Prayers of the Holy Ones
In vision, John sees the “lamb that seemed to have been slaughtered” take the scroll in order to open its seals. When the Lamb did so, “the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, and each one had a harp and golden bowls that were full of incense. (The incense means the prayers of the holy ones)”.
Who are these “holy ones”? How does the incense in the golden bowls of the 24 elders symbolize their prayers? What meaning does this have for us?
THE HOLY ONES OF THE SUPREME ONE
“The incense means the prayers of the holy ones”. Who are these “holy ones”?
Let’s look at the context. When the 24 elders who have the bowls full of incense and who fall down before the Lamb, they then say: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth”.
So in context, the holy ones are connected to those who have been bought with the Lamb’s blood to serve as priest to Jehovah and as kings over the earth. Is this thought reflected elsewhere in the scriptures?
Paul tells the Corinthians: “Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to try very trivial matters? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Then why not matters of this life?”
So the holy ones will have authority to judge the world, as well as spirit creatures.
Paul also wrote “to the holy ones who are in Ephesus and are faithful in union with Christ Jesus”. To them he wrote: “Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in union with Christ, as he chose us to be in union with him before the founding of the world, that we should be holy and unblemished before him in love. For he foreordained us to be adopted as his own sons through Jesus Christ, according to his good pleasure and will, in praise of his glorious undeserved kindness that he kindly bestowed on us by means of his beloved one. By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness”.
This tells us another detail. The holy ones have been adopted as Jehovah’s sons through Jesus Christ.
Concerning this adoption as sons of God, Paul says: “The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. If, then, we are children, we are also heirs—heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ—provided we suffer together so that we may also be glorified together”.
So these holy ones are sons and heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ. And so John says that he saw “the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who have his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads”.
Likewise, Daniel’s vision says this: “And the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens were given to the people who are the holy ones of the Supreme One. Their kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all rulerships will serve and obey them.”
Yes, we spirit-anointed Christian’s are “the holy ones”. And we shall become “the holy ones of the supreme one” who will inherit and rule in the Kingdom of God as his heirs.
As “the holy ones”, the bowls of incense in the hands of the 24 elders mean our prayers.
Why does incense mean our prayers? Why is incense a fitting symbol of our prayers? What can we learn from understanding that our prayers are like incense before Jehovah?
Paul said concerning the priests who served in the tabernacle, that “these men are offering sacred service in a typical representation and a shadow of the heavenly things; just as Moses, when about to construct the tent, was given the divine command: For He says: ‘See that you make all things after their pattern that was shown to you in the mountain.’”
So the scriptures directly say that the activity of the priests in the tabernacle under the Mosaic Law is a pattern and typical representation of greater spiritual things taking place in Paul’s day with regard to the anointed, and also our day in regard to us as fellow anointed ones.
So looking at the use of incense by the priests in their service to Jehovah will help us to see how we ourselves can benefit from a discussion of incense.
Additionally, David said: “May my prayer be as incense prepared before you”. Now David was not a priest, and so he was not authorized to present incense in the Holy of the tabernacle. In fact, what would have happened if he tried?
Regarding King Uzziah, Ezra writes in Second Chronicles: “However, as soon as he was strong, his heart became haughty to his own ruin, and he acted unfaithfully against Jehovah his God by entering the temple of Jehovah to burn incense on the altar of incense. Immediately Azariah the priest and 80 other courageous priests of Jehovah went in after him. They confronted King Uzziah and said to him: ‘It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Jehovah! It is only the priests who should burn incense, for they are the descendants of Aaron, those who have been sanctified. Go out from the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully and you will receive no glory from Jehovah God for this.’ But Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand to burn incense, became enraged; and during his rage against the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of Jehovah next to the altar of incense. When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned toward him, they saw that he had been stricken with leprosy in his forehead! So they rushed him out of there, and he himself hurried out, because Jehovah had struck him. King Uzziah remained a leper until the day of his death, and he kept staying in a separate house as a leper, for he had been excluded from the house of Jehovah. His son Jotham was in charge of the king’s house, judging the people of the land”, and “then Uzziah was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him with his forefathers, but in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said: ‘He is a leper.’”
