After the temple, we come to the altar. In 43:18-27 we have the ordinances of the altar. The altar is the place for God’s people to be redeemed and consecrated. According to the record in these verses on the altar, it takes seven days for the people to be purified. They are required to offer a sin offering with the redeeming blood every day for seven days. Then on the eighth day, the day of resurrection, they have to consecrate themselves by offering a burnt offering (v. 27). Following the burnt offering, they enjoy the peace offering as a feast with the Lord and His people. This indicates that after the purification, the cleansing on the altar for seven days, the Lord’s people are accepted by Him, become a satisfaction to Him, and have a feast with Him.
In the church life today, we need the altar both for purification and for consecration. We need to offer ourselves to the Lord as a burnt offering. To do this means that we are absolutely for the Lord. First we need to be cleansed, purged, and purified, and then we can consecrate ourselves to the Lord. In order to keep the temple, we need the altar. In order to preserve the church life, we need purification, sanctification, and consecration through the cross.
The purification requires a period of seven days (v. 26). This indicates that purification cannot be accomplished quickly; it takes a period of time for us to be cleansed and purified, a time in which we are kept away from all negative things. Then on the eighth day, in resurrection, we need to offer ourselves to the Lord as a burnt offering absolutely for His satisfaction. After this, from the eighth day onward, we can have a feast with the Lord, enjoying the riches of Christ in the presence of God.
Verse 12 says, “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.” Here we see that the law of the house can be summed up in two points: The house must be upon the top of the mountain, and it must be most holy. To be on the mountain is to be in resurrection and in the position of ascension. This indicates that the church life must be high, on the top of the mountain. The church must also be holy, separated and sanctified from anything worldly.
The law of the house, the law of the temple, is related to God’s character. God is a God of height, and He is a God who is holy. Therefore, He wants His dwelling place also to be high and holy. Everything in the church life must be both high and holy, able to match the law of the temple.
Being high and being holy—these are two great principles concerning the church. Height is the position of the church, and sanctification is the nature of the church. In position the church is high; in nature the church is holy. We should not lower the church, and we should not make the church common. Rather, we must always respect the height of the church and regard the holiness of the church, knowing that in position the church is in resurrection and ascension and that in nature the church is most holy.
Is your church life on the top of the mountain? Is your church life holy? We all need to check ourselves by these two aspects of the law of the house. If in our church life we are in resurrection and in the position of ascension and if we are most holy, then we can be God’s habitation.