Message 106
(3)
Scripture Reading: Exo. 27:1-8
When we read the record concerning the altar of the burnt offering in 27:1-8, it seems that there is not much for us to say regarding the altar. However, as I was considering this matter, I realized that, in principle, there must be something very important here, because the altar is a type of the cross of Christ.
In the New Testament the cross is not revealed in a way which corresponds to our natural, human understanding. If the cross were presented in this way, probably one of the main writers in the New Testament — Paul, John, or Peter — would have given us a lengthy definition of the significance of Christ’s cross. From the human point of view, we sense the need for this kind of definition. But such a definition cannot be found in the New Testament. In the New Testament the revelation concerning the cross is given piecemeal; that is, various parts of the revelation, like the pieces of a puzzle, are found here and there throughout the New Testament. For example, there is something about the cross in Galatians 2:20, and something else in 1, John 12:24 Peter 2:24, and Hebrews 2:14.
Many of the verses related to the cross are understood by Christians in a superficial way. For instance, 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Who Himself carried up our sins in His body onto the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.” Preachers often quote the first part of this verse, pointing out that Christ bore our sins in His body on the tree. But they may not go on to consider the deeper matters covered in this verse.
Neither in the Old Testament typology nor in the New Testament revelation is the cross described in a detailed way. There must be a reason for this lack of detail concerning the cross of Christ.
A very significant point in the record in Exodus 27 concerning the altar is the four rings. At first I thought that there might have been two sets of rings, one inside the wall of the altar and the other outside. As we have seen, the grating is inside the wall. However, the four rings, which would have to be outside the wall, were at the four corners of the grating. Thus, it is possible to think that there were two sets of rings: the first set at the ends of the grating inside the wall, and the second set outside the wall for the two poles. This might be a possibility, if the only record concerning the altar were that found in 27:1-8. But 38:5 and 7 clearly say, “And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves....And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal.” In light of these verses, we cannot hold the concept that there were two sets of rings, one inside the altar and the other outside. There must have been only one set of rings. These rings were at the four ends of the grating inside the wall, but they nevertheless were outside so that the two poles could be put into them.
Even now, I do not know how to explain this. The Scripture does not tell us how the rings could be attached to the grating and yet still be on the outside of the altar. But as I considered this matter, the light began to shine, and then the revelation in the New Testament concerning the relationship between Christ’s redemption and the eternal Spirit began to open up. Concerning this relationship, the New Testament has some important things to say.
In the four Gospels we have a picture of the grating. If we would understand the grating, we need to understand the Gospels. Do you know what is presented to us in the four Gospels? The Gospels present a redemptive grating, a grating where redemption was accomplished.
Then in the book of Acts we have the Spirit as the four rings. Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the remotest part of the earth.” The four rings are for reaching the four corners of the earth.
Then in the Epistles we have the definition of these four rings. According to Hebrews 9:14, Christ offered Himself to God and accomplished redemption through the eternal Spirit. By means of this eternal Spirit the redemption accomplished by Christ will be brought to the ends of the earth. By this we see that almost the entire New Testament is needed to define the grating with the four rings.
To repeat, the grating is presented in the Gospels; the connection of the four rings to the grating is seen in Acts; and in all the following Epistles we have a definition of the four rings. For example, 1 Corinthians 15:45 reveals that Christ became a life-giving Spirit. In the Epistles we see the Spirit through whom Christ accomplished the all-inclusive redemption.
Do you realize what is the situation in today’s Christianity with respect to the grating and the rings? The situation is this: the rings have been divorced from the grating. The fundamentalists have the grating without the rings; the Pentecostals have some kind of rings separate from the grating. In the Lord’s recovery the four rings are brought back to the grating.
For the most part, we are opposed not because of the grating, but mainly because of our testimony concerning the rings. There has been some opposition because of our teaching concerning the grating. You know that I have given messages on Christ being made in the likeness of the flesh of sin. In these messages I pointed out that on the cross Christ was in the form of the serpent (John 3:14). Some opposing ones, twisting my word, accused me of teaching that Christ had the nature of the fallen flesh. Such an accusation comes from their blindness. Have these opposers never considered Paul’s strong word in 2 Corinthians 5:21? In this verse Paul says that Christ was made sin. In my messages I emphasize the fact that, according to Romans 8:3, Christ was in the likeness of the flesh of sin. Furthermore, referring to the type of the brass serpent lifted up on a pole by Moses in the wilderness, I said that the brass serpent was in the form of an actual serpent, but that it did not have the poisonous nature of the serpent. Likewise, Christ was in the likeness of the flesh of sin, but He did not have a sinful nature. Those who oppose this truth have only a shallow understanding of Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. They have not been enlightened from the Word to see that Christ was in the likeness of the flesh of sin and even became sin.
