The Altar For Burning Incense
Prayer In The Name of Jesus
Rebuilding the ALTAR
Recognizing the NEW ALTAR of The New Covenant
Recognizing the Time For Incense Prayer
The Tabernacle of David
January 17, 2017
In past church history and also in our recent past, the emphasis of prayer has been upon our needs, our desires and what we wanted God to do for us and our assembly, our area or our leaders and government. Our prayer time was spent by explaining to God how we felt and how inadequate we were to carry on the work. We may have explained to God our commitment and consecration and how much we wanted to do the will of God and what was hindering us. I am certainly not saying this kind of prayer is wrong but that this has nothing to do with incense prayer or the prayer of cooperation with God to meet God’s needs. Our prayer time may have consisted of praise and worship and exalting God and speaking of the wonderful things that He has done. Incense prayer is still different than all other forms of prayer and will be essential to this next restoration of God within the church.
Exodus 30:1 "Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. [2] "Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it. [3] "And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. [4] "And you shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls__on opposite sides__and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. [5] "And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. [6] "And you shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. [7] "And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. [8] "And when Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. [9] "You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a libation on it. [10] "And Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.
Exo 30:34 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. [35] "And with it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. [36] "And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I shall meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. [37] "And the incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD. [38] "Whoever shall make any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people."
It probably will be quite clear that when we recognize the difference between our present level of prayer and the Real Incense Prayer, we will recognize how pitiful our present level of prayer really is.
Well, brother, just tell us how to enter into this realm of prayer so we can participate. This is a big problem. Why? I only have assembled information, facts and a doctrine concerning Incense Prayer. Then what is the problem? I know the doctrine but I cannot pray in the Incense Realm. But why be concerned now?
It is this Incense Prayer that is stored in heaven and becomes effective on earth! The present kind of prayer has become a mystery because the serious waste in the realm of spiritual authority and local effectiveness. I am ashamed to say that I am still praying at the very beginning level of prayer and not much different for what I prayed in the 1970's.
By this time, after 46 years, I know it is time to move to the next level of Prayer which I am guessing is Incense Prayer! Why?
Rev_5:8 And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Rev_8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev_8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.
It is very important to recognize the location of the Golden Altar for the burning of Incense. There NO CURTAIN (Third Veil) and the Gold Altar ( the real one which is in heaven) IS directly before the throne.
The Incense Prayers of the saints are stored on the Gold Altar and, now, the Angel fills the Gold Censor from the Incense that is stored on that SPECIFIC ALTAR! THESE ARE THE PRAYERS THAT GOES UP BEFORE GOD, NOT FROM THE GOLD ATAR BUT FROM THE GOLD CENSOR!
Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Many of the details concerning the Burning of Incense upon the Gold Altar and the Burning of Incense in the Gold Censor must be obtained from the “type in the Tabernacle of Moses!” Ignorance of the Tabernacle produces an unstable ignorance concerning Incense Prayer and many other New Covenant Realities!
When we get our first understanding of real “incense prayer,” we are aware that most of our concerns when we pray are for ourselves and what we want. Incense prayer is wholly for the Lord and is what meets His needs and has nothing to do with what man wants or needs. In the recent past, a popular song said “Jesus on the main line, tell Him what you want”. This scripture makes it quite clear that trying to offer up incense prayer for ourselves is not acceptable to God.
But, brother, why are you so insistent upon all these types and shadows from the Old Covenant? It is from the Types and Shadows that we understand the Mysteries not openly revealed in the New Covenant. This understanding is absolutely essential in understanding the message of the end time. Why?
God was very precise in His instructions to Moses concerning every aspect of the Tabernacle and the sacrifices and the garments, and the furniture and where it was placed in the Tabernacle. There are hundreds of details that God was very careful to give Moses concerning every aspect of the preparation, the service and the function of the priests. We should not ignore these specific details concerning the Levites either. Why? They were, also, essential for the operation of the Tabernacle but not as Priests!
Since God is building up a Kingdom of Priests, these types and shadows suddenly become essential to understand our preparation and function as New Covenant Priests after the Order of Melchizedek. It is no only essential to recognize what God emphasizes and what He ignores in the Tabernacle and in the Old Covenant. Why? That helps us understand the New Covenant application.
