Rev 8:1-6 Part 2 – Seven Trumpets

[Study Aired June 28, 2024]

Rev 8:1  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Rev 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Introduction

As always we want to remember that the things written in this prophecy are all “signified” things which we are admonished to “read… hear… and keep” (Rev 1:1-3). In our studies in Revelation 7 on the 144,000 and the great multitude which no man could number, we took note that the assurances of universal salvation found in that chapter are strategically placed between the dire warnings of the sixth seal, where the whole world cries out to the rocks and mountains to “fall on us and hide us from the face and the wrath of the Lamb” and the dire judgments of the seven trumpets which are being introduced to us here in this eighth chapter.

Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

God’s wrath is His judgments. That wrath and judgment “first begins at [and comes upon] the house of God” within first, and later, “[when] the thousand years should be fulfilled” (Rev 20:3), “and when the thousand years are expired” (Rev 20:7) then judgment, the “great white throne… judgment”, will come upon all the rest of mankind “at the end of days” (Dan 12:13) in the “great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death”:

Dan 12:13  But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

What do God’s judgments produce? Does judgment produce eternal, everlasting torment in literal flames of literal fire? Is that really what God’s judgments produce? No, of course judgment produces no such monstrous condemnation. This is what God’s judgments, including His final ‘great white throne judgment’, always produce:

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

God’s judgments are expressed through His wrath against our sins and our self-righteous iniquities:

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

So the “great day of [God’s] wrath” against our transgressions and our iniquity is signified by these seven angels with seven trumpets. Before we get into the spiritual significance of these seven trumpet judgments, which reveal “the great day of His wrath” (Rev 6:17), and the destruction of the kingdom of our carnal-minded old man (Rev 11:15), the holy spirit has chosen this point to comfort and strengthen us with the assurance of universal salvation for all in Adam. That inevitable outcome for all mankind is signified by the two groups of Revelation 7. We found in chapter 7 that there is a very small number of all mankind who will be used by God to bring the “great multitude which no man could number” to Christ and His Father. That very small group is symbolized by the number 144,000; twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. On the other hand, the “great multitude which no man could number” is signified by “the dust of the earth.” That outward dispensational day of salvation for “all in Adam” (1Co 15:22) will not come until the sayings of the prophecy of this book have first been “read, heard and kept” within the hearts, minds and lives of God’s 144,000 witnesses, as we are told in the chapter dealing with His witnesses. The number ‘two’ simply signifies ‘witness’:

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The seventh trump is the seven last plagues, so this proclamation that “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” is actually the proclamation of the beginning of a process which will end in the stone hewn out of the mountain without hands becoming a mountain that will “fill the whole earth.”

Dan 2:34  Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:35  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

The process of the seventh trumpet will take all the time that is needed for the seven last plagues, of which this seventh trumpet consists, to be fulfilled within each of God’s elect. So, this statement that “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” is God “speaking of those things which are not as though they were” (Rom 4:17) just as Christ said His disciples “had kept His Words” only moments before they all denied Him and “left Him” to His fate on the cross.

Joh 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

The disciples of Christ had not yet “kept His Words.” They weren’t even converted at this time, and immediately after Christ declares “they have kept thy word”, we are told this of the apostles of Christ:

Mar 14:50 And they all forsook him, and fled.

Then we have this concerning this seventh trumpet, in chapter 10:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

So these trumpets all represent a process that takes time in our lives, and before getting into the events in our lives, which are revealed to us in the sounding of these seven trumpets, the first question we need to ask and answer is…

What is the spiritual significance of blowing a trumpet?

Here is the very first mention of a trumpet in scripture. The sound of a trumpet announces the occasion of Israel preparing to meet their God at mount Sinai. That is the spiritual significance of the events at Sinai which are a type and shadow of the revelation of Jesus Christ in our lives. Notice that even here in Exodus ‘the sound of the trumpet’ is associated with “the third day”; the day of resurrection of our new man (Rom 6:4-5).

