The pillars of the temple were built of bronze, signifying God’s judgment; for us to be useful to God, we need to be constantly under God’s judgment living a life of trusting in God with no confidence in the flesh, even in the midst of complicated and intermixed situations. Amen!
The materials for the building of God’s dwelling place, the temple, are very significant in their application to our spiritual experience.
The olive wood, for example, typifies Christ as the One who honours God and man, the One who is full of the Spirit (the oil), and who has the proper humanity useful for God’s building.
Not only Christ is the olive tree, but we all as believers in Christ have been grafted into Christ to be branches of the cultivated olive tree.
We were cut off from our old background, our old man, and everything of the old, and we were grafted into Christ as the cultivated olive tree.
Through our faith in Christ and through baptism, there was a cut made in our being; through Christ’s death on the cross, there was a cut made in Him.
These two cuts were put together and “kissed”; now we are joined to the Lord in spirit to be one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17).
Just as Christ as the cultivated olive tree bears olives for the producing of oil to honour God and man, so we by abiding in the Lord remain in a process of bearing olives, having these olives crushed and squeezed, and producing oil to honour God and man.
We are in a process of breaking and transforming, a process of squeezing and pressing, until the essence of our being – the Spirit – comes out to honour God and honour man. Wow!
If we have this view, our difficult circumstances will become an opportunity for more Spirit to be ministered and released for God and man to be honoured. Amen!
Even more, this oil is useful for comforting and soothing those who are in pain and who are hurt.
As we abide in the Lord, we become one with Him as the Son of Fresh Oil to minister the Spirit to others for their comfort, soothing, and healing. Hallelujah!
This is not merely a matter of typology; this is a matter of our daily experience.
In our daily living, we can be filled with Christ, we can abide in Him, and we can allow Him to empty us so that we can be filled with Him even more.
Then, when the situations arise, when someone next to us needs comforting, soothing, and healing, the Spirit will flow from our being to minister to them.
In this article, we want to see how we can become pillars in God’s temple by being constantly under God’s judgment and even by judging ourselves as good for nothing except death, and by trusting in the Lord as a lily in the midst of complicated and complicating situations.
Being Constantly under God’s Judgment, Realizing that we’re Men in the Flesh worthy of Death and Burial
The pillars in the tabernacle were of wood, acacia wood, covered with bronze, and set in bronze sockets.
The pillars in the temple were much bigger and were completely made of bronze, signifying God’s judgment (1 Kings 7:14-15, 21; Rev. 3:12; 21:22).
In the Scriptures a pillar is a sign, a testimony, of God’s building through transformation in practicing the Body life (Gen. 28:22a; 1 Kings 7:15-22; Gal. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rev. 3:12; Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:11-12).
In Gen. 28 we see the first mention of a pillar, when Jacob had that wonderful dream and, upon waking up, took the stone pillow and made it into a stone pillar, pouring oil on it and declaring that there is the house of God.
Pillars are always related to God’s building.
In the New Testament, we see that James and Cephas and John were reputed to be pillars.
1 Tim. 3:15 says that the church is the pillar and base of the truth, and the Lord promises the overcomers in Philadelphia to make them pillars in His temple.
The pillars in the Bible are always related to God’s building.
Those who are useful to God in His building to be pillars are constantly under God’s judgment (signified by the bronze), realizing that they are men in the flesh, worthy of nothing but death and burial (Psa. 51:5; Exo. 4:1-9; Rom. 7:18; Matt. 3:16-17).
What is this judgment of God? It refers to the judgment of God and also to our judgment, that is, our agreeing with God’s judgment, agreeing that we are good for nothing except death and burial.
We were brought forth in iniquity, for our mother conceived us in sin; it is by the Lord’s mercy that we have been saved and are in the church life.
If the Lord takes His hand away we are like David, simply falling into sin.
We need to see what Moses saw in the wilderness when the Lord asked him to put his hand in his bosom and then, when he took it out, it was leprous; in ourselves, we are leprous.
We can’t run from our leprous, infectious, rotten, disease-ridden, sinful nature.
Rom. 7:18 needs to become our realization; we need to realize that in us, in our flesh, nothing good dwells.
We may look at ourselves and think that we’re alright, we are quite good, and we have certain abilities that can be useful to the Lord in the church life.
May we take God’s word in an atmosphere of prayer, taking these words to the Lord so that He would have mercy on us and guide us through the necessary experiences to realize that we’re good for nothing except death and burial.
Even the Lord Jesus, before He started His earthly ministry, went to John the Baptist and was baptized, admitting that in the flesh He as a Man is good for nothing except death and burial; therefore, He was buried in the waters of baptism.
