INCENSE, PRAYER, & THE GOLDEN ALTAR

You have an appointment with the Holy One of Yisra’el! Enter here! You who have believed and called on the Name of the LORD really have a daily  appointment with Him! You are a priest about to enter the Gate, Yeshua, to the brazen altar , to sacrifice self [Yeshua], to immerse in the waters [Yeshua] of the brazen laver. There are some preparations of self,  as burnt offerings, sin offerings [Yeshua] continually, along with grain offerings, drink offerings, offerings made by fire to YHWH–

“…a continual burnt offering for your generations at the door of the Tent ofAppointment before YHWH, where I shall meet with you to speak with you. And there I shall meet with the children of Yisra’el,  and it shall be made qadosh [holy] by My esteem…I shall dwell in the midst …they shall know that I AM YHWH their Elohim…”[ Exodus 29:42-46].

After you have offered yourself a living sacrifice of praise & thanksgiving and washed the world off, sought forgiveness and repentance, and renewed your mind in the Word [Yeshua], you burn incense at the altar of incense, sweet prayers arising as smoke before the very throne, the Seat of Mercy and Righteousness Himself.The altar of incense was put directly before the veil that was before the ark of the Covenant & Mercy Seat: “…before the lid of Atonement that is over the Witness, where I AM to meet with you…” in the Tent of Appointment. {Exodus 30:6]

And Aharon [Moshe’s brother & High Priest]  shall burn on it sweet incense, morning by morning. As he tends the lamps [of the Candlestick or Menorah, also in the Holy Place with the table of the Bread of Presence], he shall burn incense on it.

And when Aharon lights the lamps between the evenings, he shall burn incense on it– a continual incense before YHWH throughout your generations [v. 7 & 8].

Moshe is ordered by Yahweh to take  sweet spices, fragrant gum [resin or sap from tree], cinnamon and  galbanam, and clear frankincense, with these sweet spices, all in equal amounts [30:34]!

1. Fragrant gum may have been stacte , a fatty resinous liquid; an aromatic gum, highly valued; or balsam , a sap with a sweet smell .
2. Onchya, a tree resin, the most viscous or oily of all, with a vanilla-like fragrance, used also to heal wounds. The gum is also called labdanum. In Hebrew, it is called “shecheleth”, to roar as a lion! “Onchya” is Greek, for the red blotch in a finger nail!   Note:        Cinnamon is the 2nd mentioned in the HalleluYah Scriptures;  a reddish brown bark containing eugenol = Yeshua’s love of the glory & honor of Yahweh! [See note, Cinnamon: Red & Hot]
3. Galbanum, another resinous juice, from a plant, having a strong unpleasant smell with a bitter taste, giving off purple smoke, also fights infection, heals wounds, acne, asthma, coughs and indigestion. Trees  & plants are cut and saps or gum resins are collected =blood or life of the tree = by His cuts we are healed!
4. Frankincense is a  sharp tasting,  pungent bitter yellow gum collected peeling the bark boswellia sacra in Saudi Arabia. It is “lebonah” in Hebrew, derived from “laban”,  white in English, for its whiteness of smoke. “Clear” frankincense was purified before use! Frankincense  anointed the ‘remembrance ‘ bread offered by fire by the priest [Leviticus 24:7] just as Yeshua, the Bread, is anointed by it!

It had to be  beaten into an incense, a compound, the work of a perfumer, salted, clean, qodesh [holy] only to Yahweh [v.35, 37].

• Equal [=] amounts in a mixture represents us, a  beaten mixture, all equally loved in the body of Yeshua, cleansed, clean and holy, to be the salt of the earth, all created and made by our Maker!

• When the four ingredients were mixed together, they produced a most fragrant perfume, especially when burned [ Exodus 30:35]
• Later, there is no mention of actual incense; it becomes spiritual, our prayers ascending to Heaven [John 17:1-26, Hebrews 7:25, Yeshua as our Intercessor or High Priest; Ezekiel 41:22, Hebrews 13:15, Revelation 8: 3,4] ! Prayers carry the fragrant aroma of Yeshua!

