三只牲口表征钉死的基督（接上篇）
我们若将创世记十五章和利未记同读，能看见母牛是要作平安祭的（利三1）。为甚么先有平安祭？因为当神与祂所呼召的人立约时，需要平安。神要与祂所呼召的人立约，首先需要平安祭。基督就是那平安祭。母山羊豫表基督作我们的赎罪祭（利四28，五6）。我们蒙神呼召的人不管多好，仍是有罪的。所以，在平安祭之后，我们需要赎罪祭。接着需要燔祭，这祭表征一切都必须为着神（利一10）。平安祭之后有赎罪祭，赎罪祭之后有燔祭。基督就是神与祂所呼召的人立约时，所经过的一切祭物。
为甚么这三只牲口都是三岁？因为基督不是在死里被杀，乃是在复活里被杀。祂不是在死里献上，乃是在复活里献上。说到祂的被钉，主告诉犹太人说，“你们拆毁这殿，我三日内要将它建立起来。”（约二19）。主在“三岁”时被杀，意思是祂在复活里被杀。
两只鸟表征复活的基督
没有被杀的两只鸟，表征复活、活着的基督（利十四6～7）。这位复活的基督主要的是在祂的神性里，因为按照圣经，鸽子在豫表上是表征圣灵（约一32）。所以，牲口豫表在人性里的基督，鸟豫表在神性里的基督。因此创世记十五章的鸟表征属天的基督，那从天降下，仍旧在天的基督（约三13），那曾经活过，现今仍然活着的基督。基督曾被钉死，但祂仍然活着。祂在祂的人性里被杀，却在祂的神性里活着。祂是生活在地上的人，祂曾被杀；祂是翱翔在诸天之上属天的一位，现今祂是活着的。祂的人性使祂适合作一切的祭牲，祂的神性使祂适合作那活著者。祂在祂的人性里为我们牺牲，祂在祂的神性里为我们活着。
在豫表上，斑鸠表征受苦的生命，雏鸽表征相信的生命，信心的生命。主耶稣活在地上时，总是受苦并相信。在祂受苦的生命里，祂是斑鸠；在祂相信的生命里，祂是雏鸽。鸟有二只。二这数字是见证、作见证的意思（徒五32）。两只活鸟见证基督是复活的一位，活在我们里面，并为我们活着（约十四19～20，加二20）。活的耶稣就是见证，是一直作见证的那位。
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God’s Covenant with Abraham (4) – Gen. 15:10
The Three Animals Signify the Crucified Christ (Continued)
If we read Genesis 15 and Leviticus together, we can see that the heifer was for a peace offering (Lev. 3:1). Why was the peace offering first? Because when God makes a covenant with the people He has called, peace is required. To make a covenant with His called ones, God first needs a peace offering. Christ is that peace offering. The female goat signifies Christ as our sin offering (Lev. 4:28, 5:6). No matter how good we, the called ones of God, may be, we are still sinful. Therefore, after the peace offering, we need the sin offering. This is followed by the burnt offering, which signifies that everything must be for God (Lev. 1:10). There is a peace offering, followed by a sin offering, followed by a burnt offering. Christ is all the offerings through which God passed when making the covenant with His called ones.
Why were these three animals all three years old? Because Christ was not killed in death, but in resurrection. He was not offered in death, but in resurrection. Regarding His crucifixion, the Lord told the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The Lord was killed at “three years old”, meaning He was killed in resurrection.
The Two Birds Signify the Resurrected Christ
The two birds that were not killed signify the resurrected, living Christ (Lev. 14:6–7). This resurrected Christ is mainly in His divinity, because according to the Bible, the dove is a type of the Holy Spirit (John 1:32). Thus, the animals signify Christ in His humanity, and the birds signify Christ in His divinity. Therefore, the birds in Genesis 15 signify the heavenly Christ, the One who came down from heaven and is still in heaven (John 3:13), the Christ who once lived and is still living now. Christ was crucified, but He is still living. He was killed in His humanity, but He lives in His divinity. He was a man living on earth and was killed; He is the heavenly One soaring in the heavens and is now living. His humanity made Him suitable to be all the sacrifices, and His divinity made Him suitable to be the living One. He sacrificed for us in His humanity, and He lives for us in His divinity.
In type, the turtledove signifies a suffering life, and the young pigeon signifies a believing life, a life of faith. When the Lord Jesus lived on earth, He was always suffering and believing. In His suffering life, He was a turtledove; in His believing life, He was a young pigeon. There were two birds. The number two means a testimony or a witness (Acts 5:32). The two living birds testify that Christ is the resurrected One, living in us and for us (John 14:19–20, Gal. 2:20). The living Jesus is the testimony; He is the One who is constantly testifying.