The Altar of Incense: Consecration, Worship, Supplication

There were three furnishings in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: the Table of Showbread, the golden Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense. We have mentioned that the Table of Showbread typifies the body and blood of Christ, and that the Lampstand typifies the Holy Spirit who has been charged with sanctifying the Body of Christ and with the testimony of God to the earth.

Now we come to the Altar of Incense. The Altar of Incense represents the communication of the Body of Christ to the Father, both in supplication and in adoration.

The Lampstand portrays communication from God through Christ to the Church, and through the Church to the peoples of the earth. The Holy Spirit ministers this communication.

The Altar of Incense portrays communication from the Church through Christ to God. The Church brings its own needs to God through Christ, and also the needs of the peoples of the earth. The Church offers worship and thanksgiving to God and is accepted as a firstfruits of the peoples of the earth. The Holy Spirit ministers the communication of the Church toward God, as well as the communication of God toward the Church and through the Church to the creation.

Notice that the Holy Spirit is preeminent in the Church. The Holy Spirit ministers the body and blood of Christ, the five operations of sanctification, and also our prayers and adoration toward God. The Spirit is the Life of the Church and the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church.

We are including the consecration, worship, and prayers of the saints, as typified by the Altar of Incense, as part of the second death and resurrection of the work of redemption. However, the consecration, worship, and prayers of the saints, as is true of the other elements of the Holy Place, lead directly into the realm of conquest—typified by the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle.

The Altar of Incense was not for the offering of animals. All animal sacrifices were conducted out in the Courtyard on the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering. The Altar of Incense was a smaller altar. It was for the burning of the holy incense so that the fragrance of the perfume continually would fill the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, and the Most Holy Place during the annual Day of Atonement (Leviticus, Chapter 16). The fragrance of the holy perfume typifies the Lord Jesus Christ whose Presence always must accompany every aspect of the life and ministry of His Church.

And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. (Exodus 30:1-3)

Notice that the Altar of Incense was not solid gold but acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. The Lampstand, however, was hammered into shape from a mass of gold. There was no wood in the Lampstand. This is because the Lampstand typifies Christ—the manifestation of the Holy Spirit through Christ. This is the testimony of God Almighty.

There can be nothing of the flesh in the Divine testimony. There is, however, a human element in the case of the Table of Showbread and the Altar of Incense. These were constructed from acacia wood covered with gold, portraying the blending of the human and the Divine.

The Table of Showbread represents the ministry of the Word of God, and the Word of God is ministered by us humans. Although we are covered by the gold of the Nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Word itself is of God, yet we who minister the Word are human and subject to human frailties. Also, we minister the body and blood of Christ which originally was human but now is Divine.

The same thing is true of the Altar of Incense. The Altar represents the prayers and supplications of the saints, and there is the blend of the human and the Divine. Even though the believer who is offering intercession, thanksgiving, adoration, and supplication is covered with the gold of Christ, yet the human is present also.

This was true also of the Lord Jesus.

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7)

It is not so with the Divine testimony—the Lampstand. There is nothing of the human in the testimony of God. The testimony the Church gives proceeds from the Holy Spirit who is God. The Lampstand is Christ—Head and Body. The word Christ means anointed. The term Christ refers to the One who is anointed with the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit of God dwelled in His fullness in Jesus of Nazareth. The Holy Spirit of God dwells also in the members of the Body of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit, the Anointing, who shines through the Church causing the Church to be God's Lampstand—the light of the world.

The light proceeding from the Holy Spirit reveals the Person, will, purpose, and ways of the Father. There is no human frailty in this light just as there is no humanity pictured in the Laver (solid bronze) or in the Mercy Seat (solid gold).

The Laver speaks of the Word of God in judgment, in the dividing between sin and righteousness, between darkness and light, between unclean and clean, between unholy and holy. The Laver was solid bronze, revealing that the Word of God in judgment is not to be mixed with fleshly adaptations. God's ways are perfect and it is not His will that the sympathies of flesh and blood temper the decisions of God as to what is unclean and what is clean, what is unholy and what is holy.

To be sure, the Lord's elders are called on in many instances to apply the judgments found in the New Testament. They are not always able to judge from the letter of the Scripture but must make a decision as to how to apply the exhortations of the Apostles. The new covenant is a covenant of the Spirit, not of the letter. The elders are to go to prayer until they feel they have the mind of the Lord. This is a different process from diluting the strength of the written Word with human sympathy or the social pressure of contemporary thinking.

The Mercy Seat (Lid of Propitiation; appeasement) was pure gold signifying that the Glory of God Himself was present, showing mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments and exercising wrath on those who hate Him and resist His righteous ways. There is nothing of humanity in the Glory of God. No human can behold God's Glory and live.

