Ancient Uses for Perfumes and Essential Oils

For more information about the biblical essential oils please visit http://HealWithOil.com.

In ancient times, essential oils and other aromatics were used for religious rituals, as well as for the treatment of illness and other physical and spiritual needs. According to the Essential Oils Desk Reference compiled by Essence Science Publishing, “Records dating back to 4500 B.C. describes the use of balsamic substances with aromatic properties for religious rituals and medical applications. The translation of ancient papyrus found in the Temple of Edfu, located on the west bank of the Nile reveals medicinal formulas and perfume recipes used by the alchemist and high priest in blending aromatic substances for rituals performed in the temples and pyramids. As well, Hieroglyphics on the walls of Egyptian temples depict the blending of oils and describe hundreds of oil recipes. Within these writings tell of scented barks, resins of spices, and aromatic vinegars, wines and beers that were used in rituals, temples, for embalming and medicine. Thus, the Egyptians were credited as the first to discover the potential of fragrance and were considered masters in using essential oils and other aromatics in the embalming process. They created various aromatic blends for personal use, placing them in alabaster jars – a vessel specially carved and shaped for holding fragrant oils. In fact, when King Tut’s tomb was opened in 1922, 350 liters of oils were discovered in alabaster jars. Amazingly, because of the solidification of plant waxes sealing the opening of the jars, the liquefied oil was in perfect condition.
In the upper region of Egypt, a sect of Jews, called Essenes, were known for their healing arts and use of essential oils. Both Philo and Josephus writings indicated that at the period in which John the Baptist and Jesus were born, the Essenes were scattered over Palestine, numbering about four thousand souls. The Essenes or Therapeuts (used interchangeably) refer primarily to the art of healing which these devotees professed, as it was believed in those days that sanctity was closely allied to the exercise of this power, and that no cure of any sort could be imputed simply to natural causes. (Source: http://sacred-texts.com, http://bopsecrets.org)

The Holy Scriptures record over 1,035 references to aromatics, ointments, savors, fragrances, plants and incense-most implying essential oils. Twelve of the most highly-praised fragrances in the world mentioned in the Bible include: Frankincense, Myrrh, Spikenard, Hyssop, Cypress, Myrtle, Aloes, Sandalwood, Galbanum, Cinnamon, Cassia, and Onycha. Many were in the prescribed preparation of the Holy Anointing Oil and Holy Incense for Temple services, as well as for anointing and healing the sick. The people of the ancient world understood the importance of maintaining wellness and physical health, as well as the oils’ ability to enhance their spiritual state of worship, prayer, and for the purification from sin. King David alluded to this in Psalm 51:7 when he wrote, “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” While David’s Psalm may have been speaking of a “spiritual purification” from his own sin of adultery with Bathsheba, today we know that the chemical constituents of essential oils including hyssop are able to penetrate the cell wall and transport needed oxygen and nutrients to the cell nucleus. Most essential oils can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled into the lungs where they then make their way into the bloodstream. The sense of smell affects the limbic region of the brain, which controls emotions, memory and the hypothalamus, which regulates the pituitary, which in turn balances the entire hormonal system of the body.

Healing Oils of the Bible

Twelve of the most highly-praised fragrances are presented in Holy Scripture. These include: Spikenard, Galbanum, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, Cedarwood, Aloes/Sandalwood, Rose of Sharon, Cassia/Cinnamon, Hyssop, Onycha, and Myrtle. While some perfumers have used these names to label their own formulas, only the attributes of the biblical oils that are pure, therapeutic grade essential oils from all over the world will be discussed.

Aromatic plants, herbs and oils have been used for incense, perfume, culinary and medicinal purposes for thousands of years by many cultures. Since ancient times, spices and oils have been an integral part of the Hebraic culture. The Bible mentions over 33 species of fragrant plants with over 1,035 references to essential oils and/or plants in the Old and New Testaments.

People of the Holy Land understood the use of essential oils in maintaining wellness and physical healing, as well as the oils’ ability to enhance their spiritual state in worship, prayer and confession, and for cleansing and purification from sin. During biblical times, essential oils were inhaled, applied to the body, and taken internally in which the benefits extended to every aspect of their being.

