Scripture Reading: Ezek. 40:47; 43:13-17
In this message we will go on from the inner gate and even from the inner court to consider the central matter — the altar. Before we do this, I would like to review two other matters so that we may be impressed with them.
First, we have seen that altogether there are six gates in three groups of two, on the east, on the south, and on the north. We need to remember that six is the number of man, who was created on the sixth day, and that the number three signifies the Triune God in resurrection. The six gates signify that the Triune God is mingled with man. Three is mingled with six. The fact that the gates are divided into three groups of two indicates that the Triune God became a man, the God-man, and was “split,” or “cut,” in His crucifixion, and is now in resurrection. He is now the gate through which we enter into God and into all the things of God.
Second, we need to notice that from the outer gate to the inner gate is a distance of exactly one hundred cubits (40:47). The number one hundred is composed either of ten times ten or of twenty times five. Ten times ten signifies fullness in fullness or completion in completion. Twenty times five signifies full and complete responsibility as a testimony. Furthermore, as the chart on page 215 indicates, there are three sections of one hundred cubits each, making a total of three hundred cubits. Once again, the number three signifies the Triune God, who became a man, the God-man. How wonderful and marvelous it is that we are in such a God-man! He was crucified, but now He is in resurrection, and we are in Him.
If we consult the diagram on page 215 which shows the plot plan of the temple, we will see that no matter which gate we take to enter the compound, eventually we will come to the altar. There is no exception; the altar is unavoidable. We have all come in through the wonderful God-man, who was crucified and who is now in resurrection. If we want to meet God, we must come to the altar.
The altar is at the center of the compound. The altar is the center not only of the inner court but also of the whole premises of the temple.
This altar, which signifies the cross, is actually the center of the universe. As far as the relationship between man and God is concerned, the earth is the center. The center of the inhabited earth is the good land of Canaan, Palestine, for it is the connecting center that connects the continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The city of Jerusalem is the center of the good land; the temple compound is the center of Jerusalem; and the altar is the center of the temple compound. Thus, ultimately the altar is the center of the universe. Since the altar signifies the cross, this means that the cross is the center of the universe.
It is crucial for us to know the full significance of the cross. According to superficial Christian teachings, the cross is the place where the Lord Jesus died for us. This is surely true, but the cross means much more than this. As the center of the universe, the cross signifies the all-inclusive death of God, of man, and of all the creatures. The death of the Lord Jesus on the cross was not the death merely of one single person; it was an all-inclusive death involving God, man, and all the creatures.
As we have pointed out, by looking at the plot plan of the temple compound, we can see that no matter through which gate we enter, we will arrive at the altar. When God comes from the temple to meet man, He likewise arrives at the altar. Therefore, the altar is not only the center of the universe but also the meeting place of God with man and of man with God. If one person comes in through the north gate and another enters through the south gate, both will eventually meet God and each other at the altar.
God came out of His dwelling place and went to the cross and died there. First, He left His dwelling place and was born in Bethlehem. After living on earth for thirty-three and a half years, He went to the altar, to the cross. As He was dying there, He was not alone. Through His incarnation He had put man upon Himself. Hence, as He was dying on the cross, man was also dying there. This indicates that God and man met together on the cross in the way of death.
God, however, cannot be affected by death. No matter how much death He passes through, He remains the same. Death actually helps Him to be released. God came out of His dwelling place and went to the cross and died there in order to release what was in Him. We may use a grain of wheat as an illustration. When a grain of wheat is sown into the earth, it dies. Is this death terrible or is it wonderful? We should say that the death of a grain of wheat is wonderful, because without this death all the riches and beautiful things in the grain cannot be released. For this reason, the death of a grain of wheat is not terrible but wonderful. In the same principle, death is wonderful to God. The Lord Jesus said, “Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). He was speaking of Himself as the one grain who would fall into the ground and die in order to be multiplied into many grains. By His death the riches of the divine life within Him were released. Because God is life, even resurrection, He cannot be terminated by death. Whatever is of man can be terminated, but whatever is of God is released through death. Now we can see that when God went to the altar, the cross, and died there, His life was released.
