The Tabernacle, Part 12 — The Holy Place

Three pieces of furniture were within the Holy Place: the gold lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40), the table of showbread (Exodus 25:23-30), and the altar of incense (Exodus 30:1-10). Each of these served a utilitarian purpose and hold great significance in the worship of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the church. The gold lampstand stood opposite the table of showbread and before the altar of incense. Both the table of showbread and the altar of incense were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The twelve loaves of the presence were always in the light of the lampstand and before the presence of God. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world,” and “I am the bread of life.”

The sweet aroma of the Holy Place was in stark contrast to the odor of the outer court.

Every day two lambs were sacrificed on the brazen altar in the outer court. There was a constant fire and smoke on the brazen altar. God wanted the people to know that He was ready to receive them and make atonement for sins. (Leviticus 6:13)

There was relief from the smell of smoke and death inside the Holy Place. 

On the outside, judgment and sin were dealt with. This is a place of relief, worship, praise, and prayer. The incense represents the worship and prayer of the saints. The aroma of prayer, praise, and supplication is a sweet reprieve from judgment, death, and destruction.

There is a purpose for the sacrifice on the altar.

The sacrifice opened the way to enter into this grace wherein we dwell. We have access into the grace of God by the blood of Jesus Christ. The fire on the brazen altar made it possible for them to have the fire for the incense in the holy place. The glory of God’s presence was accessible through the atonement sacrifice, but they could not come near to God without the incense.

God wants His priests to dwell in an atmosphere of prayer, praise, and worship.

Everything in the Tent of Meeting focused on God. God is drawing His people away from the atmosphere and consciousness of sin. He is drawing us into His presence in atmosphere of praise and worship. Jesus said:  “Men always ought to pray and not faint.” (Luke 18:1)

The atmosphere of prayer and praise is radically different than the smell of sin and death.

Exodus 30:7-8 tells us they were to burn incense on the altar every morning and as the sun was going down.God’s presence is to always be surrounded by prayer, praise, and worship. Even in heaven the angels are constantly singing: Holy, Holy, Holy! Is the Lord Almighty!

Without a lifestyle of prayer and praise, we cannot dwell in His presence.

What God has prepared for us requires consistent prayer. Whatever you do for God must be done in an atmosphere of prayer and worship. All of the deeper things of God are found in the atmosphere of prayer, praise, and worship.

Everywhere Christ was wounded there is a piece of furniture.

We have seen how the tabernacle furniture forms a cross. At the foot of the cross is the brazen altar where His feet were pierced. Halfway up the cross is the laver, where His side was pierced and water and blood poured out. On the right of the cross is the table of showbread where His right hand was pierced. The golden lampstand is where they nailed His left hand. The altar of incense was where His heart is. At the top of the cross is the Ark of the Covenant, where Jesus had the crown of thorns.

When we talk about the altar of incense, we are talking about the heart of God. We are talking about Jesus Christ your High Priest and Mediator and the burden and love He carried for the world.

Exodus 40:5 NASB Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle.

The only thing between the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense was the veil of the Tabernacle. The ark of the covenant was on one side and the altar of incense was on the other. Prayer, praise and worship is like incense going up before God as a sweet smelling aroma.

Revelation 8:2-4 NKJV And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

There is nothing like the praise and prayer of the saints of God. They are like sweet incense in the presence of God.

Exodus 30:34–38 NIV84 ³⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, ³⁵and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. ³⁶Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. ³⁷Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. ³⁸Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people.” 

As was the case of the anointing oil (Exodus 30:22-25), the mixture of incense was fragrant and precious. Both the anointing oil and the incense were holy to the Lord. The anointing oil was only used to anoint the priest to God and the incense was only to be used in the Holy Place. This is the case in the church, the anointing of the Holy Spirit and Spirit empowered worship and praise are very precious.

The Priest and Levites entered the Holy Place to trim the lamps and bring the bread of His presence.

Everything that happens in the Holy Place refers to some part of the ministry and worship of the church. We can bring our petition and praise before the Father. In the illumination of Christ’s light, we offer up acceptable praise and worship to God. We have a High Priest who ministers and intercedes for us beyond the veil.

Hebrews 9:24 NKJV For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

When we pray in the name of Jesus, He takes our prayer and worship where we cannot go.

