The King's Incense Altar

In the scriptures there is a strong correlation between the color or metal, gold, and the subject of kings and kingdoms.

In the furniture of the tabernacle that God instructed Moses and the children of Israel to build in the wilderness there was an altar of incense overlaid with gold: Ex. 30:1 "And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD."
While the main thrust of the above points us to Christ in his role as High Priest, it also points us to role as King, hearing the petitions of his subjects and either granting or denying their requests.

There are several points we make from the above passage:

1. The altar consisted of two types of materials. Since the altar is a type of Christ, this points us to both the fleshly nature of Christ and to his Deity.
2. Incense was burned upon the altar. This was a sweet smell unto God. As we will see the incense points us to the intercessory work of Christ.
3. The incense was to be a perpetual incense. Christ ever liveth and maketh intercession for us (Rom. 8:34).
4. The altar was crowned with gold. Since the altar is a type of Christ, we find that Christ is crowned with glory and honor:
a. Heb. 2:7 "Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:"
b. Heb. 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
5. The incense altar was set before the mercy seat and the ark of the covenant. This shows us that Christ's intercession on our behalf is based on the covenant work of Christ and the mercy of God.
6. An atonement was made upon the horns of the incense altar. This teaches us that it took the atoning blood of Christ for our prayers to find acceptance before God.
7. When Aaron dressed and lit the lamps, he was to burn sweet incense upon the altar. The lamps show forth the shining forth of the lives of Christ's disciples in his Church kingdom. Notice the continual intercessory work of Christ on our behalf as we try to worship and serve him in his church.

Next, we go to Rev. Chapter 8 where the above is unfolded for us: 8:1 "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake."

This passage points us back to the Old Testament tabernacle service in which the High Priest interceded on behalf of the people. In the Old Testament service there was a golden altar, a golden censer, a brazen altar with fire, and incense that was burned in the golden censer upon the golden altar. Also the throne in the Old Testament tabernacle service was a mercy seat that set upon the Ark of the Covenant. This service took place in the Most Holy Place.
While all the priests (the sons of Aaron) had censers with which to burn incense only the High Priest was to burn incense on the golden altar: Ex. 30:7 "And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations." This represented the intercessory work of the Lord Jesus Christ:

1. Rom. 8:34 "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." 2. Heb. 7:25 "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

Next this incense was burned with fire from off the altar. God warned the children of Israel that they were not to burn strange fire:

1. Ex. 30:9 "Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon."
2. Lev. 10:1 "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."
The fire that was to be used to burn incense was fire from off the brazen altar. It was upon the brazen altar that the sacrifice was burned. This represented the sacrificial atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is on the basis of his sacrificial atonement as the Lamb of God on the cross of Calvary that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, intercedes on behalf of his elect.

This intercession of the High Priest came with the prayers of the saints: Luke 1:10 "And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense." Our prayers gain acceptance with God because of Christ's sacrificial atonement and because of his intercession on our behalf.

Thus the angel that stood at the altar having a golden censer is the Lord Jesus Christ in his High Priestly office interceding on behalf of the saints. Here he offered up much incense upon the golden altar with the prayers of the saints. The sacrifice on the brazen altar is frequently said to be a sweet savour unto God. The incense that was burnt on the golden altar was sweet incense. Thus God is pleased with the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ and he is pleased that his people pray unto him because of the intercessory work of our High Priest Jesus Christ.

It is important to remember that the smoke of the incense comes with the prayers of the saints and ascends up before God. Thus our prayers are fragranced with Christ's intercessory work. It is his intercessory work that gives the sweet odour to our prayers that God receives.

"And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth." When a person is born of the Spirit he is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus (fire of the altar) and the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in his heart making intercessions that cannot be uttered: Rom. 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for 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."

The King's Crown

In the scriptures there is a very strong correlation between the color or metal, gold, and the subject of kings and kingdoms. Timely kings often wear crowns of gold upon their head during ceremonial activities. Our King, Jesus Christ has many crowns that he wears.

