Faithful on Fridays Blog

There’s a calm before a storm that’s eerie and even haunting; it’s a ‘hold your breath’ silence when you can hear a pin drop. As the Lamb opened the seventh seal creation experienced it: silence in heaven. This fraction of time creates anticipation and draws you into what’s coming next.

This last seal releases seven trumpet-blowing angels sent to announce God’s merciful warning on a fraction of the earth but also to release His judgments.

The Old Testament (Ex. 30) gives the ingredients for incense to be burned at the altar in the Tabernacle (lower story). It was a specific mixture offered by a definite person: The High Priest. Let’s find the upper story by investigating the ingredients.

1. Stacte, listed first, is a tree-gum that’s been pierced or broken. Since we’ve already learned that burning incense connotes prayer (Rev. 5:8), the upper story is the brokenness and piercing we experience in life that leads us to the Father. The Hebrew word can also mean ‘to speak by inspiration or prophesy’, again, prayer.

2. Onycha, is a shellfish that’s crushed which yields a sweet aroma. In the upper story it’s clear that when we’re crushed in life, so to speak, it leads us to prayer; God’s sweet fragrance. This word also means to ‘fiercely roar’ in the lower story but in our upper story sometimes a roar of anger or grief arises in our hearts and we pray it through trusting God.

3. Galbanum is another tree-gum added to bring out the ‘best’ fragrance. As hard as it is to understand, tribulation and suffering in life can bring out the best in you when allowed to do its best work through prayer.

4. Frankincense comes from a tree that’s pierced three times a day! The gum that flows creates a white, fragrant smoke when burned. Sometimes it feels like we’re continually experiencing this piercing but when we spend time with the Lord He comforts, encourages, and empowers us to continue on. 

5. Lastly, salt is added to the final mixture to purify as it burns. Suffering has its way of purifying and cleansing our lives as we offer up the sacrifice, yes sacrifice, of prayer even when we have no desire to pray. Jesus is our beautiful example: Matt. 26:36-44.

It’s written that ‘another’ angel offered the incense to God and smoke rose to heaven. Remember, on penalty of death, no one was allowed to burn incense except the priest; is Jesus, our High Priest, this divine Another? He carried the fire in the censer (indicating the Spirit), burned the mixture, and His Hand offered it to His Father (vs. 4-5) as our Mediator connecting heaven and earth. The response from heaven was evidence of His power: thunderous sounds, burning light, and an earthquake.

It brings our Heavenly Father no pleasure watching His children suffer but He sees the result, the intimate prayer; that white smoke of humility and refinement is what He’s looking for in us.