From the outer court we need to pass into the inner court.
As we enter into the inner court, we also ascend higher. At the entrance to the inner court, there is another set of stairs, consisting not of seven steps but of eight. Outside on the street there are seven steps leading up to the gate of the outer court, and now we see that there are eight steps bringing us to the inner gate of the inner court. From this we see that entering into the inner court means that the more inward we travel, the higher we become. As we go inward, we also go higher. When we pass through the gate into the inner court, we are fifteen steps higher than the people who are outside the wall.
The number seven signifies completion, and the number eight signifies resurrection. This indicates that if we would come into the inner court, we need to be in resurrection. All the natural life and the natural man must be repudiated and crossed out. As indicated by the eight steps, we need to be absolutely in resurrection.
In the inner court we repeat our experience of Christ. We experience Christ again by passing through another gate. We experience the same Christ, but we experience more of Him. This ushers us into the inner court.
In the outer court there is some enjoyment through the boiling and the eating, but there is no service, no ministry to the Lord. But when we pass through the gate to the inner court, the ministering begins immediately.
There is a chamber, probably within the north gate of the inner court, for the priests to wash the burnt offerings (v. 38). In preparing a burnt offering to be offered, a number of steps had to be followed. First the animal was killed, and then it was flayed, or skinned and cut into pieces. After this, the offering was washed. After being washed, the offering was ready to be burned. Washing, therefore, was the last step in the preparation of the burnt offering. The chamber here is not for killing the burnt offering; neither is the chamber for skinning the offering or for cutting it into pieces. Rather, the chamber is only for washing the burnt offering. This indicates that at this point in our experience, we are ready to be a burnt offering for God. Only when we are in resurrection and on a higher level, are we ready to be absolute for God.
Here in the inner court begins the life that is for God. We do not see this in the outer court. In the outer court we have the enjoyment of Christ. But in the inner court we have improvement and progress, for here we are in something that is more inward and also higher. Here the priests are ready to offer the burnt offering, meaning that they are ready to be absolute for the Lord.
Within the north gate there are eight tables. Four are on one side and four are on the other side, making a total of eight. These tables are for slaying the offerings (vv. 39-41). This is the real service, the real ministry. The only ones who participate in this service are the priests. Today in the New Testament age, we all are priests. However, according to our actual experience, if we remain in the outer court, we are still only the people; we are not yet priests. In our experience we cannot be priests until we are in a situation that is both higher and more inward. Only after we get higher and more inward will we have the maturity in life. Then we are ready to be a burnt offering. At this point we can actually serve the Lord and minister to Him. Now we are no longer simply the people; we are priests ready to serve the Lord with a particular ministry.
With the tables, we once again have the number eight, which signifies resurrection. The eight tables are divided into two groups of four and also into four groups of two. These numbers show that the creature is in resurrection as a testimony. We may say that eight is composed of two times four, with four being the number of the creature. We may also say that eight is composed of four times two. Four signifies the creature, eight signifies resurrection, and two signifies testimony. Therefore, here we have the creature in resurrection as a testimony.
The tables are one and a half cubits square and one cubit high. The number one signifies the unique God. By adding the one and a half cubits of the length to the one and a half cubits of the breadth, we have three cubits. Once again, the number three signifies the Triune God in resurrection. The Triune God has been “split,” as indicated by the two sides of the gate, with each measuring one and a half cubits. In the matter of the eight tables, we see that the Triune God, the unique God who became a creature, was “split” on the cross, yet He was resurrected. Now in resurrection He is a testimony. Today our service, our ministry, must be in the Triune God, the unique God, who was “split” as a creature and is now in resurrection as a living testimony.
At this juncture, I would like to summarize what we have covered thus far concerning the burnt offering and the tables. The chambers are for washing the burnt offering, which is something absolute for the Lord. To be ready to offer the burnt offering means that we are ready to be absolute for the Lord. The eight tables, which are in four groups of two tables each, are for slaying the offerings. Eight signifies resurrection, four signifies the creature, and two signifies a testimony. Then the measurement of the tables is one cubit high. One signifies the one God. The number three (three cubits formed by adding the one and a half cubits of the length and width) signifies the Triune God in resurrection. That this three is divided into two parts indicates that the Triune God, who became a creature, was “split” through death and now He is in resurrection. Our service today is in the Triune God, the only God, who was “split” and who is now in resurrection to be a testimony.
From the gate we proceed into the court, where there are two more chambers, one on the north side and another on the south side. These two chambers are for two groups of priests: those who take care of the temple and those who take care of the altar. The chamber on the south side is for the priests who take care of the temple (v. 45), and the chamber on the north side is for the priests who keep the altar (v. 46). These chambers indicate that at this point their service, their ministry, is settled, fixed, stable, and steady. They are fully qualified and steadfast in their ministry.
Originally, we were wandering outside of the wall. Praise the Lord that we got into Christ and passed through Christ into the outer court. Eventually, by the mercy of the Lord we came into the chambers and there we began to taste Christ and enjoy Him. Once we taste Him, we do not want to leave these chambers. However, after we have considerable enjoyment of the Lord, we realize that we need to go up again and experience the significance of the number eight to be absolutely in resurrection. For this, we need to pass through Christ again and come into the inner court. Once we are in the inner court, we need to be ready to be absolute for the Lord. Here we begin the ministry, the service, with the Triune God, who became a creature, who was “split,” and who is now in resurrection as a testimony. Now we become fully qualified priests settled steadfastly in the chambers and taking care of the temple and the altar.