(The Golden Incense Altar)
(Exodus 30:1-10)

The Golden Incense Altar was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It was situated just in front of the Veil, the curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. It was square: half a metre by half a metre wide, and one metre high.

The priest had to burn incense at this altar in the morning and at twilight (Exodus 30:7-8), as a perpetual fragrance before the Lord.

The burning incense signifies prayer (Psalm 141:2 Revelation 5:8) and points us to the prayer of the Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (John chapter 17, Mark 14:32-42).

Similar to the Showbread Table, the Golden Incense Altar had a golden crown round the top of it. This signifies “Jesus, crowned with glory and honour” (Hebrews 2:9). However, because the Golden Incense Altar is the place of prayer, the crown and the prayer together give us a hint of a kingly priesthood. This thought is developed in the book of Hebrews: the Messiah, Jesus Christ has become a priest according to the order of Melchisedek (Psalm 110:1, Hebrews chapter 7). He can sympathize with us as our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:15) and He is able to minister His supply of mercy and grace to us as the King of righteousness and King of peace (Hebrews 7:25,2; 4:16 Genesis 14:18).

ALTAR OF INCENSE
• Dimensions of. Exodus 30:1-2; Exodus 37:25
• Covered with Gold. Exodus 30:3; Exodus 37:26
• Top of, surrounded with a crown of gold. Exodus 30:3; Exodus 37:26
• Had four rings of gold under the crown for the staves. Exodus 30:4; Exodus 37:27
• Staves of, covered with gold. Exodus 30:5
• Called the golden altar. Exodus 39:38
• Placed before the vail in the outer sanctuary. Exodus 30:6; Exodus 40:5, 26
• Said to be before the Lord. Leviticus 4:7; 1 Kings 9:25
• Anointed with holy oil. Exodus 30:26-27
• The priest burned incense on every morning and evening. Exodus 30:7-8
• No strange incense nor any sacrifice to be offered on. Exodus 30:9
• Atonement made for, by the high priest once every year. Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 16:18-19
• The blood of all sin offerings put on the horns of. Leviticus 4:7, 18

PUNISHMENT FOR
• Offering strange fire on. Leviticus 10:1-2
• Unauthorised offering on. 2 Chron. 26:16-19
• Covered by the priest before removal from the sanctuary. Numbers 4:11
• A type of Christ. Rev. 8:3; Rev. 9:3