Exo 19:11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Exo 19:12  And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: [“the ministration of death” (2Co 3:7-8, Heb 12:20)]
Exo 19:13  There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
Exo 19:14  And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
Exo 19:15  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Exo 19:17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
Exo 19:18  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Exo 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

“God answered [Moses] by a voice.” Moses here typifies those with whom Christ is communicating, and “God answers by a voice” those who are given ears to hear. However, this is what happens to the great multitude which no man can number.

Exo 20:18  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Because the people did not want to die, in the end 3000 of them did die on this the first Pentecost observed by Israel in Exodus 20.

Exo 32:28  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

On the other hand, this is what happens when Christ in us is willing die to the things of our flesh and the things of this world. This is what happened on the first Pentecost at the founding of the New Testament church.

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:40  And with many other words did he [Peter] testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

This account just proves the truth of these words of our Lord:

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Three thousand souls lost their physical lives at the first Pentecost at Mount Sinai, and three thousand found their spiritual lives at the first New Testament Pentecost.

Here now is…

The purpose and function of trumpets in scripture

Num 10:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 10:2  Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
Num 10:3  And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 10:4  And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
Num 10:5  When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
Num 10:6  When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
Num 10:7  But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
Num 10:8  And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
Num 10:9  And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
Num 10:10  Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I [am] the LORD your God.

The only time Israel journeyed was when the Cloud they followed would move. When the Cloud moved, they moved, and that was accomplished by “blowing an alarm for your journeys.”

Num 10:6  When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

The call “to war in your land” was also by the alarm of the trumpets. “And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.” That is what is taking place in the eighth chapter of Revelation. There is war in the land against the enemy that oppresses you.”

But…

Only “the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets.”

No one else but the priests, the sons of Aaron, is allowed to even touch these two silver trumpets. The fact there are “two trumpets” signifies the Lord’s witnesses are those He uses to call His people together and call them to war against their enemies. “You are His witnesses of these things:”

Isa 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isa 43:12  I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

Isa 44:8  Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
Act 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

According to the shadows and types of the Old Testament, trumpets were to be blown only by the “seven priests”, and the seven priests, like the seven angels with the seven trumpets, are a type and a shadow of God’s elect.

Num 10:8  And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

These seven angels are those “who stand before God.”

Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

We saw that they “stand before God” because they are “in Christ’s right hand.”

Rev 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

These ‘seven angels’ are the same “seven angels” who are sent to the seven churches, and these seven angels are those to whom this entire prophecy is addressed.

Rev 2:1  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 2:8  And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Rev 2:12  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Rev 3:1  And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

It is these same seven angels who tell us that they are our fellow servants and those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book. If we are God’s elect, we are these seven angels to the seven churches. It is these seven angels who are given the priesthood to “perform the service of God.” The promise of being kings and priests is not just to the leaders and elders  of the body of Christ. That promise is to the entire body of Christ:

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

We will stop here for today and finish part three of our study of these first six verses of Revelation 8 in our next study.

Exo 30:17-38  Instructions About the Bronze Basin, the Anointing Oil and Incense

[Study Aired December 26, 2022]

Exo 30:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 30:18  Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. 
Exo 30:19  For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 
Exo 30:20  When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: 
Exo 30:21  So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations. 
Exo 30:22  Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 30:23  Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
Exo 30:24  And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 
Exo 30:25  And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. 
Exo 30:26  And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, 
Exo 30:27  And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 
Exo 30:28  And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. 
Exo 30:29  And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. 
Exo 30:30  And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 
Exo 30:31  And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 
Exo 30:32  Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. 
Exo 30:33  Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people. 
Exo 30:34  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: 
Exo 30:35  And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 
Exo 30:36  And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 
Exo 30:37  And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD. 
Exo 30:38  Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Today’s study is based on the bronze basin which is filled with water for the ceremonial cleansing of priests. This session also focuses on the making of anointing oil and incense. The bronze basin or the laver is located in the courtyard of the tabernacle. It is placed between the altar and the tent of meeting. The laver of bronze was a wash basin used by priests in the tabernacle in the wilderness, as a place where they cleansed their hands and feet before they enter the Holy Place. 

