According to the entire book of Hebrews, the first tabernacle, or the Holy Place, is a type or figure of our soul, whereas the second tabernacle, or the Holy of Holies, is a type of our spirit. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for timely help.” We have seen that the throne of grace is the propitiatory cover upon the ark within the veil. To come forward to the throne of grace is to come forward to the propitiatory cover on the ark in the Holy of Holies. The word about the dividing of soul and spirit in Hebrews 4:12 is related to this: “For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.” When our soul is divided from our spirit, we are at the threshold of the spirit. This means that we are at the threshold of the Holy of Holies within which there is the throne of grace. The soul and the spirit are not two aspects of one thing, but are two distinct matters. The soul is typified by the first tabernacle, and the spirit is signified by the second.
We all need to ask ourselves whether experientially, actually, and practically we live in the soul, the first tabernacle, or in the spirit, the second tabernacle. A certain brother may truly love the Lord and may be burning for the Lord. But to love the Lord and to be burning is one thing, and to be in the Holy of Holies may be an absolutely different thing. There is a great difference between living in the first tabernacle and living in the second. To be sure, these tabernacles were right next to each other. But no matter how close they may be, we should not confuse them. There must be a clear distinction between the old covenant and the new covenant and between the soul and the spirit. However, the Hebrew Christians were not clear regarding this distinction, and for the most part were living in the soul, in the first tabernacle. In like manner, we may be very zealous for the Lord, but nevertheless still be living in the soul, in the first tabernacle. To be in the first tabernacle means that we are actually still living in the old covenant. Furthermore, to remain in the old covenant experientially and practically means that we are still in the Old Testament age. This is the situation of many Christians today. The Catholic Church has confused the New Testament and the Old Testament in the matter of ritual, but many in Pentecostalism have confused the Old Testament and the New Testament in the way of speaking for the Lord. Instead of speaking in the way exemplified by Paul in 1 Corinthians 7, they follow the Old Testament pattern to prophesy by saying, “Thus saith the Lord.” Even many of us in the Lord’s recovery are still living in the first tabernacle and thus are living in the Old Testament age.
As we consider the two tabernacles, we shall see that in the first we do not have God Himself. We may have the enjoyment of the life supply and the shining of the lampstand, but we do not have God Himself. We may feel that we are very close to God. This is true, because He is in the house, the tabernacle, next door. In a very real sense, God is our next-door neighbor. But although He is nearby, in the first tabernacle we do not have God Himself as our enjoyment. Some may find this difficult to understand. They may ask, “When we call on the name of the Lord Jesus, don’t we enjoy the Lord Himself?” This enjoyment, however, may not be the direct enjoyment of the Lord Himself. Yes, in the first tabernacle we have spiritual enjoyment. We have the life supply and the light of life. We are nourished and we are enlightened. This may cause us to feel quite satisfied. We are not hungry, and we are not in darkness. We enjoy the Lord’s nourishment and enlightenment. But this does not mean that we have God Himself or the direct speaking of God. The oracle, God’s speaking, is in the second tabernacle, not in the first. This means that we may have light in the first tabernacle, but may not have God’s direct speaking.
Many believers today are still in the outer court. They have not yet come into the Holy Place. Their experience is limited to the altar and the laver, for they are yet outside the realm of God’s dwelling. Are you still in the outer court with the altar and the laver? Most of the saints in the Lord’s recovery have come into the Holy Place and enjoy the Lord’s nourishment and enlightenment. Although they have not passed through the second veil, they have passed through the first veil. But now we all must realize that next door to the Holy Place there is a place which has something richer and higher. In this place is God Himself.
It is very difficult to explain doctrinally how God can be in the Holy of Holies, but not in the Holy Place. Experientially we know that it is possible to be close to God and experience things of God without experiencing God Himself directly. Many of the Hebrew Christians to whom the Epistle of Hebrews was addressed were very good. They suffered much persecution, including the plundering of their possessions (Heb. 10:32-34). Nevertheless, as Paul points out, they were still in the Holy Place, still in the soul. They had not experienced the dividing of soul and spirit. As a result, they remained in the old covenant. Some even went to the temple to offer sacrifices. Even though they were genuine New Testament believers, experientially they remained in the Old Testament age. The same may be true of some in the Lord’s recovery today. We need to recognize, admit, and confess that even we are not absolutely in the spirit, not absolutely in the Holy of Holies. In a certain sense, we may remain in the Old Testament age. We may enjoy the supply of the Lord and walk in the light of the Lord without being in the Holy of Holies. I do not care to argue this matter doctrinally. I simply wish to testify of what I have learned through years of experience. Experience has taught me that we may enjoy something of the Lord without having direct contact with Him.