Most Jewish households employed essential oils for medicinal and household purposes. One example in Scripture is the parable Yeshua told of the Good Samaritan who was carrying oil and wine and helped the injured man that had been robbed and left for dead.

Essential oils can be emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically healing and transform diseased tissue into thriving, healthy cells. Unfortunately, people today have become dependent upon and rely heavily upon medicine. In many cases it helps, but for most their faith has been placed in doctors instead of God. In an article entitled “Death by Medicine,” published by Nutrition Institute of America, four doctors stated that almost 800,000 deaths occur each year due to drug interaction.

The Scriptures show that God gave natural herbs, including their extracts, for medicines. Ezekiel 47:12 reads:

“And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”

And in Revelation 22:2, it reads:
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Fragrances of the Bible come from plant essences or the life-blood of the plant. The two types of oils plants make are essential and fatty. Most seeds contain both types of oils. Essential oils circulate within a plant to carry out its function as a living creation, while the fatty oils remain in the seed where they serve as food for the young plant, as God intended. Fragrant essential oils are also how they communicate to the rest of the animal kingdom and mankind. Plants use their odors to attract insects and animals to pollinate, with fragrances disappearing within 30 minutes of being pollinated.

For perfumers, this is important when extracting oils from flowers. When extracting, it is crucial to do it at the right time before the desired aromatic essential oil has been chemically altered.

While fatty vegetable oil from the seed serves as nourishment for the small plant, it cannot enter the blood stream nor cross the blood-brain barrier. The molecules of fatty oils are too large to evaporate and circulate through the tissues of the body. Their uses in aromatherapy are for providing a neutral lipid base in which essential oils can be blended and/or diluted for massage use when an essential oil is too strong.

Essentials oils were God’s original medicine, created on the third day. When God created these plants, His word went forth in power creating life and continues to create life in the life-blood of the plant, which is the oil. Genesis 1:12-13 says:

“And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.”

Which Essential Oil Do I Use For What?

Here’s a great remedy chart for finding the right essential oil for the right job.  For more information about how essential oils can heal the body naturally, please visit our website at http://HealWithOil.com.

Acne: Tea Tree, Lavender, Eucalyptus and Clove

Allergies: Lavender, Rosemary

Anxiety:  Lavender, Eucalyptus

Arthritis:  Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon and Rosemary

Artistic Condition: Clove, Cinnamon and Peppermint

Asthma: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint and Tea Tree

Back Pain: Clove, Lavender, Peppermint and Rosemary

Bruises: Clove, Lavender

Burns: Clove, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and Lavender

Candida: Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and Lavender, Cinnamon, Clove, Peppermint and Rosemary

Cellulite: Lemon, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Rosemary

Colds and Flu: Lemon, Peppermint, Clove, Tea Tree, Rosemary, Eucalyptus and Lavender

Cold Sores: Tea Tree, Clove and Cinnamon

Cuts: Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender and Lemon

Dandruff Treatment: Rosemary, Tea Tree and Lavender

Depression: Lavender, Cinnamon and Peppermint

Dermatitis: Lavender, Peppermint

Detoxify: Peppermint, Rosemary and Lemon

Diabetes: Cinnamon, Rosemary, Lavender (used with Doc In the Box Blend)

Eczema: Tea Tree, Lavender

Emotional Discomfort: Cinnamon, Lemon and Rosemary

Epidermophytia: Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender and Lemon

Epstein-Barr Syndrome or Virus: Cinnamon, Clove, Lemon, Tea Tree, Rosemary and Lavender

Eye Strain/Exhaustion: Cinnamon, Lemon, Rosemary

Fatigue: Lavender, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Rosemary

Fever: Lemon, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Rosemary and Peppermint

Grief: Rosemary

Gloomy Feeling: Lavender

Hair Loss: Lavender, Rosemary and Eucalyptus

Headaches: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary, Lemon and Peppermint

Heart Attack: Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon

Herpes: Eucalyptus, Lemon and Tea Tree

High Blood Pressure: Lavender, Lemon and Cinnamon

Immune Deficiency: Lavender, Lemon, Rosemary, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus

