02.46. Outside the Camp
Outside the Camp At the close of the Epistle to the Hebrews, after so wonderfully setting forth the fulness of Christ’s person and work for the believer, the inspired writer says: "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach" (Hebrews 13:12-13). Here we have another important principle for the guidance of the exercised believer in the day of the Church’s ruin. We will need to carefully consider this weighty truth. The apostle draws attention in these verses to the fact that Christ was crucified outside the gate of Jerusalem, the center of Judaism, and therefore the believer is exhorted to go forth unto Him, the rejected One, outside the camp and to bear His reproach. But before we consider the above portion of Scripture it will be helpful to a clearer understanding of our subject to first consider the camp of Israel and the example which Moses set in pitching the tent of meeting outside the camp.
Idolatrous Camp of Israel In Exodus 32:1-35 where we find the camp of Israel spoken of we notice that when God was displaced in that camp by the idolatry of the golden calf, He was angry and judgment was executed upon the people (Exodus 32:10, Exodus 32:27-28). The camp of Israel had been owned of God and He had dwelt in their midst, but when the golden calf was set up and worshipped, He could not own them as His people.
Man had been busy with his graving tool fashioning a god, making an altar of his own, appointing his own feast day, sacrificing offerings, and sitting down to eat, drink, and play (Exodus 32:4-6). The people had corrupted themselves and God could not meet with them in that idolatrous camp. In Exodus 33:1-23 we see Moses sensing what became God’s holiness in such evil and how he acted in separation from the camp of Israel. "And Moses took the tent, and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the Tent of meeting. And it came to pass (that) every one who sought Jehovah went out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp ... And it came to pass when Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the entrance of the tent, and (Jehovah) talked with Moses ... And Jehovah spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:7-11, New Trans.).
Here we have an example of what it means to go outside the camp and of how necessary this is if we would have the Lord’s presence with us in the day of apostacy and evil in the camp. The Lord was now outside of the camp of Israel, so Moses separated himself from it and pitched the tent (probably his own tent) outside of the idolatrous camp. Notice, he not only went outside of Israel’s encampment, but "far from the camp’ and called this separated tent the "Tent of meeting." This tent now became the center of gathering for all who sought Jehovah and they went forth unto it outside the corrupted camp. Then the Lord put His stamp of approval upon Moses’ action and that of some of the people and upon this new gathering place by the pillar of cloud (visible symbol of God’s presence) descending and standing at the entrance of the tent of meeting and by His speaking with Moses face to face in the intimacy of friend to friend.
All the people in the camp saw the pillar of cloud stand at the tent of meeting and stood up to worship in their tent doors, showing they realized that the Lord could no longer vouchsafe His presence to the camp defiled by idolatry, and that He owned the new place of gathering outside the camp. And yet it would seem that the majority failed to act in separation from the defiled camp, for they "worshipped, every man in his tent door" (Exodus 33:10), instead of going out to the tent of meeting outside the camp. The application of all this to the present state of Christendom should be quite apparent to any exercised soul. In addition to the direct exhortation in Hebrews 13:13 to go forth unto Christ without the camp, we have the statement in Romans 15:4 that "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning," so we know that the example of Moses and others in separating from the idolatry and evil in the camp of Israel furnishes the believer with a principle for guidance in a day when the professing Church is in ruin.
Christendom has become an idolatrous camp like the camp of Israel. Christ has been displaced and idolatry is practiced in a great part of the professing Church. Man has been busy with his graving tool and has fashioned gods of his own.
Systems of religion have been formed without regard to God’s mind for His Church as revealed in the Scriptures and the authority of Christ and the sovereign operation of the Holy Spirit have been practically set aside by man’s systems.
Every form of evil doctrine and moral evil can be found in Christendom which has become a "Babylon" of confusion and corruption. Revelation 18:1-24 gives us a prophetic picture of this Babylon in its final stage and full development of evil, and tells us of the judgment which God will execute upon it. There we read, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird . . . Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins" (Revelation 18:2, Revelation 18:4).
Like Moses of old, we must go outside of this idolatrous camp and separate ourselves afar off from all its evils and corruption if we would meet the Lord’s approval and enjoy His presence with us. How sad to see many true believers clinging to the various systems in the corrupt camp of Christendom, instead of going forth without the camp. Like many in Israel, they worship in their own tent doors in the apostate camp from which Christ has departed. Should this be true of anyone reading these lines, we pray that God’s voice may be heard saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins. The Camp of Judaism
Now we shall consider this camp which the apostle in Hebrews 13:13 exhorted the Hebrew believers to go outside of unto Jesus Christ who suffered without its gate as the true sin-offering. The inspired writer shows that Christ is outside of this apostate, religious camp of Judaism, therefore those who love Him are to "go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach." This was the third time that the glory of God was outside of Israel: first, in the wilderness as we have seen in Exodus 33:1-23; secondly, in Jerusalem in the days of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 10:18-19; Ezekiel 11:23) ; and thirdly, at the crucifixion of Christ in whom the glory of God was manifested to faith in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Thus those who would seek the Lord and enjoy His presence must go forth unto Him in the place of rejection and reproach where the religious world of His day put Him-outside its camp.
