“The Courtyard 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. Into this `Courtyard’ only Levites (typical of justified believers) were allowed to come.
The reason we say this condition is only tentative is because not all who profess to be believers (antitypical Levites) attain to all the privileges accounted to such, the vast majority fail to conform their lives to do all that is required of Levites, such coming into the Courtyard condition (the faith justified condition) for a time, but failing to go on and make a consecration, lose their standing as prospective 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, and lasting.”
A square, because all its four angles and four sides are equal, is the symbol for “perfection.” Jehovah, in giving instructions to Moses with regard to the Tabernacle, told him that the altars for burnt-offering and for incense were to be “foursquare.” (Exod 27:1; 30:2) So also was it to be with the “breastplate of judgment” which, when folded (doubled), was to be “foursquare.” (Exod 28:6) And, of course, the basic measurement of the “Most Holy” was also to be “foursquare”—ten by ten cubits, all of these—the altars, the breastplate of judgment, and the basic measurement of the Most Holy—represented “perfection.” The altar of burnt-offering represented the ransom sacrifice; the altar of incense represented the consecrated church in the present sacrificing condition; the breastplate of judgment represented the Divine Law in its two aspects, the “letter” and the “spirit”; and of course anything that had to do with the Most Holy of the Tabernacle represented “glory, honor and immortality.”
By the same token, a rectangle cannot represent “perfection” because although all its angles are equal, its sides are not. It must therefore represent an “imperfect” or “in part” condition, the “perfect” not yet having been attained (See 1 Cor 13:10). For example, the Court condition, which represents justification for the “saint” traveling east to west, is not the ultimate to be attained. The Court itself is a rectangle, not a square. The “saint” next enters the “Holy” which, for him, is the spirit-begotten condition of sanctification. Nor is this yet the ultimate, for the “Holy” is not a square either, but like the Court is also a rectangle. Both the Court and the Holy are “in part” conditions. It is only after the “saint” has passed the “second vail” and entered into the “Most Holy” that he really attains the ultimate condition of glory, honor and immortality—the divine nature. Then that which is “perfect” will have come and that which has been “in part” will be done away. The Most Holy rests upon a square!”
Continued with next post.
