AND ANOTHER ANGEL CAME…

Wrong preparation to blow the trumpet leads to uncertain sounding. Let’s turn back to the third verse. Here we have the seven angels symbolized in a ministry of all ages. “And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer; and there was given unto him incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar.”

The seven angels symbolized the ministry down through this Gospel Day, throughout the whole period of the Gospel Day, and now is introduced another angel. This angel is Christ. Several places, at least two in the Revelation, Christ is referred to, or symbolized as an angel. In the 20th chapter, and the 12th verse, “Michael and His angels fought with the dragon and his angels; symbolizing the warfare that took place in the morning church, when the dragon raised up to devour the church. In the Revelation, the 20th chapter, we read: “An angel came down from heaven and laid hold on the old dragon and put him in the bottomless pit.” In this verse, Christ is symbolized as an angel of the early ministry, again.

How do we know that Michael is Christ? Jude, verse 9: “Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee.” And how do we know that Michael is Christ?

In the 12th chapter of Daniel this is also made plain. This is some of the light of the moon, or the Old Testament. So we’re drawing on the light of the moon. We read in Daniel 12: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince that standeth before the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was, since there was a nation, even to that same time; and at that time my people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.” Who is our deliverer? The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Jesus Christ the Righteous!

So, “another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense.” What’s symbolized by the golden altar? And what’s the incense? Psalm 141:2: “Let my prayer come up before thee as an incense.” Revelation 5:8, “the Lamb took the book and broke the seventh seal, the four and twenty elders and the four beast (symbolizing the redeemed of all ages) began to play on their harps and took golden vials full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.” Incense is prayer.

THE GOLDEN ALTAR, INCENSE AND CENSER…

In order to understand what the golden altar and the censer is, let’s go back to the tabernacle and consider Exodus the 30th chapter and the first ten verses. There was the tabernacle with two rooms; in the first room the candlestick, which symbolized light, and the shew bread. Before we go into the entrance of the second room, we have a golden altar. Paul said, “these things happened to these people for our ensamples, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” What are these, a type of? We will find out and know where ministers must go to prepare to sound the trumpets. That is, the golden altar, the censer and the fire.

Exodus 30:1, “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breath thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof; the horns thereof shall be of the same. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof and the sides thereof round about; and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. And two golden rings shalt thou make of it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof; upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shal put it before the veil.”

There was a veil that separated the first room from the second. In there where God’s presence was, in the ark of the covenant. There was a veil that kept the priest out. Only the high priest went in once a year. The incense altar, must be, put before the veil, which is before the law. “And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony before the mercy seat” (there’s the mercy seat and there’s the testimony) “that is over the testimony where I shall meet with thee.”

There’s where God met with the high priest---“And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning; when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.” And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense.” The lamp is a type of God’s Word. David said, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet.” The incense is a symbol of prayer. When should we pray? Every morning when we dress the lamp or read the Word, let a little incense go up. Every evening, read and pray. So let it be a perpetual incense. “Men ought always to pray.”

“A perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.” “Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice nor meat offering. Neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements; once in the year shall he make atonement upon it through out your generations; it is most holy unto the Lord.”

BURNING COALS OF FIRE…

God said that Aaron, the high priest would take some fire and take some incense and offer it on this altar. But where did the fire come from? You don’t just get fire. He was to get it off the brazen altar. And where did that fire come from? In the 16th chapter of Leviticus, the 12th and 13th verses, you will find the answer.

“And he shall take a censerful of burning coals (the golden censer is the little vessel with which he took coals) from off this altar and with it took some incense and carried it to this incense altar and there burnt incense to God. “And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of burnt incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil; and he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony that he die not.” This incense had to cover the mercy seat or he would have fallen dead.

Now let’s investigate as to where the fire came from. Fire is also a type of something. We turn to Leviticus, the 9th chapter and read verses 23 and 24: “And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out, and blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord---(they had all their sacrifice on the altar, all fixed, but God said don’t let any man start a fire. They went in and came out and blessed the people and the glory of the Lord moved in) and we read: “And the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord.” God said to Moses, “Put the sacrifice on and tie it fast and then get out of the way.” When he blessed the people, the glory of the Lord moved on them and a fire came from God. And we read: “And consumed upon the altar the burned offering and the fat; which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.”

