Priority #6 (Atonement of Christ)

Day 56

The fragrant incense covering 

The great message today is that message of atonement. The message of atonement actually means the message of covering. This message has a three way message. It has a message to those who are living for Me; it has a message for those who are careless. It also has a message for the unbeliever to let them know My awesomeness.

There are three things that stand between man and I, three reasons why he cannot be accepted by Me. They are sin, fault, and failure. All things at this point without a covering are open to My eyes, the One you must one day give an account to. I cannot stand fault or sin, even with the least degree of allowance. Even the priest had to be without blemish in order to function as a priest. The sacrifice had to be without blemish to be used for Me because I am a God of perfection. (Hebrews 4:13)

There is no flesh that can stand before Me, so when the priest went in, an animal had to be slain just for this priest. But this priest could not begin his work in the holy place until something else happened. I told Aaron, the high priest, to take a handful of incense, it was incense that was a type of Jesus, it had been beaten, and it had felt the scourge of suffering and pounding. And some live coals had to be taken off of the fire which was a type of judgment. As Aaron took the handful of incense into the holiest place where I was, he had to quickly put it on the live hot coals. And a cloud ascended from the incense. And it went over the top and Aaron became engulfed in a cloud, a sweet smelling incense that reached up and pleased Me and then looking down I saw Aaron through the cloud which represented Jesus Christ and His suffering. Then Aaron knowing that he was covered by that cloud, and that I looked at him through the cloud, could place the blood over the mercy seat in that holy place for himself and the people, thus bringing the people to that place where they were covered. I told him he had to do this or else he would die. (Leviticus 16:12-13)

My sinless only begotten Son Jesus went in as the High Priest with no atonement, no covering for Himself. He went in as the sin bearer before Me, and the stroke of My judgment penetrated Him and He became the real incense as He took the stroke of My wrath. And that incense ascended up and it covered all who would put their trust in Him. Everything in that tabernacle was a type of Jesus. But the most beautiful thing of all was Jesus becoming your covering through offering a sweet smelling incense unto Me. So those who come to Me  who are trusting in His sacrifice are covered.

The festival of atonement in the Old Testament was a reminder that their probation had expired. It was time for the annual sacrifice for sin. For this reason I gave certain guidelines based on complete obedience so that they could earn a reprieve during this time of exposure. Each year their covering had to be renewed.

Many people feel they are still living in this time of reprieve and their acceptance is based on what they are able to earn by the completeness of their achievement and for that reason there’s a constant fear. When people discover their need to trust in what My Son Jesus achieved on the cross and not base their happiness on their own achievement, they can get rid of their condemnation. 

As the fire of My judgment struck Jesus who was the sacrifice by the offering of Himself, a cloud ascended that covered all time and all space. It was carried on the wings of grace until it stretched backward across the ages to the beginning of man erasing all of those charges that kept coming up every year. It spread outward from Calvary across all ages to the end of time completing a plan that was formed in My heart before the world began of making man acceptable in My sight.