Shalom and thank you for joining me on this fourth day for our journey through the steps of the construction of the Tabernacle of Moses and what it has to tell us about Raising of the Tabernacle of Melchizedek at this very time.

For the benefit of those who are still not clear, we are not attempting to restore the old, long superceeded Levitical Priesthood, nor are we trying to reconstruct the old physical tabernacle or the ones made by David, Solomon and Zerubabel that succeeded it, or even Ezekeiel's cancelled one. This is not what we are about. Indeed we are not actually 'doing' anything other than to present ourselves before Yahweh in emunah (faith). This is the Melchizedek Order, not the defunct Aaronic one, and the Bread we aspire to eat is the Bread of the Melchizedek Oder, which is Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

The only 'physical' objects involved are our bodies of flesh and blood - our tabernacles or temples of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) (1 Cor.3:16; 6:19) - and the only other element that will be visible at some point is the Kavod (glory) or Cloud and Fire of Yahweh - the very same mentioned in Exodus 40:34-38 which was prophesied again in Isaiah 4:5, the fire that sends terror into the hearts of the adversaries.

We will return to talking about this fire later because it has already started coming - yesterday afternoon to be exact. And this is not something symbolic or figurative any more than it was in Moses' day. It is tangible and it is visible to the naked eye as it was anciently. And it is not 'natural fire' though superficially it does resemble it somewhat in appearance though the flames adhere a little differently and accordingly have a slightly different shape or configuration. It combusts like ordinary fire but with orders of magnitude greater power. When Yahweh sends it in its fullness to the children of the last generation, as he has done before most notably when Elijah called it down on Carmel and at other times (and indeed He has sent it down discretely in our own time), it will be as the navi (prophet) Yeshayahu (Isaiah) described:

"Then Yahweh will create over the whole site of Har Tsiyon (Mount Zion) and over its places of assembly a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire ('esh) by night. Indeed, over all the glory (kavod) there will be a canopy (chuppah). It will serve as a pavilion (chukkah - tabernacle), a shade (tsel) by day from the heat (desolation), and a shelter and a refuge from the storm (zerem - flood, tempest) and rain" (Is.4:5-6).

A word to you foolish, lawless charismatics who are so fond of working yourselves up into a feverish pitch like some witchdoctor screaming 'Fire! Fire! like wild monkeys or some imaginary 'Sith lord' from Star Wars. You are handling false fire, or otherwise simply using the psychic power of suggestion, aided and often empowered by the demonic - this is withcraft, you are serving the kingdom of darkness, not the Kingdom of Yahweh-Elohim - you do not know what you are doing and need to repent! This has nothing whatsoever to do with the kavod of Yahweh's Presence! Nothing whatsoever! It is a serious delusion and it shall be thoroughly extirpated by burning from the Body of Messiah.

Now I make especial mention of all this because as I speak we are in the middle of a worldwide, global plague or pandemic. The world is not yet being told what is really going on but the truth is coming out, and will come out, because the people behind this are in gross rebellion against El Elyon (the Most High). It is nothing new. Many thousands of years ago under the Old Covenant, after the Tabernacle of Moses had been constructed and Yahweh's kavod of glory was upon it, the following happened:

"But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the kavod (glory) of Yahweh appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh said to Moses, 'Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.' And they fell facedown.

"Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from Yahweh; the plague has started.' So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped" (Num.16:42-50, NIV).

This is the first of many plagues to come. Once you have understood the censer, incense, and fire from the altar in the time of the Aaronic Tabernacle, you will understand how this is done in the New Covenant days of the Melchizedek Tabernacle. Which takes us the fourth item of the Tabernacle that we need to now consider.

We spent the first of these assemblies in the Holy of Holies and saw how it was then sealed off with a curtain and a roof, isolating it not only from the rest of the Tabernacle but from the whole Tabernacle area. In Days #2 and #3 we looked at the construction of the Table of Shewbread and the Menorah Lampstand, respectively, both located in the Holy Place, and today we conclude our short visit to the Holy Place by looking at the last major object that Yahweh ordered completed, namely, the Altar of Incense which was then followed by a second screen and roof separating it from both the Holy of Holies and from the Outer Courtyard which we will cover tomorrow and the day after and see how it too is surrounded by a screen but this time without a roof. As on previous occasions, if you are new to this series of assemblies, you are invited to go back to the start and work your way through otherwise what happens today and hereafter will not make a whole lot of sense to you.

Instructions for the construction of the Altar of Incense are given in Exodus 30:1-9 and 37:25-29. There are two altars in the Tabernacle and this one, made of gold-layered shittim wood (like the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies), is to be clearly distinguished from the brass altar in the Outer Court at the door to the Tabernacle itself. The one we are examining today is located in the Holy Place in front of the cutain or veil dividing it from the Holy of Holies containing the windowless, unlit Ark of the Covenant. This sacred altar is known by many names, including the Altar of Incense (Ex.30:27; 31:8) or the Incense Altar (Ex.35:15; 37:25), the Altar of Gold (Ex.40:5) or the Golden Altar (Ex.39:38; 40:26), the Golden Altar Before the Throne (Rev.8:3, so you know that the original is still in Heaven), the Whole Altar that is by the Oracle (1 Ki.6:22), the Altar Before Yahweh (Lev.16:12,18), the Altar to Burn Incense (Ex.30:1), and the Altar of Sweet Incense Before Yahweh (Lev.4:7). Please understand that this Goldem Altar is still before the Throne of Elohim (God) and one day you will 'see' it. That's how important it is.