As we have pointed out, most of the opposition is related to our testimony that Christ today is the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit. Regarding the mingling, some have gone so far as to accuse us of teaching pantheism or the deification of man. The accusations concerning Christ being the Spirit involve the Trinity, the Person of Christ, and the mingling. All these matters are related to the four rings, the Spirit.
Many Christians today have an altar that lacks the proper connection between the four rings and the grating. Some have the grating without the rings, but others have the rings without the grating. Those who have the grating may have it only in a superficial way without the connection of the rings, and those who have the rings may actually have the wrong kind of rings and without the connection to the grating.
We have pointed out that the grating is at half the height of the altar, halfway between the top and the bottom. This means that there were one and one-half cubits above the grating and one and one-half cubits below it. This was equal to the height of the ark of the testimony. The dimensions of the ark were two and one-half cubits in length and width and one and one-half cubits in height. Thus, the height of the ark was half the height of the altar. Therefore, the grating signifying Christ’s all-inclusive and completed redemption was placed on a level with the height of the ark.
On top of the ark of the testimony was the propitiation-cover. On this cover all the requirements of God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory were fulfilled. This enabled God to come to commune with man on the propitiation-cover. Because God’s requirements had been fulfilled, this place was called the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). The fact that the grating of the altar was level with the cover of the ark indicates that Christ’s redemption was accomplished according to the standard of God’s requirements. There were one and one-half cubits both above and below the grating. This indicates that the redemption of Christ was not accomplished according to a standard lower than the requirements of God. Rather, it was accomplished at a standard which was up to the height of God’s requirements. Moreover, the fact that there were one and one-half cubits above the grating indicates that the effectiveness, the efficacy, of Christ’s redemption also comes up to the standard of God’s requirements.
To repeat, with the altar of the burnt offering we have a height of three cubits in two sections, with each section measuring one and one-half cubits. The one and one-half cubits below the grating signify that Christ’s redemption was accomplished according to the high standard of God’s requirements. The one and one-half cubits above the grating signify that the effectiveness of Christ’s redemption is also according to the standard of these requirements. Therefore, we have two crucial matters: the eternal Spirit and the standard of God’s requirements. Christ offered Himself to accomplish redemption through the eternal Spirit, and the standard for this accomplishment of redemption was the standard of God’s requirements. And the standard of the efficacy of Christ’s redemption also is equal to the height of God’s requirements.
The two matters of the eternal Spirit and the standard of God’s requirements are covered in the New Testament. The redemption of Christ is powerful because it is linked to the eternal Spirit. The redemption of Christ is also effective because it was accomplished according to the standard of God’s requirements, and its efficacy matches these requirements. This is the revelation concerning the cross of Christ in the New Testament.
Although the record of the altar in Exodus 27 is simple and brief, it is very rich in spiritual significance. The significance of the altar is seen in the four rings connected to the grating, and in the location of the grating at half the height of the altar. Because these points are important, they are emphasized in the divine record. The ledge, on the contrary, is not given much emphasis.
I definitely believe that the ledge protected the four walls of the altar from the heat of the fire burning on the grating. Otherwise, the wood inside the overlying brass would be scorched by the constant heat. For this reason, I do not believe that the ledge was made of wood. Instead, I believe it was made of bronze.
The ledge on the four sides of the altar may also have limited the space used for burning. Since the altar was five cubits wide and five cubits long, the ledge on each side could have been a half cubit in width. This still would have left an area four cubits by four cubits for burning the sacrifices. Furthermore, it would then have been possible for certain utensils to be kept on the ledge.
Although I feel quite sure concerning the significance of the four rings, I certainly do not insist on my understanding of the ledge. Regarding this, I simply make an inference, since there is no sure evidence in the written Word. But if the ledge did not serve as a protection, how would the walls have been protected from the heat of the fire? There must have been some kind of protection, and this protection may have been afforded by the ledge.
We need to have more understanding, more apprehension, of the cross and of Christ’s redemption according to the New Testament. Because the revelation concerning the cross is presented piece by piece, it is not easy to see a complete picture. We can see such a picture only when all the pieces of the puzzle are put together. We praise the Lord for helping us to see more concerning the cross!
What we understand of the cross of Christ should not simply be a doctrine to us. We need the real experience of this. Hallelujah, we have Christ, and we have the eternal Spirit! Actually, Christ Himself is the eternal Spirit. On the cross He was the redeeming Christ. But in our experience He is the life-giving Spirit. The four rings were closely connected to the grating. Furthermore, the grating and the rings were of the same material, bronze. Thus, there was a true identification of the bronze grating and the bronze rings. This indicates that the grating is identical to the four rings, that Christ today is identical to the life-giving Spirit.