May we follow the Lord’s pattern, being constantly under God’s judgment and realizing we’re not worth anything, even a penny.
If the brothers ask us to take care of some service in the church life, what is our response?
Do we think that it is about time the brothers see our potential and ask us to do this, or do we have the realization that it may be that the brothers made a mistake, for we’re not qualified for this service?
If we are given any responsibility in the church life, we need to have the clear realization we’re not worthy, we’re not good for anything in the church in our natural man except for death and burial.
When others are being asked to take the lead in a certain service, are we provoked and jealous that it’s not us who were chosen?
The reason for both division and fruitlessness among us is that there’s no bronze, there’s nothing of God’s judgment.
Instead of being under God’s judgment, there is pride, self-boasting, self-vindication, self-justification, self-approval, self-excuse, and self-righteousness, and there is also condemning others and regulating others instead of shepherding and seeking them (16:24; Luke 9:54-55).
We may not justify ourselves outwardly, we may not tell others that we are proud of ourselves, and we may not express how righteous we think we are, but inwardly we think differently.
When it comes to the service in the church, we need to realize that we’re not worthy and also that we’re not able to do it.
We are not worthy of such a holy service. We are not doing the Lord a favour by serving; we’re simply not worthy.
We may think we’re capable, intelligent, and talented, but in the Lord’s service we’re simply not worthy and we’re not able.
May we love the Lord and experience Him as the man of bronze (Ezek. 40:3) who measures us for God’s building.
When we experience Him as the man of bronze, He will become our extraordinary love, boundless forbearance, unparallel faithfulness, absolute humility, utmost purity, supreme holiness and righteousness, and our brightness and uprightness (Phil. 4:5-8).
May we spend time with Him and ask Him to be everything to us and in us. He is our extraordinary love.
We just want to absorb Him, and send our roots deep down into Him. He’s our boundless forbearances and unparalleled faithfulness. Only He can do it; we can’t do it.
Lord Jesus, we are not worthy to serve You, for in ourselves we’re good for nothing but death and burial. Keep us constantly under God’s judgment to realize that in us nothing good dwells. We are not worthy to be those serving You in Your house, and we are not able to do it. We are still so much in our natural life. We open to You, dear Lord, and we love You as the man of bronze. We take You as our extraordinary love and boundless forbearance. We have no love in ourselves, and even the love we think we have is so short. Be our extraordinary love. We take You as our faithfulness; be our unparalleled faithfulness. We take You as our absolute humility and utmost purity. You are our supreme holiness and righteousness. You are our brightness and uprightness. We are not worthy, Lord, but You are. Be the One in us who serves and does things in the church for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Live and Bear Responsibility in God’s Building by Faith in God in the midst of Complicated and Intermixed Situations
![There were nets of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals that were at the top of the pillars, seven for the one capital, and seven for the second capital. So he made the pillars; and there were two rows [of pomegranates] around the one network, to cover the capitals that were at the top of the pillars. And he did the same for the second capital. And the capitals that were at the top of the pillars in the portico were of lily work, four cubits [in diameter.] So then the capitals that were on the two pillars were above [and] close to the bulge that was beside the network. And there were two hundred pomegranates, in rows around both capitals. 1 Kings 7:17-20](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/There-were-nets-of-checker-work-with-wreaths-of-chain-work-for-the-capitals-that-were-at-the-top-of-the-pillars-683x1024.webp?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "There were nets of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals that were at the top of the pillars, seven for the one capital, and seven for the second capital. So he made the pillars; and there were two rows [of pomegranates] around the one network, to cover the capitals that were at the top of the pillars. And he did the same for the second capital. And the capitals that were at the top of the pillars in the portico were of lily work, four cubits [in diameter.] So then the capitals that were on the two pillars were above [and] close to the bulge that was beside the network. And there were two hundred pomegranates, in rows around both capitals. 1 Kings 7:17-20")
The pillars in the temple had on their capitals nets of checker work (like a trellis) with wreaths of chain work (1 Kings 7:17).
These signify the complicated and intermixed situation in which those who are pillars in God’s building live and bear responsibility (2 Cor. 1:12; 4:7-8).
Furthermore, on the top of the capitals, there were lilies and pomegranates (1 Kings 7:18-20), signifying that we need to live a life by faith in God with the riches of His life.
We need to look at all these things with the view of God’s economy and allow the Lord to shine on us concerning these things.
Lilies signify a life of faith in God a life of living by what God is to us, not by what we are.