For example; He doesn’t put specific details upon the water for the laver or what kind of wood was to be used for burning the sacrifices upon the Bronze Altar but He is very careful to detail the four substances that was used to make incense and that they were to be mixed in equal parts. We see that it takes a skilled person to make the incense and to assemble the mixture so that it becomes an acceptable perfume for God alone. If anybody tried to make this specific perfume for himself he would be rejected (judged) by God.
What a great honor it would be to be declared by God to be a skilled “perfumer” when we enter into incense kind of prayer. While “prayer” is not uncommon, incense prayer is very rare. This “Incense Kind of Prayer” is what I believe is on God’s heart: That means to restore “incense prayer” to our corporate church function! Then why don’t we all just begin to burn Incense in this way?
God must begin His Purpose by the intense preparation of the priests who are consecrated to burn incense. How do you know that? Just by the preparation of the Old Testament Priests.
One of the great disservices the “current ministries” have provided is in the emphasis upon gathering “believers” but never preparing a “Priesthood” that is consecrated to burn Incense!
2Chr 26:16 But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. [17] Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. [18] And they opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful, and will have no honor from the LORD God." [19] But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense. [20] And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him.
For several years we have emphasized that this next restoration will be preceded by a full consecration of the people of God. God requires the personal consecration offering from those who will burn fragrant incense to the Lord and FOR Him alone. Of course The Lampstand church must be functioning in order to manifest the Seven Spirits of God to illuminate the Showbread to get the revelations to burn incense.
The problem is this; It is not JUST consecration that is required but the accurate ministry of the revelations of specific will of God for this specific time period! This comes from “Eating the Showbread on the Table of Showbread.
For example ; Aaron’s sons were fully consecrated but were not careful about the other requirements concerning the fire for burning incense.
Lev 10:1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. [2] And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. [3] Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the LORD spoke, saying, `By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'"
Physical death in the Old Testament speaks to us of spiritual death in the New Testament. The real fire to burn the incense must come by the specific action of the Holy Spirit! What we witnessed during the Charismatic Renewal, in some places, was a stirring up of the flesh to give a false impression of the real fire. Even and false impression (a pretense) of the anointing The scriptures don’t say where the sons got the fire but just that the error was with the fire. God calls it strange fire. The other explanation given is that they were not commanded to offer this incense.
The Son’s of Aaron had certain duties to perform in the Tabernacle but Burning Incense in the Holy Place was not assigned to them.
The Bible say they took their respective firepans (brass) and placed Incense on them and placed fire on them. This was not the Gold Censer that was only used on the Day of Atonement for the High Priest to enter the Most Holy Place.
The only other fire in the Tabernacle was on the Brass Altar for sacrifice or the fire that was being used to boil the flesh of the peace offerings so we may assume that they used that fire instead of the fire assigned for the Gold altar. In Leviticus 16 there may be a better understanding.
Leviticus 16:12] "And he shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. [13] "And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, lest he die. [14] "Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
The fire in the gold firepan or censer was used only on the Day of Atonement, that is once a year. This was not the season to burn incense in the gold censer. Besides it was only for the high priest to enter behind the veil and burn incense in this way. The fire was placed in the gold firepan from off the Altar of Incense and the incense was carried in the hand of the high priest until he was just before the ark so that the cloud would cover the mercy seat. It appears that they were burning the incense for themselves and in the wrong way and in the wrong place and on the wrong day. That makes “strange fire”. This incense must be accompanied with the sprinkled blood upon the mercy seat and sprinkled seven times in front of the mercy seat. They were burning the incense without the blood also.
We are suggesting that we could even begin to do this ministry today because when the High Priest died this duty was transferred to the Sons of the High Priest. That means IF we could qualify as “sons” rather than as babies. What we are speaking about in this study is the incense that is burned upon the gold altar that stands through the torn veil before the Ark of the Covenant. We are not speaking about the Gold Censor
Now we could relate many other instances from the scriptures that speak of both the proper and the improper use of incense.
During the apostasies of Israel the story of two women was related to Ezekiel by God. These two represented Samaria and Jerusalem who turned from God. In their backsliding they used both the holy oil and the incense for their own pleasure.
