The Priestly Prayer of the Blessing

In the first portion of the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing YHWH (your heavenly Father) kneels in front of you, His spiritual son or daughter, as a good parent desiring to make Himself available and minister to you. In the second portion your heavenly Father places His arms around you with a divine embrace, holding you in His strong arms of protection and security. In the third portion it’s as if He loosens His divine embrace and while still keeping His holy hands upon your shoulders, He pulls away enough for you to see Him face-to-face so you can experience His reality and person.

We are now going to explore what it means for YHWH (your heavenly Father) to make His face shine upon you! To get started, we need to understand that in Hebraic thought, light equates to order and darkness to chaos.

In the beginning [G-D] created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, darkness [chaos] was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of [G-D] was moving over the surface of the water. [G-D] said, “Let there be light [order],” and there was light [order]. [G-D] saw that the light [order] was good, and [G-D] separated the light [order] from the darkness [chaos].

—GENESIS 1:1–4

By amplifying the verses above with this concept, we see that when the earth was without form, void, and in the dark, there was chaos. Light had to be created first so that YHWH could bring order. When the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing is proclaimed over you by Yeshua (Jesus) our High Priest, you will find that the face of G-D shining upon you brings order. As the Father imparts a portion of Himself upon you, your thoughts will become singular.

The enemy of our souls loves to bring confusion. As the enemy attacks us with circumstances, trials, and challenges, we often find ourselves embroiled in conflicting thoughts. We often become apprehensive and disquieted, and sometimes this leads to oppression or even depression. Many times we are conflicted and puzzled when making decisions.

Yet when the face of YHWH (our heavenly Father) begins to shine upon us, we sense that everything is going to be OK. Suddenly we become single-minded. Our thoughts become aligned with His thoughts.

Just as YHWH said at creation, “Let there be light,” to bring to order that which was in darkness and chaos, so too this occurs when we can spiritually see His face (panim) because His face is the source of illumination—of light. Or is the Hebrew word for shine, and it connotes that when the light of His face begins to shine upon you, He brings order into your life. Chaos, wrong thinking, and conflicting thoughts must leave. Your God-given purpose, your calling becomes crystal clear. You suddenly begin to understand the revelation of a step-by-step process that will help you begin to fulfill whatever your God-given assignment on earth truly is.

Confusion is gone, conflicting thoughts are gone, and the enemy’s interference is negated. Now, YHWH is ready to begin His creation—His restoration—His breathing new life into you so that you can move to the next level of His glory.

The Hebrew word for restoration is arukah. “The biblical meaning is to receive back more than has been lost to the point that the final state is greater than the original condition. Unlike the regular dictionary’s meaning of restoration, which is to return something back to its original condition, the biblical definition of the word has greater connotations that go above and beyond the typical everyday usage.”¹

When the face of YHWH (our heavenly Father) radiates the glory light of His presence toward you, things are transformed. The children of Israel became slaves in Egypt by a wicked taskmaster, Pharaoh. G-D appeared to Moses in the burning bush in the wilderness. It was the light of His very person in that bush, and Moses heard the voice of G-D projecting out from the light of G-D’s face shining onto him.

Moses received clear instructions. He was assigned the task of being G-D’s chosen vessel to deliver the children of Israel out of bondage. More than His delivering them out of the hands of Pharaoh, YHWH wanted to impart a covenant relationship with them where He (YHWH) would call them into order. He did this through imparting His Torah (His instructions, precepts, and commandments) so they could thrive even in the midst of the desert.

In Exodus 23 G-D promises seven specific blessings to those who walk in His precepts and fellowship with Him during His weekly Sabbath and in His appointed times, the seven feasts of YHWH.

Then again YHWH appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of the Shekinah glory, His very face beaming and causing Moses’s face to shine with the reflection of G-D’s glory. In the midst of the glory is where YHWH gave Moses the Ten Commandments written by His own finger. You see, the greatest communication comes when we are close to the face of G-D our Father shining upon us!