The fact that the bronze basin was placed in the courtyard is significant. The courtyard depicts our lives in Babylon as Levites who do the service of the tabernacle. It is in Babylon that we begin our service to the Lord and if we are granted to become part of the royal priesthood, then we have to leave Babylon or the courtyard of the tabernacle to enter the Holy place of the Tabernacle. 

Num 3:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 3:6  Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 
Num 3:7  And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 
Num 3:8  And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 
Num 3:9  And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. 

This bronze basin is the same as the six waterpots of stone at the wedding in Cana which were filled with water for the purifying of the Jews. 

Joh 2:6  And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

These six waterpots of stone represent our stony hearts and mind while we are in Babylon, and therefore the words of the Lord (the water from the waterpots for our purification) are of no effect in our lives in terms of righteousness. In a similar manner, the water from the bronze basin, which serves as our water baptism, has no effect in our lives as our stony hearts and minds are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom at our time in Babylon. The story of Jesus’ encounter with the Jews who believed in Him is to show us our state of spiritual poverty while in Babylon.

Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Joh 8:39  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 
Joh 8:40  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 
Joh 8:41  Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Joh 8:42  Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 
Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

It is only when we go through fiery trials as a result of the bread (the word of the Lord) we eat as priests in the Holy place that we learn righteousness. It is therefore in the Holy place that our stony hearts and minds are changed to hearts of flesh which makes it possible for us to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God. 

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

In today’s study, we shall look at instructions about the building of the bronze basin and how they apply to our lives. We shall also look at how anointing oil and incense were made. As we are aware, the anointing oil stands for the Holy Spirit, and incense is the prayers of the Lord’s people. We shall therefore learn how, through the Holy Spirit, we are able to pray for the will of the Lord which is a sweet-smelling fragrance to the Lord.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 
Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

Psa 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Exo 30:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 30:18  Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. 
Exo 30:19  For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 
Exo 30:20  When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: 
Exo 30:21  So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

What is significant is that the laver is to be made of brass. The Hebrew word for brass is copper, which is a base metal. We know from the scriptures that the key to understanding spiritual reality is through the things that are made. This is true of base metals which are taken from the earth and are refined through fire to remove all earthen matter. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

The use of brass or copper for the basin is to remind us of our carnal state in Christ. We must therefore go through the furnace of our fiery trials before we learn righteousness. The fact that the bronze basin is located in the courtyard reminds us of our carnal state in Babylon where we cannot hear the words of the Lord.

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The water used for the washing of hands and feet of the priests symbolizes our water baptism in Babylon. Our hands represent our works, and our feet symbolize our walk before God. The water here is a symbol of the milk part of the word of God which we receive in Babylon which guides our works and our walk before the Lord. However, because of the great swelling words of man’s wisdom (false doctrines) we receive in Babylon, the milk of the word becomes polluted and therefore we become worse off.

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

Being driven by false doctrines, we are denied access to the altar in the Holy place where the priests (represented by Aaron and his sons) eat.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

The word of the Lord we receive when we are granted access to leave Babylon and to enter the Holy place is accompanied by trials and tribulations which cause us to learn righteousness. 

Lev 6:14  And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.
Lev 6:15  And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD. 
Lev 6:16  And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 

Lev 6:26  The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Exo 30:22  Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 30:23  Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
Exo 30:24  And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 
Exo 30:25  And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

These verses show us the ingredients that go into the making of anointing oil. These are myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia and olive oil. The fact that they are five items is to let us know that it is grace through faith that we become anointed by the Lord.

A close examination of the species used show us that they are basically used by women as part of their purification to attract their husbands as they emanate sweet odor. A typical example is the case of Esther when she went through a purification process for one year in order to come before king Ahasuerus.  As we are aware, women represent the church and the one year for the purification represents our being united with Christ (significance of the number one). This means that it is the church of the first born who are required to go through a period of purification to be united with Christ. This is affirmed in the Songs of Solomon when the bride goes to a mountain of myrrh until the day breaks. The day breaking is the rising of Christ within us or Christ being united with us.

