I received your very good letter before leaving Horten. It has always been a joy—especially lately—to see your progress in Christ Jesus and that you love fellowship with Him, not only in joy, but also in suffering; because it is in the sufferings that we prove that we love Him. This suffering is hidden; consequently, the glory we receive from it is also hidden. This is the hidden manna. There is always a suffering with every hidden work done in Christ. The way of man is to seek to be seen by men.

In Ezek. 44, from verse 10, we learn about two kinds of priests. Some were only allowed to serve at the gates of the house or in the house itself, whereas others were allowed to serve before the Lord. That’s how it is to this very day. There are those who serve only at the gate. They preach day and night about the first principles of Christ: dead to the law; or they serve in the house—in other words, they are constantly occupied with abstaining from dead works. All this takes place outside, before the people. It is a ministry for the people, which is also why they become so well-known by the people. And that’s perhaps the primary hindrance that prevents them from going deeper into Christ. This is a ministry in Christ carried out with one’s face turned toward the people. The priests mentioned in verse 15 had quite a different ministry. Their faces were turned toward God, and they ministered before Him. These are the ones who look continually into the law of liberty and offer themselves with Christ before God.

To serve in the sanctuary, a person must be clothed in pure linen, but when they go before the people, they must take off the holy garments and put on other garments. God wants this intimate relationship to be hidden from people. These priests are the ones who are versed in the law and can pronounce judgment. They are the ones who can teach His people to distinguish between the clean and the unclean, between the holy and the unholy.

As you now partake more and more in this latter priestly ministry, rejoice and be glad. Though you only show your ordinary side to people, you can rejoice before God in white linen and eat of the hidden manna there. There is always a certain carnal desire within us to want to minister before the people and be esteemed by them. To minister before the Lord doesn’t give our flesh the slightest satisfaction. We become an enigma. Persevere in this ministry, because there, before the Lord, we learn all kinds of things, and we are transformed according to the image we behold. Those who serve at the gate never come any further. They are constantly occupied with the first principles, year after year. They only talk about the cleansing of the house—purification from dead works. It is no light punishment to be stuck there. These are the ones who by this time ought to have become teachers; instead, they hardly know the first principles. They are superficial and extroverted people who are always concerned about what other people think. They are never able to learn to turn their gaze to the things that are more perfect.

Our ministry is now before the face of God. From there we consider things, and then we can judge and have understanding. There within, before Him, we receive our light, our judgment—everything. This is what it means to come to God, the Judge of all. The one on whom judgment is passed is always lesser than the one who passes judgment. This is where Christ demonstrates His greatness, by being Judge of all the living. He reigns over the living and the dead, and all judgment has been committed to Him. Perfect light brings perfect judgment. Perfect judgment, in turn, brings perfect dominion.

We conclude from this that the extent to which Christ has been able to make us light is the extent to which we shall judge with Him and reign with Him. To the extent that I have overcome my own body of sin, to that extent I can reign with Him over others whose body of sin has been destroyed to a lesser degree than my own. This is a wise and just arrangement. Christ has perfectly destroyed the body of sin in Himself, and that is why He can reign perfectly. In this He is the Judge of the living. But as the One who fulfilled the requirements of the law, He is the King of the Jews—because no one has done it better.

It gives me great pleasure to write to you about these things, since I know you love God’s truths and have determined to go further in Christ than just being a doorkeeper.

It is a shame for these men-pleasers that they are not even able to learn. No doubt it is because of their flesh making its demands. They love mass meetings and large assemblies, but they know nothing about a hidden relationship with God before His face.

“The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” Col. 1:26. This mystery is revealed in the Spirit, and it remains a mystery to this very day for all those who have not sought enlightenment of the Spirit. These things are also a mystery for those who haven’t moved on from repentance from dead works. Even for those of us who are diligently searching out the treasures of wisdom by the Spirit, there is an abundance of mysteries that still remain hidden, for God has never allowed any human being to understand His works fully. All God’s works have taken place by Christ and for Christ.

You write that “there is some trouble brewing.” Yes, I have noticed the same thing in Horten and elsewhere. I believe we ought to steer a steady course and continue in our appointed ministry before God’s face—not compromising in any area but remaining faithful in the light God has given, even if everything seems to be going awry.

We must simply obey the Spirit without the slightest regard for people. Whatever cannot stand, let it fall apart. We must be prepared to intervene as the need arises—whenever, wherever, whoever. The Spirit must have free reign over us, and we needn’t fear the consequences. Paul’s epistles were weighty and hard, but his bodily presence was weak and his speech was considered contemptible. Here we see the hidden life and the hidden power. These intelligent men, of course, only looked up to university graduates. Although Paul was not a trained speaker, he wasn’t untrained in knowledge. Naturally these high-class people only paid attention to his untrained speech and not to the knowledge behind the words; that’s why they despised it. The world is teeming with such superficial, shallow people. But God delights in hiding the most profound and subtle truths in untrained speech, so those who are simple can understand, and those who are wise will be horrified by such speech and will turn away. Hallelujah! How great our God is who calculates everything so exactly.

I’d better stop for now. It will be good to get together this fall, God willing.

Please greet the family, as well as Helga and Gerrard.

Your brother, sharing with you in Christ,

Address: Horten until mid-July. Then I’ll be leaving for Libau. We won’t be coming to Copenhagen.