Moses then spent time with G-D in the temporary dwelling place, the tent of meeting, standing in the Shekinah glory. It was there in the midst of the glory where the one true G-D imparted to Moses His precepts and instruction as contained in the Torah. All this was given to bring order out of the chaos and the darkness that Satan had wrought on the earth, deceiving even the very elite, since the fall of Adam and Eve.

After Moses received the Ten Commandments, YHWH gave Moses the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing. When this portion of the divine prayer is proclaimed over you in the name (shem) of Yeshua the Jewish High Priest in heaven, the very face of your heavenly Father will shine upon you as it did to Moses. The face of Moses began to shine from the reflection of being in the presence of the Shekinah glory—the illumination of the very face (panim) of G-D shining out from the midst of the cloud toward him.

The impartation of the words of the Torah came to Moses while spending time in the Shekinah glory of the Most High G-D. Enlightenment comes to us, opening up understanding from the Word of G-D, which proceeds out of the face of our heavenly Father illuminating upon us His revelation. When G-D spoke during creation, things came into existence.

[G-D] said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

—GENESIS 1:3

Then [G-D] said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” . . . And it was so.

—GENESIS 1:6–7

Then [G-D] said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.

—GENESIS 1:9

When YHWH appears before you face-to-face as a result of this portion of the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing, His face shines upon you. His mouth proceeds to declare words of blessing and promises that come alive as they ignite and bear fruit in your life! Darkness is dispelled.

The Hebrew word or also speaks of a door or a portal. It is order that opens the door to the next level, to the next opportunity, and into the supernatural of G-D.

When the face of your heavenly Father shines upon you, there is a doorway or portal to heaven opened. When the face of YHWH comes close to you and you gaze into His loving eyes, you begin to see heavenly things.

Doorways or portals into heaven are talked about in the Tanakh (Old Testament). Prior to G-D’s covenant with Moses and the children of Israel, these portals were avenues where angels could ascend and descend, and certain individuals were able to get a glimpse of what was in heaven.

Jacob, whose name was changed by G-D to Israel, discovered a heavenly portal. Jacob spent the night in a place where his grandfather Abraham had “called upon the name of the Lord” (Gen. 13). Jacob fell asleep with his head propped up on a “covenant stone.” His dream was so real that it transformed his life.

[Jacob] came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of that place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. He dreamed and saw a ladder set up on the earth with the top of it reaching to heaven. The angels of [G-D] were ascending and descending on it. [YHWH] stood above it and said, “I am the LORD [G-D] of Abraham your father and the [G-D] of Isaac. The land on which you lie, to you will I give it and to your descendants. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and in your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. Remember, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.”

Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely [YHWH] is in this place, and I did not know it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other but the house of [G-D], and this is the gate of heaven.”

—GENESIS 28:11–17

A portal opened for Jacob, which was a way he could glimpse into heaven and see YHWH in the form of His Shekinah glory. In addition, he received a word that echoed the same promises concerning the land of Israel as an inheritance that YHWH gave to his father, Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham. Jacob made a pillar out of the stone upon which he had laid his head. Jacob called it the “Dwelling Place of YHWH (YeHoVaH or YaHWeH).”

Ezekiel the prophet also experienced the portal or door into heaven even in the midst of the Babylonian captivity of the children of Israel. In fact, he experienced an even greater portal opened up to him.

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Kebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of [YHWH]. . . .

The hand of the LORD was upon me there, and [YHWH] said to me, Rise, go out into the plain, and I will talk with you there. Then I arose, and went out into the plain. And the glory of [YHWH] stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Kebar, and I fell on my face.

—EZEKIEL 1:1; 3:22–23

Not only did he see into heaven and behold the Shekinah glory of YHWH (YeHoVaH or YaHWeH), but he experienced the impartation of the power of the glory as it was emitted from the face (panim) of G-D shining down upon him.

King David, under the inspiration of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), wrote about the appearance of YHWH in the glory as He comes through such a door or portal.

