The Descending Smoke From The Altar Of Incense
As read by Kenneth B Visscher

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. Rev 11:15-17

Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Heb 9:1-15,

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. Joel 2:28-31

~***~

(Vision)

"In a continual wave upwards the smoke from off of the altar of incense carried itself into the heights of the heaven, even to the highest place from where the holiest place was, even to there did this smoke ascend. But not only so, the smoke at the same time descended down over the side walls of the altar and descended downwards along the paved work so that the entire expanse above the heavens and that expanse below the heavens along the paved work of heaven was covered with the fragrance of this smoke which was the worship of the Saints extolling the name of God and being encouraged in faith by that name. The smoke as it went along covering the paved work of the heavens also came down from there to within the atmosphere of the earth, and coursing down into the world of men came this smoke of incense. At the very same time I did see "they" that worshipped the Lord in spirit and in truth sing forth praises unto Him in the midst of their tribulations. As they did their words and their breath came back up ascending into the very heaven itself mingling with and becoming one with the smoke that descended until there was a continual flow of incense smoke from both the people of God and from the heaven itself, the smoke intermingled as one in a flow up and down, back and forth filling both the heavens and the earth with this smoke that was fragrant with worship unto the Lord. The smoke that descended down from heaven from the Altar of Incense would seek out they that worshipped in spirit and in truth, and they that did worship in spirit and in truth and who loved the truth did also with the breath of their mouths send forth this fragrance back unto the Lord in the form of worship which I saw to be as smoke one and the same as this altar. So it became clear to me that this Altar was the worship of the Saints and that the descending of the Altar was the Lord becoming one with and dwelling in that same worship. Not only did the worship in the form of this fragrant smoke come from they that dwelt on the earth, but they that did take part in the Lake that burned with fire and brimstone also gave forth this worship as did they who were in the Heavenly Sea as did they who did dwell amongst the multitudes before the Throne. From all parts of the creation of God did this worship ascend and contain within it a sweet smelling savor which God did accept as pure worship in spirit and in truth. At the same time the spirit of God would go forth to seek out and find these worshippers bringing them as one with Himself in both this fragrance and in this unity and fellowship which could not be destroyed. I saw also that as they who dwelt in the realms of the world of men or they that were in the lake of fire or they that were in the Heavenly Sea or they that were part of the multitudes before the Throne did worship that the beast and the false prophet and the imitation of the true would come to make war and to assault and to discomfit the worshippers to distract them from their adoration of God. As this negative did give war to God's people there was much assault and much distraction and chaos thrown at them by these negative spirits. But worship would rule and as such worship would also balance the life of the worshipper so that they would have the power to resist such assaults and to continue to worship God without ceasing. The nature of the beast was such that it would do continual assault, but worship was far greater the weapon and faith in the things of God their mainstay. As such never once did a worshipper fail to come to their center and to maintain a godly place even as though their breath did ascend as smoke from this Altar. So is the inherit right of the Saints, to overcome even this evil by worship alone." (End Vision)

During this time of increasing pressure in the world of men and the knowledge that imminent collapse of man's systems is near the people of the Lord find themselves seeing the evil and standing in wonderment at the destitutions happening in our time. The world has gone into gross darkness. Pollutions and conspiracies abound and there is nothing that has semblance of order in many areas of the world. Those who were to bear the rule over us are being found corrupt in many cases and they that would live an exemplary life are silenced by the overwrought volume of iniquity that is permeating all parts of the world of men. Unspeakable evils have taken over the world in both the actions of wicked men and in the pollutions that man's industry has made. The world has gone beyond repair, its fraught with dilemma which cannot be undone and there is nothing left but to "wait for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."

During this time of greatly increased pressure there is no change at all in the demands of holiness that the Lord has for His people. The Apostle Paul in writing to the church at Thessalonica in the 4th chapter and the 7th verse said: "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." The standard has not changed, the Lord has not slackened His standard of holiness or purity that is demanded of His people. Even in the midst of this apostate age where men have left off any conscious effort to have faith in God, even in that they that know God are commanded to be holy forsaking uncleanliness. This includes foolish jesting which causes shame to some as well as dwelling so much on the negatives of the hour that a foreboding of the future is the result. The people of the Lord who know this truth and who are formed by it are to remain set apart from the evil of the day even though this evil has overtaken many.

So then this writing reveals a new context of overcoming to the Overcomer. For the context of overcoming must include all aspects of life in the world of men, being in it but not of it. When we find our lives under the pressure of this hour it is not for us to fall into fear but to stand strong in faith giving glory to God in the midst of the storms. Nothing is happening in this world that has not been prophesied by the Lord's prophets. Nothing is taking place in the governments of the world or in the leadership of the world that has not been first declared by prophetic utterance. So then it behooves us to learn from this time exactly what it means to overcome in a new realm of faith. The Overcomer must be the only thing with an evolutionary pattern, not according to false science, but true science. A pattern which will bring about the end of this age for the Kingdom of God to be revealed. True science is science which reveals the creator and the Overcomers in the midst of this apostate time will do just that, show forth their heavenly Father and no one seeing this will be able to cast any doubt upon it. In the midst of this dark time, Father is to be revealed. And that revealing can only come by they that overcome and inherit the full promise of God concerning worship and manifestation.

