Opening the Gates of Heaven Perry Stone

In a short time Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, were slain in a battle, and the ark of the covenant was seized by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:10–11). Eli heard of his sons’ deaths, and he fell backward off a wall and broke his neck (v. 18). Thus Samuel’s words never “fell to the ground.” What he spoke came to pass. All of Israel knew that Samuel was a prophet and that the Lord was with him. They knew that when he spoke, the Lord fulfilled it. The mark of true saints and people of the Most High God is that when we pray, God answers our prayers. This is how others who are outside of the faith know that our God is with us—when we seek God He is found, when we knock on the door He opens, and when we ask He gives us our petitions (Matt. 7:7). T HE A VTINAS AND THE S MOKE According to Jewish writings, the method of preparing the incense was a secret guarded by a family called the Avtinas. This family, selected by the Sanhedrin, knew the exact measurements and mixture, and they also knew a family secret concerning a special herb used in the mixture called ma‘aleh ashan, meaning, “that which causes smoke to rise.” This mysterious herb is said to have caused the smoke of the incense to rise in a straight pillar or column off the golden altar. The family was given a chamber on the south side of the temple over the water gate, called the Chamber of the Avtinas. The family was criticized for not sharing their secrets