“But while Jesus, as a "new creature," was thus within the "Holy," enjoying the light of the golden candlestick, fed by the bread of truth, and offering acceptable incense to Jehovah, let us look out into the "Court," and yet farther out, beyond the "Camp," and see another work progressing simultaneously. We last saw the bullock dead, in the "Court," representing the man, Jesus, consecrated at thirty years of age, at his baptism. Now the fat of it has been placed upon the "Brazen Altar” (Verse 25, compare with Lev 4:8–10, 19, 31, 35; 16:25) and with it the kidneys and various life-producing organs. They are burning furiously, for a bullock has much fat. A cloud of smoke, called a "sweet savor to God," rises in the sight of all who are in the "Court," the Levites--the household of faith, 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, during the three and a half years of our Lord's ministry. They well knew that with him the Father was ever well pleased. They knew from what they saw in the "Court" (in the flesh) that he was acceptable, though they could not see the sacrifice in its full grandeur and perfection as it appeared in Jehovah's sight (in the "Holy"), a sweet incense on the "Golden Altar."
And while these two fires are burning (in the "Court" the "fat," and in the "Holy" the "incense," and their perfumes ascending at the same time) there is another fire "outside the camp." There the body of flesh is being destroyed. (Verse 27) This represents Jesus' work as viewed by the world. To them it seems foolish that he should spend his life in sacrifice. They see not the necessity for it as man's ransom-price, nor the spirit of obedience which prompted it, as the Father saw these. They see not our Lord's loving perfections and self-denials as the believers (in the "Courtyard" condition) see them. No, nor did they in his day or since see in him their ideal hero and leader; they saw chiefly only those elements of his character which they despise as weak, not being in condition to love and admire him. To them his sacrifice was and is offensive, despised: he was despised and rejected of men, and as it were they blushed and hid their faces from him, as, in the type the Israelite's turned disgusted from the stench of the burning carcass.
We see, then, how Jesus' life for three and a half years filled all three of these pictures: His sacrifice of perfect manhood was, in the sight of the world, foolish and detestable; in the sight of believers, a sacrifice acceptable to God; in the sight of Jehovah, "a sweet incense." They all ended at once--at the cross. The bullock was entirely disposed of, the fat fully consumed, and the incense all offered, when Jesus cried, "It is finished!" and died. Thus the man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all. (T 57, 58)
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