• These four special ingredients point to Jesus’ perfect righteous- ness.
• Some parts of prayer are about pleasant, sweet experiences. Some parts of prayer are about hard, bitter experiences.  As it is with life, the bitter experience makes the sweet seem richer and sweeter. The scent wasn’t complete without both characteristics. Our lives in Yeshua are not complete without some difficult experiences to teach us how sweet it is to trust in Him.
• Some of the ingredients were beaten into very small pieces
  [Exodus 30:36].

Review of the furniture [ see note, Praying Victoriously Through the Tabernacle also]:

The altar of incense was made of acacia [shittim] wood and was overlaid with pure gold. It was two cubits high [3 feet], and one cubit on each side, thus making it square. [Exodus 30:1-3]

• Wood symbolizes humanity and to be covered with gold symbolizes being covered with Yeshua’s purity, His righteousness.
• The special wood was not common, but choice, excellent and durable, incorruptible! The tree bore thorns!

The top edge had a gold crown all around it. On each corner of the altar was a horn made from acacia wood, overlaid with gold. [Exodus 30:2, 3]

• A crown points to victory. Horns speak of strength and power. Through prayer and by faith Yeshua’s followers take hold of His power and strength. Thus complete victory over all sin may be ours. Also, the crown on top of altar is symbolic of our  King [ Melech, in Hebrew], King of kings, our Master & Majesty ! [Psalm 8, 24:7, Jeremiah 23: 5, Zechariah 9:9, 1 Timothy 6:15, & Revelation 19:16]

Pure gold rings were made and fastened to the altar under the crown. Poles made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, were put through the gold rings. The altar was carried with these poles. [Exodus 30:4, 5]

• Here again we see wood (humanity) covered with gold (Divinity), and four “pierced” rings (Yeshua’s hands and feet pierced with nails).

Psalms 22:16 ” They pierced my hands and feet“.

In the Holy of Holies, The Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat: the ark contained the 2 tablets of Law, the Manna, The Rod

The altar of incense was in front of this Veil dividing the  Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. This altar was the closest to the Ark  containing the Ten Commandments [ closer than the Candlestick or Table of the Bread of Presence]. (Over the Law of YHWH was the mercy seat–between the two angels was the spot where Yahweh met with His people.) [Exodus 30:6; 25:16-22] As the priest burned  incense at the altar, the fragrance spread throughout the place, as he stood in front of the veil or curtain to the Holy of Holies.There is no part of the religious worship that brings us into a closer relationship with Yeshua than when we are in prayer. Yahweh’s government required sacrifice and death for the wages of sin. The gift of Yahweh is unmerited favor and life eternal through Messiah Yeshua , our LORD, who is the Torah, the Word. [Romans 6:23, John 1:1]

Psalms 85:10  Grace and Truth have met together; Justice and Peace have kissed each other!

[Yeshua is Truth and the Lamb of Yahweh, Grace given at the cross; Yeshua is Sar Shalom, Prince of Peace and our Righteousness, coming again to Judge as the King and Lion of Yahudah]

The fire was never to go out. (The coals were moved in a golden vessel when the camp moved.)

• The fire is Yeshua’s righteousness. [2 Samuel 22:9, Isaiah 66:15, Luke 12:49, Revelation 19:12]

• Also, the fire is the Ruach [ Holy Spirit]. It works continually upon our hearts: calling us to prayer, praying in us, telling us to confess our sins and ask forgiveness, impressing us to give praise and thanksgiving, bringing to our minds those whom we are to pray for, showing us the Father’s will, teaching us right from wrong. It is that still small voice ever present with us.[1 Thessalonians 5:19; Romans 8:26, 27; Philippians 1:4-11; 1 Samuel 3:3,4,10]

Jude 20 & 24  But you dear friends build yourselves up in your most holy faith & pray in union with the Ruach HaQodesh [Holy Spirit]…Now, to the one who can keep you from falling & to set you without defect & full of joy in the presence of His Sh’khinah [Divine Presence, the manifest glory of Adonai present with men]…

The high priest was to burn set incense upon the altar every morning while he was trimming and cleaning the lamps on the candle- stick, and every evening while he was lighting the lamps. [Exodus 30:7, 8]

• Yeshua is our High Priest. [Hebrews 3:1]
  When we pray to God, Yeshua mixes incense (His spotless right- eousness,) with our prayers. When the Father looks at us He sees the perfect goodness of Yeshua [ Revelation 8:3,4].