Hebrews 7:24-25 NKJVBut He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 8:1–2  NKJV Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ²a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ, our High Priest has a permanent position at the right hand of the Father where He makes intercession for us, (Romans 8:34). When we pray in the name of Jesus, He takes our prayers and goes where we cannot go. Jesus said: “Whatever you ask the Father in My Name, He will give you.” 

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 5:14-15 NKJV Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

When we pray in Jesus’ name, we know our prayers are getting through.

We have an intercessor High Priest who abides in the presence of the Father for us. This is why we need to pray in the name of Jesus. Jesus has made a way for us to come before God into the holy place and have access to the Father. He gives us grace to help in the time of need.

The last thing that you prayed about, Jesus took all the way into the presence of the Father.

Jesus took your petition into the presence of the Father. Your prayer, praise and worship has reached the throne of God because you have a Mediator. This fact will change your life. Your prayers are not meaningless words that fall to the ground.

We should stop dwelling in the smell of death and come boldly into God’s presence.

Come into the incense of consecrated, anointed, Holy Ghost prayer and worship. Come and take of the bread of His presence. This will change the outlook of our lives. We must live in the atmosphere of prayer and worship. When we dwell with Him in the Holy Place, we take on the fragrance of Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:15 NKJV For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

When we dwell in His presence, we have confidence that our prayer, praise, and worship make it through to the Father. “For in Him we live, move, and have our being.”(Acts 17:28) You can dwell in this consecrated atmosphere. It doesn’t matter how big the issue, when you start praying, praising or worshipping, things change. Regardless of the duration or the depth of the situation, just a little bit prayer, praise and worship will change things.

Just bring your situation to the Father in the name of Jesus. 

The atmosphere changes when you start praying and worshipping God. Prayer, praise, and worship bring up an incense that changes your surroundings. Satan knows when you have been praying. There is an aroma of prayer, praise, and worship.

Psalm 100:4 NKJVEnter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 

Stop dwelling on problems and start praying, praising and worshipping God. The atmosphere of prayer, praise, and worship is like sweet incense. When you dwell in the holy place, you enter God’s presence. Don’t dwell in the midst of dead things. You are a priest unto God and you can’t dwell just anywhere. Don’t let sin, judgment, or Satan control your atmosphere. God put you where you are to change the atmosphere. The Bible said “one of you could put a thousand to flight.” (Deuteronomy 32:30) Don’t lose sight of the power of the believer that lives under the influence of their Lord. In the Holy Place, God will shine His light on your life and feed you with the bread of His presence.

Psalm 141:1–2 NKJVLord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 

He was saying Lord: “Let my prayer go up before you like holy incense.” You can literally change the atmosphere with prayer and worship. You need to know that your prayer is making it into heaven’s Holy of Holies.

Remember that angels in heaven present much incense with the prayers of all saints upon the golden before God, (Revelation 8:2-4).

When your prayer gets through, you know that the answer is on the way. No devil in hell can take your petition out of the Lord’s hand.

1 Peter 2:9-10 NKJVBut you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

You are a royal priesthood unto God.

As part of the royal priesthood, you can come up into the Holy Place before the Father. Once you get there, Jesus your High Priest goes where you cannot go. You are a holy nation and a peculiar people that you should show forth praises of Him who called you out of darkness. We must not act like everyone else. We are a chosen generation to show forth praises of Him who called us out of darkness. You have been called out of the smell of death into the Holy Place.

When God ordained the table of showbread and the bread of the presence, it was reserved for Aaron and his sons to eat in a holy place.

Twelve loaves of bread were placed in two rows on the table of showbread. Six loaves in each row. Twelve loaves represent the full house of Israel. Frankincense was placed on each row with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord, (Leviticus 24:5-9). Every Sabbath the bread was replaced and given to Aaron and his sons to eat and the frankincense was burned before God as a memorial. The bread of the presence was reserved for the priests.

The Lord has made special provision for everyone that comes in faith to Him.

He has opened a new dimension of fellowship with God in His light and through His body and blood. He has become the bread of life for us. Those who partake of Christ’s goodness will always be filled with praise and worship.

The only light in the Tabernacle was provided by the lampstand.

Jesus Christ said, “I AM the Light of the world.” It is impossible to enter into fellowship and worship of God without Jesus Christ showing us the way. God has provided something wonderful and special for everyone who will enter into fellowship with Him.