The pillars were "eighteen cubits high apiece" (1 Kings 7:15). As we shall see, the circumference of each pillar was twelve cubits. Eighteen cubits is half of three units of twelve cubits. In other words, eighteen is half of three complete units. The three units signify the very Triune God who has been dispensed into us. If we would be pillars, we must firstly judge ourselves and then be filled, saturated, and permeated with the Triune God. As I was wondering why each pillar was a half of three complete units, the Lord said, "Stupid man, have you not given several messages saying that the standing boards in the tabernacle were each one and a half cubits wide? Didn't you say that no board could stand by itself, but that it had to stand with another? Don't you see that it is the same with the pillars? Just as the two boards standing together made three complete cubits, so the two pillars make three complete units." Then I said, "Now I understand, Lord."
If you would be a pillar, you must be filled, saturated, and permeated with the Triune God. However, no matter how much you have been filled with God, you are still only a part. At most, you are one half. You can never have God completely. The very God who is in you is also in your brother. Because you are not a full unit, you need others to complete you. All the spiritual giants think that they can be complete individu- alistically. But the Bible reveals that everyone is only a half. The standing boards in the tabernacle were a half (Exo. 26:15-16), and each of the pillars in the temple is a half.
When they hear this, some may say, "Brother Lee is allegorizing the Bible." If I am allegorizing, then I have the ground to allegorize. Why does the Bible not say that the pillars were seventeen or nineteen cubits high? Would it be possible to allegorize if the pillars were this height? No, it would be impossible. But, as I was seeking the Lord, He showed me that in this section of the Word twelve is the complete unit and eighteen is one and a half units. This indicates that although we might be filled with the Triune God, God will never wholly commit Himself to us individually. No matter how much of God we gain, we are not the whole; we are only a part. We need one another. I need you, and you need me. The Lord always sent out His disciples two by two (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1; Acts 13:2). I am not the number thirty-six. At most, I am the number eighteen. No matter how tall you are, you must realize that you are only eighteen cubits and that you need others. Do not say, "I am perfect and complete. You all need me, but I don't need you." It is foolish to say this. At most, we can be only eighteen cubits. Some sisters dream about being filled with God. But no matter how much they are filled with Him, they could never be more than half a unit. They need others.
Now we come to the circumference of the pillars. First Kings 7:15 says, "A line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about." As far as language is concerned, the composition of this verse is very peculiar. Instead of speaking of the circumference, it says that a "line of twelve cubits" encompassed the pillars. Even this rendering is not an exact, literal translation; it is somewhat of an interpretation. One version says, "a circumference of twelve cubits." This rendering is simple and I prefer it. Nevertheless, the Bible has no waste of words, and we must consider the meaning of the actual composition of this verse. It means to use a thread as a line to measure around the pillars. The purpose of this is to impress us with the completion and perfection of our being mingled with God in His eternal administration. The number seven, which signifies perfection and completion in God's move in this age, is composed of four plus three. This is a matter of addition. But the number twelve, which is composed of four times three, is a matter of multiplication, indicating that the creature is mingled with the Triune God and that this mingling must be complete and perfect in God's eternal administration. The pillars are not square, rectangular, or triangular; they are round, circular, signifying that their perfection is eternal.
As we put together the brass, the height of eighteen cubits, and the circumference of twelve cubits, we see that in order to be a pillar we must be under God's judgment and that we must be fully, thoroughly, and completely saturated with God. We must be brass and we must be twelve cubits around. Nevertheless, no matter how completely we have been mingled with God, we are still only a half; we need another half. If any elder is like this, he will certainly be an outstanding elder. If any leading sister is like this, she will be a most excellent sister. This kind of person certainly can bear the responsibility.
Our problem is that we do not condemn ourselves. Rather, we vindicate, justify, approve, and excuse ourselves. Often we say, "That is not my mistake; it is Brother So-and-so's mistake. I am always careful. I am not wrong." This is self-vindication. After we vindicate ourselves, we proceed to justify and approve ourselves. We do not need to be tested, for we have already approved ourselves. In our eyes, there is no problem with ourselves. Sometimes, however, we are caught in a mistake. Then we excuse ourselves, perhaps by saying, "I made that mistake because the meeting was so long and I was tired." How often we make exits for ourselves! We have four big exits: self-vindication, self-justification, self-approval, and self-excuse. Even when we are caught in a mistake, we still excuse ourselves. For example, a sister may say, "I type poorly because the others have the best typewriters and the worst typewriter is allotted to me." In the past, I have had a lot of self-vindication, self-justification, self-approval, and self-excuse.
Very rarely does a husband or wife at the beginning of an argument, say, "I'm sorry. This is my mistake. Please forgive me." Rather, the wife says, "Do you know why I was so strong with my husband? It was because he is always late. Throughout our whole marriage, his lateness has troubled me." Then the husband will say, "My wife never sympathizes with me. I am busy and have a great deal of work to do. When I am overworked like this, how can I help being late?" This is self-vindication, self-justification, self-approval, and self-excuse. If we would daily crucify these four things, there would be no fighting whatever in our homes.
It is inadequate for us simply to be the number four. We must be number seven—four plus the Triune God. This, however, is still the initial stage, not the consummation, which is the number twelve. In order to be the number twelve, we must be filled, saturated, and mingled with God. When we are fully saturated and mingled with God, we are adequate for God's eternal administration. Nevertheless, as we have pointed out, even after we have become the number twelve, we are still only eighteen cubits in height. We are only half a unit. If we were all like this, there would be no problems. Instead of fighting with others, we would condemn ourselves, saying, "Lord, I need You. I have been crucified, and Christ lives in me. It is not I, but the grace of God that is with me." This is the brass, the judgment, and the twelve cubits, the mingling of God with man. Since we are, at most, only a half, we need others for God's economy and administration. If you pray over these points, you will see that this is the pillar that can bear the responsibility in the house of God.