They will still shout, at seeing fire come from God. We have no use for the wild fire, the kind you work up, but holy fire coming down from God will not only cause men to shout His praise, but it will humble their hearts at the mighty presence of God. Glory to God!

It is well known that fire is a type of the Holy Spirit. All through the Bible one of the emblems of the Holy Spirit is that of fire. God’s Word uses an emblem of fire for the Spirit, of water and of wind for the Spirit. Fire is one of the outstanding symbols of the Holy Spirit.

In the book of Leviticus, the 13th verse, God started the fire that was carried to the incense offering. Again, we read: “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar.” Of what is this, a type? When God saves a soul---here is the first altar where Christ died for you. When He saves your soul He starts a fire within you. That fire will burn on throughout life if we don’t let it go out. God starts it, but men must tend and preserve it to keep it going. If that fire has gone out, you know where the trouble is. All this was the procedure under the high priest.

Chapter 6

CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST...

In the Revelation we have already clarified the fact that the angel is Christ. It is Christ our high Priest going in. Something more happened when our high priest went in than when the high priest, Aaron (of the Old Testament) went in. Things were changed. The writer of the Hebrew letter said that He (Christ) went through the veil once for all. When He went through the veil it rent from top to bottom!

We are now speaking of Pentecost in the Revelation. The only place Pentecost is recorded in that book. We have Christ, our High Priest, going in for us. Let’s travel to the old city of Jerusalem, where the Jews have been going through this process year after year. The high priest going in, taking the incense, letting the smoke cover him, coming out again, but alas, the poor waiting assembly receive no blessing whatsoever.

Jesus Christ came down here. He became our High Priest. True, men ridiculed Him and refused to let Him live. They called Him a thief and a robber; and put Him on the cross as such. The Word tells us that it was time for the high priest, the very day he was to go in as he had before and let the smoke of the incense cover him as he went before God. It’s possible today, to go to Jerusalem and see thousands go to the old Jewish synagogue that have rejected Christ, standing on the outside waiting for the high priest to go through his usual procedure. While he offered the incense the people prayed outside. What for? They looked for a day when a Messiah would come, but their traditions and the hardness of their hearts has caused them to miss the Christ of Calvary. Outside Jerusalem, on Calvary’s mountain a young man named Jesus Christ was being nailed to the cross. The cross was lifted and put down in the ground. The hour came for the time of the evening sacrifice. The high priest was ready to go in as always before. But God had something better for His people. The unbelief of some did not make the Word of God without effect. About the time for the high priest to go in, Jesus was hung on the cross. But how do we know it was the time of the evening sacrifice?

WHEN OUR HIGH PRIEST ENTERED IN…

The Word of God says there was darkness (as He hung there) from the sixth to the ninth hour. The sixth hour would make it 12 o’clock noon. Their day began at 6:00 o’clock in the morning and ended at 6:00 o’clock at night. There was darkness over the earth from 12 o’clock until 3:00 o’clock when He died. Three o’clock was time for the evening sacrifice. Let’s look back a little, to Elijah when he was on Mt. Carmel and he let the prophets of Baal go through their procedure, but when it came time for the evening sacrifice, we read: 1 Kings 18:29 “And it came to pass when mid day was past and they prophesied until the time for the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. (30) An Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.”

When three o’clock hour rolled around the high priest started in. The veil rent from the top to the bottom. God revealed the fact that no man had torn it, but that it was a divine operation of God on His throne. The people were always outside and never did see what was beyond the veil, but that evening they could look inside and see the mercy seat, they could see the presence of God. If we ever get within the veil and see all the good things there, you will not want to go out any more.

Jesus said, “I am the door. By me if any man enter in he will go in and out and find pasture.” Too many people think they are in. They may be in something, but unless they are born again they are not in the church. Jesus said when you do get in you will find pasture.

The scripture says in the Revelation, “Another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer.” Here is our high priest, Christ. “And there was given unto Him much incense.” (He’s still interceding) “that He might offer it, with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” This golden altar was before the mercy seat, but the golden altar that Christ went before, was the very throne of God. Our High Priest did not go into the second room, the holy of holies, but He went before the very throne of God. He said before He left, “I will pray the father and He will send you another Comforter which is the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit which the world cannot receive, (it neither seeth Him or knoweth Him). But you know Him because He dwells in you. He offered His prayer with the prayers of all saints---all the saints of all the ages. What had they been praying for? That the Holy Spirit might come and find its rightful place in the hearts of mankind as God created them from the beginning. It is still the prayer of all saints.