Lift up your heads, O you gates [portals]; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter. Who is this King of glory? [YHWH] strong and mighty, [YHWH] mighty in battle.

—PSALM 24:7–8

Yeshua said that He was the only way to heaven, whereby we have access to YHWH (the heavenly Father).

I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

—JOHN 10:9

[Yeshua] said to him, “I am the way [door], the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

—JOHN 14:6

Yeshua was alluding to His being like the “Door of the Tabernacle.” There was only one way to go into the tabernacle (which was a type or foreshadow of the heavenly tabernacle). Yeshua was saying that He was that door!

Yeshua opened a portal or a door by which we can now have access to the Father. We can by faith go into the holy of holies in heaven (G-D’s throne room) where Yeshua is seated at the right hand of the Father, Yeshua’s throne being the heavenly mercy seat.

Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

—HEBREWS 4:16

When this portion of the divine prayer is pronounced over you in the name (shem) of Yeshua your High Priest, you do not have to go up by faith into the heavenly throne room, but rather it is the face of YHWH (your heavenly Father) coming down from heaven to shine upon you.

Paul shares how the end of our journey is ultimately seeing G-D face-to-face. Our spiritual journey on earth is likened to looking in a mirror and beholding not just our image but the image of YHWH (our heavenly Father) reflecting back at us.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, and I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see as through a glass, dimly, but then, face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as I also am known.

—1 CORINTHIANS 13:11–12

Of course, the fullness of seeing G-D our Father face-to-face will occur after the resurrection when our bodies are instantly changed from that which is corruptible to that which is immortal! At that time, we won’t just be spiritual sons and daughters of G-D, but we will be physical children of G-D as well. Yet we need to know that in this period of end-time preparation for the return of YHWH (our heavenly Father) and Yeshua, when New Jerusalem descends from heaven onto the earth, that through the “rediscovery” on how to proclaim over ourselves G-D’s Priestly Prayer of the Blessing, we can begin to have G-D’s face (panim) shining His glory upon us now! When this happens, it will usher us into being transformed from one level of glory to the next.

Nevertheless when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, seeing the glory of [YHWH] with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.

—2 CORINTHIANS 3:16–18

When YHWH (our heavenly Father) shines His face (panim) upon you, His order is imparted to you and your thoughts become His thoughts.

Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things.

—PHILIPPIANS 4:8

When the face of G-D shines upon you, you won’t have to strive to place your mind in subjection to meditate on such thoughts. It’s not you having to try and take every thought captive to obtain the “Mind of Messiah.”

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of [YHWH], and take every thought captive to obey [Messiah].

—2 CORINTHIANS 10:4–5, ESV

By default of being in such intimacy with our heavenly Father, you receive divine thinking that overpowers your own thoughts and human reasoning with His perfect and pure thoughts! An outpouring of His grace transfers to you through the illumination of His glory.

In the last few years, as the reality of this teaching was revealed to me, I had a powerful encounter with YHWH my heavenly Father.

I was lying on my bed, starting to come out of a good night’s sleep yet not quite awake, when suddenly I saw a face close to my face. The face was shining with a golden hue, and I could see beautiful eyes—full of compassion and love. I saw a mouth that had the most beatific smile. The rest of the features were hard to discern, but I felt a tremendous peace. It was the same peace I felt as a five-year-old child when I had the dream of being in heaven and experienced the Shekinah glory of YHWH.

I realized that I was feeling “indescribable bliss” as a result of the face I was beholding, and I said to myself, “I want to feel like this all the time!” The thought came to me, “I am Abba—your Father.” The next thing I knew, I yelled out, “Father!” I sensed the breath from the mouth of His face breathing into my nostrils. I inhaled deeply and experienced an impartation, my soul awakening to a new sense of the Shekinah glory of the one true G-D of Israel.