Inability to Concentrate: Rosemary, Peppermint, Lemon 

Indecision: Eucalyptus, Rosemary

Infection (Bacterial or Viral): Tea Tree (with Rosemary), Lemon, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Clove, Cinnamon and Doc In A Box Blend

 

Insect Bites: Tea Tree, Lavender and Eucalyptus 

Insomnia: Lavender

Irritability: Lavender

Lice: Eucalyptus (with Lavender or Peppermint)

 

Malaria: Lemon

 

Melanoma: Lavender

 

Memory:  Rosemary, Peppermint and Lemon

Menstrual Cramps: Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint

Motion Sickness: Lavender, Peppermint and Rosemary

 

Nausea: Cinnamon, Clove, Lavender and Peppermint

Nervous Exhaustion: Peppermint, Rosemary (better to inhale from the vial)

Oily Hair: Rosemary, Lemon

Dermatitis: Lavender, Peppermint

Detoxify: Peppermint, Rosemary and Lemon

Diabetes: Cinnamon, Rosemary, Lavender (used with Doc In the Box Blend)

Eczema: Tea Tree, Lavender

Emotional Discomfort: Cinnamon, Lemon and Rosemary

Epidermophytia: Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender and Lemon

Epstein-Barr Syndrome or Virus: Cinnamon, Clove, Lemon, Tea Tree, Rosemary and Lavender

Eye Strain/Exhaustion: Cinnamon, Lemon, Rosemary

Fatigue: Lavender, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Rosemar

Fever: Lemon, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Rosemary and Peppermint

Grief: Rosemary

Gloomy Feeling: Lavender

Hair Loss: Lavender, Rosemary and Eucalyptus

Headaches: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary, Lemon and Peppermint

Heart Attack: Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon

Herpes: Eucalyptus, Lemon and Tea Tree

High Blood Pressure: Lavender, Lemon and Cinnamon

Immune Deficiency: Lavender, Lemon, Rosemary, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus

Inability to Concentrate: Rosemary, Peppermint, Lemon 

Indecision: Eucalyptus, Rosemary

Infection (Bacterial or Viral): Tea Tree (with Rosemary), Lemon, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Clove, Cinnamon and Doc In A Box Blend

Insect Bites: Tea Tree, Lavender and Eucalyptus 

Insomnia: Lavender

Irritability: Lavender

Lice: Eucalyptus (with Lavender or Peppermint)

Malaria: Lemon

Melanoma: Lavender

Memory:  Rosemary, Peppermint and Lemon

Menstrual Cramps: Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint

Motion Sickness: Lavender, Peppermint and Rosemary

Nausea: Cinnamon, Clove, Lavender and Peppermint

Nervous Exhaustion: Peppermint, Rosemary (better to inhale from the vial)

Oily Hair: Rosemary, Lemon

Open Pores: Lemon, Peppermint

Overindulgence: Lemon, Peppermint, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus

Pest Control/Insects: Clove, Lavender and Lemon

Physical Exhaustion: Rosemary (bath, massage)

Pigmentation: Lemon, Tea Tree

Pneumonia: Lavender (with Lemon or Peppermint), Tea Tree (with Cinnamon)

Polio: Lemon

Poison Ivy/Oak: Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and Rosemary

Psoriasis: Lavender, Clove, Tea Tree and Rosemary

Rashes: Lavender, Tea Tree

Recall and Memory: Rosemary, Peppermint, Clove and Lemon

Shingles: Clove, Thyme, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Lavender

Scabies: Lavender, Peppermint and Rosemary

Shock: Peppermint, Tea Tree (with Lavender)

Scars and Stretch Marks: Lavender

Skin (flabby/fatty): Rosemary, Lemon

Skin (irritated): Lavender, Tea Tree

Sprains: Lemon and Peppermint

 

Strep: Cinnamon (with Lavender), Doc In The Box Blend

 

Stress: Lavender, Rosemary

Teeth Whitening: Lemon

Tropical Infections: Cinnamon, Tea Tree

 

