Having considered the appearance of the gate, let us now see what is the basic material used to produce such an appearance. The basic material here is bronze. Both the pillars and the sockets for the court of the tabernacle were made of bronze. Bronze, as we have pointed out, signifies God’s judgment. According to John 16:8, when the Spirit of reality comes, He will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Whoever would enter into God’s building must be fully judged. He must pass through the bronze gate, a gate of judgment. Although the pillars are covered with linen, linen is not the basic material of the court. The basic material is bronze, signifying the righteous judgment of God.
We who would come into the building of God must realize that everything we are, everything we have, everything we do, and everything we are able to do must be judged. This means that good things as well as bad things must be judged. Our good behavior and our bad behavior both need to be judged. In like manner, our hatred and our love, our pride and our humility, along with all of our virtues, must pass through the gate of God’s judgment.
Passing through the bronze gate can be compared to passing through the checkpoint in an airline terminal. Anyone who would pass through that point must be examined. Likewise, if we would come into God’s building, we must pass through the gate of judgment and experience God’s judgment on everything we are, have, and do.
When we heard the gospel and repented, we were not told anything about this. I never heard that I needed to be judged, that my being, my behavior, my speaking, my doings, and my ability needed to pass through God’s judgment. As a result, I brought certain good aspects of my natural life and ability into the so-called church. I believe many of us did this. Some even came into the church life and brought with them a number of worldly things that had not been judged. This is to have a gate made with something other than bronze as the basic material. But the gate of the court of the tabernacle is a bronze gate, the gate of judgment. If we have not experienced this judgment in a thorough way, we must make up this lesson and pass through the bronze gate.
The expression of the outer court is linen signifying the righteousness of God. After we have been judged, we bear God’s righteousness. Therefore, what we bear is not our natural virtue or our outward behavior—it is the righteousness of God. This also is a basic truth of the gospel. In preaching the gospel we need to declare, “Sinners, people of this world, you need to be judged. When everything about you, both good and bad, has been judged, you will bear the righteousness of God.”
How can the righteousness of God be linked to us? According to the typology in Exodus 27, it is linked to us by the silver hooks and connecting rods. This indicates that out of God’s judgment comes Christ’s redemption, and this redemption is the holding power and the linking strength. How can we, sinners and enemies of God, be linked to God’s righteousness? How can God’s righteousness be held onto us? This is possible only through the redemption of Christ, which comes out of God’s judgment. As fallen people, we need to be judged in every way. But whatever God judges, Christ redeems. Praise the Lord, God’s judgment produces Christ’s redemption! If we would enjoy the redemption of Christ, we first need the judgment of God.
The true meaning of repentance is that we are judged. To repent is to judge ourselves and condemn ourselves. Whenever a person repents, he condemns himself and places himself under God’s judgment. This is the experience of bronze.
But since Christ redeems whatever God judges, this redemption will link the judged one to God’s righteousness. Furthermore, this redemption also joins us to one another. The pillars in the court of the tabernacle each stood separately. However, by the connecting rods they were joined into one unit. Hallelujah, whatever God judges, Christ redeems, and whatever Christ redeems is linked by this redemption to God’s righteousness! The redemption of Christ joins us to God’s righteousness and to one another. Therefore, with the outer court we have three important matters: judgment, redemption, and righteousness. God’s righteousness is for the expression of His testimony.