Yes, David would have sinned greatly if he had attempted to offer incense to Jehovah. Nonetheless, he meditated deeply and learned an important lesson regarding his prayers from the arrangement of offering incense. Likewise, the typical representation of the activity of the priest in the tabernacle finds fulfillment in us, not in those with an earthly hope. And indeed, Jehovah would be upset if someone with an earthly hope attempted to usurp the responsibilities of the anointed. However, like David, those with an earthly hope may learn important lessons regarding their own prayers by meditating deeply on what Jehovah’s Word says to the anointed about prayers.
A PLACE FOR BURNING INCENSE
Let’s take some time and consider the arrangement of the tabernacle and the service of the priest in “the first compartment”, called “The Holy”.
Paul says: “For a first tent compartment was constructed, in which were the lampstand and the table and the display of the loaves of presentation; and it is called the Holy Place”. So let’s discuss this, particularly as it relates to the responsibility of the priests to offer incense on the altar of incense.
To do this, we need to go back to the commands on offering incense found in the Law of Moses. We read Jehovah’s words to Moses: “You are to make an altar as a place for burning incense”. Then Jehovah says: “You are to put it before the curtain that is near the ark of the Testimony, before the cover that is over the Testimony, where I will present myself to you. Aaron will burn perfumed incense on it, making it smoke on the altar when he maintains the lamps each morning. Also, when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he will burn the incense. It is a regular incense offering before Jehovah throughout your generations. You must not offer on it unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or a grain offering, and you must not pour a drink offering on it”. Then he says: “You are to anoint the . . . altar of incense“.
After this, Jehovah tells Moses of the work that is supposed to go into making the incense. “Then Jehovah said to Moses: ‘Take equal portions of these perfumes: stacte drops, onycha, perfumed galbanum, and pure frankincense. Make it into an incense; the spice mixture should be skillfully blended, salted, pure, and holy. You are to pound some of it into fine powder and put some of it before the Testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will present myself to you. It should be most holy to you. You must not make for your own use the incense that you make with this composition. You are to regard it as something holy to Jehovah. Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its smell must be cut off from his people.’”
As for its location within the tabernacle, we read: “you are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. Place the ark of the Testimony in it, and screen off the Ark with the curtain”. Thus the Most Holy was set up. Then turning his attention to the Holy, Jehovah says: “You are to bring the table in and arrange the things that belong on it and bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. Then put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the Testimony and put the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle in place”.
So the alter of incense was in the Holy, but also before the Ark. How is that possible? When Moses was following through on Jehovah’s instructions above and setting up the tabernacle, we read that “he next placed the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the curtain, in order to make perfumed incense smoke on it, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. Then he put the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle in place”.
So the alter of incense was placed before the curtain that separated the Holy from the Most Holy, but also placed in such a way that it was considered before the Ark as well, placed in the middle before the curtain, in such a way that standing before the golden altar was also like standing in a straight line before the Ark, with just the curtain in the way. So that when incense was offered on the golden alter of incense, it was as if it was raising up before the presence of Jehovah.
We also learn from the scriptures above that there was a screen that separated the Holy from the courtyard. We also read that Moses “set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar and put up the screen for the entrance of the courtyard”. And so there was a screen that separated the courtyard from the entrance to the Holy.
And so, the sons of Israel that were outside the courtyard and not allowed to enter, could not see into the courtyard and the activity of the Levites there. And they certainly could not see into the Holy and the activity of the priests inside.
Regarding the curtain separating the Holy from the Most Holy, we read: “You are to make a curtain of blue thread, purple wool, scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. It will be made with cherubs embroidered on it. You will hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold. Their hooks are to be of gold. The pillars are set on four socket pedestals of silver. You will hang the curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the Testimony there within the curtain. The curtain will make a division for you between the Holy and the Most Holy. You must put the cover on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy. You will place the table outside the curtain, with the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle; and the table you will put on the north side”.
And regarding the screen separating the Holy from the courtyard, we read: “You will make a screen for the entrance of the tent out of blue thread, purple wool, scarlet material, and fine twisted linen woven together. You will make five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlay them with gold. Their hooks are to be of gold, and you will cast five socket pedestals of copper for them”.