As we have pointed out, man also was on the cross. When the Lord Jesus died, man also died, and this death meant the termination of man. All the negative things related to man were terminated on the cross. Praise the Lord that we all were terminated on the cross! By the all-inclusive death of the Lord Jesus on the cross, all the riches of God were released. The death of Christ on the cross was a wonderful release to God and a wonderful termination to us. We all need this vision of the altar. We need to see that, no matter what our age may be, we all were terminated on the cross at the same time. The riches of God were released there, and all the negative things were terminated there. Therefore, the all-inclusive death of Christ on the cross was our termination and God’s release.
The mingling of God with man began when the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem. By His incarnation God came into man. But the mingling of man with God began on the cross and was fully accomplished at the resurrection. Through the Lord’s death and resurrection, we were put into God and were mingled with God. Therefore, through incarnation God came into man, and through death and resurrection man was put into God.
All that we are and have was terminated on the cross, on the altar. Through the cross the divine life was released, and then this life was imparted to us through Christ’s resurrection. If we bury a grain of wheat and a small stone, something living will grow out of the grain of wheat, but the stone will remain buried. Through His death on the cross, the Lord Jesus as a grain of wheat was released, but we, a dead “stone,” were terminated. Although we have been terminated in this way, the divine life has been imparted into us to make us wonderful persons.
Originally we were not wonderful. Before we were saved, we were outside the wall of the temple compound, and we loved ourselves very much. After we were saved and passed through the gate into the outer court, we no longer loved ourselves as much but still had a certain amount of self-pity. However, after we come into the inner court, we no longer love ourselves or pity ourselves; rather, we hate the self. As we proceed further and come to the altar, we see that the ugly self, which we loved when we were outside the wall, pitied in the outer court, and hated in the inner court, has already been terminated. Since the self has been terminated, there is no need for us to love it or pity it or even hate it. Instead, we should simply forget the self and leave it on the altar.
We have pointed out that since the cross, the altar, occupies a central place in our relationship with God, we cannot avoid it. Actually, as soon as we enter through the gate, we begin to realize something concerning the cross. The cross is implied in the gate which signifies the Lord Jesus who fulfilled all the requirements of the Ten Commandments and who then died on the cross to fulfill the righteous requirements of God’s law. The cross is also implied in the eating of the sacrifices, which have passed through death. This eating takes place on the pavement. Furthermore, the boiling places and the tables upon which the sacrifices are slain both imply the cross. This indicates that throughout the holy building of God, we can see the cross — at the main gate, on the pavement, at the boiling places in the corners, and at the tables in the inner court. The cross, therefore, is not only the center but also the circumference. The cross spreads in every direction and to every corner. After we have been saved, we will meet the cross everywhere. Apart from the cross, it is impossible to contact Christ or to have Christian spiritual experiences.
Although we meet the cross everywhere in our Christian life, we experience the cross in a particular way when we come to the altar at the center of God’s building. To come to the altar at the center is to realize that all that we are and all that we have were terminated at the cross. Here we have a definite experience of the cross and not merely a superficial knowledge about the cross. In our fellowship with the Lord, we are brought to the point where we touch the cross in a definite way and sense that God will no longer allow us to live in our natural man. This causes us to have a major breakthrough and an absolute submission to the cross. As a result, we will know what the natural life is and what it means for the old creation to be stripped away. This is the experience of the cross as the center.
I am grieved that although many of us have heard messages about the cross, only a few among us truly live a crucified life. For example, we may not live a crucified life in our married life. If a married brother and his wife argue with each other, this indicates that they are not living a crucified life. If they were living a crucified life, they would not accuse each other and vindicate themselves. Those who live a crucified life do not vindicate themselves when they are attacked or criticized. They experience the termination of their Adamic life and of the old creation through the death of the cross and enjoy God’s riches and His divine element, which were released through the cross.
When some, especially young people, hear this word about the altar, they may be frightened and think that it is better not to love the Lord and seek Him. They may think that it is adequate simply to enter through the gate into the outer court and enjoy Christ on the pavement; they may think that there is no need for them to go further through the inner gate, which leads into the inner court toward the altar. They may fear that it would be dangerous to reach the altar and become a burnt offering.
We need to realize, however, that since the Lord has had mercy on us, we cannot escape Him. We were not saved of our own will. On the contrary, while we were wandering in the world, having no intention of entering in through the gate, the Lord brought us through the gate. Apart from our own choice, we believed into Christ. This is altogether a matter of God’s selection, of His mercy, and of His reaching us with His care. The principle is the same in our loving the Lord and pursuing Him. If we did not believe in the Lord, love Him, and pursue Him, we would feel uncomfortable and dissatisfied. But the more we love the Lord and pursue Him, the more we are satisfied. This also is a matter of the Lord’s mercy. Because of His mercy to us and His operation within us, we have no choice except to go forward; we cannot turn back. If we do not advance toward the altar but instead try to go back to the outer court, we will feel uncomfortable. Therefore, we need to go on and on until we reach the altar.
