Message 164
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Scripture Reading: Exo. 30:23-30; 1 John 2:18-27; 4:1-3, 6; Rom. 8:16; 1 Cor. 6:17; Gal. 5:22-24; Rom. 8:13
We have seen that the first three ingredients of the compound Spirit typified by the compounded ointment are the only God, the Triune God, and the man Jesus, typified respectively by the one hin of olive oil, the three units of the measure of the four spices, and the four spices of the plant life. In this message we shall continue to consider the ingredients of the compound Spirit typified by the compounded ointment, and then we shall go on to consider the anointing of the compound Spirit.
The flowing myrrh in 30:23 typifies the precious death of Christ. This precious death is, according to this type, compounded with the anointing Spirit. In Romans 6:3 and 6 Paul says that we who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death, and that our old man has been crucified with Christ. The death of Christ into which we have been baptized is actually included in the Spirit. Without the Spirit, the death of Christ is only a historical fact, and it can never become our experience. It is in the Spirit that we share the death of Christ. This is also a part of the anointing of the Spirit.
The fragrant cinnamon in 30:23 typifies the sweetness and the effectiveness of Christ’s death. The effectiveness of the death of Christ can be compared to an antibiotic used to kill germs. If someone is suffering from a disease caused by certain bacteria or germs, he may take a certain medicine to kill those germs. The effectiveness of Christ’s death can be regarded as the spiritual antibiotic to kill the “germs” within us.
Galatians 5:22-24 indicates that the death of Christ functions like a spiritual antibiotic. Verses 22 and 23 speak of the fruit of the Spirit. Then verse 24 says, “But they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts.” Physically speaking, no one can crucify himself. A person can commit suicide many different ways, but he cannot commit suicide by crucifying himself. Anyone crucified in ancient times was hung on a cross by others. Since crucifixion is not an action that we can perform on ourselves, why does Paul say in Galatians 5:24 that they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh? If we read the context of this verse with understanding, we shall see that we do not actually crucify ourselves by ourselves alone. Rather, this crucifixion is carried out by the Spirit from whom is the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit who bears fruit within us is the One by whom we crucify ourselves. This corresponds to Romans 8:13: “For if you live according to flesh, you are about to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.” By ourselves we are not able to put to death the practices of the body. Likewise, we are not able to crucify ourselves. We need a crucifier, someone to crucify us. Christ was crucified by Roman soldiers. Today we experience crucifixion through and by the indwelling Spirit.
Do you know where the effectiveness of the death of Christ is? The effectiveness of the death of Christ is in the all-inclusive Spirit. This Spirit includes the element of the effectiveness of the wonderful death of Christ. This means that the death of Christ spoken of in Romans 6 has become an ingredient of the indwelling Spirit spoken of in Romans 8. The “medicine” of the Spirit thus contains the effectiveness of Christ’s death as the element to kill the germs, the harmful bacteria, within us.
Throughout the years many have taught from Romans 6 that our old man has been crucified with Christ. However, few have seen the proper way to experience our death with Christ described in Romans 6. Only when we realize that the effectiveness of the death of Christ has been compounded into the all-inclusive Spirit can we have the proper experience of being crucified with Christ. Once we realize that the death of Christ in Romans 6 has been compounded into the all-inclusive, indwelling Spirit, we should simply walk in this Spirit. This is to take the “medicine” of the Spirit containing the killing element of Christ’s death. There is no need for us to try to kill ourselves or the germs within us. We simply need to take the antibiotic, which will then do an excellent work within us to kill all the germs. Our experience testifies of this. We can testify that when we walk in the Spirit, a killing work is taking place within us.
We can experience this killing work in our daily lives. Suppose a brother does not care for the indwelling Spirit, but instead, rejecting the Spirit, quarrels with his wife and says some very unkind things to her. However, suppose this same brother prays himself into the Spirit, lives in the Spirit, and walks in the Spirit. This will make it extremely difficult for him to argue with his wife. As soon as he opens his mouth to quarrel with her, he will experience the element of Christ’s death operating within him. Then he finds it impossible to argue with her. Many married brothers have had this kind of experience.
I believe that a good number of sisters have experienced the “antibiotic” in the Spirit in relation to their shopping. If a sister does not pray herself into the Spirit, live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, then she may go shopping without any inward restriction. For this reason, I would encourage the sisters to pray thoroughly and properly before they go shopping. A sister may say, “Lord, let us go shopping together. In the matter of shopping, I don’t want to leave You. Rather, I want to stay with You.” If a sister goes shopping in this way, she will experience the Lord’s limitation and restriction. She may pick up a certain item and consider buying it. But then, sensing the restriction of the Spirit, she will put it down. Sometimes she may leave the store without buying anything, because she paid attention to the Spirit within her. This is an experience of the effectiveness of the Lord’s sweet death being applied to us by the all-inclusive Spirit. Many of us can testify that whenever we have this kind of experience, we feel that we are with the Lord in the heavens.
Exodus 30:23 speaks of fragrant calamus. This calamus signifies the precious resurrection of Christ (1 Pet. 1:3; Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). After we experience the sweetness and effectiveness of Christ’s death, we are ushered into resurrection. For example, suppose a sister experiences the effectiveness of Christ’s death applied to her shopping. Spontaneously she will have the experience of being in resurrection. She will experience the precious resurrection of Christ.
The cassia in 30:24 signifies the power of Christ’s resurrection. In Philippians 3:10 Paul expresses the desire to know the power of Christ’s resurrection. In a foregoing message we pointed out that cassia functions as a repellent. It repels snakes and insects. Likewise, the power of the Lord’s resurrection also functions as a repellent. It repels the demons and all negative things.