We see, then, that some of the vessels of the Tabernacle were solid metal while some were wooden and overlaid with metal. Those that were wooden were overlaid to the extent that the original acacia wood could no longer be seen. This design portrays the fact that while the Church of Christ is created from human beings, the finished work is of the form, Substance and Nature of Christ Himself.

The Church was not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The Church, in its finished state, will be of the same Substance as Christ, having been created on His body and blood.

And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. (Exodus 30:6)

The Altar of Incense was in the Holy Place along with the Lampstand and the Table of Showbread. It was directly in front of the Ark of the Covenant, being separated from the Ark by the veil. The Ark of the Covenant was located in the Most Holy Place.

And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. (Exodus 30:7,8)

Aaron, the high priest of Israel, portrays the priestly ministry of Christ and His Church.

The Table of Showbread reveals Christ as God's Sacrifice for sin. The Lampstand reveals Christ as God's Prophet. The Altar of Incense reveals Christ as God's Priest. The Ark of the Covenant and the covering Mercy Seat and Cherubim of Glory reveal Christ as God's King.

The Altar of Incense was serviced twice each day so that the holy perfume filled the Holy Place at all times. Supplication and worship in the Spirit of God must always fill the Church of Christ, yielding to God the ever-present fragrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church in the present hour has a need to grow in strength in its supplication, praise, and prayer.

The holy incense was poured on the Altar of Incense from a cup held by the priest. It is believed that the cup was kept on the ledge of the Table of Showbread.

The cup represents death. "Let this cup pass from me," the Lord petitioned. The cup is the cup of death to self.

For two thousand years the Christian churches have attempted to serve Christ with their life. In the last days, a firstfruits of the Church will bow before the Lord in death to self. Like Samson, the Church will slay more of the enemy by its death than it ever has or can by its life.

The Altar of Incense bridged the gap between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. In order to pass from the Holy Place of God to the Holy of Holies we must die the death of total consecration, as portrayed by the Altar of Burnt Offering. The death of total consecration to the Lord brings us into the third realm, the area of Conquest.

The day of serving God by their own life is over for the remnant whom God is calling to Himself. We must endure the anguish of the death of our human personality so that the resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus may come into view. This is the challenge of the day in which we are living. Every Christian must choose between serving Christ according to his own will, and bowing in death so that the Life of God may be brought forth.

Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. (Exodus 30:9)

As we come more and more into the Presence of our Lord our supplication and worship is to be increasingly pure. Our adoration and consecration are to be pure, uncluttered, unadorned with human endeavor.

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:9)

Cathedrals may present organ concerts during Divine service, and humbler churches have their own methods of adorning the service. However, there is nothing—truly nothing—as satisfying to God as the love, praise, petition, and thanksgiving of a group of consecrated, sincere believers who are in one accord.

The Lord desires that we come "with our shoes off," standing before Him in honesty without pretense or trappings of any kind. We prefer to hide behind ceremony. God keeps calling, "Adam, where are you?" We are busy clothing ourselves according to our own understanding of what it is God requires.

And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. (Exodus 30:10)

Atonement was made on the horns of the Altar of Incense once each year, during the Day of Atonement. At that time the high priest brought incense into the Most Holy Place, filling the area with the holy perfume.

During the ceremony, blood was put on the four horns of the Altar of Incense, reminding us that our ability to come before God with adoration and supplication is due to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross for our sins. The blood of God's Lamb removes the guilt of our sins and we then can come into the Most Holy Place and offer our love and petitions before the Throne of God Almighty.

The burning of the holy incense was one of the principal responsibilities of the Aaronic priesthood.

They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. (Deuteronomy 33:10)

So it is that one of the main purposes of the Church of Christ in the earth (and in Heaven, we believe) is to worship God and to offer holy prayer before Him. There is a need, in the hour in which we are living, for a revival of prayer and praise. No matter what assets a church may possess in the form of buildings, talented ministry or large attendance, if there is not enough worship and prayer the awe of God will not be present.

Not only must there be consistent worship and prayer, but such worship must ascend from consecrated believers who are living in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

The Altar of Incense stood in the Holy Place, just before the veil leading into the holiest of all. We are to "pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (I Timothy 2:8). Holiness and obedience must be our way of life if we are to pray and praise in such a manner as to bring back the Presence of God to the churches of Christ.

Each believer can do his or her part. We must submit to the slaying of the Holy Spirit as He works the Presence of God into our personality. Then we are to worship God and to pray to Him with increasing strength. Consistent prayer and praise require considerable spiritual strength—more than we may possess. We need to pray to God to strengthen us. One praying, praising saint can make a big difference in the spiritual life of a church.