Est 2:12  Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)

Son 4:6  Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

Son 5:1  I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

Son 5:5  I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

Pro 7:17  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Son 4:14  Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

The anointing oil is made through a process which speaks of our fiery trials and persecutions which causes us to bear a sweet odor of oil as we ready ourselves for our union with Christ. In other words, we become anointed of the Lord through a process which is alluded to in the following scriptures as beaten oil:

Exo 29:40  And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.

Num 28:5  And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil.

As stated in verse 25, this anointing oil is the work of a perfumer who is our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through Him that we are judged as the process to become anointed by the Lord.

Joh 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Joh 5:23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Exo 30:26  And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, 
Exo 30:27  And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 
Exo 30:28  And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. 
Exo 30:29  And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. 
Exo 30:30  And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 
Exo 30:31  And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

This precious anointing oil was used to anoint kings and priests, and to consecrate items in the tabernacle which were meant to be most holy. The items to be consecrated include the tabernacle of congregation, the ark of the testimony, tables and vessels, candlesticks, altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering. All these items have to do with our hearts and minds which must be anointed to become Holy to the Lord. As we are aware, the anointing oil represents the Holy Spirit which was promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to the disciples. In verse 29, we are given the function of the Holy Spirit, that is, to sanctify us to make us holy.  God’s purpose in our sanctification is to transform us more and more into the likeness of Christ.

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” instructs us that God sanctifies us by His Word. What this means is that the primary instrument of sanctification is the word of the Lord. It is the anointing oil which guides us to know the truth of the word of the Lord.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As we are given to know the truth about the word of the Lord through the work of the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the anointing oil, the word we have received causes us to go through fiery trials which gradually sanctify us as we learn righteousness. 

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit which comes to us is described as the anointing oil on Aaron’s head that flows down his beard through the skirts of his garments. As the Holy Spirit enters our lives, we are granted the grace to have the mind of Christ. That is what unites us all as one and causes the Lord to command His blessing into our lives.

Psa 133:1  A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 
Psa 133:2  It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 
Psa 133:3  As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Exo 30:32  Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. 
Exo 30:33  Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people. 

When we are dominated by our flesh, the Holy Spirit cannot abide in us to lead us to the truth of Christ’s word. The Holy Spirit is given only to the royal priesthood. These verses warn us against preparing the anointing oil based on the formula given for any other use apart from tabernacle service – no putting the anointing oil on strangers. The fact that we are being warned means that there are already many people who are not part of the elect but are carrying themselves as if they have the anointing oil on their head. These are false apostles or prophets masquerading as ministers of the Gospel.  That is why we are required to test the spirit to see if they are of God. 

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 
1Jn 4:3  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (ESV)

This is what Apostle Paul has to say of such false apostles and prophets.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Exo 30:34  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: 
Exo 30:35  And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:

In the preparation of incense, four items are used – stacte, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense. Stacte is a kind of fragrant gum from the storax tree and is a form of very pure myrrh, which flows spontaneously from the tree once a stalk from the tree has been pierced, broken and crushed. Onycha is a sweet-smelling part of a shellfish (Purpura) that has a strong odor when burned. Galbanum is a disagreeable smelling spice that comes from the umbelliferous plant. When any part of the plant is broken, a cream-colored juice flows. Frankincense tree is bruised three times in order to cause all the resin to be released. The first and second bruising yield a lower quality resin. The third, however, yields a resin of very high quality. These four ingredients had to be mixed with salt to preserve them from corruption. 

We can see that all the items that are used for the incense must be crushed, broken or heated in the preparation of incense. We are these items that are used for the preparation of incense. As we have stated earlier, incense represents the prayer of the saints. This means that our prayer as a sweet aroma before the Lord is through the fiery trials we encounter in this life. 

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; 
Rom 5:4  and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope: 
Rom 5:5  and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.

Through our trials, as we learn righteousness we become steadfast and approved, which makes us and our prayers like a sweet odor of incense before the Lord.