When the high priest burned the incense, he looked toward the Ark. As the cloud of incense arose the glory of Elohim came down upon the mercy seat and filled the Most Holy Place. It often filled the holy place, also. “So full were both places that the high priest had to retreat to the door of the tent-tabernacle.”

• By faith we can come boldly into the throne room and pray to Elohim [The Almighty]. We direct our prayers to Messiah that He might apply His perfect character to us. He goes before the Father for us. [ Hebrews 4:15, 16; 7:25,26]
  • Ours prayers are to be as incense.

Psalms 141:2  Let my prayer be like incense set before You,    my uplifted hands like an evening sacrifice.

At the time of the burning of incense (both morning and evening) all the people in the camp of Ysra’el were praying. Elohim promised to “meet with” them during that time. The sweet smell of incense reached way out into the camp and surrounding area. [Luke 1:9, 10; Exodus 30:6]

• Here is the example that is given for morning and evening worship.
  His sweet character will not only be felt in the home, but reach out away from the home.
  Again we see the number four [ingredients of incense] point to Yeshua. [See note, The Anointing & the Oil] There were 4 ingredients in the anointing oil too.

• Yeshua suffered everything that any man will ever have to suffer so He could perfectly understand what we go through [ Hebrews 2:10,11].
  Our sufferings lead us to the altar of prayer. There we are strength ened and fitted to help others.

No strange incense was to be offered upon the altar [ Exodus 30:9 ].

• Strange incense represented sin.
• Yeshua was without sin, so only sweet incense could be used.

1 John 3:5  And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

No burnt sacrifice or meat-(meal-) offering was to be offered upon it, and no drink-offering was to be poured out upon it. Those offerings were to be offered upon the brazen altar in the courtyard [Exodus 30:9].

• In the brazen altar is represented the sacrifice of Yeshua and His work for us while He was on earth. (The courtyard being a symbol of the earth.)
  • In the golden altar of incense,  we see Yeshua in His work in heaven.

Revelation 8:3, 4,5  And another messenger came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the qodeshim [the saints or holy ones] upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the qodeshim, went up before Elohim from the hand of the messenger.

And the messenger took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, and thunders and lightnings and an earthquake.

TABERNACLE PRAYING FOR TRUE VICTORIOUS LIVING

We  can use a pattern to more effectively pray! How? … through the Tabernacle, the pattern set in Heaven! We will see the Glory of the LORD in the Tabernacle!

THE GATE OR ENTRANCE [lower curtains, in the daylight of the    Courtyard]

No man comes to the Father except through Me, said Ye’shua! We enter by the Blood of the Lamb of YHWH the Almighty LORD! We receive Ye’shua as LORD and Savior. There is NONE ELSE!  Shema Yisrael ! Yahweh Ye’shua is Eloheinu, our Elohim; Yahweh echad is ONE! Ye’shua was the perfect sacrifice , one for all, once 2000 years ago; He will return as King, to set up the Messianic Age, Kingdom of Yahweh, with His  Wife , the bride, the body of believers of the Way.

• The Gate~ the Way!
• We pray to receive Ye’shua as LORD & Savior; King of kings, LORD of lords; Prince of Peace; Everlasting Father; Wonderful Counselor; Mighty GOD Elohim is He!

