When in our experience we enter into the outer court of the tabernacle, we find that the most striking element is bronze. As we look around, we see sixty pillars of bronze and sixty sockets of bronze. Furthermore, 27:19 says, “All the utensils of the tabernacle in all its service, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court shall be of bronze.” The pegs are for holding the fence of the outer court and also for the tabernacle. Verse 19 indicates that there were two sets of pegs, one for the tabernacle and the other for the outer court. Even these pegs were made of bronze. The altar of burnt offering and the laver were also covered with bronze. Therefore, whoever came into the outer court beheld a scene of bronze.
This scene filled with bronze portrays the judgment of God. God’s judgment can be seen everywhere in the outer court. Everything in the realm of God’s building is under God’s judgment. Everything related to us must be put under God’s judgment. Our cleverness and all our natural ability, to say nothing of our shortcomings, need to be judged.
We have pointed out that the utensils, the furniture, and the pegs in the outer court, along with the pillars and the sockets, were of bronze. The pegs signify the standing and holding power. This power is of bronze, of judgment. If we would have a solid base in God’s building, we must be under judgment. If we would have the standing strength, we must also be under God’s judgment. In order to be strong and stable, we need to be judged. The more we are under God’s judgment, the more stable we shall be.
Do you know why certain saints come into the church life and after a short period of time become unstable and then disappear? The reason for their instability is that they do not have the bronze pegs; they lack God’s judgment as their strength and stability. From the day a saint comes into the church life, he should place himself under God’s judgment. Then he will be strong and stable in the church. Judgment truly stabilizes the church life.
Some brothers and sisters criticize others and condemn them. In particular, the elders in a local church are often condemned by the critical ones. Those who criticize others are not under God’s judgment. If we are under the judgment of God day by day, we shall not be critical of others. We shall not judge them or condemn them. Those who judge others are those who have not been judged. But those who have been judged do not judge others.
I can testify with a pure conscience that I judge myself much more than I judge anyone else. When I am tempted to talk about the shortcomings of anyone else, I become conscious of a sense of judgment within. This inner sense causes me to realize that I am not better than others. Rather, I am worse. I believe that many of us have had this kind of experience. Being judged closes our judging, criticizing mouth. But if we are not under judgment, it will be easy for us to speak critical or judging words regarding others.
I would encourage you to consider the scenery of the outer court. It is a scene filled with bronze, with God’s judgment. Everywhere we see bronze signifying judgment: bronze sockets, bronze pillars, bronze pegs, bronze furniture, bronze utensils. Without judgment, there is no boundary, no base, no strength for standing, and no stability.
As we have seen, Christ’s redemption comes out of God’s judgment. Redemption is signified by the silver overlaying the caps, the capitals, of the pillars. All the pillars of the fence of the court were overlaid on their caps with silver. These capitals overlaid with silver signify glory. Thus, Christ’s redemption coming out of God’s judgment becomes our crown, our boast, our glory. This is the significance of the silver capitals on top of the bronze pillars.
Furthermore, there were the silver hooks, the silver connecting rods, and the silver sockets for the tenons of the standing boards of the tabernacle. This signifies that the redemption of Christ becomes the solid foundation for the standing of all the members of God’s building. What a beautiful picture we have here! First we see God’s judgment and then Christ’s redemption.
The redemption of Christ becomes our crown, our holding power, our connecting strength. It also becomes our foundation on which to stand as members of the building of God. This is the judgment of God bringing forth the redemption of Christ, the bronze bringing forth the silver.
Following the bronze and the silver, we have gold. By the bronze, we enter into the court. Then through the silver, we enter into the Holy Place. In the Holy Place, and especially in the Holy of Holies, everything is of gold. This signifies that the divine nature is our portion, our enjoyment, and our experience. Everything in the tabernacle is gold: golden boards, golden utensils, a golden showbread table, a golden lampstand, and a golden incense altar. In the Holy of Holies we have the golden ark with the golden cherubim and utensils. Everything inside the tabernacle is gold. Therefore, bronze brings forth silver, and silver brings us into the gold. This signifies that everything must be judged in order to be redeemed. Then after we have been redeemed, we are brought into the nature of God. This is our destiny, our destination; it is also our portion, enjoyment, and experience. Once we are brought into the gold, we should stay here. Even we need to touch the very depths in the Holy of Holies and to be with God, and also to become one with Him.