“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.