2Co 2:14  But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place. 
2Co 2:15  For we are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; 
2Co 2:16  to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

The fact that there are four ingredients means that the whole of the elect of every generation must go through the same fiery trials in order to become righteous which is a prerequisite for effective prayer or communication with the Lord.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Exo 30:36  And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 
Exo 30:37  And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
Exo 30:38  Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

If we are to become a sweet savor before the presence of the Lord, then the influence of the flesh has to be beaten out of our lives. In other words, we must go through trials and tribulations to refine us to make our prayers effective. The word of the Lord says that the prayer of a righteous man avails much. The righteous man here refers to the man who has gone through trials and tribulation to learn righteousness.

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Jas 5:17  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
Jas 5:18  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Again, we are warned that there may be counterfeits who come as the Lord’s anointed apostles and prophets. Their long prayers and signs and wonders that follow them may seem like a sweet savor incense before the Lord, but these are false apostles and prophets. We must always test the spirits to see if they are of the Lord. The fact that many come with signs and wonders must alert us to be wary since these signs and wonders are all rudimentary as our brother Paul warned us. In his letter to the Corinthians, he told them that it is only love (obedience to the Lord’s words) that will endure. In other words, a mature person is the one who obeys or trembles at the Lord’s words. Other gifts of the spirit such as word of knowledge, prophecies, signs and wonders, are all elementary and as we mature, they become less and less significant.

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

May the Lord help us to continue to test the spirit as the day approaches!! Amen!!

Exodus 30:1-16  The Making of the Incense Altar and the Atonement Offering

[Study Aired December 19, 2022]

Exo 30:1  And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 
Exo 30:2  A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 
Exo 30:3  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 
Exo 30:4  And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 
Exo 30:5  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exo 30:6  And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
Exo 30:7  And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 
Exo 30:8  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 
Exo 30:9  Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 
Exo 30:10  And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. 
Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 30:12  When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 
Exo 30:13  This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. 
Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. 
Exo 30:15  The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
Exo 30:16  And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

Today’s study focuses on the altar of incense and the atonement offering. In order to understand the spiritual significance of the altar of incense, we will trace our steps from the entrance of the tabernacle to the Holy of Holies. We start our journey into the Holy of Holies as we enter the tabernacle courtyard to offer sacrifice to the Lord for our sins. It is worth noting that it was only Israelites who could enter the courtyard of the tabernacle. These Israelites represent our lives in Babylon. We enter the courtyard to offer sacrifice to the Lord at the altar in the courtyard. This sacrifice is Christ whose blood cleanses us from our sins. However, we go back to become worse off as a result of the false doctrines we receive in Babylon or the physical churches of this world. 

Heb 9:13  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
Heb 9:14  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

However, if we are granted to become priests in this life, then we are given to know our spiritual poverty which grants us access to the laver in the courtyard which holds water for our ceremonial cleansing. As we are aware, water represents the word of God and so at this stage of our lives, we are given to begin to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. This is accompanied by our trials and tribulations because of the word we have received. These fiery trials cause us to learn righteousness.

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Learning righteousness through our trials and tribulations is what grants us the grace to be able to put on our priestly garments which reflect the righteousness of the saints. Putting on these priestly garments is the same as putting on Christ. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Once we have put on the priestly garments, we have access to the holy place of the Tent of Meeting to commune with the Lord which is symbolized by the offering of incense at the incense altar in the Holy Place. 

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

As we know, the temple is our bodies where the Lord dwells. As we are cleansed through the words of the Lord which bring about our fiery trials, our hearts and mind becomes a holy place for the Lord to dwell in. It is within our hearts and minds that we are building this altar of incense before the Lord. We, therefore, have this treasure in the earthen vessel of our flesh.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Today’s study will show us how we can build this altar of incense within us.

Exo 30:1  And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.

In Scripture, incense is often associated with prayer. David prayed, “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” In his vision of heaven, John saw that the elders around the throne “were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” In the Gospel according to Luke, as Zechariah the priest was offering incense in the temple, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. The altar of incense then, can be seen as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people. Our prayers ascend to God as the smoke of the incense ascending to God in the sanctuary.

