Please turn to the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews Chapter 12. We will read from Hebrews 12:25-29.
See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh.
For if they escaped not when they refused Him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from Him that warneth from heaven:
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.
Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God, with reverence and awe:
For our God is a consuming fire.
The same book, Hebrews Chapter 6. We will read Hebrews 6:17-20.
Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of His counsel, interposed with an oath:
That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
Which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil;
Whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews Chapter 10, verses 19-25.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
By the way which He dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;
And having a great priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water,
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for He is faithful that promised:
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;
Not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.
Shall we pray?
Our Heavenly Father, how we do praise and thank Thee that through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus, we may come before Thee with boldness. We do praise and thank Thee that we are in Thy presence, and Thou hast given us this privilege to live there.
And we do pray that, as we open Thy Word, may the Holy Spirit quicken it to our hearts. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
This letter to the Hebrews was written to Hebrews who had become Christians in the first century.
The Spirit of God gave this letter to them to prepare them for the coming catastrophe. God was going to shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. That is to say, God was not only going to shake earthly things, secular things; He was also going to shake heavenly, or so-called spiritual, things.
The reason why God was going to do such shaking at that time was because God wanted to shake loose those Hebrews who had become Christians from the bondage of Judaism into the liberty of Christ.
By the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the holy temple in Jerusalem, the Hebrews who became Christians in the first century were finally broken loose from Moses into Christ.
And we believe that this book is very relevant for us today. It is not only relevant, but it is urgent. Why? Because we are living in a time that God is shaking not only the earth, but also the heaven.
Christianity has become so Judaized that God wants to shake His people out of Christianity. Christianity is like a shadow that should introduce us to the substance that is Christ. But instead of that, Christianity today has become a substitute for Christ.
And God is very jealous for His Son. God will not allow anything not only to compare with, but also to compete with, His Son. That is the reason why today we find everything around us being shaken.
We find that not only the whole world is in a great shaking; we find that Christian groups are in great shaking; we find that even in our personal spiritual experience, we are under great shaking. Why? Because it is the will of God that that which can be removed shall be removed. Only that which cannot be removed shall remain, because it is God’s will for us to inherit the kingdom that cannot be shaken.
We mentioned last time that during this period of shaking, God’s word to His people is, “Consider Jesus,” the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.
Now this morning, we would like to continue on. How will God keep His people during this time of great shaking from being shaken away, and keep them pure and blameless until the day of Christ?
You notice that in this book of Hebrews there are two phrases which are very catching. One phrase is “within the veil,” and the other phrase is “outside the camp.”
These two phrases are guideposts for God’s people today to be kept through the great shaking and to inherit the kingdom that cannot be shaken. Now this morning we would like to focus our attention on this matter of within the veil.
I think probably a little history is needed.
You know, after God redeemed His children of Israel and delivered His children of Israel out of Egypt, He took them through the Red Sea to the foot of Mount Sinai. There God gave them the Ten Commandments, the law.
But actually, you know, the giving of the law was not the purpose of God concerning His people. The giving of the law was just a preparation or an introduction.
Actually, the purpose of God with His people was revealed by God commanding Moses to build Him a tabernacle. Now, brothers and sisters, we must remember that it is not God’s purpose to put us under the law that we may be condemned.
It is God’s purpose that He may dwell among His people. And in order that He may dwell among His people, He had to give them the commandments to let them know themselves, so that they would appreciate Him and His grace.
So the purpose of God is shown in the tabernacle. God told Moses, “Make Me a sanctuary, a tabernacle, that I may dwell among them.”
Now, brothers and sisters, we know that this is God’s eternal thought. Even before He created man, God had this thought in Him. He wanted to dwell among men.
How was He to dwell among men? How was He to dwell among the children of Israel whom He had just delivered out of Egypt? By a tabernacle.
And if you know something about the tabernacle, you know that on the outside there was the court. Into this court, all the children of Israel could enter, and there they could bring their sacrifices to God. The priests would sacrifice these on the brazen altar.
Then you find that within the outer court there was the holy place. The holy place was a place where the priests could enter. The children of Israel could not enter into the holy place; only the priests, those whom God had set apart for His service, could enter.