On one hand, the pillars being of bronze signifies that “it is not I”; on the other hand, the lilies at the top signify that “but Christ” (Song of Songs 2:1-2; Matt. 6:28, 30; 2 Cor. 5:4; Gal. 2:20).
The only way to have such a life by faith, trusting in God in the midst of the complicated and intermixed situations, is to spend time with the Lord and let our roots go downward to absorb Him.
Then, it will be no longer us who live but Christ who lives in us, and the life we live is in faith – not our faith but the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us.
Christ Himself becomes our faith, even our shield of faith (Eph. 6:16).
Outwardly we are in complicated, intermixed, and complicating situations, and we may want to un-entangle the situation, make it more simple, and then live by faith in God.
But the more we try to uncomplicate the situation, the more complicated it becomes.
We may un-entangle one situation, and three more complicated situations arise.
We shouldn’t try to unentangle the nets of checkerwork or the wreaths of chainwork; we should simply live by faith, like a lily, trusting in God.
We need to live and bear responsibility by faith in God’s building in the midst of complicated and intermixed situations.
If we do this, if we don’t try to merely understand or uncomplicate the situation but live by faith in God, the result is that we will have the abundance and beauty of Christ as life.
In the midst of the nets of checkerwork and chains of wreaths work, we see lilies and pomegranates.
The pomegranates on the wreaths of the capitals signify the fullness, the abundance and beauty, and the expression of the riches of Christ as life (Phil. 1:19-21; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19).
![I am crucified with Christ; and [it is] no longer I [who] live, but [it is] Christ [who] lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the [faith] of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Gal. 2:20 According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 1:20-21](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/I-am-crucified-with-Christ-and-it-is-no-longer-I-who-live-but-it-is-Christ-4-683x1024.webp?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "I am crucified with Christ; and [it is] no longer I [who] live, but [it is] Christ [who] lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the [faith] of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Gal. 2:20 According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 1:20-21")
On one hand, we consider ourselves as being nothing, not worthy and not able to do anything for God and the church, and we keep ourselves constantly under God’s judgment.
On the other hand, through the crossing out of the checker work and the restriction of the chain work, we can live a pure, simple life of trusting in God to express the riches of the divine life of Christ for God’s building in life.
We should not look at our environment and the situations we’re in and ask God to change this or move that; we should simply live by faith in God, for it is not us but Christ who lives in us.
It is not us who bear the responsibility but Christ who bears it. We live not by ourselves but by Christ, and we minister not by ourselves but by Christ.
On one hand, we need to be those constantly under God’s judgment, realizing that we’re good for nothing except death and burial.
On the other hand, we need to live by faith – the faith of Christ Jesus, realizing that in ourselves we can’t bear responsibility in such intermixed and complicated situations, but the Lord in us can live the Christian life and build up the church in and through us.
It is our destiny to be in situations of chainwork and checkerwork; the Lord may never change this.
But in the midst of such situations, we live by faith in God and we express the riches of His life.
Lord Jesus, we love You and we want to live by faith in You even in the complicated and intermixed situations we’re in. We cannot do this in ourselves. We cannot bear the responsibility in the church or live Christ in ourselves. Oh Lord, it is no longer us who lives but Christ who lives in us, and the life we now live is in faith, the faith of the Son of God. It is not us who bears the responsibility: it is Christ who does it. We just want to live a pure, simple life of trusting in God to express the riches of the divine life of Christ for God’s building in life. We open to You, Lord, in the midst of our complicated situations. We do not ask for You to uncomplicate the situations; we simply ask for today’s portion of grace. We just want to live by faith, realizing we’re constantly under God’s judgment and it is Christ who lives in us. Be expressed through us today for Your building!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Ricky Acosta in the message, and portions from, Life-study of Genesis, msgs. 83-84, by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Kings (2022 summer training), week 7, entitled, The Intrinsic Significance of the Materials of the Temple.