Also, concerning the courtyard: “You will make the courtyard of the tabernacle. For the south side, facing south, the courtyard will have hanging curtains … 100 cubits long … the hanging curtains on the north side will also be 100 cubits long … there will also be hanging curtains on the west side for 50 cubits across the width of the courtyard … the width of the courtyard on the east side toward the sunrise is 50 cubits. There will be 15 cubits of hanging curtains on the one side … and for the other side, there will be 15 cubits of hanging curtains … the entrance of the courtyard should have a screen 20 cubits long”.
And so the courtyard was surrounded by curtains and separated from the sons of Israel, with the entranced screened of as well.
Also, once a year, on the day of atonement, we find the following direction to the high priest: “He will then take the fire holder full of burning coals from the altar before Jehovah and two handfuls of fine perfumed incense, and he will bring them inside the curtain. He will also put the incense on the fire before Jehovah, and the cloud of the incense will envelop the Ark cover, which is on the Testimony, so that he may not die”
During this day of atonement, we also read concerning the alter of incense: “Aaron must make atonement on its horns once a year. With some of the blood of the sin offering of the atonement, he will make atonement for it once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to Jehovah.”
We also read this: “If the anointed priest sins and brings guilt on the people, then he must present a sound young bull to Jehovah as a sin offering for the sin he committed”. And after the bull was slaughtered, we read: “Then the anointed priest will take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the tent of meeting; and the priest will dip his finger in the blood and spatter some of the blood seven times before Jehovah in front of the curtain of the holy place. The priest will also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of perfumed incense, which is before Jehovah in the tent of meeting; and he will pour all the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.”.
From this review of the arrangement of burning incense in the tabernacle, we learn the following:
The inner most compartment of the tabernacle, the second compartment, was the location of the Ark. And it was called The Most Holy.
The first compartment, called The Holy, was the location of the golden altar of incense, the table of showbread, and the golden lampstand.
There was a beautiful curtain with figures of cherubs on it that separated the Holy from the Most Holy.
The altar of incense was located in the middle before the curtain, in front of the Ark of Jehovah.
The preparation for offering the incense involved using 4 main ingredients. These ingredients were to be:
Skillfully blended
Salted
Pure
Holy
Pounded into a fine powder.
The incense was to be offered twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, as “a regular incense offering before Jehovah”.
Once a year, on the day of atonement, the high priest would take coals from the golden altar in a fire holder, and two handfuls of incense. He would take them past the curtain and into the Most Holy and burn incense before Jehovah.
If a priest sinned, he would take some of the blood of his offering and put it on the horns of the golden altar of incense.
There was a screen separating the entrance to the Holy from the courtyard.
The courtyard was surrounded by curtains, with a screen covering the entrance.
Paul speaks of the different fixtures in the Holy and the Most Holy. He talks about “a first tent compartment was constructed, in which were the lampstand and the table and the display of the loaves of presentation; and it is called the Holy Place. But behind the second curtain was the tent compartment called the Most Holy. This had a golden censer and the ark of the covenant completely overlaid with gold, in which were the golden jar containing the manna and Aaron’s rod that budded and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the glorious cherubs overshadowing the propitiatory cover”.
So here we see him talking about the Holy and the lampstand and the table of showbread. Then he talks about the Most Holy and the Ark as well as a golden censer, which is a reference to the “fire holder full of burning coals from the altar” of incense that the high priest would take into the Most Holy, along with two handfuls of incense on the day of atonement, and burn the incense there before Jehovah.
But after describing these fixtures, he says: “But now is not the time to speak of these things in detail”. No, it was not the time in Paul’s day to talk about the fixtures of the tabernacle and the spiritual realities of such things. Paul does go on to discuss in detail some of the activity of the priests, and especially the activity of the high priest on the day of atonement in detail. As well as the altar of burnt offering and the spiritual reality of Jesus presenting himself on the altar of “Jehovah’s Will”.
It was time to talk about such things. The Hebrew Christian’s needed to build their faith in the high priest and the mediator of the new covenant. Which is why Paul spoke in detail about Jesus activity when he returned to heaven and presented the value of his perfect human life, as well as comparing Jesus to Moses, the mediator of the Law Covenant, and how Jesus “is counted worthy of more glory than Moses”.
