"The golden altar, or altar of incense, was before the veil in the first apartment of the sanctuary.
Within the crown of gold encircling the top of the altar, holy fire was kept constantly burning, (Exodus 30:8) from which ascended the fragrant smoke of the incense placed upon it every morning and evening.
The high priest alone was to perform the sacred duty of placing incense before the Lord on the golden altar. (Exodus 30:7-8).
Our minds should often dwell upon the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. (Hebrews 3:1).
John, the beloved disciple, was permitted several times in vision to behold the Savior officiating in the heavenly sanctuary.
--He saw a heavenly being standing at the glorious golden altar.
--He beheld the incense offered upon that holy altar.
--How it must have thrilled his soul when lie saw that precious incense added to the poor, faltering prayers of the struggling saints here on the earth:
*He saw those prayers, after the incense was added, ascend up before God, and they were accepted because they were made fragrant with the incense. "We know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the Will of God." (Romans 8:26-27) But even the Spirit could not present the prayers of sinful mortals before a pure and holy God without adding the fragrant incense.
David understood what was typified by the incense, and prayed, "Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." (Psalms 141:2).
The horns of the golden altar were often touched with the blood of the sin-offering, thus typifying that it was Christ's death that made it possible for our prayers to be answered and for us to be clothed in His righteousness.
--As the fragrance of the incense was not confined to the sanctuary, but was carried in the air to the surrounding neighborhood; so in like manner, when one is clothed with Christ's righteousness, an influence will go out from him which those that come in contact with him will recognize by its fragrance as of heavenly origin."
TheCrossAndTheShadow by Stephen Haskell
Within the crown of gold encircling the top of the altar, holy fire was kept constantly burning, (Exodus 30:8) from which ascended the fragrant smoke of the incense placed upon it every morning and evening.
The high priest alone was to perform the sacred duty of placing incense before the Lord on the golden altar. (Exodus 30:7-8).
Our minds should often dwell upon the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. (Hebrews 3:1).
John, the beloved disciple, was permitted several times in vision to behold the Savior officiating in the heavenly sanctuary.
--He saw a heavenly being standing at the glorious golden altar.
--He beheld the incense offered upon that holy altar.
--How it must have thrilled his soul when lie saw that precious incense added to the poor, faltering prayers of the struggling saints here on the earth:
*He saw those prayers, after the incense was added, ascend up before God, and they were accepted because they were made fragrant with the incense. "We know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the Will of God." (Romans 8:26-27) But even the Spirit could not present the prayers of sinful mortals before a pure and holy God without adding the fragrant incense.
David understood what was typified by the incense, and prayed, "Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." (Psalms 141:2).
The horns of the golden altar were often touched with the blood of the sin-offering, thus typifying that it was Christ's death that made it possible for our prayers to be answered and for us to be clothed in His righteousness.
--As the fragrance of the incense was not confined to the sanctuary, but was carried in the air to the surrounding neighborhood; so in like manner, when one is clothed with Christ's righteousness, an influence will go out from him which those that come in contact with him will recognize by its fragrance as of heavenly origin."
TheCrossAndTheShadow by Stephen Haskell