Message 109
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Scripture Reading: Exo. 27:4-7; 38:5; Isa. 53:8, 10a; 2 Pet. 3:18; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 3:23-26; Heb. 9:14; Gal. 3:13-14; Acts 1:8; 2:38; Eph. 1:13-14; Gal. 3:3
In this message we shall consider the matter of the location of the grating inside the altar. In Exodus 27 we are told clearly that the grating was at half of the height of the altar. Since the altar was three cubits high, the grating was positioned one and a half cubits above the bottom of the altar. The ark of the testimony was one and a half cubits high. Therefore, the grating and the propitiation-cover of the ark were on the same level.
In the messages on the ark, I pointed out that the dimensions of the ark were all in halves. The ark was two and a half cubits in length, one and a half cubits in width, and one and a half cubits in height. These dimensions are precisely half of the length and height of the altar. As we have pointed out, the altar was five cubits wide, five cubits long, and three cubits high.
We have seen that there were one and a half cubits below the grating and another one and a half cubits above the grating. The fact that there were one and a half cubits underneath the grating signifies the standard according to which the redemption of Christ was accomplished. The standard of the redemption of Christ was up to the requirement of God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory. This is signified by the bronze grating of network being at the half height of the altar and thereby on the same level as the height of the ark of the testimony with the propitiation-cover.
Christ died on the cross to accomplish the all-inclusive redemption for us according to the standard of the ark. The ark was the place where God could meet with man. Man is fallen. He has been distracted from God, and he has deviated from God’s way. Nevertheless, God wants to meet with fallen man. To make such a meeting possible, something had to be done according to the standard of God.
If you closely examine the record of the ark in Exodus, you will see that the ark is related to God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory. The cherubim signify glory, and the law points to God’s righteousness. Furthermore, the gold overlaying the ark signifies God’s holiness. The righteousness, holiness, and glory of God all make demands on fallen man. If, as fallen sinners, we want to meet with God, we must fulfill the requirements of His standard. His standard involves His righteousness, holiness, and glory. Romans 3:23 says that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This indicates that God’s glory is a measuring rod and that, when measured by it, we all come short. Because we cannot reach up to the height of God’s glory, we are not qualified to meet with Him.
Christ died an all-inclusive death for the accomplishment of our redemption. This was according to God’s requirements, according to the height of God’s standard related to His righteousness, holiness, and glory. This is the significance of the grating being at the same level as that of the propitiation-cover on the ark. It is on this level that God can meet with us, and it is on this level that we can be brought back to Him.
God dwells in the Holy of Holies. But one day He came out of the Holy of Holies to the outer court. This means that God came down from heaven to earth to bring man back to Himself. In order to accomplish this, God traveled from the ark to the altar, that is, to the cross. The destination of God’s journey from heaven to earth was the altar, the cross. At the altar God seemed to say, “Sinners, I want you to come back to Me. But if you want to come back to Me, something must take place so that My requirements are fulfilled. Your coming back to Me and My meeting with you must be according to the standard of My requirements.” This is the significance of the grating being on the same level as the propitiation-cover of the ark. If it were possible to draw a line from the grating in the altar to the propitiation-cover on the ark, we would see that these two were on the same level. Christ’s all-inclusive death for redemption, therefore, matches the standard of God’s requirements.
We have pointed out that the ashes from the sacrifices that burned on the grating fell to the bottom of the altar, whereas the fragrant aroma of the sacrifices ascended to God. Thus, the one who presented the sacrifice could see the ashes and thereby have evidence, confirmation, proof, that he had been forgiven and accepted. As believers, we may have the assurance that because Christ’s redemption reaches the level of God’s requirements — the standard of His righteousness, holiness, and glory — we have been accepted by God. Now we must go on to see the significance of the height of the part of the altar above the grating being the same as the part underneath the grating. This signifies that the efficacy of Christ’s redemption is according to its standard. The fragrant aroma of the sacrifices ascended for God’s satisfaction. This refers to the efficacy of Christ’s redemption. The efficacy is according to the same standard as the accomplishment of redemption. How is it possible for God to be satisfied with Christ’s redemption? God can be satisfied because Christ’s redemption fulfills all His requirements. As a result, this redemption has an efficacy, and this efficacy is according to the same standard for God’s satisfaction.
These matters are difficult to explain, but we realize them by experiencing them in the spirit. Whenever we enjoy Christ and His redemption, we have the sense deep within that Christ’s redemption is fully according to the standard of God’s requirements. Moreover, we realize that the efficacy of Christ’s redemption is such that it satisfies God according to His requirements.
You may have had this kind of experience when you were saved, although you may not have had the words to describe it. I can testify that I experienced this when I was saved more than fifty years ago. I had full peace because I realized that Christ’s death on the cross fulfilled all of God’s requirements. The requirements of God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory had been fulfilled by the redeeming death of Christ. Knowing that because of this I was no longer short of God’s requirements, I was at peace. No longer could anything condemn me or drive me away from God. I could not be blamed or cast into hell. I had the full assurance that Christ died to fulfill God’s requirements for me. What else could God require of me? I had such assurance and peace that I could even challenge God and say, “God, the death of Christ has fulfilled all of Your requirements. What else can you demand of me?” All new believers should issue such a challenge to God, knowing that Christ has fulfilled the requirements of God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory for us. If you challenge God in this way, asking what else He can demand of you, He may reply, “I have no further demands. The unique death of Christ has fulfilled all of My requirements.”