Image via Wikipedia

PRAYER AT THE BRAZEN ALTAR:

• Wood of Shittim or acasia ~ symbolic of man, COVERED WITH PURE GOLD ~ symbolic of the kippur or covering atonement of Yeshua,  WITH FOUR HORNS [~MIGHT OF YHWH] AT THE CORNERS [SEE NOTES ON ” THE FOUR HORNS” AND “CORNERS”]
• BLOOD WAS SPRINKLED ALL OVER THE ALTAR TO SANCTIFY AND MAKE IT HOLY; EVEN POURED AT THE BOTTOM; THE ASHES WERE TAKEN OUTSIDE THE CAMP
• SACRIFICES ACCORDING TO LEVITICAL LAW WERE MADE ON THIS ALTAR; SIN OFFERINGS, BURNT OFFERINGS, AND OFFERINGS FOR PEACE; THE PRIESTS ATE THE REMAINS OF THE SIN OFFERINGS; OFFERED WAS THE INWARDS AND FAT OF THE GOAT OR LAMB; BURNT OFFERINGS WERE TOTALLY BURNT
• in the outer courtyard, in the natural light

 Prayer: Thank you for Your Blood Ye’shua to forgive all my sins.

I confess that I am a sinner and have sinned against You in thought, word and deed.

I confess …..(Specific sins) … ask  Yeshua Jesus to show you areas of your life needing to be confessed and repented .

I crucify myself, my sinful, natural man, my flesh. I place myself on Your cross where You died for me.

I worship You because through Your Blood You have delivered me from the power of Satan and of the world.

Through Your stripes Ye’shua I am healed and I praise you for divine healing through Your Blood.

I praise You for freeing me from the curse of Adam because of his sin. You took that curse to the cross.

Your Word says You have redeemed me from the law and that I am delivered from failure and poverty caused by the fall of Adam.

Through Your Blood I am delivered from death and hell. You conquered death and hell.

By your Blood I am completely delivered from death and hell and am now living in Your Glory and am a member of the Kingdom of Yahweh Almighty Elohim God. Thank You, Ahmein.

TABERNACLE PRAYER AT BRAZEN LAVER:    

• Laver made from mirrors of the women, to reflect and see sin in self and repent from wicked or sinful ways, which are not of Yahweh!
• At the entrance to the Holy Place; must wash  in laver before even  enter into Holy Place ! There the  curtains are higher with no natural light, only lit by the Candlestick~Yeshua.

• Exodus 30:220; Acts 22:16

Prayer:  Oh God, make me righteous through Your grace.

Heavenly Father, cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Abba Father, put in me a clean heart. A heart that is pleasing to You.

Increase my faithfulness to You.

Make me faithful and loyal to You Father, especially as far as Your 10 Commandments are concerned.

O Adonai Elohim , purify me, sanctify me, and make me holy so I will be pleasing in Your sight.

Sanctify me in Your power.

Father, give me Your grace so that I may forgive ………

Holy Father, You help me to forgive ………….., please also help me to love them.

Father God, I know you cleanse me and forgive me, please help me to have a very soft and loving heart to my brothers, sisters and neighbors.

Heavenly Father, help me to live according to the measure of faith that You give me.

Keep me from pride and from the evil one and help me to live each moment according to the fullness of the faith you have given to me. Thank You, Ahmein.

• Read Psalm 51

TABERNACLE PRAYER AT THE TABLE OF THE SHEWBREAD

• 12 loaves placed in 2 piles of 6, short of the grace ~ 12 tribes —->2 houses , Yahudah & Efrayim;

•  bread baked with fine flour~ from the harvest of the earth; baked~ agony & suffering of Messiah, as punched down, pressed without leavening, no yeast, sinless;
  •  pure, not artificial bread with 2 deals out of 10 of flour per loaf!
  •  lined with a blue cloth~Heaven,
  • a scarlet cloth~blood atonement of Messiah, and
  •  badger skins [unclean] and goat skins [clean] over and under ~sacrifice total covering of Messiah!
  •  The Presence of YHWH~ the LIGHT, Y’shua,  eternal shining;
  •  the Fellowship of priests~ the communion of the body of Messiah, becoming one in Him;
  •  eating the Bread~ eating the Body of Messiah, receiving LIFE everlasting!~eating the WORD, tasting it, it is good! chewing, MEDITATING on the Word! HalleluYah!
  • Read John 1:1 and John 6

  Prayer: Dear Adonai Elohim , your fresh shewbread is placed on the table each day. It is Your fresh Word each day.

