Chapter Fifteen/"Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll?" - Songs of Praise

 In ancient Israel, entry into the Most Holy before the symbolic presence of Jehovah was limited to the high priest. For him, carrying incense was a life-or-death matter, Jehovah's Law said:"[Aaron] must take the fire holder full of burning  coals of fire from off the altar before Jehovah, ad the bellows of both his hands full of fine perfumed incense, and he must bring them inside the curtain. He must also put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah, and the cloud of the incense must overspread the ark cover, which is upon the testimony, that he may not die. (Leviticus 16:12, 13) It was impossible for the high priest to penetrate successfully into the Most Holy unless he burned incense. 

In the Christian system of things not only the antitypical High Priest, Jesus Christ, but also each of the 144,000 underpriests eventually get to enter the antitypical Most Holy, the place of Jehovah's presence in heaven. (Hebrews 10:19-23) Entry into this Most Holy is impossible for these priests, as represented here by the 24 elders, unless they 'burn incense' that is constantly offer up prayers and supplications to Jehovah. - HEBREWS 5:7; JUDE 20, 21: compare PSALM 141:2. 

Next time: Chapter Fifteen/"Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll?" - A New Song

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