Before God's incarnation, there was only the divine element in the Spirit. But through His incarnation, human living, and death, this One became a life-giving Spirit in resurrection (1 Cor. 15:45b). His divinity, humanity, human living, all-inclusive death, and wonderful resurrection are compounded in the Spirit. When I was a young Christian among the Brethren, I heard them say that the compound ointment is a type of the Spirit, but they did not get into the details. It was not until 1954 that I received the light concerning the all-inclusive Spirit as signified by the compound ointment. I received much help from Andrew Murray's book The Spirit of Christ. Since 1954 the Lord has gradually shown us more and more concerning the details of the compound ointment.

The one hin of olive oil is a type of the unique God. Thus, the compound Spirit is compounded with the divinity of God, typified by the one hin of olive oil. This is the base. Furthermore, the four spices are all of the plant life. In the Bible, plants signify humanity. Also, the number four signifies the creatures. In the ointment we have the one God with His creature, man. Thus, the compound Spirit is compounded with the humanity of Christ, typified by the four kinds of spices.

The Spirit is also compounded with Christ's death, typified by myrrh; with the sweetness and effectiveness of Christ's death, typified by cinnamon; with the resurrection of Christ, typified by calamus; and with the sweetness and power (especially in the sense of resisting and repelling) of Christ's resurrection, typified by cassia.

The all-inclusive Spirit has also been compounded in the Triune God, typified by the three units of five hundred shekels, with the second one being split. The second unit of five hundred shekels being split typifies Christ as the Second of the Divine Trinity who was split, crucified, on the cross. The unique Triune God, signified by the one hin of olive oil and the three units of five hundred shekels, has been compounded together with the created man signified by the four spices of the plant life.

The number five, with the five elements and the three units of five hundred shekels, signifies that the compound Spirit enables us to bear the responsibility of the divine things. The Ten Commandments are divided into two sets of five commandments on two tablets. The ten virgins in Matthew 25 are divided into five wise ones and five foolish ones. These sets of five indicate responsibility.

We human beings must bear responsibility every day. To do our duties, to work, and to walk we need ten fingers and ten toes. We walk by our ten toes, and we work by our ten fingers. Our ten toes and ten fingers are divided into fives. Our hand has one thumb with four fingers. The one thumb may be compared to the one hin of olive oil, and the four fingers may be compared to the four spices of the compound ointment. When God, pictured by our thumb, is added to us human beings, pictured by our four fingers, we are able to bear responsibility. With only four fingers and no thumb, we cannot pick up things to bear responsibility. In like manner, without God, man cannot do anything. Man needs God added to his being, just as the four fingers need the thumb added to them so that the hand can bear responsibility. The compound Spirit is the One that bears all the responsibility of the divine things.