The churches themselves have a responsibility at this time. We must set aside facilities and time so that people can pray and praise without distraction. The elders of the churches must lead the believers in Spirit-filled adoration. We all need encouragement and inspiration in congregational praise and supplication. Human beings tend to shun prayer and praise. We would rather do anything except pray. It requires spiritual strength and discipline to come before God with praise and into His Presence with thanksgiving.

If the leadership of the churches assists and directs the people, there will be a revival of prayer and praise. Prayer and praise can become the highlight of the service. There is nothing more joyous in the Spirit than for us to break through into God's Presence in glorious praise and intensity of petition and intercession.

How the Spirit of Christ does meet us when we assemble together and press through into His Presence!

As Christ is maturing in us we are maturing in the strength necessary to communicate with God. Christ in us loves the Father and seeks fellowship with the Father. Our fellowship with the Father is increasing in reality and in importance to us. In some of the assemblies of the saints, emphasis is being placed on the restoration of adoration, thanksgiving, supplication, and singing in the Spirit.

Christ is interceding for us in Heaven. The Spirit Himself is helping our infirmities and making intercession for us. We are growing in strength in prayer, in supplication, in intercession for our fellow Christians. Our power in spiritual battle is increasing.

We of the churches have more to learn about communication with God. We need to learn how to enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Throughout the day we are finding it possible to continue in prayer, sometimes audibly, sometimes silently. We are learning to keep on giving thanks to God for all things.

In the right hand of Christ is the Lampstand, portraying the light and power of God—the light and power of the testimony. In the left hand of Christ is the Table of Showbread, the body and blood of the Lamb of God that is given for the life of the world.

The voice of Christ is the Altar of Incense. Christ, Head and Body, is powerful in communication with God in worship, prayer, supplication, adoration, praise, intercession, spiritual battle, and thanksgiving. Christ is able to cry to God with such authority and power that the heavens and the earth are moved.

The five end products of sanctification depend for their maturing on the strength in praise and prayer of the members of the Body of Christ. If we are to communicate Christ to people we must grow in strength in prayer and worship. As the strength in prayer of the Church increases, the righteous will grow more godly in behavior but the rebellious will become increasingly wicked and hard of heart.

Christians who work diligently and live righteously are an abomination to the unrighteous, but the unrighteous can tolerate them. However, Christians who are able to lay hold on God in a powerful manner are a terror to the workers of darkness because it is by strength in communication with God that the end of sin will come. The prisoners of the earth will be delivered at the sound of the praises and prayers of the saints (Acts 16:25,26).

As the Wife of the Lamb is created she is filled with worship and prayer. The holy city, the new Jerusalem, is a symphony of praise to God and the Lamb. As the Servant of the Lord—Christ, Head and Body—walks through the earth in the days to come, He will be in continual fervent communication with His Father. The nations of the earth will be taught to worship God and to bring their petitions before Him through Christ.

The worst effect sin has on us is to cut off our communion with God, to shut the mouth of our natural adoration of God and our prayer to God. Praise and prayer is the normal act of God's child—as normal and customary as breathing air.

When sin entered the garden, Adam and Eve hid themselves. They fled from the Presence of the Lord God. Praise and prayer left their mouths. The fellowship ceased. Man was separated from his Creator.

For the past six thousand years, people have struggled in the task of survival, living as animals. The spiritual life and light of mankind was extinguished in the garden. Since that time man has lived in his flesh and soul, having no spiritual life. The inventions of the human mind have taken the place of prayer. Cursing and rage have gushed forth instead of praise to the Father. Earth has become a prison overshadowed by death and human beings are the prisoners.

In many different ways God has revealed Himself to the prisoners of the earth. In these closing days of time God has spoken to us through His Son. We understand now that God is preparing a living Temple, Christ, Head and Body, so that through this Temple, communication between God and His creatures can be restored.

One of the chief functions of the Church is to enter communication with God and also to assist other people to enter communion and fellowship with the Almighty.

One of the purposes of the Church of Christ is to restore the Presence of God to the earth so that the peoples of the earth can gain favor in the sight of God and enter His Presence. There is no greater need in the hour in which we live than that of bringing the Church of Christ into the place of powerful praise, supplication, and intercession. The Holy Spirit is available now, as never before in history, to assist the saints as they enter the fullness of fellowship with the Lord God.

Set yourself to praise and prayer and see what happens!