Typhoid: Cinnamon, Peppermint

 

Uplifting: Rosemary

Warts and Calluses: Lavender, Lemon and Tea Tree

Weakness: Rosemary

Weight Loss: Lemon, Rosemary

Wounds: Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint, Tea Tree and Doc In The Box Blend 

Open Pores: Lemon, Peppermint

Overindulgence: Lemon, Peppermint, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus

Pest Control/Insects: Clove, Lavender and Lemon

Physical Exhaustion: Rosemary (bath, massage)

Pigmentation: Lemon, Tea Tree

Pneumonia: Lavender (with Lemon or Peppermint), Tea Tree (with Cinnamon)

Polio: Lemon

 

Poison Ivy/Oak: Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and Rosemary

Psoriasis: Lavender, Clove, Tea Tree and Rosemary

Rashes: Lavender, Tea Tree

Recall and Memory: Rosemary, Peppermint, Clove and Lemon

Shingles: Clove, Thyme, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Lavender

Scabies: Lavender, Peppermint and Rosemary

Shock: Peppermint, Tea Tree (with Lavender)

Scars and Stretch Marks: Lavender

Skin (flabby/fatty): Rosemary, Lemon

Skin (irritated): Lavender, Tea Tree

Sprains: Lemon and Peppermint

Strep: Cinnamon (with Lavender), Doc In The Box Blend

Stress: Lavender, Rosemary

Teeth Whitening: Lemon

Tropical Infections: Cinnamon, Tea Tree

Typhoid: Cinnamon, Peppermint

Uplifting: Rosemary

Warts and Calluses: Lavender, Lemon and Tea Tree

Weakness: Rosemary

Weight Loss: Lemon, Rosemary

Wounds: Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint, Tea Tree and Doc In The Box Blend

The following information is taken from Rebecca Park Totilo’s latest book, Heal With Essential Oil.  To get your copy, please visit http://HealWithEssentialOil.com.

Holy Smoke – Temple Incense and What It Represents (Hebrew acronym)

Just as the Holy Incense was to be burnt perpetually, we are to pray continually and be ready to pray at any time as needs arise,

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Burning the resins on hot coals is reminiscent of the fiery trials we face from time to time. When the testing of our faith becomes difficult we immediately cry toward Heaven for help.  And, like the heat of the coals that release the aroma of the incense instantly, our prayers in times of need are instantly released.  This is when Elohim (God) turns a bitter experience into something sweet.

Teshuvah or true repentance is the ability to restructure a new life out of the raw ingredients we are given to work with and transform it into a sweet fragrance pleasing to Him.

And Yahweh is there, expecting our prayer and ready to “meet with thee” (Exodus 30: 6).  When He hears our prayer, He responds. He gets great joy when we seek Him out in fervent pray,

“Ointment and perfume (incense) rejoice the heart.” (Proverbs 27:9)

The Torah states that this is the most powerful form of offering – because it has the power of life and death.

In the Midrash (Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 14), the letters of the word Qetoret can be read as an acronym: q (Koof), j (Tet), r (Reysh) and a t (Tav). This acrostic starts with the letter q for vd,qo Qodesh, which means holiness and the letter represents the back of the head or last. j is for hr’h\j’ Tohorah which means purify and the letter j means, to surround.  r is for ~x;r; Racham which means Mercy and the letter r  means head or the highest. The final letter t is for hw”q.Ti Tikvah which means hope and the letter t means covenant, sign or cross. When you put it all together, it says:

Koof (Behind/back of the Head – last)

Tet (Surround)

Resh (Head or the highest)

Tav (Covenant, Sign, Cross)

He is the head of the body and it is his holiness that purifies us and surrounds us with His love.  His mercy offers us hope and it is through His covenant on the cross that we can enter into His presence. Simply put, “Yahweh has got your back.”

Temple Incense: A Chip Off The Ole Block

When all the ingredients of the Holy Incense are mixed together they produce something that is very precious, pleasing and holy to Yahweh.

 The priests of ancient Israel gathered the ingredients, which were crushed to a powder, weighed out, mixed together and melted down into a large block which was more easily transported.