Notice that Paul did not say that the fixtures in the Holy and Most Holy do not have spiritual realities. He only said it was not time to talk about such things “in detail”. The implication is that these things do have spiritual realities, it just wasn’t time to talk about them.
Also, Paul says: “Yes, according to the Law nearly all things are cleansed with blood, and unless blood is poured out no forgiveness takes place. Therefore, it was necessary for the typical representations of the things in the heavens to be cleansed by these means, but the heavenly things require far better sacrifices”. Indeed, once a year the golden altar of incense was also atoned for by the placing of sacrificial blood upon its horns. Other occasions on which it was so treated were when the sin offerings were made for members of the priesthood”. Yes, these things are “typical representations”.
Additionally, the golden altar of incense is expressly related to the prayers of the anointed when some 35 years after Paul’s words, John sees “another angel, holding a golden incense vessel, arrived and stood at the altar, and a large quantity of incense was given him to offer it with the prayers of all the holy ones on the golden altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense from the hand of the angel ascended with the prayers of the holy ones before God”.
No, now is also not the time to talk about the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, nor the Ark in detail.
However, now is the time to talk about the incense and what we can learn about our prayers from the arrangement for offering incense. This is important for us as God’s children, and it’s important for those with an earthly hope to understand the spiritual realities of these things. Understanding the spiritual realities of all these things that pertain to Jehovah’s dealings with his anointed children will impress upon them how much effort Jehovah has put in, and the lengths he has gone to, in order to make their hope sure.
THE INCENSE MEANS THE PRAYERS OF THE HOLY ONES
The inner most compartment of the tabernacle, the second compartment, was the location of the Ark. And it was called The Most Holy.
Jehovah said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he may not come at just any time into the holy place inside the curtain, in front of the cover on the Ark, so that he may not die, for I will appear over the cover in a cloud”.
In this instance, the Most Holy was also simply called by Jehovah “the holy place inside the curtain”. In context, it’s clear that Jehovah is talking about “The Most Holy”, where the Ark was and where Jehovah would appear in a cloud over the cover of the Ark, not “The Holy”.
Jehovah also tells Moses to “put the cover on the Ark, and in the Ark you will place the Testimony that I will give you. I will present myself to you there and speak with you from above the cover. From between the two cherubs that are on the ark of the Testimony, I will make known to you all that I will command you for the Israelites”.
Also, the scripture tells us that “whenever Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with God, he would hear the voice conversing with him from above the cover of the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubs; and God would speak to him”.
Thus, the Ark was closely associated with the presence and voice of Jehovah. And just as Aaron went into the typical representation of “holy place inside the curtain” and Jehovah appeared before him there, “Christ did not enter into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears before God on our behalf”. Yes, Jesus entered heaven itself, with his own blood, and appeared before the face of Jehovah and obtained an everlasting deliverance for us. Because of this, “we have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, which he opened up for us as a new and living way through the curtain, that is, his flesh”. And “it is by one sacrificial offering that he has made those who are being sanctified perfect for all time”.
The first compartment, called The Holy, was the location of the golden altar of incense, the table of showbread, and the golden lampstand.
In the Holy, the priests would enter and the screen would close off view of them from the outside. The altar of incense was directly before the Ark, on the Holy side of the curtain.
And so it is when we approach Jehovah in our personal prayers as spirit anointed holy ones, sons of our father in heaven, serving in the Holy. For Jesus said “you must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”, and Paul refers to us as those “who have been sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones”.
The preparation for offering the incense involved using 4 main ingredients. These ingredients were to be:
Skillfully blended
Salted
Pure
Holy
Pounded into a fine powder
What lessons can we learn about our prayers from the preparation of the incense?
Paul tells us “by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God”. This gives us three ingredients to our prayers. Supplication, thanksgiving and petitions.
Supplication is begging for something from Jehovah earnestly and humbly. Petition is a formal request made to Jehovah. Both are important ingredients to our prayers. Jesus himself “offered up supplications and also petitions, with strong outcries and tears” while he was on earth.
