1. The Court (of the Tabernacle) represents, in the present time, the earthly condition of those who are approaching God, but have not yet made a "full" consecration of their lives to him and his service. R5418: par.2
2. Consecration is another name for sanctification, and signifies a setting apart. There could not be a full justification, a justification to life**, until such time as a person has made a full consecration. Each step the sinner takes toward God is a step toward sanctification and toward justification** ** Justification to Life R5410; F152;1,2.
3. In the type, we see that a Levite or a priest when first approaching the Tabernacle, desiring to enter, would discern in the distance the wall of white surrounding the court. With more or less knowledge of what was inside he would approach it. When he reached the gate, he would see that the Court was a sacred place, and that none would be received in any sense within its enclosure except as he recognized the sacrifice on the brazen alter just inside R5410; F98; T22.
4. The person's first great lesson at the gate of the Court is that he is a sinner, that God does not accept sinners, and that only those who approach Him through "recognition of Christ's sacrifice" will be received. Having recognized the sacrifice, having trusted in the death of Christ for justification from sin, his next step would be a deeper consecration, and thus a fuller justification. Proceeding, this brings him to the brazen laver of the Court, which would represent a washing away of the filth of the flesh--the becoming more and more clean in life, doing all in his power to free himself from sin. This is also pictured as the first consecration, a consecration to righteousness and obedience and one which is acceptable to God. F124, 125; R5410:17; R5834:13; R5959:7 Article007:3.
5. As the sinner presses on, earnestly desiring to come still nearer to God, he comes to the door of the Tabernacle. There he finds that he can go no further except by death--the death of his human will, the surrender of all human rights and interests. He recognizes, further, that this death must be a sacrificial death, and that he needs to be accepted of the High Priest, that the High Priest must make good for his imperfections by the imputation of his merit before the heavenly Father will accept his full consecration. R5410:18; R5827:1-2.
6. His consecration takes place, therefore, before his justification to life. He must present himself in sacrifice before Jesus can accept him, before He can present him to the Father, that he may become one of His members. It is to be a membership in the earthly body of Christ, for suffering and death, and a membership also in the spiritual body, for life and glory. The sealing of his consecration will be the divine acceptance of that consecration, which is indicated by the begetting of the Holy Spirit. R5411:par. 2 R5758:top
7. After acceptance on the part of God, the consecration must be persisted in, maintained. We must abide in Christ, in order to be sharers in the royal priesthood beyond the Veil, heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord. Baptised into His death. If we in the present time suffer with Him, then we shall also reign with Him in glory. R5411:2; Rom.8:17; 2Tim.2:12; R5685-5687; R5757:8-10; R5876-5876-5878.