In the Old Testament types, we read of an incense altar that is crowned with gold, a table of showbread that is crowned with gold, and a mitre worn on the head of the High Priest that had a golden crown upon it. These all point to Christ.

Rev. 19:12 read: "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself."
"And on his head were many crowns." The Lord wears many crowns. A few of these crowns are set forth in the following verses:

1. Ex. 39:30 "And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD."
2. Lev. 21:12 "Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD."
3. Ps. 8:5 "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour."
4. Prov. 14:18 "The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge."
5. Is. 28:5 "In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,"
6. Matt. 27:29 "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!"

The King's Candlesticks

In the scriptures there is a strong correlation between the color or metal, gold, and the subject of kings or kingdoms. The candlestick in the scriptures is a lamp stand to give light in the holy place.

Rev. 1:12 "And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle."

In verse 20 the seven golden candlesticks are defined for us as the seven churches. Thus the golden candlestick in the scriptures is a picture or representation of God's church. In Ex. Chapter 25 the golden candlestick is introduced to us as one of the pieces of furniture found in the tabernacle. It had six branches and a main stem. Within these seven branches or stem were seven lamps. Each branch had three bowls made like unto almonds and the main stem had four bowls. This was a total of 22 bowls within the candlestick. Each bowl had a knop and a flower. To trim and clean the lamps there were tongs and snuffdishes. All the candlestick was made out of beaten gold. Gold is the metal of royalty. The church is made up of people who have been made kings unto God and over the church is the King of kings. Beaten gold speaks to us of suffering in the trials and afflictions of life, as the scriptures teach us that we must thru much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. The lamps give light in the tabernacle. No man lighteth a candle and put it under a bushel, but put it upon a candlestick that it may give light unto all that are in the house. So it is in God's church, the members of the church have been lighted by Jesus Christ (John 1:9) and they are to let their light so shine before men that they may see their good works and glorify God. The church is also a place of spiritual growth as denoted by the knops, flowers, and almonds. Tongs bring out the wick so that the candle will burn brighter and the snuffdishes are used to remove the refuse from the wick. So it is that the gospel reproves, rebukes, and instructs us in the church. There are twenty two bowls and the bible number 22 is associated with the subject of the word of God. Thus in the church we feed from the word of God which provides the oil for the lamp to burn brightly in the house.

John saw one standing in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Christ is described to as being in the midst of several things:

1. Matt. 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
2. Luke 2:46 "And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions."
3. Luke 24:36 "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
4. John 19:18 "Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst."
5. John 20:19 "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
6. Acts 2:22 "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:"
7. Heb. 2:12 "Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."
8. Rev. 4:6 "And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind."
9. Rev. 5:6 "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."
10. Rev. 7:17 "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

From the above verses we can conclude that Christ is situated in the midst of the church, in the midst of the disciples, in the midst of the redemption of God's elect, in the midst of the throne of God, in the midst of the people, in the midst of the discussions of the word of God, and in the midst of the church singing praises. Thus Christ is not a bystander in the activities of his people, but is an active and leading participant in those activities.

The King's Temple 

            There is a strong correlation between the color or metal, gold, and the subject of kings or kingdoms. 

            The temple is the place where God is worshipped.  In the Old Testament, Solomon and the children of Israel built the first temple.  This temple had several things that were covered with gold:

                        1.  1 Ki. 7:50 "And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple."

                        2.  2 Ki. 18:16 "At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria."

                        3.  2 Ki 24:13 "And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said."

                        4.  2 Chr. 4:7 "And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left."

                        5.  2 Chr. 4:8 "He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basins of gold."

                        6.  2 Chr. 4:22 "And the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold."

                        7.  Ezra 5:14 "And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;"

            We are not made to guess as to what or whom the temple represented.  The Lord told us in John 2:19 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said."

            Of course, no one has ever worshipped God more completely or more fully than our King Jesus Christ.  His body is truly the King's temple. 

            Today, the temple of God is the church: Eph. 2:19 "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."