Because the grating is on the same level as the propitiation-cover, God can come to converse with us. Here on the propitiation-cover we can have fellowship with Him. Hallelujah, the requirements have been fulfilled, and we do not have any shortage!
When I was saved, I had a deep realization that God was pleased and satisfied. This is the fragrant aroma ascending to Him for His pleasure and satisfaction. This is the efficacy of Christ’s redemption being according to God’s standard for His satisfaction. Praise the Lord that we have peace and that God has satisfaction! Therefore, both we and God are happy. This is the enjoyment and experience of Christ with His redemption in the four rings, the Spirit.
Underneath we have the ashes, and above we have the sweet fragrance. Both the ashes and the fragrance are according to the standard of God’s requirements. Furthermore, we are not carrying the altar in an individualistic way, but in a corporate way. The church is bearing the poles in the rings to testify the redeeming Christ in the all-inclusive Spirit.
With the altar of burnt offering we have a picture of the entire New Testament. Here we see the redeeming Christ issuing in the all-inclusive Spirit for His move through His Body. This is portrayed, as we have seen, by the altar with the grating, the rings, and the poles. The Body of Christ bears the testimony of Jesus throughout the earth by the all-inclusive Spirit. This is the revelation of the New Testament. The reality of Christ and His redemption are with the Spirit typified by the four rings. Without the rings, the altar would have no power, strength, or reality. In the same principle, without the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, Christ and His redemption would become empty and powerless. They would have no impact and no reality.
It is common among Christians today to have many things without the life-giving Spirit. In Catholicism there are stories and also certain superstitions, but all this is without the life-giving Spirit. In Protestantism there are many scriptural and fundamental things, but the life-giving Spirit may be lacking. For this reason, in Protestantism there is also the shortage of reality. Regarding this matter, what is the goal of the Lord’s recovery? The goal of the Lord’s recovery is to recover the reality, life, livingness, strength, power, and impact of the matters revealed in the Scriptures.
If you gather together the various matters revealed in the Scriptures without the Spirit, you will have a religion. This religion may be Judaism, Catholicism, or Protestantism. But in each case the principle is the same: there is some kind of ism without the life-giving Spirit. The life-giving Spirit is the life pulse, the reality, the power, and the impact of all the doctrines and stories in the Bible. The Bible contains many wonderful stories and doctrines. However, if we do not have the Triune God processed to become the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, all these stories and doctrines will be just a religious ism. This is not God’s salvation. God’s salvation is Christ as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, who is the ultimate expression of the processed Triune God. It is very important to see this.
As I pointed out in the previous message, I believe that the four rings on the four corners were of one piece with the grating, not something added to the grating. This signifies that the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit is the issue of the redeeming Christ. The Spirit is not added to Christ; rather, the Spirit issues out of Christ. On the one hand, we may say that the life-giving Spirit issues from Christ; on the other hand, we may say that Christ issues in the Spirit. Therefore, Christ and the Spirit are one. In nature the rings were the same as the grating. This signifies the identity of Christ with the Spirit.
I have read a number of expositions of the tabernacle with its furniture. Just recently I consulted some books that have pictures of the tabernacle and its furniture. But none of these books covers the crucial significance of the grating with the rings for the poles. If the grating, the rings, and the poles were taken away from the altar, the altar would become a useless, empty shell. The meaning and significance of the altar depend on the grating, the rings, and the poles.
We all need to be deeply impressed with the fact that the grating was on the same level as the propitiation-cover of the ark. This signifies that Christ accomplished redemption according to the requirements of the propitiation-cover. The propitiation-cover represents all the requirements of God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory. The shekinah glory was in the Holy of Holies. Furthermore, the cherubim, representing God’s glory, were on the cover of the ark. These cherubim were observing the situation and functioning as guardians of God’s glory. These cherubim were made of gold, and the ark of the testimony was overlaid with gold. Gold here signifies God’s holy nature. This holiness also has demands, requirements. In addition, inside the ark was the righteous law of God with its righteous requirements. Therefore, related to the propitiation-cover of the ark there was the threefold demand of God’s glory, holiness, and righteousness. However, the grating in the altar was on the same level as the propitiation-cover on the ark, indicating that the redemption accomplished by Christ fully measured up to the standard of God’s requirements.
The effectiveness, the efficacy, of Christ’s redemption is also according to the standard of God’s requirements. On the one hand, the ashes fell down; on the other hand, the fragrant aroma ascended. The ashes are the evidence that we have been accepted and forgiven and no longer have problems with God. The problems have been solved, and the ashes remain as a confirmation that it is now possible for us to be with God. The fragrance that ascended from the altar was for God’s satisfaction. Therefore, we are at peace, and God is happy, joyful, and satisfied. This indicates that the cross of Christ meets God’s requirements and satisfies God’s heart; the cross also meets our need and gives us peace. The more we consider the significance of the picture of the altar of burnt offering, the more we realize something regarding the cross of Christ that is not revealed in plain words in the New Testament.