Understand this reader of these pages. The Lord has not stopped nor changed direction when it comes to His appearing. He is still on course, in perfect time and in perfect function of His spirit, He will come and will manifest His sons. Nothing can stop this, it was purposed by God since the foundation of the world and we are the generation that may very well live to witness this grand event. The ones manifest will have first worshipped the Lord in spirit and in truth and will not have had anything in their lives that is outside of that perfect will of God. They will have brought into submission all things in their lives that were out of sync with the Father and they will have been made ready vessels of His choosing to do these greater works which can only be done in a glorified body. The timing of this and the working of this is perfect. God has not forgotten this world, we just perceive it sometimes that way by the darkness which covers the earth and parts of our lives.

The Lord is not at all interested that we have watch dates for either His function or appearing, but rather that instead of looking at the times and seasons and clues for His truths, we instead be Overcomers who manifest in a continual basis His holiness and purity. Setting watch dates for His appearing or working becomes invalid when one walks in purity and holiness. When one does, dates make no matter not counting the times and the seasons. We already know we are in the time of His appearing, now we learn through the trial of overcoming to be holy in all we think, say and do. This is not a tall order, it is a fact that the nature of the Overcomer must be in the image of their Father and that image is holiness. Setting dates does not make one holy.

· You walk in holiness when you remember that your faith alone pleases the Lord.

· You walk in holiness when you allow your life to be tried without complaint or resistance and that during that trial of your faith you keep your gaze fixed on Jesus alone and upon no one else.

· Your walk in holiness becomes an evident token of righteousness in your conscience giving you peace that passes understanding because you are giving your life to His holy standard and not to any world standard or religious standard.

· As you walk in holiness your life will be a manifest token of righteousness unto the Father. It matters not what others may think. It matters not if you feel you failed. The evidence of holiness in the life is not seen necessarily by others, but by the Father alone. This is what makes the Overcomer different.

· Worship becomes a personal state of being between you and the Lord. It is not readily seen by others except that you are overwhelmed by peace and by patient understanding during the trials of life.

· Holiness and worship become the standards of the day by day faith you carry. As you endure the trials and tests of life, you do not have to verbally make yourself holy or verbally make yourself worship the Lord, your life becomes those by nature.

· Worship that ascends unto the Father and becomes part of the smoke from the Altar of Incense proceeds from a character trait of a Son or Daughter of God, not from some attempt at religious effort. One cannot forcibly worship God thinking it is acceptable to God if the nature is still bereft of any semblance of holiness.

· When you endure the maligning and misunderstanding of those around you who religiously try to be holy, then you worship God.

· When you endure the shipwrecked faith of those around you who do not understand the motion of God's spirit for this hour, and you show these shipwrecked that they can simply trust the Lord to be their deliverer, then you worship God. This is the closest you will ever come to showing forth holiness to your fellow man.

· When you are held in contempt, hated, maligned, despised and misunderstood, often for years upon years, and you only bless them that curse you, this is worship unto God.

· As you learn that each day is a gift, that each day is a special day for you that as you work in that day to be found faithful even if you do not understand all the circumstances you are in, as you do that, you worship God.

· Some may preach a message which they who love the power of the all consuming cross hear. Some may sit in silence but they are one in worship from the heart. In both cases the words spoken or the silence of worship in your very heart are holy unto the Lord.

· Some may refute the gospel, some may enhance the gospel. But for you Jesus IS the gospel. As such He is the one who is worshipped for He is God. When you do, you not only honor Him and glorify Him, you exalt Him and that draws many to see the Lord.

· When you find yourself violently ripped away from others, that a misunderstanding or a rising up of detesting or loathing happens between brothers or sisters of the same faith, and that rising up causes the sword of division to come between you, when you do find yourself separated apart from their company and alone with the Lord, that is worship.

· When you allow your life to become the brunt of hatred by those who desire religious effort, and when that hatred towards you becomes their all consuming passion, and you endure this and take their hatred as though you bore it for them, that is worship.

· When you find that you are not to be reconciled with they of the household of faith who hold you in contempt and disdain because of past errors or delusions, and these who hold you in such contempt are unapproachable as to your repentance, that is worship and that also is a realm of the fellowship of Jesus sufferings. For He was also called a deluder. And even though you may literally have been deluded, you did not stay that way. But divisions may continue through life.

· Should your outward circumstances betray your heart attitude of worship before the Lord as one who is refused and judged by God, and those circumstances show loss and not gain, that is worship.

· If your life is encompassed with familiarity as to never changing circumstances and the trials you endure simply continue day by day and you endure them, that is worship.

· When you find yourself left with just plain faith in God. That is worship.

There is no place more holy for the Overcomer that in heart communion with the Lord. There is no greater joy also. The Kingdom of God is within you and your hope and desire and longing is for that Kingdom to manifest outwards. The day is coming when that Kingdom will be seen throughout the earth as the time is coming when the Lord shall appear bringing His Kingdom with Him. The Overcomer ceases to look for position. They cease looking for space or time to be recognized as ones who were found faithful. The Overcomer lives a life sacrificed continually as smoke ascending upwards. They hold nothing to themselves as dear other than the Lord be glorified by their personal sacrifice. They lay their lives down and take them not up again. For this company the realm of smoke from the Altar of Incense becomes a realm of holy communion with the Father. There is no greater place in God's universe than this.

To be continued....

Kenneth B Visscher