A person whose self has been denied and whose natural constitution has been broken before God is weakened and decreased; hence, Christ increases in him. Not only is this a great crisis in his spiritual life and service, but it is in itself a very serious matter in the eyes of God. Throughout the generations, God’s purpose has been to lead His saints to pass through the stage of the breaking of the natural constitution in order to attain to the fullness of Christ. We can see this from the Bible in the life of many of the characters who were led of God. Not only is this true of Moses, but also of Abraham and Jacob. The period preceding and following the birth of Ishmael in the life of Abraham and the twenty years of Jacob’s sojourn in Padanaram are equal to Moses’ forty years in the wilderness, all of which portray the condition of man living in the natural constitution. Not until Abraham was circumcised, the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was touched and became limp, and Moses reached the age of eighty, did their condition portray the brokenness of their natural constitution. Having passed through this breaking, there was a great change in their condition before God.
God not only led the Old Testament saints in such a way, but also used many objects and situations in the Bible to typify this matter. For example, the establishing of the tabernacle and the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness all typified the spiritual experience of a Christian, in which the breaking of the natural constitution occupies an important place.
Let us first consider the typology of the layout of the tabernacle, divided as it is into the outer court, the holy place, and the holy of holies. These three sections depict the three stages of our spiritual experience. In the outer court are the altar and the laver. The altar typifies the redemption of the cross, with the emphasis upon solving the problem of sin that we may experience salvation. The laver represents the cleansing of the Holy Spirit, with the emphasis upon washing away our earthly defilements that we may be renewed. Therefore, the outer court typifies the primary stage of our salvation, which is closely equivalent to the first two stages of our spiritual experiences of life.
In the holy place are the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, and the golden altar of incense. The showbread typifies Christ as our life supply for our satisfaction and enjoyment. The golden lampstand typifies Christ as our light for our enlightenment. The golden altar of incense typifies Christ as our acceptance before God that we may have peace and joy. These are the conditions of experiencing Christ as our life. These items approximate in typology the third stage of our spiritual life, a stage which involves deeper experiences. However, in these experiences there is still the element of the feeling of the soul. Therefore, the spiritual condition of those who are in this stage is full of ups and downs and is not very stable.
After the holy place is the holy of holies. In the holy of holies there is only an ark, which contains the tables of the covenant, the golden pot of manna, and the budded rod of Aaron (Heb. 9:4). The tables of covenant typify Christ as the light, corresponding to the golden lampstand in the holy place. The hidden manna typifies Christ as the life supply, equivalent to the showbread in the holy place. The budded rod of Aaron typifies Christ as our acceptance before God, corresponding to the golden altar of incense in the holy place. Therefore, these three items in the ark are the same in nature in typology as the three items in the holy place; however, the conditions are changed. In the holy place, the showbread is on display, the light from the lampstand is shining forth, and the golden altar of incense is giving forth fragrance, all of which are manifested outwardly. However, in the holy of holies, these three items become hidden. The showbread on display becomes the hidden manna, the shining lampstand becomes the hidden law, and the fragrant altar of incense becomes the hidden budded rod.
The condition in the holy of holies typifies the condition in our spirit. When a man turns to his spirit, he enters into the holy of holies. He no longer lives according to the feeling of his soul, nor does he display anything before men. Everything is hidden; it is no longer on the surface, but deep within. At this time, his spiritual life attains the degree of maturity. Therefore, this condition in the holy of holies typifies the fourth stage of our experience in spiritual life.
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