1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

But while Jesus as a "new creature" was thus within the "Holy,"enjoying the light of the golden candlestick, fed by the bread oftruth, and offering acceptable incense to Jehovah, let us look outinto the "Court," and yet further out, beyond the Camp, and seeanother work progressing simultaneously. We last saw the bullockdead, in the Court; now the fat of it has been placed upon theBrazen Altar and with it the kidneys and various life-producingorgans. They are burning furiously, for a bullock has much fat. Acloud of smoke, called "a sweet savor to God" rises in the sight ofall who are in the "Court," viz.: Levites--believers.This represents how Jesus' sacrifice appeared to believing men.They saw the devotion, the self-sacrifice, the loving zeal (fat)ascending to God as a sweet and acceptable sacrifice. They wellknew that with him God was ever well pleased. They knew fromwhat they saw in the "Court" (in the flesh) that he was acceptable,though they could not see the sacrifice in its full grandeur andperfection as it appeared in Jehovah's sight (in the "Holy") a sweetincense on the Golden Altar.And while these two fires are burning --in the "Court" the "fat" andin the "Holy," the "incense" and their perfumes ascending at thesame time, there is another fire "outside the camp." There the bodyof flesh is being destroyed. (Ver. 27.) This represents Jesus' work asviewed by the world; to them it seemed foolish to spend his life insacrifice. They saw not the spirit of obedience which prompted, asthe Father saw it; they saw not the loving perfections as thebelievers (in the "Court" condition) saw them. No, nor did they seein him their ideal hero and leader; they saw only those elements ofhis character which condemned them, not being in condition to loveand admire him. To them he was odious--an outcast--despised andrejected; they hid their faces from him, as the Israelites turned fromthe burning carcass in the type.We see, then, how Jesus' life for three-and-a-half years fills all threeof these pictures: His sacrifice of perfect manhood was in the sightof the world, foolishness and detestable; in the sight of believers, asacrifice acceptable to God; in the sight of Jehovah, "a sweetincense." They all ended at once--at the cross. The bullock wasentirely disposed of, the incense all offered, when Jesus cried, "It isfinished"--and died. Thus the man Christ Jesus, gave himself aransom for all.The incense from the Golden Altar having preceded him and beensatisfactory, the High Priest passed under the second "Vail" into the"Most Holy." So with Jesus; having for three and a half yearsoffered acceptable incense, in the Holy or consecrated condition, hepassed beyond "the Vail, that is to say, his flesh." For three days hewas under the Vail, in death; then he arose in the perfection of theDivine nature beyond the flesh, "the express image of the Father'sperson:" "Put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) inSpirit:" "sown a natural (human) body, raised a spiritual body." He