It may be well for us to inquire as to the nature of the camp of Judaism outside of which Christ was put. In Hebrews 9:1-10 we have a description of this camp, from which we gather the following distinguishing features:
It was marked by a "worldly sanctuary," a sanctuary of this world, with majestic furniture and vessels (Hebrews 9:2-3).
There was an inner part in this earthly sanctuary, known as "the Holiest of all," with a veil between it and the rest of the sanctuary. The priests went into the first part of the tabernacle to accomplish the service of God, but into "the Holiest of all" only the high priest could enter once a year with blood for his sins and those of the people (Hebrews 9:3-7). God was shut in and man was shut out.
Thus there was no free access to God under this system of worship. "The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" .(Hebrews 9:8).
There was an ordained priesthood, an order of priests distinct from the people, who devoted themselves to the service of the sanctuary and officiated between the people and God. The people had no direct part in the service of the sanctuary (Hebrews 9:6).
This worldly sanctuary with its priests and sacrifices could not give the worshippers a purged conscience or make the offerers perfect or complete before God (Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 10:1-3).
It was a system of worship ordained of God for the nation of Israel in the flesh and embraced as worshippers all the nation in the camp. It did not suppose or require that the worshippers should be born again. They were thus a mixed company of believers and unbelievers on the ground of law-keeping for. righteousness (Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16).
It was an earthly religion, established on earth and suited to man in the flesh, with no thought of any reproach connected with it (Galatians 5:11; Galatians 6:12-13).
The foregoing is a brief outline of the leading features of the camp of Judaism, which we would ask the reader to keep in mind, as we shall shortly refer to these features when we consider the contrasting characteristics of the true Christian portion and position and the similarity of the present camp of Christendom to Judaism.
Into this camp of Judaism God sent His Son, the promised Messiah, but He was rejected and slain outside the gates of its metropolis, Jerusalem. The cross of Christ put an end to the religious system of this camp with its types and shadows, and brought in the new covenant of grace and an accomplished redemption in Christ. However, God bore with the nation until the stoning of Stephen. Then Israel was fully set aside as a nation and the camp of Judaism was entirely disowned by God. But true believers in Christ still clung to Judaism and some Hebrew believers were in danger of giving up the Christian profession and going back into this camp. Therefore, the Epistle to the Hebrews was written, some 30 years after the cross, directing them to the fulness of blessing in Christ and His work and exhorting them to go forth unto Christ without the apostate, rejected camp of Judaism. This is the Church’s proper place, for the new wine of Christianity cannot be put into the old bottles of the legal system of the camp (Luke 5:37-38). One cannot follow Christ and worship Him where He is rejected.
Contrast of Christianity On the foundation of the one perfect, complete, and atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, God formed the Church on the day of Pentecost by the descent and baptism of the Holy Spirit and instituted Christianity in its heavenly character as that which He owned and delighted in. This, in its true characteristics as given in the Scriptures, is the exact opposite of the features we have noted as characteristic of the camp of Judaism. Briefly, the contrasting points of Christianity (which the reader may compare with the correspondingly numbered points previously listed as typical of Judaism) are as follows:
The Christian’s sanctuary is in heaven and not on earth. Christ has gone into heaven itself and appears in the presence of God for us as a minister of the heavenly sanctuary and true tabernacle (Hebrews 8:2; Hebrews 9:24).
The veil into the holiest of all is rent and we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, through the rent veil (Hebrews 10:19-20). God has come out to man in Christ, and Christ has gone in to God for the believer and opened the way for us to enter into the holiest also. Inside the veil of the heavenly sanctuary is the place that belongs to every Christian.
3. Thus there is full access to God. "Through him we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18).
Every believer in Christ is holy and is a royal priest, privileged to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. There is no special class of priests distinct from the people in New Testament Christianity (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9).
Through the one perfect and complete offering of Christ believers have purged consciences, are sanctified and perfected for ever before God, and are assured that their sins and iniquities are remembered no more (Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:14-17).
The Church of Christ is composed of a people in vital relationship to God by new birth. It does not embrace any who have only a mere outward relationship to God by natural birth, as in Israel. Only those who have been "born again" are in the Church and able to "worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 3:3; John 4:24). There is no mixture of saved and unsaved in the worship of the true Church.
Christianity is distinctly heavenly. "Our citizenship is in heaven" (Php 3:20, R. V.). It is, therefore, not suited to man in the flesh, but is an offence to the natural man. Thus the reproach of the cross and the rejection of Christ are connected with true Christian worship. "As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised (Judaism) ; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ" (Galatians 6:12).