 “And thou shall make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.” (Exodus 30:36)

 Each day the High Priest would chip off some of the solid block, crush it into fine powder and pour it over red hot coals to release the beautiful fragrant smoke.

 Like that large block of incense, there is just so much to pray about that we cannot cover everything in one session. 

 In our own prayer time, all we can do is chip off a little each day and crush it to powder by getting down to the fine detail. By praying for specific events, individual people, their needs and well-being our prayers are refined, rather than praying in broad and meaningless statements. Seasoned with salt, our prayers are to be enduring, as a reminder of the perpetual covenant between God and Israel which He renews daily and confirms.

 Should we see our lives on a “large” annual scale, or should we see them on a relatively “tiny” daily scale? The essence is to live each day to the fullest, paying attention to all the ingredients that go into making them up. This includes seeing the ingredients that don’t smell so good as an important part of life.

 And then, when we get to Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, we can look back on a year full of full days. By Yom Kippur, our Qetoret (incense) will already have been ground and our prayer life is refined with knowing how to pray when we enter the throne room.

To purchase a copy of Rebecca’s latest book, Qetoret: The Fragrance of Prayer, from which this excerpt was taken, please visit her website: http://HealWithOil.com. She also has pure resins and essential oils of the ingredients of the Holy (Exodus 30) Incense.

What is Galbanum in the Holy Incense (Temple Incense)?

For more information about the biblical fragrances, please visit my website http://RATW.org or http://HealWithOil.com.

Resembling a giant fennel plant, Galbanum (Ferula galbaniflua, member of the carrot family) was used in the ancient world as incense. Native to the Middle East and grown in the Mesopotamian area and West Asia, Galbanum had to be imported in biblical times. Today it is cultivated in Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

Galbanum, also called “Mother resin,” is discharged from the roots and lower trunk of this small wild plant. It is harvested by slitting its stem a few inches above the ground, allowing the milky substance to flow out and harden. Its balsamic tears are round, yellow to brownish-yellow, translucent, and not larger than a pea. It has been valued for its complex green, woody, balsam-like fragrance. At one time it was used in pharmaceuticals, but now it is mostly used as a food flavoring and as a perfume fixative. The Egyptians imported Galbanum resin in vast amounts, as it was a most treasured incense ingredient. In addition, Egypt used it for embalming and cosmetics.

The Jewish Talmud suggests that Galbanum, a bitter, earthy gum resin from an Asiatic plant was included in the Holy Incense because “Every communal fast that does not include the sinners of Israel is not a fast.” This was because the Temple incense included spices with beautiful fragrances, but was considered incomplete without a less-than-fragrant aromatic such as Galbanum. Described by some modern Bible commentators as having a pleasant smell, Philo praises Galbanum, comparing it to air and calling it sweet smelling and says its smoke drives away serpents. 

This sharp, biting pungent resin could be equated with some of the unpleasant things we need to pray about. We are required to examine ourselves carefully as we meditate on the Holy Scriptures,

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Yeshua Ha Mashiach is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (II Corinthians 13:5) 

A genuine self-examination can be a very unpleasant experience. The Jewish Talmud say, Chelbenah alludes to complete sinners. Like a Tziporen-fingernail, they are smooth and unblemished on the inside, and only darkened on the outside.

In Hebrew, Galbanum is Chelbenah.  The Hebraic root is Cheleb, which means “the fat or the richest part” and Chalab, which means “milk.” Of the animal sacrifices in Scripture, the fat was reserved for God and burned as a soothing aroma to Him (Genesis 4:4, Leviticus 3:14-16).

 In the Greek, Galbanum is simply a borrowing of the Hebrew word, so there is no chance of error in translation from Hebrew to Greek.  It is mentioned in the Egyptian papyri and only once in the Old Testament as an ingredient of the sacred incense and once in the Apocrypha (Sirach 24:15).

