without both by means of the tabernacle’s coverings and by means of the door to the tabernacle, this included not only the various furnishings, but likewise the very walls themselves as well as the gold covered pillars upon which the two vails were hung.

As was in regards to the posts of the courtyard so too with regards to the pillars of the tabernacle, both represent a distinction between one condition of being and that of another condition of being, those on one side of the curtain wall and those on the other side.

Our new nature (spirit nature, presently merely the new mind) depicted in the gold covered pillars is hidden from the outside world, “hidden in Christ”, behind the “Vail of Consecration” it is not something that can be seen nor appreciated by the “natural man”, regardless of whether he be a believer (in the courtyard condition) or not, it is a mystery which has been hidden in God from the beginning of the ages (Eph 3:9)

We died (figuratively) when through consecration we passed beneath the first vail, not only as individuals, being joined to the “one body”, the one Head, apart from which we have no life, but likewise we died as human beings, as natural men, from hence forth our life has been “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3, 4), we are risen beyond the first vail new creatures in Christ Jesus, spirit beings, although still but in our embryo condition, still residing in these earthen vessels.

The above illustration is an interior view of the Tabernacle taken from the view point of the “Holy” looking back east toward the “door of the Tabernacle”, the First Vail. (This particular illustration excludes the “Tent” i.e. the “Goats Hair Curtain” which would have been be visible through the vents at the top of the First Vail as it hung from its golden hooks.) Contrary to what some tabernacle sites depict there were no “curtain rods” associated with these “hangings” as there were with regards to the courtyard curtains.

“These particular curtains were suspended by way of golden hooks from the pillars which supported them. (Exod. 26:32, 37) There were neither curtain rods nor any other device by way of which the “hangings” could be raised up or pulled to one side. Accordingly, anyone seeking entrance to the areas beyond them had to stoop, as it were, in order to pass “beneath” the respective “hanging.” This, we believe, is significant, inasmuch as it reflects the humbling of one’s self, or the recognition of that which is higher and nobler than the self.”

“The door posts (pillars) at the entrance to the Tabernacle, at the “door” of the “Holy“, were covered by the first “Vail.” They were totally different from the posts in the “Court,” and represented “new creatures in Christ“–the consecrated saints. The difference between these and the posts in the “Court” represents the difference between the condition of the (tentatively) justified believers and the sanctified believers. The consecration to death of a justified man we have seen is the way into the “Holy“, passing through the death of the human will, the fleshly mind, the first vail. Hence these posts should illustrate this change, and so they do; for they were covered with gold, symbolic of the divine nature. Their being set in sockets of copper represented how “we have this treasure [the divine nature] in earthen vessels” (2 Cor 4:7); i.e., our new nature is still based upon, and rests in, our justified humanity (the copper sockets). This, it will be remembered, corresponds exactly with what we found the “Holy“ to symbolize, viz., our place or standing as new creatures, not yet perfected.” (T114)

“From the very start God permits us to count the `treasure’ as ours. True, we do possess it, even though it be merely in an earthen vessel. Yet this possession is really only an `in part’ condition, which will in due time give way to that which is `perfect’—full ownership of the `treasure.’”

“The `Holy’, represented 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 (i.e. the natural man).” Note this applies to both the non-believer in the camp condition as well as the believer residing in the courtyard condition.”

Not fully comprehending these facts has led many students of the Tabernacle to erroneously depict or illustrate the five gold covered pillars upon which the First Vail hung as being placed in front of the First Vail (or in some cases integrated into the very curtain wall itself) rather than behind it as it should be.

You can readily see how prevalent this error is for yourselves by simply doing a quick internet search typing in “Tabernacle” and then clicking on “Images” at the top of the page. Our investigation found very few if any who actually depicted it correctly. This error is not only found prevalent among the majority of both nominal Christian as well as Jewish sites we visited, but likewise was found amongst a few Bible Student materials as well, for example the “Tabernacle Illustrated” (a lesson on the Tabernacle utilizing a small model of the Tabernacle) depicts this common error, as does one of the more recent “Bible Student” tracts published, entitled “Israel’s Tabernacle”.

Now most likely these were simply oversights committed by the authors of such materials, not intended to stumble anyone, nevertheless one would expect the Lord’s children charged with being able ministers of the truth to be a little more careful about what they present, not only in regards to written word, but likewise in regards to any depictions, displays or visual presentations (i.e. charts, graphs, models or displays), which are used in the work of presenting the truth for as the old saying goes, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ thus in presenting something that depicts error one merely contributes to the general confusion which already prevails throughout Christendom, and right now there’s plenty enough of that in Babylon without our unnecessarily adding to it.

Continued with next post.