And we should not forget to show ourselves thankful in our prayers to Jehovah. For Jesus told the 10 men with leprosy: “Go and show yourselves to the priests”. And “one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. And he fell facedown at Jesus’ feet, thanking him. Furthermore, he was a Sa·marʹi·tan”. And so, Jesus asked: “All ten were cleansed, were they not? Where, then, are the other nine? Did no one else turn back to give glory to God except this man of another nation?”. Yes, Jesus was disappointed at the unthankfulness of the other 9.
We are also told, “O house of Israel, praise Jehovah. O house of Aaron, praise Jehovah. O house of Leʹvi, praise Jehovah. You who fear Jehovah, praise Jehovah. May Jehovah be praised from Zion”. And Jesus tells us to pray this way: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified”. Yes, another ingredient to our prayers is praise to Jehovah.
And so we have first, praise to Jehovah. Second, supplications. Third, thanksgiving. Fourth, petitions.
These ingredients are to be “skillfully blended”. Take the time to think about these ingredients and the personal prayer you’re about to offer to Jehovah. Mix them all together and spread them throughout your prayer.
The incense was also to be salted. We are told: “Let your words always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer each person”. If we are to speak in such a way “toward those on the outside”, how much more so are we to use gracious speech when speaking to Jehovah? Speaking in such a way so as to ensure our relationship with Jehovah is preserved and strengthened. Yes, “Salt, to be sure, is fine. But if the salt loses its strength, with what will it be seasoned? It is not suitable for soil or for manure. People throw it away”. If the salt is removed from this mixture, only a tasteless, useless residue remains.
Our prayers as incense are to be pure. We are to ask for pure things, and our prayers must come from a pure source. For we will be like Jehovah when we get to heaven, “because we will see him just as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that one is pure”. We must be pure.
The incense was also to be holy, set aside for a special purpose to Jehovah. Yes, as holy ones we are sacred, sanctified, set aside for a special purpose. For as anointed ones, we are “a holy nation, a people for special possession”. Yes, our prayers are unique and set aside as holy. Thus, we should approach our prayers in such a way. Viewing our privilege of praying to Jehovah as sacred and unique.
The incense was also to be pounded into a fine powder. Yes, we should put effort into personal prayers. Take them seriously and work toward their acceptance to Jehovah and to the success of our prayers.
The incense was to be offered twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, as “a regular incense offering before Jehovah”
Yes, “pray constantly”. Yes, “persevere in prayer”. Yes, Jesus “went on to tell them an illustration about the need for them always to pray and not to give up”. Yes, Jesus said: “keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you”. Yes, “persevere in prayer, remaining awake in it with thanksgiving”. Yes, “with every form of prayer and supplication you carry on prayer on every occasion in spirit. And to that end stay awake, constantly making supplication in behalf of all the holy ones”.
Referring to the construction of the tabernacle, Paul’s says: “After these things were constructed this way, the priests enter the first tent compartment regularly to perform the sacred services”, and “This tent is an illustration for the present time, and according to this arrangement, both gifts and sacrifices are offered”.
Once a year, on the day of atonement, the high priest would take coals from the golden altar in a fire holder, and two handfuls of incense. He would take them past the curtain and into the Most Holy and burn incense before Jehovah.
What lesson can we learn from this?
Concerning the typical representation, we read: “the high priest enters alone into the second compartment once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins that the people committed in ignorance”. However, regarding the reality, we read: “when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have already taken place, he passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. He entered into the holy place, not with the blood of goats and of young bulls, but with his own blood, once for all time, and obtained an everlasting deliverance for us. For if the blood of goats and of bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who have been defiled sanctifies for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Christ, who through an everlasting spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we may render sacred service to the living God?”
Yes, the reality is that Jesus entered into the true Most Holy of the true tent, heaven itself, and appeared before the presence and face of the Almighty and offered the value of his perfect human sacrifice. But are there other things that Jesus does in heaven as high priest in addition to having offered the value of his sacrifice to Jehovah?
Yes.
“The former commandment is set aside because it is weak and ineffective. For the Law made nothing perfect, but the introduction of a better hope did, through which we are drawing near to God.” Yes, when our better hope of heavenly life was introduced, we began drawing near to God as beloved children, because this “better hope” is based on “a better covenant, for we read that “Jesus has accordingly become the guarantee of a better covenant. Furthermore, many had to become priests in succession because death prevented them from continuing as such, but because he continues alive forever, his priesthood has no successors. So he is able also to save completely those who are approaching God through him, because he is always alive to plead for them”.