Spiritual Significance of the Holy Incense (Qetoret)

In an article entitled, “The Spiritual Significance of the Qetoret (Incense) in Ancient Jewish Tradition,” author Rabbi Avraham Sutton describes the momentous archeological discovery of the Holy Incense:

“In March 1988, Vendyl Jones and his team of Bnei Noah volunteers found a clay juglet about five inches in height in a cave in Qumran, just west of the northern end of the Yam HaMelach (Dead Sea). The juglet contained a reddish oil. It is believed to be the only surviving sample of the balsam oil that was prescribed in the Torah for anointing the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its vessels, as well as the Cohanim-Priests and Kings of Israel. The oil, when found, had a honey-like consistency. The juglet in which it was found was wrapped in palm leaves and carefully concealed in a 3-foot deep pit which preserved it from looting and the extreme climatological extremes of the area.

In April 1992, Vendyl and his team discovered 600 kilos of “reddish-brown organic substance” in a carefully sealed rock silo in another part of the Qumran cave complex. Subsequent palynological analysis determined that this reddish-brown substance contains traces of at least eight of the eleven spices that were used in the manufacture of the Pitum HaQetoret (Incense Mixture) and burned in the Temple.

In 1994, the incense spices were presented to Rabbi Yehudah Getz of blessed memory, late Chief Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Places in Israel. A sample was also given to Rabbi Ovadiah Yoseph. Rabbi Ovadiah had his own chemist analyze the mixture to confirm its organic nature. Then both rabbis requested that Vendyl Jones “burn” some of the incense for scientific purposes (not with fire but with hydrochloric acid). At their suggestion, he had the spices combined together with the Sodom Salt and Karshina Lye which were also found stored separately in the cave in Qumran.

The results were astonishing. Although the spices had lost some of their potency over the two millennia since their burial, it was still powerful. The residue of its fragrance lingered in the vicinity for several days following the experiment. Several people present reported that their hair and clothing retained the aroma. More amazing, the area in which the spices were burned changed. It had been infested with a variety of flies, ants, moths and other insects. After the Qetoret was burned, no sign of these pests was seen for quite a while. This is reminiscent of the Mishnah in Avot (5:5) which states that there were no flies in the area of the Temple, nor was a snake or scorpion ever able to harm anyone anywhere in Jerusalem as long as the Temple stood.

Rabbi Avraham Sutton stated he work with Vendyl Jones in 1995 and met Avraham Sand of Tiferet International Aromatherapy, a master perfumer who was able to authenticate and obtain nine of the original eleven incense spices and reproduce them in the form of essential oils. In essence, Sand was able to parallel Vendyl’s discoveries of both the Anointing Oil and Qetoret in Qumran. His work was supervised under the rabbinical guidance of Rabbi Menachem Burstein, the foremost Jewish authority on the botany and chemistry of Temple artifacts. This was done in order to sidestep the strict prohibition against experimentation with the various plant materials in their original form. Rabbi Burstein advised him that there is no prohibition whatsoever against enjoying the essential oil extracts of these same botanicals.

“By getting back in touch with the mystery of the Qetoret, and unearthing its ancient secrets,” Rabbi Avraham suggests, “we can awaken something else in ourselves that is sorely needed at this time.”

For more information about the biblical essential oils and fragrances of the bible, please visit my website http://HealWithOil.com or http://RATW.org. Rebecca at the Well Foundation is a Judeo-Christian organization devoted to preparing the bride for the Messiah’s return.  Rebecca Park Totilo is available to come and speak with your group on the Qetoret: The Fragrance of Prayer or another topic. Please contact her today.

Galbanum Essential Oil

In Exodus 30:34-36 the instructions for the mixing of the holy incense are given:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: and thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: and thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.”

The Old Testament Apocrypha dating back to BC 180 mentions the formula for holy incense in Sirach 24:15, 1,000 years after Moses. 

Most of the spices and perfumes that made up the Temple incense were lovely and fragrant, but Galbanum had a more earthy, parsley-like smell.  The Jewish Talmud suggests that Galbanum—a less than wonderful fragrant resin—was included in the holy incense because “every communal fast that does not include the sinners of Israel is not a fast.”

The Hebrew word for “Galbanum” is cheleb, which means “the fat or the richest part.”  The Torah instructed the priest that when he offered up the goat as an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma, all the cheleb (the fat) belonged to the Lord and was forbidden for human consumption.