There they would light the golden lampstand, put the showbread on the table of showbread, and burn incense on the golden altar of incense.
But then, behind the holy place, there was the holiest of all. The holiest of all was where the presence of God dwelt. There was the ark of the covenant, and above the ark, as the cover of the ark, was the mercy seat. God’s glory dwelt on the mercy seat between the two cherubim.
Between the holy place and the holiest of all, there was a veil, a very heavy veil. We were told that even if you put two oxen or two horses on either side and tried to pull the veil, you could not break it. It was a very heavy veil.
This veil separated the holy place from the holiest of all. Into the holiest of all, nobody could enter. The children of Israel could not enter into the holiest of all, nor could the priests enter in.
Only the high priest, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, would enter behind the veil with blood and the smoke of incense to cover him. There he would make atonement for himself and for the nation of Israel, and after he did that, he quickly retreated.
On the one hand, you find God wanted to dwell among His people. God wanted to have fellowship with His people. But on the other hand, even though this was the desire of the Lord, it seems as if God said, “You cannot have fellowship with Me.”
God, on the one hand, called them to come to Him; yet on the other hand, He said, “Stay away, because I am holy.”
The Bible says, as we find in Hebrews Chapter 9, verses 6-10:
Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services;
But into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offereth for himself, and for the errors of the people:
The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holy place hath not yet been made manifest, while the first tabernacle is yet standing;
Which is a parable for the time now present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect,
Being only with meats and drinks and divers washings, carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.
Notice this: “The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all hath not yet been made manifest.” But Christ being come.
So, brothers and sisters, here you find that tabernacle by which God dwelt among His people. And yet, even though the people came to the court to offer sacrifices, even though the priests could enter into the holy place to serve God, the way to the holiest of all had not yet been opened.
The very fact that the high priest could only go in once a year proved that the way to the holiest of all had not yet been opened. In other words, all these sacrifices and all these ordinances were but shadows. They were there, serving as a type, a shadow.
They would be there until the time of setting things right. And the time of setting things right is the time when Christ is come.
You remember, according to Exodus 26, there you find how the veil was made. A veil was made to be put between the holy place and the holiest of all.
This veil was made of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. It was embroidered over with artistic work of cherubim. That was how this veil was made. This veil was to separate the holiest of all from the holy place and from the court.
In Hebrews Chapter 10, we find that our Lord Jesus has opened a new and living way for us through the veil, that is, His flesh.
So the veil in the tabernacle is a type of the flesh of our Lord Jesus. That is to say, this veil represents the earthly life of our Lord Jesus.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us … full of grace and truth.
When our Lord Jesus became man upon this earth, His flesh was represented by the veil that separated the holiest of all from the holy place. Now, what does that mean?
Blue is the color of heaven. Purple is the color of wealth, because in the old days you find those wealthy people dressed in purple. Scarlet is the color of royalty. Linen in Scripture represents purity.
So you find that the life of our Lord Jesus on earth is heavenly, rich, royal, and pure. Can you ever find a life on earth so pure as the life of our Lord Jesus? He is like the fine linen.
Everything about Him is pure—not only clean, but pure. You know, there is a difference between cleanness and pureness. Clean is without any defilement; pure is singleness.
Here you find the life of our Lord Jesus is such a pure life. His life is pure towards God. There is no ulterior motive in Him. His whole life is governed by the Father’s will.
A life that is clean and pure: not only could no one point out any sin in Him, He challenged people, saying, “Can you point out anything in Me?” He is the sinless One. He has never committed anything; He does not know what sin is.
But He is more than that. He is pure. He always obeyed His Father. His heart is single toward His Father.
His life on earth is like the fine twined linen. And there you find mixed with blue—heavenly. Even though He walked on earth, He was in heaven.
He said, “No one hath ascended into heaven, but He that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.” So our Lord Jesus, while He was on earth, was a heavenly Man upon this earth. Wherever He went, He brought with Him a heavenly atmosphere.
His touch was a heavenly touch. He was different. He was in the world, but He was not of the world, because He belonged to heaven.