Eventually, all those who are spiritual and who pursue the Lord end up on the altar where they are terminated, even destroyed, by the Lord. Seemingly without reason, the Lord tears them down and strips them of everything. God puts to death all that we are and all that we have. Madame Guyon experienced this and could say that God gave her the cross. Because we love the Lord and pursue Him, sooner or later we will meet the cross, which will tear us down and bring everything into death. We will be forced to pass into death, even if we are not willing to do so.
We do not experience the cross once for all — we experience the cross again and again. Those who pursue the Lord will meet the cross at every turn. At one time they will meet the cross through their children. At another time they will meet the cross through their spouse or through illness. At other times, they may experience the cross through the church or through the co-workers. The reason that the cross is everywhere is that we must go through the cross in order to contact God. Thank the Lord that God gives us the cross and that the cross gives us God. The ones who love God the most and experience Him the most are the ones who have gone through the cross.
How can we prove from the record in the book of Ezekiel that God, man, and all the creatures died on the altar, on the cross? How can we prove that the death of Christ was such an all-inclusive death? How can we prove that the cross gives us God? All this is proved by the design and measurements of the altar.
The clear details of the altar are a special characteristic of Ezekiel’s vision. The earlier books of the Bible do not speak specifically about the measurements of the altar in such a particular way, but Ezekiel gives us details concerning the altar. If we consider figure 3 (altar detail), we will see that according to Ezekiel’s vision the altar has four sections: the base, the lesser ledge, the greater ledge upon the lesser ledge, and the upper altar upon the greater ledge. The upper altar is called the hearth of God, the place where something burns for God and by God.
Let us now briefly consider the measurements. The base of the altar is one cubit high. The number one signifies the unique God; thus, the base of the altar being one cubit high indicates that God is the base of the altar. This means that the cross was initiated by God. The lesser ledge, which is upon the base of the altar, is two cubits high. Here the number two signifies not only a testimony but also the second person of the Triune God. Christ is the second person of the Triune God as a witness. The third section, the greater ledge, is four cubits high, signifying the creatures. The upper altar on top of the greater ledge is also four cubits high.
The top of the altar is a square, twelve by twelve cubits. The number twelve is composed either of six times two or of three times four. In this case all these numbers are involved. The number four signifying the creature, the number six signifying man, and the number three signifying the Triune God are all here. From all this we can see that God is here, that Christ is here, and that all creatures, including man, are here.
God as the base includes Christ. When Christ died upon the cross, God, man, and all the creatures died there with Christ. Therefore, this altar signifies the all-inclusive death of Christ.
Because the death of Christ is mysterious, there are many different opinions concerning it. An unbelieving Jew might say simply that a man named Jesus, the Nazarene, died there. Many of today’s believers would say that the One who died on the cross was their Redeemer. Other Christians, who are more advanced in their spiritual understanding, might say that Christ their Redeemer and they themselves died on the cross. However, I would declare that not only Christ, my Redeemer, and I died there, but also all the creatures and God Himself died there. The whole universe with the Creator has passed through death. Because everything has passed through death, everything could be tested. Whatever could be terminated by death was terminated. Actually, only God was able to pass through the test of death. We and the entire creation were terminated, but God was able to pass through the test of death.
The all-inclusive death of Christ worked out a mingling which brought man into God. In that death God died in man to be released, and man died in God to be terminated. Praise the Lord that in the wonderful, all-inclusive death of Christ, God died in man, and man died in God! Hallelujah for Christ’s releasing and terminating death! In His death we were terminated, and God was released.
The top of the altar, the hearth of God, is twelve cubits square. This is the fireplace of God, the place of God to burn things for God, to God, and by God. It is significant that the hearth measures twelve cubits by twelve cubits. This is the first time the number twelve is used in the temple measurements. The number twelve is the number of the New Jerusalem and is composed of three times four. The number three is the number of the Triune God, and the number four is the number of man as a creature. The number twelve, therefore, signifies the Triune God mingled with man. The New Jerusalem will be the consummate mingling of the Triune God with man. The church life today is also the mingling of the Triune God with man.