The heavenly Altar of Incense. Revelation, Chapter Eight speaks to us of the events of the last days, of the time when the prayers of the saints reach the level required to bring about the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to the earth.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (Revelation 8:1)

The first seven chapters of Revelation give the impression that there are many exciting events taking place in Heaven. So solemn is the import of the opening of the last seal of the book (perhaps that book is the Bible!) that everyone in Heaven becomes still.

What is about to happen?

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (Revelation 8:2)

Some of the angels of the Book of Revelation are saints, and some no doubt are spirits. We cannot tell because the term angel merely means "messenger." What is being stated here is that the seven messengers standing before God are given seven trumpets. This is a special occasion in Heaven, an event that apparently has been long awaited.

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. (Revelation 8:3)

The offering of incense, as we said, was the responsibility of the High Priest of Israel. The incense represents the fragrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Up to this point Christ Himself has been making intercession for us. Now the prayers of the saints have attained the level where they can be mixed together with the prayers of the Lord Jesus and offered before the throne of glory.

Every Christian has always been able to come before the Throne of God through Christ. The eighth chapter of Revelation marks a growth in strength of prayer on the part of the Church such that the hand of Almighty God is moved as never before in history. We are about to behold one of the most stupendous answers to prayer that has ever taken place.

And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. (Revelation 8:4)

Christ's constant prayer that He be avenged on His enemies, and that He may return to the earth to receive His inheritance, has now reached the level of action before the Face of the Father. God always hears our prayer and sets in motion the machinery to bring about the answer. Then, if we do not give up, there comes a point of Divine action.

The Lord Jesus Christ never gives up. His prayer, as recorded in John, Chapter 17 has been ascending before God for two thousand years. We have come now to the answer to the Lord's prayer.

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:5)

When the holy incense, which is the Substance of Christ fashioned in the saints, is placed on the fiery coals of the golden Altar of Incense before the throne of the Almighty, the sweet perfume of His beloved Son mingled with the prayers of the saints arises before the Face of God. Much incense is given to the angel, meaning that Christ has come to maturity in the firstfruits of His Church.

Then the angel fills the censer with fire from the altar of God and casts the fire into the earth. The same fire of God that produced the holy perfume of Christ now causes "voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake."

The fire of God that the Body of Christ is experiencing today, as we move past the Pentecostal experience and forward to the judgment of God on our lives, produces in us the sweet savor of Christ. When our obedience has been fulfilled the same fire will be cast into the earth. Then the fire of God will produce terrible unrest, fear, and destruction.

Frightful days are ahead for the inhabitants of the earth. Eventually the Body of Christ will be authorized and empowered to enact the judgment and deliverance of the peoples of the earth. The result of the judgment will be peace for the meek who fear God.

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (Revelation 8:6)

The sounding of the seven angels is the beginning of the end of the wicked, vicious spirit of the present age. The meaning of the first part of Chapter Eight of Revelation, as we understand it, is that the sounding of the seven trumpets is awaiting the bringing to an adequate level of strength the worship and supplication of God's saints.

Our individual and corporate praise and prayer today are not strong enough, in many cases, to bring to pass God's will in the earth. We are too weak for the Lord to return. God is waiting for the intense cry from the Church, "Come, Lord Jesus!" It seems to be true that the cry for the return of Christ is now increasing in strength in the churches.

Before too long, hopefully, the worship and supplication of the Body of Christ will attain a level of maturity that will cause the cloud of holy perfume—the fragrance of Christ—to ascend before the throne of the Father. As soon as the Church has reached the required strength in fervency of prayer and praise, and in righteous, holy and obedient conduct, then the seven trumpets will be raised to the lips of the seven messengers.

There is a relationship between the maturing of the Body of Christ and the return of Christ. The return of Christ is related to and depends on the spiritual strength and readiness of His Church. There is no purpose in Christ returning before the Church is prepared to receive Him. If Christ were to return before the Body is ready, many of the believers would be destroyed by the fire of His Presence (Psalms 102:16; Isaiah 33:14).

If resurrection life has not been created in us by the five operations of sanctification, there is nothing on which to place the resurrection body. In II Corinthians 5:5 Paul states that God is making us ready for the resurrection body. This statement is in the context of the processes of death and resurrection described in the previous chapter (II Corinthians, Chapter Four).

Both sin and righteousness will attain maturity before the end comes (Genesis 15:16; Matthew 13:30).

We can hasten the coming of the Day of God by earnestly longing for it and by living a godly life (II Peter 3:11,12).

When the seventh angel sounds, the mystery of God will be finished (Revelation 10:7). The heavenly voices will announce: "The kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." We believe that the sounding of the seven angels is at hand, even at the doors, and the end product will be the reign of our Lord and Savior Christ.