And there you find the riches of Him. Even though He was born in a manger, even though He was born and reared in a carpenter’s family, yet you find He was so rich—the riches of His grace, the riches of truth in Him.
And then, of course, He was so royal. Though He was humble, yet He was so majestic. He was so royal. You can see the kingly manner in Him. He was in control over every situation.
That was the life of our Lord Jesus. There was never a human life lived on earth like the Lord Jesus.
And there you find on the veil the cherubim were embroidered all over. Now, we have no time to go into cherubim, because that would mean another hour. But anyway, let me just put it this way: cherubim, so far as I understand it, represent the divine original concept of God toward creation.
In other words, before God created all things, He had an original concept about them—the pattern. He had an idea what creation should be, what the created being should be. These are represented by the cherubim.
So here you find the cherubim embroidered all over that veil. In other words, the life of our Lord Jesus answered completely to God’s concept of what creation should be. He was the Man, the Man after God’s own heart, the Man that God created for Himself.
Adam, the first man that was created, failed. When he sinned, he was driven out of the Garden of Eden, and God set up cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life.
In other words, God said, “Now you have fallen, but My divine concept will never change. It still remains, and I will get what I am going to get.”
And, you know, God got His Man in Christ Jesus. This is the Man.
But, dear brothers and sisters, the thing was, He was the veil.
You know, so far as He is concerned, He can see the Father. The veil has two sides. The inner side of the veil faced the mercy seat.
In other words, so far as the Lord Himself is concerned, He lived such a life on earth that He was in constant communion with His Father. He saw His Father’s face all the time. He pleased His Father all the time, and His Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” “I am happy with Him.”
But, on the other hand, this veil separated everything outside the veil from the holiest of all. In other words, only the Lord Jesus, as the Man after God’s own heart, had the right and the privilege to dwell in God’s presence.
He was the only One who was worthy. He was the only One who could. Nobody else could, because if anybody dared to enter within the veil without the blood, he would be smitten to death. God is holy.
No one can see God who is not holy. That is the reason why you find no one could enter behind the veil. Who could stand before the holy God? Who could live in the presence of God? Nobody could. Nobody could.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, you find the strange thing was that the life of our Lord Jesus was so perfect that He was the only One who could live in the presence of God; but at the same time, He became the veil that separated us from God’s presence.
You know, some people say, “We need to imitate Christ.” Some people say Christ came into the world to set an example for us, and we should copy Him, follow Him.
But do you know that the very life of Christ on earth, instead of saving us, actually condemns us?
If Christ had not come, you would not have a perfect example of the life that pleases God. You would have nothing to compare with. But with the coming of Christ, you have a perfect example of the Man after God’s heart.
And, dear brothers and sisters, will not His life condemn you instead of save you? The more you see the life of our Lord Jesus, the more you are condemned. Because He is worthy, but you are not. He can see the Father’s face, but you cannot.
His life will condemn us. He is the veil.
But thank God, the veil was rent.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus came into this world not just to exhibit to us a perfect life. The Lord Jesus came into this earth in order to die.
He was the perfect Man, the One who was sinless. But He was made sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.
It is not the life of our Lord Jesus on earth that saves us; it is the death of our Lord Jesus on the cross that saves us.
So here you find our Lord Jesus: He came to this world, and there He bore His cross. All His life, the shadow of the cross was cast over His whole life. Finally, you find that He was brought outside the city of Jerusalem to Golgotha, and there He was crucified.
A marvelous thing happened. At the very moment when Christ cried out with a loud voice, “It is finished,” and He gave up His spirit to the Father—
—in Golgotha, outside the city of Jerusalem, at that very moment, the heavy veil in the temple in Jerusalem was rent from top to bottom in two. You find that in Matthew 27.
This veil that separated the holiest from the holy place was rent at the very moment when Christ died. And it was rent from top to bottom, not from bottom to top. In other words, it was not rent by human hands. God rent that veil.
On Calvary’s cross, God broke the body of Christ; and there in the temple, God rent the veil.
And you know, when the veil was rent, what happened? The way to the holiest was opened.