When I had first recognized Yeshua as my Messiah and my Lord (Adonai), I had a powerful sense of peace and joy that flooded my entire being. Yet this encounter with the face of YHWH (my heavenly Father) was far greater than anything I’d ever experienced before. For over two years every day I had been proclaiming the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing over myself in the name (shem) of my High Priest Yeshua. What I noticed was that unlike any time before, my thoughts were not conflicted.

All I could dwell on was the face that appeared before me and the person of my heavenly Father.

My entire being felt centered on the Most High G-D! It wasn’t due to any effort on my part. It was the result of the appearance of the very face of the one true G-D. He was bringing order to my life. It was His face shining upon me. The Hebrew word for shine is or, and it also means “to ignite, to set on fire, to bring revival.”

The moment I shouted out, “Father!” and experienced Him breathing His breath into my nostrils, I sensed an impartation of new life—of inspiration—I felt like I was resurrected from the dead. As a result, my very thoughts became His—my stream of consciousness was single-minded on the things of G-D. I felt like I was in perfect sync with the one true G-D of Israel.

He gave me a list of items that I need to accomplish for the kingdom in the exact order in which I was to complete each task. He then gave me the method to realize these tasks. Some required the engaging of other people. I sensed that He was helping me to take charge of my life by the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish my God-given destiny, calling, and purpose.

After my encounter with the face of G-D, I opened my Bible and was directed to the following scripture about the relationship between YHWH (our heavenly Father) and Yeshua. Even greater than this, I was able to see for myself what the grand finale of the second coming of Yeshua will usher in.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in [Messiah Yeshua], who, though he was in the form of [YHWH, the heavenly Father], did not count equality with [G-D] a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore [YHWH, our heavenly Father] has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of [Yeshua] every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that [Yeshua HaMashiach] is Lord [Adonai], to the glory of [G-D] the Father.

—PHILIPPIANS 2:5–11, ESV

The above scripture shares that YHWH has given Yeshua a name above every name. Yet I have never understood what was revealed to me next as I turned to the next scripture.

But in fact, [Messiah] has been raised from the dead. [Messiah] is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man [Adam], now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man [Yeshua, Jesus]. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to [Messiah] will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: [Messiah] was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to [Messiah] will be raised when [Messiah] comes back.

—1 CORINTHIANS 15:20–23, NLT

The above scripture is talking about the order of the resurrection being the death and resurrection of Yeshua first, followed by all who are believers and under the new covenant being raised (or raptured) during the return of Yeshua. Those who were dead will be resurrected first, then we who are alive shall also be raptured, and our bodies will be changed from that which is mortal to immortal. We will not just be spiritual sons and daughters of G-D, but physical sons and daughters. We will be like Yeshua Himself.

After that the end will come, when [Yeshua, Jesus] will turn the Kingdom over to [YHWH, G-D the Father], having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For [Messiah] must reign until [G-D the Father] humbles all [Yeshua’s] enemies beneath [Messiah’s] feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “[G-D the Father] has put all things under [Yeshua’s] authority.” Of course, when it says “all things are under [Yeshua’s] authority,” that does not include [G-D the Father] himself, who gave [Messiah] his authority. Then, when all things are under [Yeshua’s] authority, the Son will put himself under [G-D the Father’s] authority, so that [G-D the Father], who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

—1 CORINTHIANS 15:24–28, NLT

What stunned me about this passage is it clearly states that though Yeshua’s name is above every name, His name is not above the name of the Father. Here in this grand finale we see that “the Son will put himself under [G-D the Father’s] authority, so that [G-D the Father], who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.”

The grand finale of all things is when our heavenly Father will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere! I was stunned to find this out. Immediately I heard the still, small voice of G-D say, “So Warren, what are you waiting for?” If the end of all things is that YHWH (our heavenly Father) will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere, shouldn’t we be ready for the Father to reveal Himself to us now through His Priestly Prayer of the Blessing? This is why I know I was given the awesome responsibility to share how we can gain ultimate access to YHWH (our heavenly Father) through this divine prayer!