Psa 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Rev 8:5 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 

Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 
Luk 1:10  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

So, the instructions about the making of an altar of incense are basically to show us how we can communicate with the Lord. The altar of incense is required to be made of shittim wood which comes from acacia. Apart from the fact that acacia wood grows wild in the desert, it is considered incorruptible. It is very dense and resistant both to disease and insects, just like cedar. What this means is that to be effective in communicating with the Lord, we must know that it is all the work of the Lord and that we do not contribute anything to this just as the Lord cares for acacia wood in the desert. Since we do not bring anything to the table, our prayers before the Lord must be accompanied with a heart that is humble and grateful for being counted worthy to come before His presence. That is what the story of the two gentlemen who went to pray teaches us.

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 
Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

Exo 30:2  A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 
Exo 30:3  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 

The shape of the altar of incense was to be a square. This implies that from whatever situation we find ourselves as a priest of the Lord, we must offer prayers to the Lord. That is another way of saying that men must always pray and not faint.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

There is a horn at each of the four corners of the square-shaped altar of incense. Horns symbolize strength. This is to let us know that our strength to resist the devil is through prayers. As He is, so are we. Jesus was strengthened when He prayed. In the same way, we are also strengthened to overcome temptation when we pray.

Luk 22:40  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

The fact that the altar of incense must be overlaid means that to become a house of prayer, we must be refined just like gold refined in the fire. As we are aware, if we are to become a house of prayer, then Jesus has to come into our temple to drive away all that offends with a scourge of small cords. The scourging signifies our fiery trials or the refining process of gold which cleanses us to become a house of prayer. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  

Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 

Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Exo 30:4  And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 
Exo 30:5  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

Rings of gold were attached to the altar so that it could be carried about with acacia wood poles that were slipped through the rings. The altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. In Ezekiel chapter 1, the living creatures who represent the elect, have wheels which are rings full of eyes. These living creatures represent the elect. The two rings of gold are therefore the elect who serve as witness of Christ. 

Eze 1:15  Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 
Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 
Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 
Eze 1:18  As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

The staves are long rods of wood which pass through the rings to make it easier to carry the altar. The function of the staves suggests that spiritually, they represent the spirit of the Lord which helps us bear Christ wherever we go. These staves are made from shittim wood and therefore are not of man’s origin but of the Lord. The staves being in the rings means the promise of the comforter being within us to lead us into all truth so we can have the mind of Christ and therefore “carry” Christ wherever we go.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Exo 30:6  And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

As we indicated, the altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony was placed. It is in the Holy of Holies that the Lord meets with us before the mercy seat. The veil represents the flesh of Christ and therefore represents our flesh as well. It is when our flesh is done away with that we can meet and commune with the Lord in our hearts and mind.

Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

It is through being wounded by our fiery trials that this veil of the flesh is gradually taken away from us. In the Song of Solomon, it is the watchmen that took away the veil from us. These watchmen, or the keepers of the walls, are the Lord’s elect, and it is the words of the Lord that come out from us that wounds us. What this means is that through what every joint supplies, our veils are removed. 

Son 5:7  The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

Exo 30:7  And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 
Exo 30:8  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 

Aaron was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight, every day, as a regular offering to the Lord. The fire used to burn the incense was always taken from the altar of burnt offering outside the sanctuary.

Lev 16:12  And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:

As we have indicated, sweet incense represents our prayers. The lamps symbolize the word of the Lord.

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Burning incense in the morning and evening means that we should always pray and not faint and that our prayers and the word of the Lord must go together.  It also means that the basis of our prayers must be in line with the word of the Lord.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Exo 30:9  Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

If our prayers are not guided by the word of the Lord, then we are offering strange incense before the Lord. When we are given to false doctrines, our offering of incense, burnt offering, meat offering or drink offering become an abomination to the Lord. These instructions were not heeded by Aaron’s sons as they performed their priestly duty before the Lord. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord and as a result, died before Him.