- Hymns on this topic:
– I am crucified with Jesus, / And He lives and dwells with me; / I have ceased from all my struggling, / ’Tis no longer I, but He. / All my will is yielding to Him, / And His Spirit reigns within; / And His precious blood each moment / Keeps me cleansed and free from sin. (Hymns #564, stanza 2)
– In my knowledge and experience / I would not exalted be, / But submitting and accepting / Let the Body balance me; / Holding fast the Head, and growing / With His increase, in His way, / By the joints and bands supplying, / Knit together day by day. (Hymns #840, stanza 3)
– Simply trusting every day; / Trusting through a stormy way; / Even when my faith is small, / Trusting Jesus, that is all. / Trusting as the moments fly, / Trusting as the days go by, / Trusting Him, whate’er befall, / Trusting Jesus, that is all. (Hymns #569, stanza 1 and chorus)
About aGodMan
All those who became a true profit to the building of the church were those who did not think of themselves as being qualified for leadership. Rather, they always said, “I am not qualified. I am too poor. My disposition is not suitable, and I am still too much in my natural life. I do not consider myself to be good.” To say this is not only to be under God’s judgment, but also under self-judgment… We all must feel that in us, that is, in our flesh, there is nothing good (Rom. 7:18). We should say, “I am worthy of nothing but death. How could the brothers think that I should be one of the elders? I am terrified of this possibility.”… The Lord will never choose anyone who considers himself to be qualified. If you think that you are qualified, then you have nothing to do with bronze… The experience of bronze is that we are always under God’s judgment and under our own self-judgment. We all must apply this word to ourselves, saying, “Lord, have mercy upon me, for in me there is nothing good.” Life-study of Genesis, pp. 1066-1067, by Witness Lee
The two large pillars set up by Solomon in front of the temple were a striking feature of the exterior of the temple. In the Scriptures the pillar is a sign, a testimony, of God’s building (Gen. 28:18-19, 22a; 1 Kings 7:15-22; Gal. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rev. 3:12). That there were two pillars here (two being the number of testimony) indicates that these pillars stood as a testimony, like a signboard, of what God’s building is. The names of the two pillars (v. 21 and notes) testify that the Lord will establish His building (cf. Matt. 16:18) and that genuine strength is in the building (cf. Eph. 3:17-18). In typology, bronze signifies God’s judgment (Exo. 27:1-8; Num. 21:8-9; John 3:14). The temple’s two bronze pillars signify the Christ who was judged by God and who became the supporting strength of God’s dwelling on the earth (cf. Rev. 1:15 and note Rev. 1:151a and note Rev. 1:152). This Christ should be experienced by the believers in the church life and should be wrought into them to constitute them pillars to support God’s building. 1 Kings 7:15, footnote 1, Recovery Version Bible
May the Lord have mercy on us and show us that in ourselves we are good for nothing except death and burial.
And may as simply live a life by faith in God, even in the midst of the complicated and intermixed situations we are in, allowing Christ to live in us and bear the responsibility in us.
We must be men of bronze – under our own judgememt as well as God’s judgement in order to care for the complicated and intermixed situations in thr church life.
In ourselves we are not qualified (“not I”) but in Him – Christ – we are able to bear the responsibility for God’s building!
Amen – not I but Christ!
Dear brother, yes may the Lord have mercy on us that apart from Him we are good for nothing and can do nothing, we need Him to live in us and bear the responsibility in us.
He only is able to build the house. We are those who live by faith,trusting in you and allowing you to live in us and do everything for us.
If we wish to be good material for the building of God’s temple, we need to recognise that we’re only good for death.
We are under God’s judgement and we should also be under our own judgement.
The Lord will never choose somebody who considers himself to be qualified.
First we must condemn ourselves; then we must live by faith in God, realising that we are nothing.
The life that we now live must be by the faith of Jesus Christ.
By faith, we can be like a lily, existing by what God is to us, not by what we are.
Amen! Oh Lord bring us to the point to realise that, in me, that is in my flesh nothing good dwells, we are only good for death and burial, oh Lord once we see this it will be easy to deny ourselves!
Keep us calling and turning and absorbing you!
That you may infuse yourself into us as materials to build your house
Not I but Christ
Brother if we want to be bronze pillars in the temple we need to be those who are not under God’s judgement but also under our own judgement, we need to see that everything we are and everything we can do is not qualified for God’s work but it’s only good for death and burial.
If we want to be those who bear responsibility in complicated and intermixed situation represented by the checker work and chainwork we need to be lillies fully trusting the Lord and realise its no longer I but christ. today.
Dear Brother may we be those who constantly live under God judgement as the Man of Bronze and under our own judgement recognising that we are good for Nothing but death.
May we have the inward subjective consciousness to know that in our flesh nothing good dwells so that we have no confidence in ourselves but we become lillies.
One’s who live a life of faith, trusting in God, whose boast is not I but Christ now lives in me.
By this we can we can realise we are lillies bearing an impossible responsibility in an intermixed and complicated Church life.
Galatians 2v20 Amen
Amen brother!
I am not but He is!
Hallelujah!
Amen Lord, we are nothing, but You are everything in us and to us!
We must be a lily existing by what God is to us, not by what we are (Matt. 6:28, 30). Our living on earth today depends upon Him.
How can we possibly bear the responsibility in the intermixed and complicated church life? In ourselves, we are incapable of doing this, but we can do so if we live by faith in God!