Dear brothers and sisters, how we do praise and thank God that today the veil is rent.
In other words, that which separated us from God has now been removed. Therefore, Christ has opened a new and living way for us into the holiest of all.
Do you know that before Christ died, no one could live in God’s presence? But today, because Christ has died, the veil has been rent. There is no reason why you should not live in God’s presence.
A life within the veil is the right and the privilege of every believer today. Are you living there?
In the past, such a life was impossible. But now such a life is your portion. Why not live within the veil?
Dear brothers and sisters, many Christians today are still living in the outer court. Some Christians are living in the holy place. But remember, Christ has opened a new and living way for us to live in the very presence of God, in the holiest of all. This is our portion.
In the outer court, people came to offer sacrifices.
Brothers and sisters, we may say, as believers, we do preach the gospel. We do help people, point people to Christ. It is like offering sacrifices on the brazen altar. This is our relationship with the world.
But this is not the place where we live.
In the holy place, the priests serve. Now, it is true: as the priests of God, we not only serve the world by preaching the gospel, helping people, and pointing people to Christ; but we also serve God.
In what sense? We light the lampstand. That is to say, we bear the testimony of Jesus. The church is like the lampstand that bears the light, and the light is Christ.
So we bear the testimony of Jesus. With our life, we tell people; with our words, we tell people who Jesus is and what He is to us. This is our testimony.
And we also exhibit Christ, like putting the showbread on the table of showbread. We exhibit Christ, just like this morning when we break the bread and drink the cup. We exhibit the death of Christ. We exhibit Him.
And we also burn the incense. In the sense that we pray, we worship. That is true.
In the outer court, to the world, we preach the gospel. In the holy place, in the church, we serve and worship God. But, brothers and sisters, where do we live?
You do not live in the outer court, nor do you live in the holy place. You should live in the holiest of all.
And if you live in the holiest of all, then you can serve God in His church, and you can serve the world with the gospel. Otherwise, where do you have the power for it?
So the question is: Where do we live?
Brothers and sisters, do not think that to live a life within the veil is for a chosen few.
If you know mysticism, then mystics will tell you this is a life for a chosen few only. If you are not among the chosen few, then this is not a life for you.
But, dear brothers and sisters, that is mysticism; that is not the Bible. What the Word tells us is that this life within the veil is the right of every believer, every child of God.
We do not need to live in the outer court, far away from God, engaging in all kinds of activities. But that is about all.
Now, is our Christian life just activities? Very busy. Well, we should be busy. But is that all Christian life is? No.
Or is it that our life is just that when we come together, we worship, we exhibit Christ? Is that all? No.
God’s purpose is that we may dwell in His very presence, that we may see His face day by day, that we may behold His glory.
It is the life within the veil that Christ has provided for us.
Dear brothers and sisters, how can we go through this time of shaking, when everything is being shaken around us? How can we go through this time?
If all our Christian life is just activities in the outer court, brothers and sisters, one day you may not be allowed to be active anymore. Then what will happen to you?
If your Christian life is just that we come together to worship God, to exhibit Christ—thank God for that; we should do that—but there may be a time when we are not allowed to meet. Then what happens? Will your Christian life collapse?
In many places in the world, Christians have found this out: that their activities cannot save them. Even the so-called church life cannot save them.
But there is one thing that is basic. Now, I do not mean that we should not be active; we should. I do not mean that we should not have such a church life; we should.
But there is something foundational, and that is: unless we have a life within the veil, brothers and sisters, all these things one day will be shaken away.
But thank God, this life is ours.
The veil is rent. Many Christians today still seem to live before the veil, as if the veil has not been rent, as if the veil is still upon their face. They cannot see God.
But, brothers and sisters, remember this: the veil is rent. Christ has opened a new and living way for us, and let us enter in.
Now, what is meant by the life within the veil? Of course, in the Scriptures, you find there are many different ways to describe this life within the veil. And remember, what is described is not for a select few. What is described actually is our common portion, our inheritance in Christ.
First of all, a life within the veil is a hidden life. In Colossians 3:3, it is said that our life is hidden with Christ in God, and Christ is our life.
