We have seen the two altars in the house of God, one for offering and the other for burning the incense, one for redemption and the other for acceptance. Both are united, as we have seen, by the redeeming blood and the consuming, heavenly fire. For burning the incense we need these two things, the blood to redeem and the fire to consume. We all have two problems—our sins and our self. We need the blood, therefore, to redeem us from our sins and the fire to consume our self. On one hand we need to be redeemed, and on the other hand we need to be consumed. The sinful things require the blood, and all the natural elements need the fire; otherwise, the burning of the incense could never be acceptable and fragrant to God. Praise the Lord for the two altars. Praise the Lord for the blood and the fire. All these things may be used to compose praises to God.
Now I would ask you to refer to the diagram of the tabernacle on page 190. There you see the outer court and within it the tabernacle, which is divided into two sections. The inner part of the tabernacle, the Holiest of all, is a square area; the outer section, the Holy Place, is twice the size of the Holiest of all. As we consider the entire picture, we see that there are six items of furniture—two in the outer court, three in the Holy Place, and one in the Holiest of all. Now let us read Exodus 30:26-28.
“And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand.”
Notice the order of the things which must be anointed. Firstly, Moses was to anoint the tabernacle, that is, the tent of meeting; then the ark of the testimony in the Holiest of all. Now note that the Lord does not go on to the altar of incense, but to the table of showbread, and then to the lampstand. Following these three items, the two altars are mentioned together, the altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering. Physically speaking, between these two altars are three articles—the showbread table, the lampstand, and the laver. But in the sequence of the Bible these two altars are joined together. If I were doing the writing, I would probably mention the ark first, then the incense altar, the table, the lampstand, the laver, and lastly the altar of burnt offering. But the record of Moses is not like that. The two altars must not be separated; they are one thing with two ends.
Both man and God are satisfied with these two altars: they are for our satisfaction and God’s satisfaction. All problems are solved here. It is the first altar that fully satisfies us and solves all our problems. Whatever we need, whatever problem we have, the first altar meets and solves. At the first altar, of course, God also obtains satisfaction. But satisfaction to God is fully realized at the second. The second altar is for our acceptance, but not for our enjoyment; it is for God’s. God’s enjoyment is our acceptance. It is so meaningful.
We must note that the entire arrangement of the tabernacle with all the items related to it are just for the burning of the incense. The offerings on the altar are for the burning of the incense; the washing of the laver is for the burning of the incense; the showbread, the feeding, is for the burning of the incense; and the lighting of the lamp is also for the burning of the incense. Look at the diagram of the tabernacle again: in the arrangement of all the vessels of the tabernacle the altar of incense is at the center. One end of the Holy Place is toward the ark, and the other end is toward the laver and the first altar. On both sides, as two wings facing north and south, are the table of showbread and the lampstand. In the center is the incense altar. By this we may realize that the altar of incense is the very center, the very place where God is satisfied and we are accepted by Him. It is not till we reach the incense altar that we are accepted by God. Without this place, there is no site in the entire universe where God may accept us with full satisfaction. The acceptance of man by God with sweet satisfaction is at the altar of incense.