There is a certain connection between the altar in the outer court and the altar in the tabernacle. The blood shed on the outer altar must be brought into the tabernacle to be put on the inner altar. The connection between these two altars is the redeeming blood. Also, the fire which comes down from heaven to burn the offerings on the altar in the outer court must be the fire that burns the incense on the altar in the tabernacle. Therefore, another connection between the two altars is the burning fire.
The connection between these two altars is the redeeming blood and the burning fire. What does this mean? It means, first of all, that before we spend time in the presence of God to burn the incense, we must always apply the blood. We can never do without the blood. Any time spent in the presence of God must be under the covering of the blood. We must always apply the blood in our fellowship with God.
Secondly, it means that we can never spend time in the presence of God with strange fire. Strange fire is our natural emotion, our natural enthusiasm, our natural energy, or our natural effort in prayer. Our natural emotion and strength have to be put aside. We must never be on fire with anything natural. Instead, we must be burned by the heavenly fire. It is true that we must be on fire and fervent in our spirit, but not by anything natural. Our natural effort and energy must be consumed by the heavenly fire. We must be in the spirit by the burning of the heavenly fire, not by our emotions or our enthusiasm. All that is natural must be burned away so that only the heavenly fire remains.
Sometimes we may sense that we are so much on fire for the Lord, but if we check ourselves, we see that we are not on “heavenly” fire, but on “strange” fire. We may have enthusiasm, but it is not heavenly; rather, it is natural. We are fervent within, but we are fervent naturally, not spiritually. We are fervent in an earthly way, not in a heavenly way.
This kind of fervency brings death. The more we are fervent naturally, the more we are dead in the spirit. Natural fervency brings in spiritual death. The more we try to touch the Lord with natural fervency, the more we are dead in the spirit. However, the more we are fervent with the heavenly fire, the more we are living in the spirit. When we are fervent with natural fire, strange fire, we have nothing but death. We cannot continue praying for a long time because we are dead in the spirit; we have used the strange fire.
Today, the church’s urgent need is for all believers to practice the priestly office of burning the incense in the presence of God. We must spend time in the presence of God to apply Christ in many ways and to enjoy Him in many ways. Then we will express something of Christ from within to God, which will bring us into the presence of God and bring back the glory of God. This is the real communion going forth and coming back. Something of Christ is ascending to God, and something of God is descending into us. By such spiritual fellowship we will become one with God and be fully saturated with Him to have the real expression of Christ. This requires much time spent practicing such spiritual fellowship.
If we love the Lord and mean business for His recovery in these last days, there is no other way. The only way to realize the Lord’s recovery is to spend time—at least thirty minutes daily—to apply Christ, to enjoy Christ, and to express Christ. In this expression of Christ, we will commune and converse with God so as to bring us into God and God into us. Something very sweet ascending to God and something very glorious descending into us will saturate us and make us the real priesthood. Then among us there will be the proper expression of Christ which is the church life. The recovery of the church life depends on this priestly office.
We should not only attend this priestly office individually, but more often, corporately. If we would come together with some brothers or sisters every day for half an hour to an hour’s time to apply Christ, enjoy Christ, and express Christ corporately in our prayer to God, it would help the building up of the church very much. There is no need to talk or discuss. We must forget about all the talking and discussion and simply spend time in the presence of God to burn the incense. If we would just attend to this kind of priestly office individually and corporately, there would be a great change in life and expression among us. May the Lord be merciful to us so that we may carry out this commission.
I come before Thy throne of grace
With hungry heart on Thee to feed,
Thy grace and mercy to receive
To help me in this hour of need.
’Tis here Thy light illuminates
My true condition unto me;
’Tis here Thy blood’s effectiveness
To cleanse from sin I gladly see.
Thy Word I read before Thee here
E’en as the priests the lamp did light;
Thy Spirit is as oil to me
To light Thy Word and give me sight.
E’en as the priests the incense burned,
In prayer to Thee I persevere;
As incense Thou the Spirit art
Mixed with the prayer I offer here.
Thy Word is light, Thy Word is food;
Which doth enlighten and supply;
I long to read and feed much more,
For light and food to satisfy.
Thou art the incense unto God,
In Thee acceptance is complete;
I want to pray yet more and more,
To offer up this fragrance sweet.
I long to have such fellowship,
To read and pray and blend with Thee;
I long that Thou wouldst saturate
Till Thou may overflow from me.
(Hymns, #813)