The sons of Israel were also to offer a heave offering to God (Num. 15:17-21). Christ in His death is signified by the burnt offering and the peace offering. The meal offering signifies Christ in His humanity mingled with the divine Spirit, and the drink offering signifies Christ being poured out for God's satisfaction. The heave offering signifies the ascended Christ, Christ in His ascension. Today Christ is not on the earth, and He is no longer in His death. Yes, He is still in His humanity, but He is a man mingled with divinity in ascension. He is the ascended Christ, the Christ in the heavens, the heavenly Christ. When we offer Him as the heave offering, we offer something with the heavenly element, atmosphere, essence, and taste.
"Of the first of your dough you shall offer a cake as a heave offering" (v. 20a). A cake of the first of the dough signifies Christ as the firstfruit (1 Cor. 15:20, 23). The Christ whom we offer in His ascension to God as God's food is the Christ who is the firstfruit in resurrection.
"As a heave offering from the threshing floor, so shall you offer it" (Num. 15:20b). The things from the threshing floor refer to fresh grain, grain that is whole and unground.
There is a difference between whole grain and a cake made from dough. Dough is made from grains of wheat that have been ground. A cake is an entity made of flour ground from many grains. The cake in verse 20 not only refers to Christ Himself but also indicates Christ's Body, the church.
When we offer up all these nourishing, satisfying, and fragrant things to God, we must not forget that we are still sinful, that we are still a natural man in the old creation. No matter how much we seek the Lord and walk by the Spirit, we are still in the flesh. Thus, we need to offer something for this.
According to 15:22-26 there had to be an offering for the sin of ignorance of the assembly of Israel, who through ignorance did not do all the commandments of God. This indicates that today we need to pray concerning the ignorant sin of the church. The church ignorantly may do certain things that are wrong with man and God. These things are done not purposely but unconsciously. Nevertheless, we need to offer something concerning them.