Why do we hold revival services? Not that we may just gain a greater knowledge of God’s Word, but that the Holy Spirit may come in and abide in men’s hearts. That is the prayer of all saints. In Acts 1:14, we see the saints praying there. They continued in prayer and supplication. We read in Luke 1:8, “And it came to pass while he executed the priests office before God in the order of his course, the high priest went into represent the people.” But our high priest went in before the very throne of God and before He left, He said, “Tarry here at Jerusalem. Go to the upper room and pray.”

Zacharias was one of the last of the old priests that went through this procedure. Luke 1:8 (we repeat) “And it came to pass while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the holy place.

The whole foundation of the sounding of this trumpet rests on this message, for this was the last of the old; “And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of the incense. We repeat, Christ went before the very throne of God and the congregation was in the upper room at Jerusalem praying. And the fourth verse said He got His prayers through. “And the smoke of the incense which came up with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” When it goes up through it will come up before God. “And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire off the altar and cast it into the earth.”

Our high priest offered the incense. He took the empty censer after He emptied the censer, and filled it with fire off the altar and cast it into the earth. And when it hit the earth there were voices. It must have hit people for there were voices and thunders and lightning and earthquakes. And where was the fire?

Chapter 7

WHEN GOD SENT DOWN HOLY FIRE…

Now, where was the fire? The fire was divinely sent from God, a symbol of the Holy Ghost. There’s an anti-type of this fire sent from God. In Matthew, the 6th chapter, Jesus taught His disciples to pray---“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” It doesn’t say, “Thy kingdom come on earth,” but “Thy kingdom come in earth as it is in Heaven.” What is God’s will?

The kingdom comes into our hearts through a born again experience. The king of Glory moves in and reigns over the domain and we reign in this life. Thy will be done. What’s God’s will? God’s will is to move into our hearts, supplying us with divine strength to reign with Him in and through out lives.

Paul said in the Corinthian letter, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels. He was speaking of the treasure in earthen vessels. The kingdom is a treasure. Jesus said it was, in the first parable.

The Revelation and the 2nd chapter of Acts show us Pentecost. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were in accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire and it sat upon each one of them.”

Let’s go back to the Revelation and read: “there were voices”. The fourth verse of the second chapter of Acts said they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak. The Revelation said: “there were voices”. Then secondly, there were thunders ( in the Old Testament) a symbol of the presence of God. Back on Sinai, it thundered and it lightened. We first see lightning and then hear thunder as an aftermath. So on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost came, the Scripture said the house was filled first and then they were filled. He filled the whole house. Just a few days before Jesus left, they went walking up the street with Him. Everything was quiet and the children recognized Him and said, “Hosanna to the King, Hallelujah!” Peter tried to quiet them through the Saviour, but later when the Holy Spirit came, they accused Him of being drunk. You cannot smother the Holy Spirit or He will leave you.

In Christ’s letter to the Laodiceans, He called Himself the Amen of God. That’s what the Church is to be, the Amen of God. The Spirit of God within you, will amen the Word. He’s a witness of the truth. About all the preachers are shooting any more, is blanks. That’s why nobody ever gets hit. The Bible truth is “live ammunition”. Somebody is “liable to get hurt”.

When the Spirit of God hits the old dried up soul of man there will be some kind of reaction. Thunder is an aftermath of an understanding of the light that God gives. We are told there was lightning and then thundering. And we’re told in the 2nd chapter of Acts, that Peter stood up and “began to thunder”. What about? He gave out the light that Joel had prophesied hundreds of years before.

Chapter 8

FIRST THINGS OF PENTECOST…

The first thing that happened at Pentecost was voices. They praised God for a while. Then, there were thunderings. In Acts 2:14 we read: “But Peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice and said unto them, hearken to my words.” I guarantee that, 15 minutes before Pentecost came, Peter would not have had the least idea what the second chapter of Joel meant. They had been so ignorant about so many other things contained in the Scripture, before this. Jesus said once, “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot hear them now. When He, the Spirit of Truth is come He will reveal them to you.”

