The anointing oil used to anoint the tabernacle in Exodus 40:9 typifies God the Spirit compounded with the Triune God, Christ’s humanity, Christ’s death with its effectiveness, and Christ’s resurrection with its power. This anointing oil is the compound ointment described in Exodus 30:23-25: “Take the finest spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred fifty shekels, and of fragrant calamus two hundred fifty shekels, and of cassia five hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make it a holy anointing oil, a fragrant ointment compounded according to the work of a compounder; it shall be a holy anointing oil.” The olive oil signifies the Spirit of God. The three units of five hundred shekels each, the measure of the spices, signify the Trinity, the three of the Godhead. The middle unit of five hundred shekels was split into two halves of two hundred fifty shekels each, signifying the second of the Trinity, who was “split” in crucifixion as the cleft rock (John 19:34; Exo. 17:6). The one hin of olive oil signifies the unique God, and the four spices signify Christ’s humanity, since the number four denotes God’s creatures (Ezek. 1:5), of which man is the head (Gen. 1:26). Myrrh, a spice used in burial, typifies Christ’s death, and cinnamon typifies the sweetness and effectiveness of His death. Calamus, a reed growing in marshy ground, typifies the resurrection of Christ, and cassia, used to repel insects and snakes, typifies the power of Christ’s resurrection. The anointing oil was used to anoint every part of the tabernacle (Exo. 30:26-30; 40:9-11, 13). In other words, the entire tabernacle within and without was painted with this oil. The anointing oil corresponds to the Spirit after Christ’s resurrection, the Spirit in the Epistles. John 7:39 says, “The Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” After Christ’s resurrection the Spirit was compounded to include the Triune God, Christ’s humanity, Christ’s death with its effectiveness, and Christ’s resurrection with its power.
The cloud that was upon the tabernacle by day is the Spirit, and the fire that was in it by night is also the Spirit. As the anointing oil, the Spirit first anoints us, and then as the pillar of cloud and fire, He leads and guides us. Romans 8:14 says, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” The cloud in the day and the fire in the night refer to the same guiding Spirit. God ordained that there would be day and night (Gen. 1:5). In the night we need the Spirit as the enlightening fire, and in the day we need the Spirit as the guiding cloud.
The children of Israel, numbering about two million, journeyed with the tabernacle. The children of Israel moved the tabernacle whenever the cloud was taken up. As the tabernacle was carried along, the cloud was always above it. The cloud and the fire never left the tabernacle, because even in type there can be no separation between the Spirit and Christ; They are always together. Strictly speaking, the journey of the children of Israel was actually not their journey but the journey of the tabernacle. When the cloud moved, they moved with the tabernacle, and when the cloud remained, they remained. The children of Israel journeying according to the move of the cloud was for the move of the tabernacle, which typifies Christ. Today the Spirit’s guiding and enlightening is for the Lord’s move. For instance, we may desire to be married, but the goal and purpose of our “journey” should be not marriage but Christ.
The glory mentioned in Exodus 40:34 is God Himself. The Bible does not record anything about the physical appearance of this glory; it only says, “The glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle.” It is only by experience that we can apprehend what the glory of God is today. Most days we do not experience much glory, but sometimes in our Christian experience we sense that we are filled with glory. When this is our experience, it is difficult to describe. How wonderful it would be if we were filled with glory all the time! When we show a fallen countenance to our spouse, we are certainly not filled with glory. However, we cannot be glorious simply by being cheerful toward our spouse. We should not try to be glorious. If we exercise to enjoy the Lord in every situation, we will be filled with glory.