Eze 23:40] "Furthermore, they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came__for whom you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourselves with ornaments; [41] and you sat on a splendid couch with a table arranged before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil. [42] "And the sound of a carefree multitude was with her;
Our purpose in this study is to continue to speak of effective prayer. The reference to improper use of incense is to alert us to the truth that burning incense [prayer] is a very important ministry with emphasis upon obedience and within God’s purpose. In other words; God places great importance upon proper prayer offered up as a sweet perfume in His nostrils.
Incense Prayer is not a blessing centered activity that we enter into in a carefree way! This is NOT entertainment but is our personal training for a predestined ministry (function) in eternity. It is at the Altar of Incense that we stand with God and in the circle of His sovereignty to activate His revealed will upon the earth.
Maybe we should review the facts concerning our “standing in the circle of His Absolute Sovereignty” at the Altar of Incense.
God gave man sovereignty, dominion and authority, ( the composite of Genesis 1 and 2 and Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2) to govern the earth under His design, purpose and sovereignty. Obedience entered into this equation of responsibility.
The purpose for this amazing proposal is actually revealed. It was to deal with God’s enemies.
Psalm 8:1 ---- O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth, Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength, Because of Thine adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. 3 When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? 5 Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty! 6 Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth!
We should all know that God created us to rule over the worlds yet to come and
that is why God redeemed us. What many do NOT seem to know is that we were also redeemed to deal with God’s Enemies, (adversaries) To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
It is because ofour calling to deal with “Thine adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease” that we are called into the Circle of His Absolute Sovereignty, at the Altar of Incense, to Cooperate with God to get His purpose for man to be complete.
While this is not part of the study of Incense it in essential for us to be aware of WHY man is called to burn incense and deal with God’s enemies. There was a world before this one that was under the dominion of angels under the leadership of Satan. He corrupted his position before God and he corrupted the earth so that God had to destroy the earth by submerging it in water. How long the earth remained under water is not known. However, in recent years a long tube was forced down into pristine lakes to measure the silt brought up in the sequence of years by the deposit of sequential layers of run off material. They could measure back 13,000 years. During that discovery they learned much about growth, droughts, rains and temperature variations measured by the accumulation tree pollen in the layers. Of course we know this present earth is much older than 13,000 years. The history of the restoration of the earth from out of the waters in Genesis 1 is about 6000 years.
When the angels rebelled against God he destroyed the earth but because there was no law, God could not judge the angels. When the earth was restored in Genesis one, these adversaries and these resentful beings, these enemies of God began to immediately inhabit the dry earth. These are the enemies we are to deal with and cause them to cease their activity on the earth, in our area of responsibility.
God, then, selected some Earth Dirt and from that He formed a man to walk in
obedience to God and by his obedience, God could judge the disobedience of the angels.
Of course, we know, the natural dirt man failed for 4000 years to walk in obedience so the angels could not be judged. Therefore, through Christ Jesus, and His Obedience, He was able o judge Satan. Now, Paul says that we must judge the angels, when our obedience is fulfilled.
God has determined that when this earth is destroyed and He creates another NEW EARTH He will not permit the angels dominion over it but has predestined man to rule over it. However, we can not stop there. Why? That is because we are in OUR ON THE JOB TRAINING NOW to prepare us to assume our position within that Kingdom Government that will rule over the Next World.
Where we stand and cooperate with God, today, within the circle of His
Sovereignty, and learn to rule is at the Incense Altar.
Prayer contains such amazing promises that are so broad that we hesitate to really believe what we are reading. God puts no parameters or limitations upon the answers to genuine New Covenant Prayer but He does give a few requirements to participate. In addition there are possibly three different levels of prayer that we have loosely identified as Outer Court Prayer, Holy Place and Most Holy Place prayer. These different levels of prayer seem to have various degrees of requirements. What we are addressing in this paper is not what we call prayer but “the ministry of prayer” that we are relating to burning incense.
John 14:13] "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14:26] "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 15:16] "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
John 16:23] "And in that day you will ask Me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name. [24] "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
John 16:26] "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; [27] for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
This was the last teaching that Jesus gave before His crucifixion and death but He
was speaking of a day just ahead that had not yet came. He said “In that day” which had to do with His resurrection and ascension and being seated on the throne of heaven. The first thing that the Father provided for the believers IN THE NEW COVENANT and in the Kingdom realm was to ask “In His Name” was the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 After that “whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give it to you” .