Brothers and sisters, do we have a hidden life? Is our life just a life before men?
In other words, is our life just a life in the outer court? In the outer court, people are there. In the outer court, you are seen. In the outer court, you are busily engaged, maybe helping people to bind the sacrifice and to do all kinds of things.
But do you have a life hidden with Christ in God? How much of that hidden life do you have?
Look at David. Before David was manifested to the nation of Israel, he had a hidden life, unknown to men but known to God. Not even his family knew about it.
While he was a shepherd, there he was: a lion came, a bear came, and under the anointing of God, how he broke the lion and the bear and delivered the sheep.
Something happened to him, but it was never broadcast. Not even his father knew about it. Not even his brothers knew about it. He had a hidden life with God. His life was hid with God in Christ.
Now, brothers and sisters, how much of such a hidden life do we have?
Is our Christian life just a life before men? Of course, there must be a life before men; we have to. That is our testimony. But do you have a hidden life with God?
In your daily life, is your life hid with Christ in God? Is there something going on between you and God, unknown to men but known to God?
This is the kind of life within the veil. And that kind of life will become your power, the power of your testimony.
Because it is a life hidden with Christ in God, therefore it is beyond the touch of the enemy.
The Bible says we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. He has not only quickened us out of death; He has not only raised us up from death together with Christ, but He has seated us with Christ in the heavenlies.
That is to say, everything is under our feet. This is the kind of life hidden with Christ in God. Do we have such a life? And remember, this is our right. Christ has opened it for us.
Now, what is this life behind the veil? It is a life that makes God our home.
You remember Psalm 90. Moses said:
Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place
In all generations.
The word dwelling-place means home. In other words, Moses realized that God was his home.
Brothers and sisters, a life within the veil is a life at home with God. Do you take God as your home?
Well, you know, the Scripture sometimes says God is my refuge. Now, thank God for the refuge, but He is more than a refuge. You flee to a refuge when you are in trouble, but you go home because that is your home.
Now, many Christians take God as their refuge. Thank God for that. He is our refuge. When you are in trouble, cry to Him, and He will answer you and deliver you. Thank God for that. But that is not good enough.
God is our home. That is where you dwell. Your dwelling place—that is where you live.
And home is a place of rest. Therefore, in Hebrews, you find we have a rest that is promised to us. This rest is none other than a life behind the veil.
We rest in God. We rest from our own works. It is not a place of striving and struggling, but it is a place where we rest by faith in Christ Jesus.
Home is a place of love. We enjoy the love of God, and we love God.
Home is a place of satisfaction. We find satisfaction in God, and God finds satisfaction in us. I like the word in Habakkuk: even though you find everything around you may not be right, yet he said, “I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
No matter how unsatisfying your environment may be, if you live a life behind the veil, you are satisfied in God.
Make God your home. Stay there.
A life within the veil is a life of abiding. You find that in John 15. The Lord said:
I am the true vine, and ye are the branches.
Abide in Me, and I in you.
He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit.
He is the true vine, and you are the branches. There is a responsibility in your abiding in Him. Make your home in Him. Be in communion with Him. Do not let your communion with Him be interrupted by anything.
If there is anything, confess it. If there is any disobedience, surrender. Let there be nothing standing in the way, interrupting your communion with Him.
It is a picture of union and communion. You find that the picture of the vine and the branches is a picture of union, because the Lord said, “I am the vine; ye are the branches.” That is union.
He does not say, “I am the root of the vine, and ye are the branches.” He says, “I am the vine. I am the whole vine, and ye are the branches.” You are part of Me. That is union.
And because there is union, there ought to be communion. The sap of the vine will flow into every branch. If there is no interruption, then you find naturally all these branches will bear much fruit.
Brothers and sisters, this is the life within the veil. There is union and communion, and out of union and communion comes fruitfulness.
Fruit—what is fruit? There is a difference between fruit and work. Work is something that you do, that you put forth with effort. Fruit is something that is produced out of the abundance, out of the maturity, of life.
This fruit, in a sense, is effortless, unconscious, but to the glory of God. It is a life of abiding. You live in Him, abiding.