It is from the face of G-D that we receive instruction. His mouth whispers words when He is close to us. His Word is a lamp to our feet—it lights the way, the path, the narrow road that we should follow.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

—PSALM 119:105

It’s not a struggle when we are in His presence. We become centered, not wanting to go to the left or the right without His instruction or beckoning. Sometimes He is directing us to retreat! Other times He gently compels us to stay perfectly still, waiting and basking in Him as He appears to us in the form of the Shekinah glory. We are to wait so we can be replenished, strengthened, invigorated, and bathed in heavenly downloads of His instruction and His revelation.

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.

—ISAIAH 40:31

Since that day my life has never been the same. As I proclaim the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing over myself, in the manner in which YHWH instructed, in the name (shem) of Yeshua my High Priest—I find myself more in sync moment by moment each day with the one true G-D of Israel’s plans for my life.

It is normal for me now to be in constant communication with the Father, even when I’m doing minimal tasks, when I’m watching the news on TV, when I’m driving in my car, when people are talking to me. I sense Him helping me to filter the conversation in light of eternity. My level of discernment has been sharpened.

The Book of Hebrews declares that mature religion is having your senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age (spiritually mature), that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

—HEBREWS 5:14, NKJV

When the face of the Father comes close to you, you begin to see through His eyes and hear through His ears. You begin to be able to smell the atmosphere, whether it is of G-D or of the enemy! Your heart becomes filled with the things of G-D and eternity—you become full of compassion! Your mind is no longer conflicted, having to cast down ungodly imaginations, fleshly temptations, evil, or accusations of the enemy! Instead your mind is filled with those things that are good, lovely, and of good report (Phil. 4:8).

Each day when I proclaim the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing over myself, I find that He and His Ruach HaKodesh become stronger in me. I am enabled to function at a higher level with all the responsibilities I have first as a husband, a father, and a grandfather, and with all of the many tasks I have to perform in my job and ministry.

Many people who work alongside of me on a daily basis ask me, “How are you able to accomplish so much?” I believe that all glory must go to G-D for first revealing the reality of Yeshua as being my Messiah and Lord (Adonai) when I received the new birth, and then placing the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) within me and upon me. Yet, greatest of all, is the Father now making Himself known to me in the most tangible way.

For me, it began with YHWH (the heavenly Father) revealing Himself to me in the form of the Shekinah glory in the dream I had as a little boy. I know now that my main purpose for being born is to share the revelation that through this Priestly Prayer of the Blessing you too can enter into a life guided by the power of the Most High G-D. Like never before you will experience the supernatural power to accomplish your divine calling, purpose, and destiny!

It is one thing to be successful, but many times our achievements can be built on the “dead bodies” of others! The most impressive thing I have heard others say to me is that they have observed my attitude as being “full of peace, gentleness, and humility.” When conflicts arise and the pressures from deadlines come, even in the midst of the enemy’s attacks, I have been able to exhibit the “fruit of the Ruach HaKodesh.” This is not to my credit at all, but instead, it is because I have now been given the key to having access to the Father Himself, along with intimacy with Yeshua and the Ruach HaKodesh.

When the face of YHWH is close to you, His voice is released in whispers—the still, small voice of the Lord G-D Almighty is constantly communicating to His spiritual sons and daughters.

The LORD make His face to shine upon you.

—NUMBERS 6:25

May YHWH (YeHoVaH, YaHWeH, your heavenly Father) illuminate the wholeness of His being toward you, continually bringing order, so that you will fulfill your God-given destiny and purpose.

KEYS TO THE BLESSING

In creation when G-D said, “Let there be light,” it brought order out of the chaos and darkness that existed so that He could begin creation. So too when His face illuminates light upon you, it is so He can bring restoration and bring you to the next level of His glory!

STUDY QUESTIONS

When you are face-to-face with the Father, what do you want to share with Him? What do you want to ask Him for?

What does it mean when G-D opens heavenly portals or doors to you?

When G-D’s face shines upon you, what attributes does this bring into your life?