It is for these reasons that every time we pray we say “IN THE NAME OF JESUS” or some say “IN HIS NAME” or others say “ IN YOUR NAME”. To say “in the name of Jesus” has become a cliche that has assumed that “His name” guarantees an answer to whatever we ask. This seems to agree with scripture but in actual practice this seldom carries with it the power and authority we expect. We wonder why! Since Jesus said “whatever you ask” we assume that means exactly what it says so we ask for an abundance of “things” so our joy will be made full. If we lack “anything” then our joy will be less than what He wants and the Father will not be glorified. It seems that the Father is only glorified when we have everything we want and live in abundance. This is the foundation of the “gospel of prosperity”.
James puts some parameters upon this concept of fulfilling our lusts for things. James 4:2 You do not have because you do not ask.[3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. [4] You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Now the Holy Spirit puts a fence around what man interprets as “anything”. He says that because of our wrong motives and lust for things and to expect the answers to our prayers to fulfill “our pleasure,” we cannot expect an answer to prayer. However, FIRST he says that they don’t have because they don’t ask. Asking God in prayer is the proper way to receive answers. Asking God is God’s revealed plan to provide for His children. If we don’t humble ourselves and ask we will have to go without. However, our motives and inner desires must correspond with God’s desire for His children and what pleases Him.
With that parameter in mind we are ready to examine this confusing term “IN HIS NAME” that is supposed to release “ANYTHING” we ask.
Math 1:21] "And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins." [22] Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, [23] "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." [24] And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife, [25] and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Before Jesus was born an angel appeared to Joseph and commanded him to name this baby Jesus because He would save His people. The Greek word is “Iesous” which is a transliteration of the Hebrew name “Joshua”. Joshua in the Hebrew means “Jehovah is salvation” or “is Savior” (with us). The earthly name of our Savior in English is JESUS. This name represented “God with us” for 33 years
But just before His crucifixion He announced that He was to receive a new name that would give His disciples access to the Father and would open the windows of heaven to give them whatever they asked. “In that day” had not yet come but it would soon arrive and then so many things would change in their relationship with the Father. This “new Name” was still JESUS. It was the same as His earthly name but it would open whole new frontiers and possibilities for His disciples and be “a new name” that released power and authority in a dimension they had not known before.
This may seem confusing because the Name stayed the same and was such a small outward change, if any at all. However, this is not just a matter of semantics. The angel announced His first name and He announced His current name and God the Father confirmed “the Name of Jesus” through the disciples ministry. For that reason and in order to emphasize which name we mean I will capitalize “Name” to refer to the Name Jesus received after His ascension and exaltation to the throne of heaven. Because so much has changed I have called this “a new Name” even though the name is the same.
First Jesus was a sacrificial lamb who would take away the sin of the world and through that sacrifice He would become the Savior of those who have faith. This is the meaning of the name the Angel commanded to be given.
Phil 2:6] Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond_servant, and being made in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, [11] and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father..
His Name, JESUS, changed after His death and exaltation! This first NAME, the one the Angel told us about, is the same name “Jesus”, but of lessor stature!
After His ascension and glorification He is made Lord of greatest stature and highest authority. After His ascension the Father gives Him this tremendous Name which is now above every name in heaven, on earth or under the earth. Now at the introduction of this New Name God, demands that every knee must bow and every mouth must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Lord means “that much higher than the highest”.
This new Name of Jesus carries with it both authority and power and God demands that every living being must respect that Name and bow before it. Also every living being must confess His absolute Lordship over them. This is the revelation that each of us need to make a full consecration offering. Why?
Nothing shall exceed or excel that Name, JESUS! While it is difficult to understand how this same Name has been given such an increase in Power and Authority, we assume that this is because so many other things happened at Calvary that has contributed to the Power and Authority of that Name. For example;
(1) The New Covenant was established.
(2) The Holy Spirit was released to dwell in us.
(3) The Kingdom Came as an Inner Life Reality.
(4) A more effective and Eternal Priesthood was introduced.
(5) A new High Priest took His position over a Priesthood Body of fully Consecrated Believers.