Now, what is this life behind the veil? It is the life described by the Apostle John in his first epistle. You find he says:
God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
God is light, and you walk in the light. The light here is not artificial light.
You know, in the outer court you have the sunshine, created light. In the holy place you have the light of the lampstand, artificial light. But in the holiest of all you have the glory of God as light. The Lord God is light.
Brothers and sisters, if we live a life within the veil, then God is light. He shines in you, and you walk in that light of life. You have fellowship with one another, and if there is anything wrong, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you from all sin.
It is a life walking in the light of God.
It is a life of righteousness—practical righteousness. God is righteous; therefore, he that is born of God must practice righteousness. Practical righteousness in our daily life: we have to be right.
And how can we be right? Not that we can, but He can, who is our life. If we let Him live, then we will find we will practice righteousness as He is righteous.
God is love. Therefore, let us love one another. Walk in love. How can we do that?
If you live behind the veil, if you live before God, if you live by the life of Christ, then of course His love in you will flow out from you, and you will be able to love the brethren, love the unlovely.
It is a life behind the veil.
What is this life behind the veil? It is described in Romans 8: the law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and of death.
This is the kind of life behind the veil, because you are behind the veil. Therefore, you find the law of the Spirit of life functions. There the law of the Spirit of life operates.
When the Spirit of life operates, it overcomes the law of sin and of death. The law of sin is: you do what you should not do. That is the law of sin. The law of death is: you cannot do what you should do. That is the law of death.
Isn’t it true that oftentimes we feel we cannot do what we should do, and we do what we should not do? We are under the law of sin and of death.
But thank God, if you live a life behind the veil, another law operates—a higher law operates: the law of the Spirit of life. This is where life operates, and this life is resurrection life. It overcomes even death.
It is a victorious life. It is a glorious life.
And what is this life behind the veil? Behind the veil, with unveiled face, you behold the glory of God face to face. There you will be transformed from glory to glory according to His image by the Lord, the Spirit.
It is a transforming life. If you want to be transformed according to His image, you have to live a life behind the veil. Because if you live before the veil, you will not see His face.
And if you do not see Him, the Holy Spirit is not able to do the work of transformation. You have to see Him, and then He will put a desire within your heart to be like Him, and the Holy Spirit will transform you from glory to glory according to His image.
So, dear brothers and sisters, this is the only life that we must live. Do not think that we have some other kind of life that we can choose to live.
The Lord Jesus, through His death, the breaking of His body, has opened this new and living way for us. What a price He has paid for us, that we may by Him live behind the veil, in the very presence of God, beholding His glory day by day, and be transformed.
What a redemption He has accomplished for us. What He has done for us. And then He says, “Come in and live there. This is the only life for you. There is no other life.”
Do not be contented to live in the outer court. You may live in the outer court for a long time, but brothers and sisters, the shaking is coming. If that is the place where you live, you will be shaken off.
Do not even just live in the holy place. It is good, but the shaking is coming. Even that is not enough.
The only life that we must live is the life that Christ has ordained through His suffering for us. It is a life within the veil.
Oh, brothers and sisters, if only we can see that this is the life that Christ has opened for us, and this is the only life that we must live, then we will not linger in the outer court, nor even stay long in the holy place, but we will live in the holiest of all.
Yes, we will come out and serve in the holy place, and serve in the outer court, but we live in the holiest of all, behind the veil.
So, brothers and sisters, in the book of Hebrews, we are told the secret of passing through great shaking and remaining unshaken is to live behind the veil, within the veil. That is the secret.
And this is an open secret. It is open to everyone. So may the Lord help us. Shall we pray?
Dear Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee for the glorious redemption that our Lord Jesus has accomplished for us.
Oh, how we praise and thank Thee that not only hast Thou opened heaven to us, but Thou hast even opened heaven to us today, that we may daily live within the veil, beholding the glory of the Lord with unveiled face.
And Father, we do thank Thee for this privilege and this right. And this day we want to rise up and claim our right and take it as our own, because we know that this will honor Thee. This is the way Thou wantest us to live.
So, Lord, keep us there. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.