The incense altar was connected to the altar of burnt offering mainly by the blood of the sin offering. First the blood of the sin offering was shed at the altar in the outer court. Then it was brought to the incense altar and sprinkled on it. The remainder of the blood was poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering. Hence, the redeeming blood joined the two altars. This indicates that the prayer offered to God at the incense altar should be based on the experience at the first altar. Once we have experienced the first altar, we shall have the base, the standard, the ground, to come to the second altar to pray.
The two altars were also connected by fire. The fire that burned on the altar in the outer court was used to burn the incense at the incense altar in the tabernacle. The two altars, therefore, were connected by both the blood and the fire.
The blood signifies that our sin and trespasses have all been dealt with. Sin has been taken away, and the trespasses have been borne away. The blood gives us the assurance of this. Concerning this, there is nothing left for us to do. The blood has solved the problem of sin and of trespasses.
But what does the fire indicate? The fire indicates that whatever we are needs to be reduced to ashes. We need to be burned so that we become ashes.
Certain Christians, especially those of us in the Lord’s recovery, often speak about being natural. There is only one way for us not to be natural, and that way is for us to be burned to ashes. If you have not been burned, you are still natural. Suppose you have a wooden table in front of you. That table exists in its natural state. But if the table is burned and becomes a heap of ashes, it is no longer natural. This illustrates the fact that when something is burned to ashes, it is no longer natural.
I do not presume to say of myself that all believers in Christ need to become ashes. This is the Lord’s desire, not mine. When some hear that the Lord Jesus wants us to be burned to ashes, they may say, “Christ is the One who is reduced to ashes by burning. The fire at the altar burns Him; it does not burn me.” We need to remember, however, that according to typology the offerer laid his hands upon the sacrifice and thus identified himself with that sacrifice. This means that the sacrifice includes the one offering it. When Christ died on the cross, we died in Him, for we were included in Him. To say the least, when we believed in Him, we laid our hands on Him. To believe in Christ is to lay our hands on Him. Therefore, since we are one with the Christ who has been burned to ashes, we also are burned to ashes.
Some may ask, “If we are burned to ashes, how shall we be able to live?” Paul gives the answer in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Christ’s death brings in resurrection. Now in Christ we are in resurrection, and it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us. However, for most Christians, Galatians 2:20 is merely doctrine. They do not have much experience of it in a practical way.
In a foregoing message we pointed out that with the sin offerings we can see three things: the blood, the ashes, and the sweet savor ascending to God. The blood and the ashes are related to us, whereas the sweet savor is for God’s satisfaction. Thank the Lord that today we have the blood as the sign and assurance that our sin and our trespasses have all been dealt with. We also have the ashes as a sign that we have been crucified, terminated. When we become ashes, we are no longer a natural person. Instead, we are a person who has been crucified, terminated, burned. No longer are we a natural man—we have become a heap of ashes. Nevertheless, for most of us this is true only doctrinally; it is not yet true experientially. Therefore, we need to go on to have the experience of actually being reduced to ashes.
It is unfortunate that many Christians know only the blood that was shed at the cross. They do not realize that at the cross there is also fire. With these believers there is the blood, but no ashes. They remain natural, unburned. They surely have not become ashes. How, then, can such believers pray at the golden altar of incense in the tabernacle? The answer is that it is impossible for them to pray there.
When we believed in the Lord Jesus and confessed our sins to God, we prayed to Him. But we prayed at the first altar in a shallow way. Because we prayed only for ourselves, that prayer cannot be regarded as intercessory prayer. It was a personal prayer for our situation; it was not an intercession for others. Intercession cannot be made at the first altar; it must be made at the second altar. But who can pray at the second altar? Those who pray at the second altar must first be burned to ashes; that is, they must no longer be a natural person. Every one who would pray at the incense altar must become a heap of ashes.
If we come into the tabernacle, we cannot go directly to the incense altar. As we have already indicated, first we must go to the showbread table, then to the lampstand, and after that to the ark of testimony in the Holy of Holies. Only then shall we be ready to come to intercede at the incense altar.