(6) A Corporate Assembly of new priests began a completely new process of preparation for an Eternal Position in the Government of the World yet to Come.
(7) A “life function test” is prepared to determine which of the three heavens we will inhabit in the Tabernacle of God!
Christ Jesus began to Build His Church which will overpower the gates of hell, including the adversaries, the enemies and the revengeful, and to cause them to cease their evil work on this earth. This tremendous work requires that More Powerful Name to give it maximum authority. It is for that reason that every believer must increase their Life to Live in that Name!
This should not be unexpected because even before Calvary the name of Jesus carried with it great authority and power.
LUKE 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." [18] And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. [19] "Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.
The proof that the name of Jesus carried with it power and authority was that they healed the sick and cast out demons in that first name. When they went out in the name of Jesus it was the same as He, Himself going out and they carried with them the authority of His first name. Even the first name, JESUS, had tremendous power and authority in the earth realm as the Last Adam. This may compare with the authority given to the first Adam to rule over the earth for God.
Luke 10:16] "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me."
The disciples were acting as His ambassadors and represented him (as the Last Adam) in preaching, healing and casting out demons. Indirectly they were representing the Father also! They were His representatives and were being trained to continue His ministry after He was taken up. This was their apprenticeship training for the church age when NOW, under the New Covenant, they would continue to minister, but NOW in His higher Name. I hope each of us can see the importance of this apprenticeship training in our own experience and how it will affect our future.
Acts 3:4] And Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze upon him and said, "Look at us!" [5] And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. [6] But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene ---walk!" [7] And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. [8] And with a leap, he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
Acts 4:5 And it came about on the next day, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; [6] and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. [7] And when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" [8] Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people, [9] if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, [10] let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead__by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
Both power and authority were manifest through the NEW Name Of Jesus and healing took place through the declaration of that Name and by faith in that Name which is higher, greater and far beyond any other Name . They not only had Jesus’ authority to use His (new) Name but they had power to also heal in His (new) Name.
The point is this; Peter and John, following Jesus’ exaltation, used effectively His revealed New Name. We don’t have to search for some hidden name or guess or use different names until we see which one works. We know for certain what “the Name” is and it is the Name of Jesus. (It is not Thy Name or Your Name or His Name)
In the scriptures, from the book of John, that we listed, it is revealed that the disciples should use His Name, Jesus, expect results, and receive THE answer they asked for. In Peter’s discourse following the healing of the lame man it is clear that he fully expected the man to rise up and walk and be made whole, in that New Name.
Acts 3:12] But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? [13] "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered up, and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. [14] "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, [15] but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. [16] "And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
The disciples didn’t just have a doctrine about the name of Jesus but they had the revelation that at the Name of Jesus the lame will walk, the sick will be healed and the demons will be cast out. He had such a clear revelation of this NEW NAME that he was wondering why the people marveled at the power in that Name, JESUS!
Many of us would have attributed the healings and miracles to “the Gifts of the Spirit” rather than to “His New Name.” Of course we have scriptural evidence to affirm that idea concerning the Gifts. However, By what NAME did the GIFTS work? Most of us, by now, have forcefully called out the name “Jesus” and no “gift” worked. I am assuming that we have come to the time of “restoration” when we MUST use this Higher Name, JESUS, to advance into this greater Priesthood Ministry!
If we review what we saw in John 16 we will see that a day was coming when Jesus was gong to receive a new Name (of Jesus) and then He was going to commit this Name (of Jesus) to His disciples to use by His authority. When they invoked that NEW Name it was the same as Jesus standing there in His authority, which was exactly the same as the Father being there. They had access to the Father in His NEW Name.
John 15:16] "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, THAT whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
Receiving answers directly from the Father produces fruit that remains. Receiving answers to prayers is directly related to “fruit”.
Before Calvary, Jesus’ name had horizontal power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons and overcome all the power of the enemy. After His exaltation to the throne His Name has much more significance, power and authority. His name is not just a Christian cliche or a Matra, that we say, but His New Name, JESUS, carries with it the power, the authority, the Lordship and the Government of the Kingdom of God.