The greater ledge, the section which is directly under the upper altar, has an edge on either side which measures one cubit. This is why the greater ledge is fourteen cubits wide. The number fourteen is composed in two ways: seven times two and ten plus four. Seven is the number of completion, two is the number of testimony, ten is the number of fullness in perfection, and four, of course, is the number of the creature. By putting all these numbers together, we can realize that this signifies that the creature in fullness bears a complete testimony.
Under the greater ledge is the lesser ledge. This ledge also has two edges of one cubit each, making it a total of sixteen cubits. The number sixteen is composed of eight times two, signifying a witness (two) in resurrection (eight). Christ is a living witness in resurrection.
The base also has two edges of one cubit each, making it a total of eighteen cubits wide. The number eighteen is composed of six times three or three times six, signifying man, the Triune God, and resurrection.
Because of its unique design, the altar is very solid and stable. It is wider at the base than it is at the top. The base is eighteen cubits square, the lesser ledge is sixteen cubits square, the greater ledge is fourteen cubits square, and the altar is twelve cubits square. This type of construction makes the altar very stable. If the top were wider than the bottom, the altar would not be stable. But because the bottom is much wider than the top, the altar can stand solidly. Nothing can shake it.
On every story, on every section, there are edges, which spread out like two arms to hold something. The borders of the edges also rise up to hold something. This clear picture shows us that the altar is not only solid and stable but is also able to hold things. This indicates that the death of Christ on the cross is not only stable and solid but also able to hold things. His wonderful, marvelous, all-inclusive death is able to hold all of us.
At each of the four corners of the hearth of God, a horn points upward. In the Bible horns signify strength and power. The horns on the altar, which are toward the four corners of the earth and which are also upward, signify the power of the cross of Christ. The power of the church and of the saints depends on the cross. The more we experience the cross, the more spiritual power we will have.
The steps up to the altar are toward the east. The east indicates the glory of the Lord. It is the direction of the rising of the sun, which signifies the glory of the Lord (Num. 2:3; Ezek. 43:2). This indicates that the cross always points to God’s glory and always leads to God’s glory.
The cubit used by Ezekiel is not the common human cubit; rather, it is a cubit plus a handbreadth (43:13). This is called a great cubit and is not a human measurement but a divine measurement. Thus, the altar is not measured by the human cubit but by the divine cubit. We should never measure ourselves by our human measurement. Our measurement may be of value to us, but it is of no value to God. We may feel that, according to our human measurement and standard, we are qualified, but according to the divine measurement, we fall short.
The last point concerning the altar is the relationship of the altar with the temple. Only after passing through the altar can we come to the temple. This means that without the proper realization and experience of the cross of Christ, we cannot have the reality of the church life. The temple signifies Christ, and it also signifies the church. We can have the genuine church life only after we have had the experience of the altar. If we desire to have the proper church life, we need an adequate realization and experience of the altar, of the cross of Christ. It is only after we realize that we have been thoroughly terminated on the cross that we can have the real church life.
To be in the outer court having the enjoyment of Christ is wonderful, but it is far from the experience of the temple. To be in the inner court where the ministry begins is also wonderful, but even this is far from the experience of the temple. To be in the temple is to be in something that is altogether in resurrection. Therefore, we need to go on until we pass through the altar, through the cross of Christ, and come to the temple. There we will have the reality of the church life.
We need to be impressed with the fact that only by passing through the altar can we come to the temple. Whereas the altar signifies the cross, the temple signifies both Christ and the church, the Body of Christ. The cross, Christ, and the church are the central subject not only of the New Testament but also of the whole Bible. First we come to the altar, the cross, and then we come to the temple. This indicates that we cannot have the church apart from the cross. Through the experience of the cross, we are brought into the reality of the church. Only as we pass through the cross do we have the real church life. On the one hand, as saved ones we come together to practice the church life; on the other hand, we can have the reality of the church only after we have passed through the cross.
We all need to be brought to the point where we know and accept the cross. Then as we pass through the cross, our flesh, our old creation, our self, and our natural man with the natural life will all be dealt with. Everything that has its source in our humanity will be terminated at the cross. Then we will have the reality of the church. Then we will be one in the Lord, we will have genuine coordination, and we will have harmony, rest, and the presence of Christ. This is the temple, the place where God dwells. This is the expression of Christ, the reality of the church.