A large part of the Christian Church has been at Pentecost, at the golden Lampstand, for many years now. Each day the Spirit moves among the churches, calling out a holy remnant. Multitudes of the Lord's people are in the valley of decision: Should I or should I not go outside the camp with Jesus? Should I or should I not give my life completely to Him?

The Holy Spirit never wastes time. He is ready for the Bride to press forward in Christ.

It may be noticed that in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, neither the Table of Showbread nor the Lampstand is directly in line with the Ark of the Covenant. As we stand looking in a westerly direction, looking toward the veil, the Table of Showbread is on our right and the Lampstand is on our left. The Ark of the Covenant is directly ahead of us, hidden from us by the veil.

This positioning signifies that neither the ministry of the Word (Table of Showbread) nor the manifestation of the Holy Spirit (Lampstand) is directly in line with the Ark of the Covenant. It is the Ark of the Covenant that represents the fullness of the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Altar of Incense is directly in front of the Ark of the Covenant, although separated from the Ark by the veil that hangs between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, As we move past Pentecost, past the Lampstand, to speak symbolically, we are moving toward the Altar of Incense—the place of consecration, worship, and supplication. By so moving we are coming near to the Ark of the Covenant, the fullness of the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We now are standing directly before the Ark of the Covenant. Something hides the Ark from us. It is the veil. We are not speaking in terms of the fact that the veil was torn open at the time of Christ's crucifixion. This happened, and the significance is that every person now has access to the Throne of God through the blood of Christ.

There is, however, additional symbolism associated with the veil. In the context of which we are speaking, the veil is still present. Isn't it true that we yet are unable to see the Lord clearly? We long to see the Lord Jesus and to be with Him. What hinders us?

Is He so far away we cannot reach Him? Not at all, for the Scriptures inform us that He will never leave us or forsake us.

The Lord Jesus is closer to us than a brother, but there is a veil between us and Him. At His glorious return the covering veil will be taken away and we shall see Him as He is.

We have come past Pentecost, past the golden Lampstand. We are ministering at the Altar of Incense by entering Spirit-filled adoration, praise, worship, thanksgiving, intercession, supplication, and spiritual battle in prayer. We are in line with the Ark of the Covenant—the fullness of the Presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords. What is it that hinders us from pressing through to the fullness of His Presence?

In one sense our physical body acts as a veil that separates us from the fullness of the Lord's Presence. Paul explains, "whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord" (II Corinthians 5:8).

"Seeing" the Lord and entering the fullness of His Presence depends on our pressing into Christ. We can come to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. We by faith can press through to the fullness of inner resurrection, on which the fullness of outer resurrection depends.

Inner resurrection precedes outer resurrection. Our ability to enter fullness of life with Christ at His appearing depends on the state of resurrection life we are attaining now.

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection [Greek, out-resurrection] of the dead. (Philippians 3:11)

The response of every person to the return of Christ will depend on the state of readiness of that person. To those who press on now to the full knowledge of Him, the response will be the receiving of a body of glory that will enable them to rule with Christ and to see Him as He is (I John 3:1-3).

To those who have not made themselves ready for His appearing, the response to His appearing will be destruction or a minimal entrance into His Kingdom.

There is nothing passive about entering eternal life, into the fullness of the Presence of the Lord Jesus. We must lay hold on eternal life diligently. The Word of God, the body and blood of Christ, and the Holy Spirit have been given to us so that we may arrive at the fullness of readiness for the glorious appearing of the Lord.

It is the will of God that the Church be made ready for Christ's appearing. The return of Christ is related to the maturing of the Body of Christ in the moral image of Christ and in power in praise and prayer. Let us be among those who minister at the Altar of Incense, entering the Presence of our Lord with thanksgiving and praise.

Let us lift up the gates of our heart. Let us lift up the everlasting doors of our personality and allow the King of Glory to enter. The Lord of Hosts, the Lord strong and mighty in battle—He is the One who will enter us and give us victory.

Passing through the holy veil into the Presence of Christ requires a sharing in Christ's sufferings in a way that many of us have not experienced. The only manner in which we can be made perfect as God's servant is by sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

We are not referring to suffering because of sin, for Christ never suffered because of His own sin. Rather, we are speaking of accepting God's will for our life even though it causes us humility, frustration, and seeming futility of existence.

There is a death to one's self that runs deeper than the mere overcoming of sin. Our willingness to walk with Christ through the final stages of personal humiliation and apparent defeat, which is the death of the cross, will bring us through the last death and into the fullness of His glorious Presence.

No man can see God and live. We shall see Him as He is, but such communion with God is based on our absolute obedience to His will. This theme will be developed further in our next chapter, entitled "Conquest."

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