The believers enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity in the divine transformation for the divine conformation not only by entering into the Holy of Holies but also by following Jesus.
After indicating by what kind of death Peter would glorify God, the Lord Jesus said to him, “Follow Me!” (John 21:19). We all must follow the Lord as the indwelling One. The “Me” whom we are to follow is in us. As John 21:18 indicates, we must not follow the Lord by our own will but according to His leading. Our following Him even unto death is to glorify God. Furthermore, we must follow Him without paying attention to others. After the Lord told Peter to follow Him, Peter turned to John and said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” (v. 21). To this, the Lord replied, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” (v. 22). The Lord was telling Peter that what would happen to John was none of his business and that he had to follow Him.
Hebrews 13:13 indicates that the believers are to follow Jesus outside the camp: “Let us therefore go forth unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Both in the book of Hebrews and in typology the camp signifies the organization of religion, which is human and earthly. To go outside the camp means to go outside the human organization of religion. Whereas the camp signifies the human organization, the city (v. 14) signifies the earthly realm. In the book of Hebrews both the gate (v. 12) and the camp signify the Jewish religion with its two aspects, the earthly and the human. Judaism is both earthly and human. Every religion is both a human organization and an earthly realm which keeps people from God’s New Testament economy. Any religion-Judaism, Catholicism, or Protestantism- which has rejected the Lord is a camp, a human organization, given up by Him.
The book of Hebrews instructs and charges us to come forward to the Holy of Holies and to enter within the veil. The way into the Holy of Holies, a new and living way, has been slain. First, this book ushers us into the Holy of Holies and then directs us to go outside the camp. According to our concept, we first go outside the camp and then enter within the veil. But according to God’s understanding, we first enter within the veil and only then can we go outside the camp. Everyone who has gone outside the camp has first experienced what is within the veil. No one has first gone outside the camp and then entered within the veil. Although the Lord Jesus first went outside the gate and then entered within the veil, it is exactly the opposite with us. In other words, first we enter into the Holy of Holies, where we are strengthened and encouraged to go outside the camp, and then we go out of the organization of religion. The more we enter within the veil, the more we go outside the camp.
In the book of Hebrews the phrases “within the veil” and “outside the camp” are crucial and very meaningful. On the one hand, we enjoy Christ within the veil; on the other hand, we follow Jesus outside the camp. The goal and ultimate conclusion of this book is that we all would enter within the veil and then go outside the camp.
Hebrews 13:13 indicates that as we follow Jesus outside the camp, we bear His reproach. To be within the veil is to enter into the Holy of Holies where the Lord is enthroned in glory, and to go outside the camp is to come out of religion, whence the Lord was cast out in rejection. This signifies that we must be in our spirit, where, experientially speaking, the practical Holy of Holies is today, and outside religion, where the practical camp is today. The more we are in our spirit enjoying the heavenly Christ, the more we shall be outside religion following the suffering Jesus. To be in our spirit to enjoy the glorified Christ enables us to come outside religion to follow the rejected Jesus. The more we contact the heavenly Christ in His glory in our spirit, the more we shall go to the lowly Jesus in His suffering outside religion. To contact Christ in the heavens, enjoying His glorification, energizes us to take the narrow pathway of the cross on earth and to bear His reproach.
The book of Hebrews first gives us a clear vision of the heavenly Christ and the heavenly Holy of Holies, and then it shows us how to walk the pathway of the cross on earth, that is, to go forth unto Jesus outside the camp, outside religion, bearing His reproach. To go forth unto Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach, is to take the pathway of the cross.
When we enter within the veil by getting into our spirit, we taste the sweetness of the heavenly Christ that we may be enabled to go outside the camp, forsaking the earth and its love. As we stay within the veil, we also have our spirit filled with the glory of the heavenly Christ that our heart may be freed from the possession of earth’s enjoyment outside the camp. Furthermore, within the veil we behold the glorified Christ that we may be attracted to follow the suffering Jesus outside the camp. Beholding His countenance in heaven enables us to trace His footsteps on earth. As we enter within the veil, we are infused with resurrection power (Phil. 3:10) that we may be empowered to walk the pathway of the cross outside the camp. We also participate in the ministry of the heavenly Christ that we may be equipped to minister Him to the thirsty spirits outside the camp. Here we enjoy the Lord’s best that we may be enriched to meet the needs of people outside the camp.
The Holy of Holies, the pathway of the cross (signified by going forth unto Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach), and the kingdom are three crucial matters set forth in the book of Hebrews. The Holy of Holies enables us to take the pathway of the cross, and the pathway of the cross ushers us into the kingdom in its manifestation.
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