The Spirit of God will make you happy. You cannot have Him in this old sour pickled religion. The second thing He will do is, give you understanding. Peter said, “This is that” because he received understanding. Peter was looking for a Christ to come and set up a literal kingdom. Peter had ideas in his mind about sitting on the right hand and on the left, but now he had understanding. This is a spiritual something that Jesus came to do. Did not Joel say: “In the last days it will come to pass I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (v.29) And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”

Notice, Joel never prophesied about speaking in tongues! Then why did they speak in tongues? The situation merited it. There were devout men out of every nation under heaven gathered at Jerusalem. A different nationality called for a different dialect and the spirit of God gave the dialect so the same message could be preached. The Spirit of God will not cause us to speak in different languages when all speak the same. Peter said this is that which Joel spoke of. Peter kept on preaching that this marvelous light was for the Jews and he had his light “under a bushel”. God took him up on a rooftop. While He was working on Peter through a dream, a man sent a servant to him. This man, Cornelius had consecrated to God, time and again, and God said, “It is enough. I’m going to send someone up there to preach to that fellow. I’ll get Peter straightened out on the universality of the Gospel and at the same time bring truth to Cornelius.” So Peter had a vision of unclean things let down in a sheet and a voice said, “Peter, rise and eat.”

“No, Lord, I can’t do that. It is unclean.”

God said, “Don’t call unclean what I say is clean.”

God sent the man about this time. He told them where to go. God knows where we live. He went down to Cornelius and preached to him and his neighbors and household. Peter started to talk about Christ and the Holy Spirit fell on all of them and they began to praise God. Peter said, I perceive of a truth that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him.”

SPIRITUAL EARTHQUAKES…

An earthquake in the Revelation is nothing more than a type, when earthly things “shake and quake”, under the power of God. When Peter stood up that day of Pentecost, 3000 houses that were built on the sand; fell and crumbled. And, that 3000, built on the rock. In four more days, 5000 houses, crumbled down. God, give us an earthquake here, when every earthly individual is shaken under the power of the Holy Spirit. There are only three earthquakes, recorded in the Revelation . Each happened when God poured out the Holy Ghost, afresh.

The first was recorded on the day of Pentecost, the second in 1880---the 11th chapter of the Revelation, verse 13, when He resurrected the two witnesses. And the last one is the day and age in which we’re living, previous to the second coming of Christ. He’s pouring out His Spirit afresh, and giving the church a baptism of the Holy Ghost and it’s bringing an earthquake. Once more the fire of God is in our midst. Once more, the lightning is flashing. God is giving us more light. The thunder is rolling and we’re getting understanding of the Old Testament, the light of the moon is as the light of the sun. Glory to God!

“And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” There is where they prepared to sound. They were there when the fire was cast into the earth, and prepared themselves to sound. It takes breath to blow the trumpet. God sent the prophet to preach to them, but they were not alive until God breathed on them. And the Holy Ghost came with a rushing mighty wind and this breath of the Holy Ghost in our heart and life will cause us to blow the trumpet with a certain sound.

How do you blow it with a certain sound? Keep the same pressure on it all the time. Stay filled with the Holy Ghost. Paul in Eph. 4:14, “Be no more children tossed about with every wind of doctrine.” If we all blow the trumpet with the breath of God, or the Spirit of God we’ll all make the same sound.

SIGNS GIVEN…

Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man.” I’m going to deal with that, but I want to say this for those who have not studied it. There’s a difference between the sign of Christ’s coming and His coming. If He were actually there, He wouldn’t need a sign. Some people cannot see this, but let me illustrate. When you go out on the highway and see a Coca Cola sign, why don’t you try to drink it? Because there’s as much difference between a Coca Cola sign and a bottle of Coca Cola as there is a difference between a sign of Christ’s coming and His coming.

One of the last signs is, “He shall send His angel with a great sound of a trumpet and gather together His elect from the four winds.” What do the four winds symbolize?---the many winds of doctrine. God’s elect are scattered here and there in many winds of doctrine.

He’s sending His trumpet with a certain sound. This is the great sound of the trumpet, and the seventh sound, and final sound. Luke writes the same thing. He says He’s going to gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth---back to Mt. Zion.