Today my message will be short, but it has prophetic poetry. I want to talk about two birds.
“‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing , ‘If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord, for his trespass which he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it completely. Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 5:5, 7-10).
A sin offering was to go first. Cleansing comes before the burnt offering, before consecration offering. And the bird’s head had to be wrung from its neck. Can you imagine? A living bird had to have its neck broken. The priest was to be able to do this. But he should not divide the head from the body completely. Think about it. You may say this is an unpleasant picture. But I’m talking today about Calvary. Today I speak about your sin – it is an unpleasant picture. So the head was broken, but not completely separated. And then the blood had to be drained and sprinkled on the side of the altar. Imagine: here is the altar and the blood of the dove is on the side. And then the blood was also drained at the foot of the altar.
And so the first dove or pigeon – and they are very gentle, birds of stunning beauty – is taken as a sacrifice, and then the second dove. And here is the rule for the second bird:
“And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the Lord is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons. The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar. And he shall remove its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, into the place for ashes. Then he shall split it at its wings, but shall not divide it completely; and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.” (Leviticus 1:14-17).
The second bird symbolizes us. The first bird is Jesus Christ because this bird was offered for sin – Jesus shed His holy Blood and offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin. But the second turtle dove – what is she doing there? Perhaps she thinks she will survive? And she could see the death of the first turtle dove. So what? She could be young, with her whole life ahead of her. But the lot fell so that she would become a sacrifice.
Here she is being transported to the altar, and it is written that her head will be wrung off. The priest takes her head and wrings it. So what does he do next? “He will wring her head off and burn it on the altar.” Our head and thoughts go into the fire, they plunge into the fire, into the difficult fire, but into the holy fire. Because it is the holy fire that is burning on the altar. I see the dove’s head burning in the fire!
And then he strains the blood. It’s not an easy thing to drain the blood from a bird! And again it goes on the side. There are the two bloods – the blood for sin and the blood of the burnt offering falls next to it. And I like it! When these two bloods mix – His and mine! He died for my sin. He was the first One. And my blood goes after Him, on His blood, on the side of the altar. You know what this means – these are writings! These are the Holy Scriptures from His blood and mine. The Gospel and Acts is what I do when I receive it and these mix together. And further it is written that the crop with feathers is removes. This is removed and cast beside the altar on the east side, into the place for the ashes. The ashes were on the east side.
The picture is very unsightly – a torn dove, a turtle dove torn to shreds, without its head. But that is not all. “And he will split it at its wings, but not divide it completely.” Crunchy sound in the shoulders and broken wings! What you dreamed about for yourself, what you thought about yourself before, where you wanted to go, what you wanted to be – “crack!”… I also “wanted things” – the Lord “crunched” my shoulder blades” – Thank God for that! Otherwise it would have “skidded” the way off! Amazing vision! It’s amazing what the priests did with the birds.
And thus the priests would bring thousands of doves… These “procedures” were established by God. What for? – For our sake! So many birds died! And in what agony! The burnt body of a bird, without a head and without feathers – with broken wings – just broken wings without its crop and head – is now a sacrifice pleasing to the Lord for a burnt offering. Now – into the fire, now – a pleasant fragrance!
You can live and bring offerings to God, or you can become an offering yourself. Not just to bring sacrifice – but to bring yourself. Become an offering yourself—and a burnt offering. I see these two turtle doves. Each one is in its own cage. Or maybe they are in one. And they don’t know who will be who. God’s lot falls on one of them, and the first one is taken out. It was so commanded by God that Christ went first. I feel a mystical drawing in the Spirit that I, who am symbolized by the second bird, am called wholly to give myself to Christ with my burnt offering. This is not a defeat; you don’t come here because you’ve “failed” in life. You come here initially. You come here as if at the very climax, the feat of your life. It’s not because you’re a loser, it’s because you’re a hero. And I want to be in two turtle doves at once, my spirit wants to be in two birds at once. I feel this mystical drawing to the first bird, I want to be inside them – with my spirit inside the second, but also inside the first. And this is called “co-crucifixion” – not one without the other – but they are offered together. “Co-crucifixion”, “co-burial”. And in the fire, when they are burned, they go into resurrection – into eternal life – into the unity of death and life of Jesus Christ. When we drink His cup, we drink His Blood; when we eat His bread, we eat His Flesh. Bread and wine are more than the breaking of bread. This can be done daily, when we breathe His air, when we remember God, we can drink His Blood and eat His Flesh.
And I am a bird, washed by His Blood, but who gave myself up as a burnt offering. I can live in the second bird, but I choose to live in two birds—His death and His life. Paul wrote these words: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).
Paul goes on to say, “And if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all” (Philippians 2:17). This joy is only possible if you become an offering. That is, he calls to rejoice for him that he had achieved the service of sacrifice, to rejoice that he paved this path – an ordinary man became like Christ. Brother Bert once said: “God gave man the highest challenge – to be like Christ!”
Incredible! Mystically, I feel my spirit yearning to live in these two birds. How it wants to live in both. Incredible glory of the Word! Incredible power of the Word! The incredible power and beauty of God’s Word! And all Scripture is inspired by God, piercing even to the division of joints and marrow, spirit and soul, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart!
Think about the second bird – the head, the crop with feathers, the broken wings, and the blood mixed with the blood of the first bird – and the fire – the transition to the heavenly. The death of Christ and the life of Christ through fire. We accept the fire and move into the life of Christ! I admire my God and give Him honor forever and ever! Amen.