Such are some of the leading features of New Testament Christianity in contrast to the camp of Judaism. True Christianity is thus not a religious camp on earth, but a called out company of believers, united to Christ, their glorified head, in heaven. Unto Him believers are to go forth without the camp of earthly religion. The Camp of Christendom
We have noted the characteristics and position of true Christianity, which a study of the New Testament will show were manifested in the apostolic Church. But a glance at the history of the professing Church since then and at its present condition reveals the sad fact that it soon lost its heavenly character and the distinctive features of the proper Christian position. That which bore the name of Christianity and the Church, which we may call "Christendom," soon settled down on earth and became an amalgamation of Judaism and Christianity. The Church soon became Judaised; the principles of Judaism, a religion suited to the unregenerate man in the flesh, were adopted with a little of the truth of Christianity mixed in. Christendom thus soon became a religious camp on earth, similar to the idolatrous camp of Israel in Moses’ day and to the apostate camp of Judaism.
Recall the principal features of Judaism and note how they characterize more or less the various religious systems of Christendom. Some of the features are as follows:
They have an earthly sanctuary with majestic appearance, furniture, and vessels, all pleasing to the eye of flesh.
There is the railed off inner shrine into which the officiating priest or minister only goes.
There is no direct, free access to God. God is in the distance and addressed as "Almighty God," "Most High," etc., but rarely as "Abba Father," which is the adoption cry of the true child of God (Galatians 4:5-6). This in itself manifests the "far off" position of Judaism.
There is an ordained, special class of priests and ministers who generally serve under the direction of higher officials and who stand between God and the people, making a division between the so-called "laity" and the "clergy." The leadership and presidency of the Holy Spirit is thus set aside by man’s organization and leadership.
A purged conscience, the knowledge of sins forgiven and of acceptance before God, is generally not known. Yea, to say that one is saved and sure of heaven is termed presumption and not possible by most of Christendom.
Believers and unbelievers in heart, converted and unregenerate, are together as public worshippers on the ground of works and law-keeping for salvation.
These systems recognize man in the flesh, appeal to man in the flesh, and are so constituted as to embrace man in the flesh. Hence there is no offence to the natural man or any reproach of Christ and His cross to bear.
Such are the characteristic features of Christendom which is as truly an apostate, religious camp as Judaism was, and perhaps more so. Therefore, the religious systems of Christendom are the camp which believers in this dispensation of grace are called to go outside of unto Christ, God’s true gathering center. As to what constitutes the camp, another has well said:
"It is anything where Christ is in name, but not in reality, enthroned supreme. I care not how ancient the authority may be... Wherever there is a human organization which displaces Christ, which is not according to the Word of God as given us in the New Testament, above all, wherever Christ is not directly and immediately recognized in absolute control by His Word and Spirit-there you have the camp." (S. Ridout). The camp, which believers today are called to go outside of, is Christendom where men have revived Jewish elements in the guise of grace. Any system where man’s authority is set up to the practical denial of the authority of Christ (which is done wherever the "clergy" is recognized as distinct from the "laity") is a camp to be departed from. The camp is a system of earthly or fleshly religion set up by man-a place where God is dishonored, His Word set aside, and where man is allowed a place to do what he likes.
We trust these remarks will help our readers to see what the camp of our present day is and enable them to better understand what is meant by Hebrews 13:13 : "Let us go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach." And may each one who thus understands be energized by the Holy Spirit to act upon this divine precept. It is only there in separation from all that displaces and dishonors Christ, that His sweet presence can be enjoyed and worship in spirit and in truth truly known. Outside the camp in rejection with Christ below is what answers to our heavenly portion with Him on high. To truly enter within the veil as a worshipper, we must go outside the camp with Christ here on this earth. This is a great and necessary principle for the exercised believer to act upon in the day of the Church’s ruin and disorder.
Go Forth Unto Christ
We would stress that going forth unto Christ is the positive side of this separation from the camp and that which should be the true motive and object in disassociation from the camp. This alone will sustain one in the negative path of separation with its trials and heartaches. Christ in all His beauties, glories, and sufficiency must be the object before the heart and the One whom the soul desires and separates unto. Thus it is that the writer of Hebrews presents throughout the Epistle the glories and all-sufficiency of Christ and His work before calling upon them in the last chapter to separate from the camp of Judaism. The soul must long after Christ and desire to walk with Him and to be under His direction and under the control of the Holy Spirit. Separation in any other way will fall short of going forth unto Christ without the camp. If one only separates from a system of religion because of evils there, he may form another system, or become part of a system with more truth and holiness, but still a system where Christ is not the gathering center alone and where He is not given the supreme place of rule by the unhampered action of the Holy Spirit. Thus he is still a part of the camp of Christendom, though perhaps on the outer edge of it. Like Moses, we must pitch our tent "afar off from the camp" (Exodus 33:7) and gather fully unto Christ. May reader and writer know more of this blessed place with Christ outside the camp.