Luke 10:3] "Go your ways; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. [4] "Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. [5] "And whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house.' [6] "And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. [7] "And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. [8] "And whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you; [9] and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
He sent His disciples out to preach the Kingdom, and heal the sick and demonstrate the Kingdom. Remember, this was before Calvary, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the New Covenant. This power worked under the Old Covenant, how must greater it must work under the New Covenant?
They were to carry no purse, no bag, no shoes, no food , no drink and no shelter. They were to stay in the house that was available and eat what was set before them. They carried nothing with them except the first Name of Jesus and that was all they needed for success. When they returned they gave all the credit to the Name of Jesus.
In the past we may have had a doctrine concerning the name of Jesus but now we should see that doctrine is not enough and now we require a revelation of His New Name. In the same way that we have authority horizontally in His Name we also have access vertically to the Father and may ask Him for anything. What I’m suggesting is that each of us ask the Father for a clear revelation of the NEW NAME OF JESUS. According to the scriptures the Father will give what we ask for, in His Name. It appears that Paul had this exact revelation from the Father that he recorded in Phil. 2:5-11. While he may have received this revelation when he was taken up to the 3rd heaven we also should expect the same “God imparted revelation” that Paul received.
Phlip 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
In these nine verses we find much of the Gospel that I preach. Each person who intends to function in the next restoration needs to study these verses to understand if they operate in this combined realm. For example; A proud, ego centered, self-absorbed, independent minister, shouting the Name of Jesus, will be disappointed in the results.
Incense prayer and the NEW Name of Jesus must go hand in hand. Our access to the Father and the knowledge of what is on God’s heart that He wants to accomplish is revealed in His New Name. This is functioning in and eating from the Showbread. Coming to the Father, at the Incense Altar, in His New Name, with our request for God’s will to be done on earth is Burning Incense.
I couldn’t even guess at how many times I have used the name of Jesus in the last 46 years without even understanding what I was doing or saying and certainly not knowing the power that should have been released. I must repent of this ignorance but now I have to seek the proper revelation of HIS NEW NAME because our success, as ministers of God, in the immediate future depends upon it.
My suggestion is that each of us ask, seek and knock for an accurate revelation of the NEW Name of Jesus! Why? That is because it is His New Name that holds the key to real priesthood ministry in the Holy Place Realm!! Why? That is because we need the New Name, Jesus, to burn Incense and Incense Prayer is the catalyst for the Holy Place Priesthood Ministry!
We should, at very least, recognize that HIS NEW NAME is directly linked to JESUS, Our Great High Priest and the Kingdom Government that is firmly attached to His New Name. It may still be confusing that the name of Jesus, who saves His people, IS the same name as the One who is building His Kingdom and establishing a Corporate Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek and preparing a Consecrated People to rule over the world yet to come! Even though the name is the same, the Magnitude of he Name and the Power and the Authority released by His New Name is quite different. Our End Time Ministry can only be successful and within His Will when it is done in His New Name! I am guessing that the magnitude of the “GIFTS”, released by that Name, will be shocking and a great surprise. Why? Remember what was IN THE ARK.
Heb 9:2 For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. 3 And behind the second veil, there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant. 5 And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
The time may have come when God will reveal these things so we CAN speak in detail. Just a clear understanding of Aaron’s rod that budded, which was connected to the Priesthood Ministry, should give us a primary understanding what this next level of function will include! Still, the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek, functioning within that NEW NAME, will far surpass the TYPE of Aaron’s rod that budded! Remember, the Incense Altar is now within the same realm as the Ark of the Covenant!
Remember, the tables of the covenant (the Law) are just a TYPE of the Tables of the New Covenant (Law of the Kingdom.) Don’t forget the Two Pure Gold Cherubim that are ONE PIECE with the Mercy Seat also function in the Realm of the Incense Altar. It is through the INCENSE that we are solidly linked to the Spirit of Christ (the Living and Abiding Word of God) and the Holy Spirit, the Priesthood of Melchizedek! This is INCENSE without limitation. WHATEVER you ask!!!
We must NOT forget the INCENSE ALTAR itself is part of the revelation of Incense. For that understanding we must turn to the Tabernacle of David which IS in the process of being rebuilt.
Act 15:15 "And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, 17 IN ORDER THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,' 18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM OF OLD.