Believers are to be “lean” and to avoid fulfilling their lusts of worldly affections.  The excess Yah gives a believer is to be offered back up to Him to complete His mission and ministry on the earth, not for believers to be lazy and gluttonous with.

Therapeutic/Medicinal Uses

The essential oil of Galbanum is anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic.^[1]  It supports the kidneys and a woman’s menstrual cycle.  It is also helpful with asthma, poor circulation, wounds, acne, bronchitis, cramps, indigestion, muscular aches and pains, nervous tension, scar tissue, and wrinkles.

Galbanum has been reported to bring harmony and balance, easing stress.  It helps increase spiritual awareness and meditation. 

 

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[1] Essential Oils Desk Reference.  Essential Science Publishing.  Page 49.

For more information about the biblical essential oils, please visit Rebecca’s website at http://HealWithOil.com.

Burning Our Incense Before God

Burning Our Incense Before God          

By John Morton www.childrenofthepromises.org  (Used by permission)

Incense is a fragrant smoke obtained from burning resins.  It was burnt ceremonially on an altar before the mercy seat in the Tabernacle.  God said it was holy and should be burnt day and night for all of Israel’s generations.  Why was it holy?  What was its significance?  And does it have any implications for Christians today?

When Moses received instruction to build the tabernacle he was told to include an altar on which his brother Aaron was to burn incense every morning and every evening throughout all of Israel’s generations, “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon:….  …And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.  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 upon it, 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.” (Exodus 30:1, 6 -9).

God provided a recipe from which the incense was to be manufactured, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:  And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.  And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.   Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.”  (Exodus 30:34-38).

Prayers of the Saints

Why did God say the incense was holy?  David likened his prayer to incense, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2). The incense was holy because it represented the prayers of the saints, “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours (incense), which are the prayers of saints.” (Revelation 5:8). 

The altar on which the incense was to be burnt was located before the mercy seat, which represented God’s throne.  It was separated from the congregation by a veil through which only the high priest had access.  Once a year he entered the ‘holiest of all’ with blood to offer for the sins of the congregation.  This ceremony foreshadowed the time when Christ the high priest of the New Testament, offered his own life for the sins of all mankind and entered the presence of God the Father on His throne in heaven (Hebrews 9:6-15).  At the precise moment Christ died the veil in the temple was miraculously torn in two (Matthew 27:51) signifying a major event had taken place.  It meant that those whom God called through Christ, could now have direct access to the Father.  Effectively, in prayer, they could now come before the very throne of God, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:16).   

Just as the priesthood in ancient Israel were given a recipe from which to manufacture their incense so have their spiritual counterparts in this age been provided with a recipe for their prayer.  It was provided by non-other than our high priest, Jesus Christ, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:9-15).  This provides a structure on which to build a prayer covering the things that are important and pleasing to God.

The formula for prayer was not a mantra to be vainly repeated as many do (Matthew 6:7), but an outline of subjects to be considered (weighed and measured), expounded and discussed in person with God the Father to whom the saints now have direct access.  Not as if talking to a God hidden behind a veil, but face to face with a loving Father who is deeply concerned for our wellbeing and future.  It is a structure to which can be added certain aspects represented by the ingredients of the incense to provide a well-balanced relationship with God through prayer.

Stacte

The first ingredient was stacte.  Stacte is a gum that exudes from certain trees in liquid drops that harden and are known as ‘tears’.  The stacte or storax shrub grows in abundance in the lower hills of Israel.  Those tears represent the tears shed in prayer, an example set by Christ himself, “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;” (Hebrews 5:7). 

Do we pray with stacte?  Do we shed unfeigned tears as we cry out to God for help?  Do we shed tears of true repentance?  What about the tears when we weep and mourn for what is happening around us in this world today as we pray for God’s Kingdom to come, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4).  Do we shed tears when we receive forgiveness, or when we forgive others?  Are there heartfelt tears in our prayers when we discuss the confusion that abounds in the churches of God today.  Do we experience tears of joy and thankfulness as prayers are answered and God’s hand is so apparent in our lives.

