The court of the tabernacle was a hundred cubits long. These hundred cubits were divided into twenty sections by twenty pillars. Thus, regarding the length of the outer court, we have the numbers one hundred, twenty, and five, five coming from a hundred divided by twenty. In the Bible, five is the number of responsibility. One hundred cubits means twenty times responsibility. The width of the outer court was fifty cubits, divided by ten pillars into ten sections measuring five cubits each.
The outer court was a rectangle with the length, one hundred cubits, twice the measurement of the width, fifty cubits. The total area was half a hundred-cubit square. Half a square indicates that another half is coming. (The dimensions of the ark were also in half units.) The New Jerusalem will not be a rectangle. It will be a square, for in eternity everything will have been fulfilled. But now everything has not been fulfilled. There is still something to come. The rectangular area of the outer court testifies of this. This indicates that two halves are needed to make a whole, but we have just one half and are awaiting the second half. This means that what we have now is a testimony of the whole.
With the outer court of the tabernacle, there was a total of sixty sections, twenty sections on each of the two sides and ten sections at each end. Sixty is half of one hundred twenty, just as six is half of twelve. In the New Jerusalem there will not be the number six. Instead, the number twelve will be there: twelve foundations, twelve gates, twelve pearls, twelve months, twelve fruits. The number six is the number of man, for man was created on the sixth day. Furthermore, the number of the coming Antichrist will be six hundred sixty-six.
How is it possible for man, the number six, to become the righteousness of God? In answering this question, 2 Corinthians 5:21 is a crucial verse: “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf, that we might become God’s righteousness in Him.” This verse does not say that we shall become the holiness of God or the glory of God; it says that we shall become the righteousness of God. The new covenant ministry ministers the processed Triune God as the life-giving Spirit into us so that a certain condition may result. This condition is righteousness.
The hangings for the outer court were made of fine linen, signifying the righteousness of God. The linen hung on the pillars, and the pillars stood in the sockets. From a distance, a person would see linen. When he entered, he would see the altar of burnt offerings. This altar, made of bronze, was quite large, five cubits in length and width and three cubits in height. The bronze overlaying the altar came from the censers of two hundred and fifty of the children of Israel who were judged by God. Thus, an Israelite looking at the altar would immediately be reminded of God’s righteous judgment. Both the pillars and the sockets in the outer court were also made of bronze (27:10).
The fact that the white linen hung on pillars of bronze indicates that the righteousness of God comes out of God’s judgment. From the outside, the main thing we see is linen. But when we come inside the court, the most striking thing is bronze: the bronze altar, the bronze pillars, the bronze sockets—all signifying the righteous judgment of God. This indicates that the righteous judgment of God issues in His righteousness.
When viewed as a whole, the outer court shows that everything is under God’s judgment. But whatever is judged by God becomes righteous. In the church life, everything must be under God’s judgment: our nature, our actions, our words. If we are not under the judgment of God, we cannot be right with anyone. If you would be right with your parents, you need to be under God’s judgment. If you would be right with your husband or wife, you must also be under God’s judgment. Our righteousness, our white linen, must hang on pillars of bronze.
We are the number six, the number of fallen man. Whatever we are, whatever we do, whatever we say, and whatever we have are all the number six, under God’s condemnation. Everything related to us must be judged. Whether we have a good temperament or a bad one, that temperament must be judged because we are fallen. Those who are proud and also those who are humble need to be judged. No matter what kind of person we may be, we need to be judged. Those who are obedient and those who are disobedient must all be judged.
If we try to justify ourselves, we shall have difficulties. Those who cause trouble in the church life are those who justify themselves. Instead of justifying ourselves, we need to place ourselves under God’s judgment. If we do this, we shall not have problems with others. If we are under the judgment of God, we shall not have problems with our parents, with our wife or husband, with our children, or with the saints in the church. Then wherever we may be, we shall not have problems in the church life. But if we are not under God’s judgment, then wherever we may be in the church life, we shall have difficulties. Wherever we go, we shall trouble the church. If we are talkative, we shall cause trouble, and if we are quiet, we shall cause trouble. Likewise, we shall cause trouble whether we are a quick person or a slow one, proud or humble. Thus, we must be under God’s judgment in order to have the white linen. The linen hangs only on the judgment of God.
How can today’s Christians have white linen if they do not experience God’s judgment? This is impossible. What, then, about the church? The church, including all of us, must be judged. We should not judge anyone else; it is we ourselves who need to be judged. Once again I say that the existence of the white linen depends on God’s judgment. The linen must hang on bronze pillars set in bronze sockets.
I can testify that I have experienced God’s judgment upon my talking to the saints. Sometimes, after speaking with others, I was judged by God for speaking in a natural way, or with an attitude that was not altogether pure. Then I decided to be quiet and not say anything. However, when I tried to be quiet, I was judged for my quietness, for my silence was natural. At a certain point I should have said something, and I was judged for not doing so. Therefore, whether I spoke or was quiet in the natural life, I experienced God’s judgment. I mention this to point out that God’s judgment is not a mere teaching; it is very experiential.
It is not a simple matter to be righteous. Being righteous depends on God’s judgment. Consider again the picture of the white linen hanging on the bronze in the outer court. Without the bronze, there would be no place for the linen. It simply could not exist. The significance of this is that without God’s judgment, we cannot have righteousness. If we are not judged by God, we cannot be right with anyone. We can only be wrong, for we are the fallen number six.
God’s dwelling place must be in a sphere of righteousness and have righteousness as its boundary. This righteousness, however, can exist only when we are under God’s righteous judgment. It is God’s judgment that produces the righteousness which is the expression of God as the boundary and sphere of His dwelling place.