And so we come to the lesson we learn from the high priest taking incense and burning before the presence of Jehovah. Jesus is always alive to plead for us.
Though counted as perfect, and acquitted of sin, we still live on in the imperfect flesh and still sin. Thus, as imperfect humans we cannot approach Jehovah directly. Yes, Jehovah is “the hearer of prayer”, and so he personally hears our prayers. Yet, we must approach on the basis of Jesus sacrifice. And so, although Jehovah directly hears our prayers, we cannot approach him directly. Jesus told us: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me”. And Paul says: “Therefore, now that we have been declared righteous as a result of faith, let us enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained access by faith into this undeserved kindness in which we now stand; and let us rejoice, based on hope of the glory of God”. Yes, by means of Jesus we have gained access by faith into this undeserved kindness in which we now stand.
So, we learn that our access to our relationship with Jehovah as beloved sons in though Jesus, and our approach to Jehovah in prayer is through Jesus. And Jesus lovingly pleads in our behalf, becoming our advocate before God. And concerning Jesus, the inspired word says: “Since he himself has suffered when being put to the test, he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test”. We can always approach God in Jesus’ name, knowing that Christ stands ready to help us.
Of course, Paul is not here suggesting that God is reluctant to hear our prayers and requires that Jesus beg him to show mercy. Jehovah is compassionate and ready to forgive. In fact, God is the one who provided Jesus as the advocate through whom we can approach Him in prayer to obtain mercy and help.
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin. Let us, then, approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech, so that we may receive mercy and find undeserved kindness to help us at the right time”.
Indeed, incense is offered up before the presence of Jehovah and ascends “with the prayers of the holy ones”.
If a priest sinned, he would take some of the blood of his offering and put it on the horns of the golden altar of incense.
John, our kind but also straightforward brother, tells us in a fatherly way: “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not commit a sin. And yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one”.
Yes, we can approach Jehovah in prayer through Jesus name. In this regard, John records the words of Jesus this way: “In that day you will ask me no question at all. Most truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name. Until now you have not asked for a single thing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. I have spoken these things to you in comparisons. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in comparisons, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will make request of the Father in my name; in saying this, I do not mean that I will make request for you. For the Father himself has affection for you, because you have had affection for me and have believed that I came as God’s representative. I came as the Father’s representative and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.” And also, “you did not choose me, but I chose you, and I appointed you to go and keep bearing fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that no matter what you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you”.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold on to our public declaration of him. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin. Let us, then, approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech, so that we may receive mercy and find undeserved kindness to help us at the right time.”
There was a screen separating the entrance to the Holy from the courtyard.
So those in the courtyard could not see into the holy and the activity there. What lesson is there in this for us?
All those serving in the courtyard of the true tent are anointed ones. But when an individual anointed one serves inside the holy of the true tent, refers to our personal relationship with Jehovah as an anointed son. Not visible activity to others. So let us burn pure incense in our personal prayers to Jehovah.
The courtyard was surrounded by curtains, with a screen covering the entrance.
The lesson here is a reminder that our service as “ministers of a new covenant” is for those “called and chosen”. Those allowed to enter the courtyard of the true tent need special approval from Jehovah. Serving in the courtyard of the true tent is truly an undeserved kindness.
The reminder here is that serving Jehovah on earth as anointed ones is a very precious privilege, but “if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare” us. So do not take this privilege for granted. Do not treat it as of ordinary value and do not “turn the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for brazen conduct”.
By keeping our service in the true tent and all our sacrifices, including our offering of incense, pure and holy, and by remaining busy and active, we are able to become a sweet smelling fragrance to Jehovah.
Yes, “thanks be to God, who always leads us in a triumphal procession in company with the Christ and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place! For to God we are a sweet fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the latter ones an odor of death leading to death, to the former ones a fragrance of life leading to life. And who is adequately qualified for these things? We are, for we are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are, but we speak in all sincerity as sent from God, yes, in the sight of God and in company with Christ”.