Onycha

Some confusion has arisen among Bible scholars by the use of the Greek word ‘onyx’ in the Septuagint.  Onyx is an agate with a fingernail like opacity that has for some reason been associated with a claw shaped shellfish.  However, the Hebrew word ‘shecheleth’ is believed to refer to a resin with a nail-like shine.  According to the Encyclopedia of Bible Plants (F Nigel Hepper 1992) onycha is more likely to be a plant resin.  Other sources (W Walker, All the Plants of the Bible) indicate that it is the rock-rose that grows about three feet high, a soft glutinous resin exudes from its leaves and stems.  It is highly aromatic and fragrant.  It is also credited as having great medicinal properties.

The resinous substance with medicinal properties seems to be the most likely ingredient for the sacred incense when considering the healing effect prayer has. 

We include onycha in our prayer by praying for those in need of healing?  Christ had great compassion for the sick, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” (Matthew 14:14).  The requests from brethren who are suffering from all sorts of illnesses simply cannot be ignored.  Christ also had compassion on those who needed spiritual healing, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36).  It is important to pray for Christ’s return to bring about that spiritual healing.    

Galbanum

The third ingredient is galbanum.  This one almost seems out of place.  It comes from a plant that is found growing from Syria to Iran.  It belongs to the same family as fennel and has a sharp biting smell.  The resin when burnt gives off a pungent, rather disagreeable odour.  This ingredient equates with some of the unpleasant things we need to pray about.  We are required to examine ourselves carefully, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (II Corinthians 13:5).  A genuine self-examination can be a very unpleasant experience.  It is not easy to go down on our knees before the Head of the Universe and confess our sins, to admit that we are wrong, to realise before God that we are like filthy rags, unworthy and undeserving.   

Frankincense

The fourth and final ingredient is the one that we have all heard about – frankincense – a resin from a tree that grows in the Himalayas in India and on the Arabian peninsular.  It is recognised as the finest burning incense in the world and its name means ‘free lighting’.  It is referred to as pure frankincense.  We pray for our thoughts and deeds to be purified before God, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:8).  This is done by, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (II Corinthians 10:5).

When all these ingredients are mixed together they produce something that is very precious, pleasing and holy to God.

The priests of ancient Israel gathered the ingredients, which were crushed to a powder, weighed out, mixed together and melted down into a large block which was more easily transported.  Each day the High Priest would chip off some of the solid block, crush it into fine powder and pour it over red hot coals to release the beautiful fragrant smoke, “And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.” (Exodus 30:36).

Like that large block of incense there is just so much to pray about that we cannot cover everything in one session.  All we can do is chip off a little each day, crush it to powder by getting down to fine detail, praying for specific events, individual people, their needs, their healing and well-being, rather than praying in broad statements.   The incense was to be burnt perpetually meaning we are to pray continually and be ready to pray at any time as needs arise, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” (Romans 12:12).

Burning the resins on hot coals is reminiscent of the fiery trials we must face from time to time.  When trials become hot and fiery we immediately cry out to God for help.  Just as the heat of the coals releases the aroma of the incense instantly, our prayers in times of need are instantly released.  And God is there expecting our prayer and ready to “meet with thee” (Exodus 30: 6 above), implying that He hears our prayer and will respond.  He doesn’t want us to quit and walk away when we feel the heat of those trials.  He gets great joy when we seek Him out in fervent pray, “Ointment and perfume (incense) rejoice the heart:” (Proverbs 27:9). Our prayers bring God great pleasure.

Incense burnt on the altar before the mercy seat represented the prayers of the saints and each ingredient represents an aspect of prayer that can be assimilated into the prayer outline that Christ provided to achieve a well-balanced prayerful relationship with God.  By coming daily before His throne confessing our sins and with sincere repentance that leads to the purification of thoughts and actions we can also pray effectively for the physical and spiritual well-being of others.  Our prayer can achieve a great deal, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16).   

When we come before God to burn our incense in prayer, whether on a regular daily basis, or instantly in the heat of fiery trails, we know that our prayers are heard by our Father, to whom they are precious and holy. 

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