The mingling of divinity with humanity is typified by the blending of the olive oil with the four spices. We have seen that the olive oil signifies the unique God, and that the four spices signify man as the leading one in God’s creation. Therefore, the mingling of God and man is typified by the blending of the oil and spices.
Do not listen to those who say that there is not such a thing in the Bible as the mingling of divinity with humanity. There is a clear revelation of this matter in the Word. In Exodus 30 we have a type of the mingling, but in the New Testament we have the fulfillment. The fulfillment of the type is the mingling of the divine Spirit with our regenerated human spirit. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God.” Here we see the mingling of the Spirit with our spirit. Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” This proves that our spirit has been joined to, mingled with, the Spirit.
The power for responsibility is also an element in the compound Spirit. I can testify that when I walk in the all-inclusive Spirit, I have the power to bear responsibility. Recently it was necessary for me to spend twenty-one hours in fellowship with certain brothers. We had six long meetings. I could not merely sit in these meetings, but I had the responsibility to lead the fellowship and direct it. My wife was very concerned that I would be exhausted. Knowing that a large conference was scheduled very soon, she encouraged me not to tire myself out. Nevertheless, I can testify that in those days I experienced the all-inclusive Spirit with the element of power for bearing responsibility.
The fact that the compound Spirit typified by the compounded ointment contains the element of power for responsibility is indicated by the five elements of the compounded ointment and the three times five hundred shekels of the four spices. In the Bible five is the number of responsibility (Matt. 25:4, 8). The number five is seen in the five elements of the compounded ointment. As we pointed out in the previous message, we see the number three signifying the Triune God, with the three units of five hundred shekels of the four spices. The middle unit is split in half and signifies the cutting of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Furthermore, the number three signifies resurrection. After the cutting, we have the calamus signifying resurrection. Therefore, here the number three signifies the Triune God in resurrection. When we experience the compound Spirit, the Triune God in resurrection becomes our portion. This is the power, the capability, for bearing responsibility.
The numbers three and five indicate that the building element is also included in the compound Spirit. Here we have three complete units of five hundred shekels each. Therefore, we have the number three. The number five appears in the number five hundred. Furthermore, we have the five elements, the olive oil and the four spices.
According to the Old Testament, the numbers three and five are related to God’s building. The first building of God was the ark made by Noah, and the second was the tabernacle. Concerning the ark, Genesis 6:15 says, “And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.” Here with the dimensions of the ark we have multiples of the numbers three and five. Moreover, Genesis 6:16 says that the ark was to be made with “lower, second, and third stories.”
The tabernacle was of three sections: the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. According to Exodus 27:13, the width of the outer court on the east side was to be fifty cubits. Then verses 14 and 15 say that the hangings on either side of the gate were to be fifteen cubits with three pillars and three sockets. Furthermore, verse 18 says that the height of the linen curtains of the outer court was to be five cubits. Actually, each curtain of the enclosure in the outer court measured five cubits by five cubits.
If we believe that everything in the Bible has a significance, then we should believe that the numbers three and five signify something. A careful study of the Word shows that these numbers are related to God’s building. Therefore, in the compound Spirit we have the Triune God in resurrection mingled with His creature, man, for the power to bear responsibility, and we also have the element for God’s building.
All together we have ten ingredients, giving us a full portrait of the compound Spirit. In the compound Spirit we have the unique God, the Triune God, the man Jesus, the death of Christ, the effectiveness of the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the power of Christ’s resurrection, the mingling of divinity with humanity, the power for responsibility, and the element of God’s building. All these are ingredients of the compound Spirit.
Now we come to the function, or the anointing, of the compound Spirit revealed in 1 John 2:18-27. The function of the compound Spirit is to anoint us. According to typology, the tabernacle with its furniture and the priests were anointed with the compound ointment. This indicates that we are anointed with all the ingredients of the compound Spirit. We are anointed with God, the Trinity, the humanity of Jesus, Christ’s death, the effectiveness of His death, His resurrection, the power of His resurrection, the power for responsibility, and the building element.
First, the compound Spirit anoints the believers with the Father and the Son, conveyed in the anointing Spirit. This is to be anointed with the Triune God, for it is to be anointed with the Father and the Son, conveyed in the Spirit. We may use as an illustration painting a wall with oil-based paint, a paint that includes oil as the base along with other ingredients. The Spirit of God is the base, with the Father and the Son as elements. Now we are being anointed with the Triune God by the compound Spirit. According to 1 John 2:23 and 24, the Spirit is anointing the believers with the Father and the Son.
The compound Spirit also anoints the believers with the eternal life conveyed in the anointing Spirit. This is referred to in 1 John 2:25: “And this is the promise which He promised us, the eternal life.” Eternal life here is mentioned in relation to the anointing.
The anointing of the compound Spirit inoculates the believers against the heretical teachings concerning the Person of Christ. Before John speaks of the anointing in 1 John 2:20, he speaks of the antichrists in verse 18 and refers to them again in verse 19. Furthermore, in verse 26 he writes to the believers “concerning those who are leading you astray.” In 1 John 4:3 John speaks of the “spirit of the antichrist.” According to the full context of this Epistle, the anointing functions to inoculate the believers against heretical teachings.
Eventually, we have the abiding in the Lord according to the teaching of the anointing that abides in us. First John 2:27 says, “The anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and even as it has taught you, abide in Him.” In the next message we shall consider in more detail the anointing of the compound Spirit as seen in 1 John 2:18-27.