  Lord, I admire and love the Word of YHWH. I long after the Word of Elohim.

  Heavenly Father, help me to read, study, believe your fresh Word each day.

  Lord, give me a new, fresh revelation in my heart today from Your Word.

  My heart is panting for the Word of YHWH so open my mind and my heart to your revelation today.

Tabernacle Prayer at the Candlestick Menorah

• Menorah~Candlestick, solid piece of pure gold, beaten and hammered into main branch with 6 smaller branches, all filled with oil and kept lit by the priests continually: the Eternal Light~Messiah is the Light and we His children become children of Light!
•  Messiah beaten for us! The branches all were almond tree design with its bud, blossom and flowers. The Light allowed the priests to fellowship, commune with GOD, eat Bread ,  standing, and pray!

Prayer: Dear Yeshua, I recognize You. I welcome You. I love and adore You.

I Thank You Yeshua for sending me the Holy Spirit  in my life.

He, the Spirit, is the Spirit of YHWH Almighty Elohim.

You are the Spirit of wisdom.

You are the Spirit of understanding.

You are the Spirit of counsel.

You are the Spirit of power.

You are the Spirit of revelation of the Word of God.

You are the Spirit of the fear of Yahweh or of reverence, which gives me the power to reveal Him to others.

Yeshua, I ask you to help me now. I cannot do anything without Your anointing. I depend on You. I worship You. I thank You. I love You. I admire You. I honor You. I can’t handle the situations in my life and I depend upon You, please help me to walk in Your Spirit. Thank You, Ahmein.
Tabernacle Prayer at the Altar of Incense

• Exodus 30: 1-8 overlaid with pure gold, a crown of gold around, placed on the left before the Veil to the Holy of Holies; sweet incense burnt every morning and evening by the priests
• Hebrews 8:5 the pattern has been shown to you
• Sweet incense, a compound mixture ~ symbolic of ‘the bride’, sweet fragrance, a work of the perfumer ~ the Maker, salted, cleansed, made holy & separate by Yeshua!
• Sweet incense of sweet spice: fragrant gum, cinnamon, galbanum, and clear pure frankincense; beaten  very fine, some put in the Holy Place, before entrance to the Holy of Holies; ” before the Witness in the Tent of Appointment where I will meet with you, most holy”!
• Prohibition: “Do not make any for yourself; it is holy”!

Prayer:

I sing praises to You. I pray and sing to you in the special prayer language you gave me. Please accept the praises of Your saint.

I love you and give all praise and glory to You.

You delivered me from sin.

You delivered me from worldliness.

You delivered me from sickness.

You delivered me from the curse.

You delivered me from death.

You are the Almighty Elohim who is the foundation of my life.

You are the value of my life.

I worship You, the Elohim who created the heavens and the earth and all things in them.

I love you with every part of my being and I sing praises to You.

Tabernacle Prayer at the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies

• pure gold inside and out!
• only 3 items inside the ark: 1) pot of manna~ presence of Yahweh~bread of heaven, Y’shua ; 2) Aaron’s rod that bloomed [ see note ” Does your Almond tree bloom?”; 3) 2 stone tablets of Commandments
• Atonement cover of ark was lid and Mercy Seat of YHWH
• cherubim or angels flanked the throne, facing down with wings spread and touching
• Exodus 25:22 ” …I will meet with you there…”.
• 2 Samuel 6:2 ” …the ark called by the Name, who is enthroned between…”.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, when Ye’shua Jesus died on the cross You opened up the Holy of Holies by tearing the curtain from top to bottom so I could come in through the shed Blood of Yeshua Jesus Christ the Messiah.

I see Your Ark of the Covenant Father and know that the three items You had placed there represent Your supernatural presence.

In Your Ark is the rod of Aaron, which supernaturally budded; the tablets of Torah, the law, which You supernaturally engraved; the manna, which You supernaturally provided in the wilderness for Your people.