While the complete study of the Tabernacle of David is too long for this study of
Incense, the fact that God is rebuilding it, in our day, is quite significant for our understanding of Burning Incense. Why? That is because the physical Altar of Incense was still in the Tabernacle of Moses, seven miles away in the high place at Gibeon!
It is quite significant that only the Ark was brought to the Tabernacle of David and there was no Altar for Burning Incense!
The understanding of New Covenant Burning of Incense is unique to the Tabernacle of David. Why? That is because No Altar of Incense was present upon which Incense could be burned. Nevertheless, INCENSE was being burnt. While this appears to be confused, the scriptures reveal the reality.
Psalm 141:2 May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
While my explanation is simple and short, it is quite significant for the New Covenant who is attempting to Burn Incense WITHOUT A PROPER INCENSE ALTAR!
David had NO INCENSE ALTAR upon which he could burn incense. Nevertheless, He Burnt Incense! How? David BECAME the “ALTAR” upon which the Incense was Burnt. Remember, ONLY the Priests were consecrated to burn Incense!
1Chron_15:27 Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen.
What is significant here is that David had on the Priest’s Garments and an ephod of linen but was not judged or killed.
1Chron 16:1 And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 And he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake. 4 And he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:
David broke every law concerning most everything associated with the Tabernacle of Moses without the CONSEQUENCES and acted as a Priest of God, offering sacrifices! This, even though he was King and from the wrong tribe and not consecrated to Burn Incense. We need to remember that David never burnt Incense in the Tabernacle on the Incense Altar! David was functioning as a King/Priest in a completely different realm from what God had ordained the priesthood function in the Old Covenant.
The Next example we have is Christ Jesus who also ministered in this same realm as King/Priest even though He was from the wrong tribe. What is the understanding open to us in this example? This example of David was prophetic! The Priesthood will go through a radical change in the New Covenant and the Old Covenant priesthood will be done away with. An entirely New Priesthood will replace the Priesthood after the Order of Aaron. The New Covenant Priesthood has already been established from God’s Viewpoint and Christ Jesus is the High Priest! However, from the church’s viewpoint it is waiting for the preparation of the individual Priests so they can function in the New Covenant , Holy Place dimension. Still, we must not ignore or reject the Priesthood ministry. Why? That is because there must be a functioning New Covenant Priesthood! Why? That is because there will be a Kingdom of Priests.
(This is NOT a Kingdom of Believers)
Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Rev 5:10 "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
1Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
The general opinion we hear about the “Christian”/ Kingly/Priesthood is that all believers are priests because of 1 Peter 2:9. This verse was taken from Exodus 19 when God called ALL of Israel up Mount Sinai to hear His voice, keep His Covenant and obey. It is in Exodus 19 that we discover the qualifications for the Kingdom Priesthood! Instead of Mount Sinai our New Covenant Mountain is Mount Zion! Why? Mount Zion = The Throne of God!
Exodus 19:5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."
Deut 5:23 "And it came about, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24 "And you said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. 25 'Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we shall die.
Deut 5:4 "The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 while I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.
Before God could make Israel a Kingdom of Priests they were required to (1) go up the Mountain (Sinai), (2) hear His voice, (3) keep His Covenant and (4) Obey. To qualify as the Kingdom of Priests was not automatic just because they came out of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea and Came to Sinai. The fact is this; ALL of Israel was afraid of the fire because the whole mountain was burning like a furnace, and they refused to go up into God’s Presence so God never could make them a Kingdom of Priests.
Jer 7:22 "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.' 24 "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. 25 "Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early
and sending them. 26 "Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did evil more than their fathers.
The requirements for Priesthood are quite clear so there should be NO confusion.
(1) Come up the Mountain (Zion)
(2) Hear His Voice ❙➔ These four are the Qualification for Kingdom Reality
(3) Keep His Covenant
(4) obey
It was because Israel did not qualify for the priesthood that God choose the Levites to stand before Him and specifically for Aaron, the High Priest and His sons to minister as priests.
From this short study it is clear that Burning Incense requires some preparation and discipline to qualify for the Priesthood BEFORE we can burn Incense on the Gold Altar.
Our purpose is NOT to make the priesthood so difficult that everyone gets discouraged and quits pressing into the Kingdom. Why? The Kingdom and the Priesthood are linked together.