In the Tabernacle of Moses, the Golden Altar was for the exclusive burning of incense which represents the prayer and intercession of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) (Ps.141:1-2). Incense begins on the Altar with man, and as it burns, it symmbolically ascends upwards to Elohim (God). In exactly the same manner, our prayers and intercessions begin in the heart of man and ascend heavenward to Yahweh. This is no better exemplified in the New Covenant and in the Melchizedek Tabernacle than by Revelation 8:2-6:

"And I saw the seven malakim (angels) who stand before Elohim (God), and to them were given seven shoferim (trumpets). Another malak (angel), who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the qodeshim (saints), went up before Elohim (God) from the malak's (angel's) hand. Then the malak (angel) took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Then the seven malakim (angels) who had the seven shoferim (trumpets) prepared to sound them" (Rev.8:2-6, NIV).

This speaks to our day because we are now going through a Day of Judgment - not the Final day of Judgment but the one immediately before it. And since it is close to the top of that prophetic spiral I spoke of yesterday, the gap or persiod of time between the two judgments will be short, probably around 40 years, though I do not know the exact length of time - perhaps a little shorter.

This Golden Altar of Incense is thus both important in the general sense as far as the Restoration of the end-time Tabernacle of Melchizedek is concerned for the Remnant but it is also important right now as we pass through the Judgment I have been speaking to you of now for many years. The current plague is but one judgment. There are at least seven.

There is a great deal that could be said about the Golden Altar of Incense but I am only going only to focus on one item. It is written:

"You shall not offer unholy incense on it, or a burnt-offering, or a grain-offering; and you shall not pour a drink-offering on it" (Ex.30:9, NRSV)

Now the point of this instruction for the New Covenant Æon or Age is this, since we don't have a physical altar any more and we don't therefore obviously make literal, physical incense offerings on it. This is the point, and note it well: On the Day of Dedication of the Tabernacle, which we are coming to, Yahweh showed His approval by lighing the Brazen Altar in the Courtyard outside with HEAVENLY FIRE which came out of the Heavens from the Kavod Elohim - the Glory of God. It was not kindled by man! When the fire of the Brazen Altar was lit, the coals were taken from off the Brazen Altar and used to light the Golden Altar and the Menorah or Lampstand (which we spoke about yesterday). Hence this was a divine fire, not a profane one. It was not - and never can be - a work of man.

Any other 'fire' is clasiified in the Davar (Word) as "strange fire". When Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, offered 'strange fire' before Yahweh, they were devoured alive by the authentic fire that went out from Yahweh, and died (Lev.10:10-2). Korah and his fellow rebels offered strange incense and they also were plagued (Num.16). Brethren and sisters, you don't mess around with fire or incense unless you want to be burned to a cinder or felled by the plague!

What does this mean spiritually? What is false fire and incense in the New Covenant? It is any and every tyoe of false worship! Yahweh is not interested in worship that is excited by mere religious feelings. The only worship - the only fire - that He accepts is the fire that originates from within Himself, just as the fire on the Golden Altar of Incense had to originate from the Brazen Altar supernaturally lit by Yahweh! Just as the Holy of Holies can only be illuminated by supernatural light, not the light of lamps and candles like the Menorah! Yahweh only accepts the Fire which originates with Himself on the basis of Blood Atonement (Lev.16:12). Yahweh lit the original fire on the day of the First Messianic Shavu'ot (Weeks, 'Pentecost') (Ac.2:4). It is the Fire of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) which causes the fragrance to arise and ascend within the veil (Heb.12:99). Yahweh is only interested in one kind of worship and Messiah tells us what that is:

"Elohim (God) is spiritual, and those who worship Him must worship in ruach (spirit) and emet (truth)...the Father seeks such as these to worship Him" (Jn.4:24,23b, NRSV).

You see, Elohim (God) only accepts the 'incense' He has prescribed. Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) is the only mediator between Elohim (God) and man. No man can approach the Father except through His Son, as I reminded everyone the other day. Incense - that is - prayer apart from the Name of Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) (and by that is meant the fullness of the true Character as revealed in Scripture to us - it has nothing to do with babbling in 'tongues') - anything else is an abomination to the Father:

"Jesus [said], 'I am the Derech (Way) and the Emet (Truth) and the Chayim (Life). No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6, NIV).

"Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to Elohim (God) through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them" (Heb.7:25, NIV).

If we are in any doubt what the 'character' looks like, we have only to look at the ingredients of the incense because they tell all. There are 5 elements in all and had tio be mixed in equal weight:

• 1. Stacte - a fragrant gum from a tree that had to be crushed fine;
• 2. Onycha - a ground fragrant shellfish that also had to be crushed fine;
• 3. Galbanum - yet another sap or gum from a tree, this time bitter, and had also to be crushed fine;
• 4. Frankincense - another sap, white, and speaking of purity and righteousness; and
• 5. Salt - a seasoning and preservative, that speaks of speech that is pure, tasty and full of grace (Col.4:6), possessing endurance (see the Covenant of Salt).

We are told in Scripture that this incense was to be:

• 1. Sweet - as we are to be filled with sweetness (SS 5:16);
• 2. Pure - like the purity of Messiah (Heb.7:26);
• 3. Qadosh (Holy, Set-Apart) - ministering in holiness and sinlessness as Messiah did (1 Jn.2:1; Heb.7:26);
• 4. Perpetual - as Yah'shua (Jesus) ministers in the power of an endless life, and makes interecession for us, so we are to have permanency, consistency and reliability (Heb.7:25; Eph.6:18; Col.4:2; Rev.8:3); and
• 5. Perfume - as Yah'shua (Jesus) was fragrant in His whole being, so must we (Eph.5:2).

If we are to offer incense at the Golden Altar at the entrance to the Holy of Holies in order to gain entrance and so become echad (one) with Elohim (God), then these are the characteristics of the spiritual life that must be cultivated in order to make our prayers acceptable: sweetness, purity, holiness, constancy and fragrance.