I enter into the Holy of Holies and run to the Mercy Seat on top of Your Ark of the Covenant and I see Your Shekinah glory. I see the throne of YHWH. I see the Ark of the Covenant.

I join You at Your mercy seat, in the Shekinah glory of Your presence, beneath the wings of the Cherubim.

Dear precious Heavenly Father, I am in awe at Your supernatural presence. I could not be more humbled than I am by Your presence.

I love You. I worship You. I adore You.

Father, I know I am eternally forgiven. I am eternally declared righteous. I am eternally saved. I am eternally blessed by the Blood covenant of Yeshua Jesus Christ.

Thank You Heavenly Father, I know I am in Your Family. I know I am a child of Yours. I know I am living in the Holy of Holies and I desire to spend intimate time with You here in this place. I worship and honor You Lord.

Now Father, I have many requests and I ask You to hear them. I will only ask what is Your will and promises; I will ask only so You will be glorified and neither myself nor anyone else will receive one speck of Your Glory. Thank You, Ahmein.

Review Inside Out:

Ark of the Covenant (In the Holy of Holies) with the Mercy Seat ~ Yah’s Extraordinary Love for You, ~ the presence of Yahweh resides in the Holy of Holies – it is a supernatural place where we meet the LORD. He sits enthroned on the Mercy Seat flanked by the cherubim [angels looking downward with wings spread out]. The altar is solid pure gold from one lump! Inside the ark is Aaron’s rod, a bowl of manna, and the 2 stone tablets of the 10 Commandments. Prayer times here is in the presence of God – be still and listen! From here He will send you to do His work. Have a pen and paper for notes because He speaks to us here.

The Altar of Incense (In the Holy Place) This represents the prayers of the saints, with the pleasing aroma reaching Yah. Prayer times here is offering petitions for others. Personal Prayer Daily Devotional too! The Golden Altar is also overlaid with pure gold and a crown around it, horns at corners signifying the strength of the Almighty! Before the veil of the Holy of Holies, this altar of incense was kept lit and burnt sweet incense every morning!

Golden Candlestick (In the Holy Place) Dark without the LIGHT! Candlestick~ the Light of Messiah, GOD’s presence with us! Lit up the Bread and altar of incense. Allowed the priests to work in the Holy Place. Also represents the light of the Holy Spirit. Prayer times here is being filled with the light of the Holy Spirit. Light Belongs in the Darkness: Find Your Place In Elohim’s End-time Harvest

“Here is how the menorah was made: it was hammered gold from its base to its flowers, hammered work, following the pattern YaHWeH showed Moses… [Numbers 8:4] One piece of gold, for purity in One Holy Messiah, who was beaten, pressed according to specific instructions, into the Lamp, to light the Way to YaH. May we as pressed and beaten become refined, pure gold and light in the Way to YHWeH YeSHUA.

The lechem, the Bread is Ye’shua; His Presence~ the bread of the Face, lechem hap’panim, the shewbread, always present on the table in the temple or tabernacle of Yah! The bread was continual, freshly baked for the Shabbat, and placed on the table; the old was eaten by the Levites! HalleluYah!

The Laver (In the courtyard) [still in the natural light, outside the Light] so before entering the Holy Place and Holy of Holies, must stop at the laver and reflect; laver made from mirrors of the women! ~ reflecting on us, seeing ourselves and sin in us. This represents our cleansing. Prayer times here covers us with the Blood of Ye’shua and cleanses us of all sin. Precious Blood: The Atoning Work of Messiah! [Exodus 30:18, 28; 31:9; 35:16…]

Moshe chose the priests from the tribe of Lewi and had to cleanse them with specific instructions: sprinkle body with purification water, shave their body hair, wash their body & clothes, take a young bull with grain for offering and a bull for sin offering, lay hands on them…all for them to do service before Yehowah YHWH ! NOW…we go through Yeshua Jesus, who offered Himself as the sin offering…[from Numbers 8:5-19]