Lev 10:1  And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 
Lev 10:2  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

This was written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. We must therefore not be carried away by divers and strange doctrines.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Exo 30:10  And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. 

Aaron here represents the Lord Jesus Christ who atoned for our sins with His own blood.

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

As we are aware, our bodies are the temple of the living God which is being purged by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 30:12  When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
Exo 30:13  This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
Exo 30:15  The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
Exo 30:16  And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

A simpler rendition of these verses is as follows:

Exo 30:11  And the Lord said to Moses, 
Exo 30:12  When you are taking the number of the children of Israel, let every man who is numbered give to the Lord a price for his life, so that no disease may come on them when they are numbered. 
Exo 30:13  And this is what they are to give; let every man who is numbered give half a shekel, by the scale of the holy place: the shekel being valued at twenty gerahs: this money is an offering to the Lord. 
Exo 30:14  Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, is to give an offering to the Lord. 
Exo 30:15  The man of wealth is to give no more and the poor man no less than the half-shekel of silver, when the offering is made to the Lord as the price for your lives.
Exo 30:16  And you are to take this money from the children of Israel to be used for the work of the Tent of meeting, to keep the memory of the children of Israel before the Lord and to be the price of your lives. (BBE)

The question is, “Who were those being counted?” They were male Israelites who were twenty years old and above as stated in verse 14. Being twenty years is a symbol of being ready to go to war in our heavens. This means that those who are being counted represent the elect who are ready to war or are warring against the flesh. We must remember that women in Israel were not counted. The reason is simple: In the sight of the Lord, there is only one woman (one church) who is the bride of Christ. That is why women are not counted. In Babylon, however, there are several women who are not part of the commonwealth of Israel. All these, show us the privilege we have received of being part of the bride of Christ.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:22  Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Another question to ask is, “Why would Moses count the Israelites?” It is because the Lord wants to demonstrate to us His ability to keep us safe in this life irrespective of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. This is alluded to in verse 12 when the Lord asked Moses to let those counted give back to the Lord for keeping them safe.

Exo 30:12  Find out how many grown men there are in Israel and require each of them to pay me to keep him safe from danger while you are counting them. (CEV)

In numbers, after the men of war were counted, none was found missing!! Indeed, the Lord is able to keep us from falling and to preserve us faultless until that day!!

Num 31:49 and said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us.”

In view of the Lord’s preservation, which is because of His mercies, what shall we render unto Him? That is the import of Verse 13. We are to give back to the Lord for His mercies toward us. In verse 13 and 15, everybody, irrespective of whether one is rich or poor, offers the same amount of money – half shekels to the Lord.  The giving of the shekels here represents the giving of our lives to the Lord. Remember that both Jesus and Joseph were exchanged for money. What this means is that we are to offer ourselves wholly to the Lord as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord in view of His mercies towards us.

Psa 116:12  What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Psa 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 
Psa 116:14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 
Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 
Psa 116:16  O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. 
Psa 116:17  I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Gen 37:28  Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Mat 26:15  And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him [Jesus] unto you? And they covenanted with him [Judas] for thirty pieces of silver.

It is insightful to note that Psalm 116:15 shows us that the death of the Lord’s saints is precious in His eyes. The death here refers to being dead to the flesh. It is when we are dying to the flesh that we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord. That is the sacrifice of thanksgiving mentioned here in Psalm 116:17 which is pleasing to the Lord.

In the sight of the Lord, every elect offers the same thing – our bodies as a living sacrifice. That is why in the body of Christ, there is no hierarchy. That is why the Lord hates the Nicolaitan doctrine of Babylon. Of course, we do have leaders, but they are there to serve, instead of being served.  Because we all offer the same thing, that is why the reward we are to receive is also the same for every elect!! We need to also note that the atonement offering collected was used for services of the tabernacle. As we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we are able to be part of what every joint supplies in the church.

May the Lord grant us the grace to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him in view of His mercies towards us!! Amen!!