The Altar of Incense
The Golden Incense Altar was made of Acacia Wood and
Overlaid with Gold.
The measurements of the table were as follows:
The Incense altar was 1 Cubit long X 1 Cubit Wide X
2 Cubits High, with 4 Golden Horns and all made in one Piece, with a Golden
Moulding.
The Incense Altar had 4 Golden Rings with 2 inserted
poles of Acacia Wood, which were overlaid with Gold.
The Altar of Incense speaks of Christ Our Intercessor.
The prophecy about Jesus Christ in His role
as intercessor.
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:12
“He bore the sins of many and made intercession for
the transgressors”
Prophecy fulfilled: John 17:24
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and
to see my glory, the glory you have given me because You
loved Me before the creation of the world”
The Incense Altar was behind the Curtain in The Holy
of Holies. It was in the same room as the Ark of the Covenant, because on
the Day of Atonement when Aaron placed incense on the Incense Altar smoke
covered (atonement=cover) the (The mercy seat) and filled the Holy of Holies.
If it were in the
Hebrews
9:1-4
The bronze censor was placed on the incense altar smoking
with incense, by the high priest.
Exodus
25:22 & 30:6
The Holy of Holies was the Place where God met with
Moses and the High Priest Aaron. The High Priest burnt “Fragrant Incense”
on The Altar, every morning and every evening. The
High Priest must burn Incense when He lights the Lamps at twilight, so that
incense will burn regularly before The Lord.
Non other than the correct Incense was to be offered
and no other “offerings” were to be offered on this altar. Once a year The
High Priest offered an annual “Atonement” sacrifice with the blood of the
annual Sin Offering, and placed some blood on the Altars Horns.
This was a provisional forgiveness for the High Priest
and the community that lasted for a year. Coals were taken from the Bronze
Altar and placed in the bronze censor, which was then placed on the Incense
altar.
No fire was to come into contact with the Altar.
The Incense altar speaks of prayer to God. The incense fragrance rises and fills The Holy
of Holies. This acted as a satisfactory (propitiating) sweet aroma to God.
The Incense of the Incense Altar
The ingredients of the incense were:
Stacte – Sweet gummy resin
Onycha – Ground mollusc
shell
Galbanum – Syrian Fennel
Frankincense – fragrant white gum from the Celli tree
All these ingredients speak of the perfection of the
person and work of The Messiah, Jesus Christ, as being pleasant to God.
All of these were equally mixed together to make the
incense.
The embers from
the bronze altar were carried in a bronze censor and placed on the incense
altar in the Holy of Holies. Two hand fulls of incense were sprinkled
on the hot coals and filled the Holy of Holies with smoke, it was a pleasing
aroma to The Lord.
The incense was pure and Holy
and could not be used for any other purpose in
Rev C.I Schofield’s Reference Bible states the
following.
“What is condemned here is making worship a mere pleasure
to the natural man, whether sensuous, as in beautiful music to please the
ear, or eloquence to give delight.”
Jesus states the truth in the following passage:
John 4:23-24
“God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship
in Spirit and in Truth”
Moses interceded for
He does this a number of times during the Jewish history.
The Golden Calf Failure:
Exodus 32:
9-11
“Leave Me alone so that my anger may bunr against them –
“Why should your anger burn against Your People, whom
you brought out of
The Kadesh Barnea failure:
Numbers
13-14:17-19
“In accordance with your great love (mercy) forgive
the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they
left
And many other times Moses interceded for
Jesus Christ
Intercedes for Himself
John 17:1
“The time
has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You”
Jesus Christ
Intercedes for His Disciples
John 17:15
“Protect them
from the Evil one”
Jesus Christ
Intercedes for Us His Church, His Body, His wife
John 17:21-24
“That all of them
may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I Am in You“ - “Father I want those you have give Me to be
where I Am, and to see Your Glory, the Glory You have give me because You
loved Me before the creation of the world.”
Hebrews 7:25
“He is able to save completely those who come to God
through Him, because He always lives to intercede through them”
Romans 8:34
“Who is He that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more
than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also
interceding for us”
The Holy Spirit Intercedes for Christ’s
Church
Romans
8:26-27
“The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We do not know
what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with
groans to deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind
of The Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to
God’s will.
The challenge of the Church is to
intercede for each other, and ourselves.
1Timothy
2:1-2
“I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers,
intercession and thanks giving be made foe everyone – for kings and those
in authority, that we may live in peace and quiet lives in all godliness
and holiness.”
Hebrews
4:16
“Let us come boldly to the throne of grace with confidence,
that we may receive mercy and acquire grace to help us in our time of need”
Colossians
4:2
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”
1 Thessalonians
5:17
“Pray continually”
God’s
Prayer Promises
Psalm 145:18
“The lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in
Truth.”
Hebrews
4:16
“Let us then approach (come boldly) the throne of grace
with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find (acquire) grace to
help us in our time of need”
1 Peter
3:12
“The eyes of The Lord are on the righteous and His
ears are attentive to their prayer”
Isaiah
55:6
“Seek The Lord while He may be found, call on while
He is near. Let the wicked forsake His way and the unrighteous man His thoughts
and let Him turn\return to the Lord and He will abundantly pardon”
Joel
2:32
“Everyone who calls upon the Name of The Lord will
be saved.”
Isaiah
65:24
“Before they call I Will answer, while they are still
speaking I will hear.”
Romans 10:12 –13
“Anyone who trusts in Him shall not be put to shame.
For there is no difference between Jew or Gentile - the same Lord is Lord
of all and richly blesses all who call upon Him, for everyone who calls
upon the Name of The Lord will be saved”
James
1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to Him”
Matthew 11:28
Jesus said, “Come unto Me
all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke
is easy and my burden is light”
The Churches Prayers:
Throughout the Epistles, the Apostles offered prayers
at particular times.
Look these up and read them for yourselves.
Ephesians 1:17
Ephesians 3:16-18
Ephesians 6:18-19
Philippians 1:9
Colossians 1:9-10
Colossians 4:12
