“And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 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. 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. 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. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it; a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meat offering: neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 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 a year shall he make atonement upon it, throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD (Exod. 30:1-10; see also Exod. 37:25-28)

“And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony.” (Exod. 40:5)

“And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail.” (Exod. 40:26)

“And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation (Lev. 4:7)

“In some instances the ‘Holy’ is termed the ‘Tabernacle of the congregation.’ ” (T13, footnote)

“Close to the ‘vail,’ stood a small altar, of wood covered with gold, called the ‘Golden Altar’ or ‘Incense Altar.’ It had no fire upon it except what the priests brought in the censers which they set in the top of this ‘Golden Altar,’ and then crumbled the incense upon it, causing it to give forth a fragrant smoke or perfume, which, filling the ‘Holy,’ penetrated also beyond the ‘second vail’ into the ‘Most Holy’ or ‘Holy of Holies.’ ” (T17)

“The Golden Altar in the ‘Holy’ would seem to represent the ‘little flock,’ the consecrated Church in the present sacrificing condition. From this altar ascends the sweet incense, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ—the willing services of the priests: their praises, their willing obedience—all things whatsoever they do to the glory of God. Those who thus offer incense acceptable to God (1 Pet. 2:5) come very close to their Father—close up to the ‘Vail’ which separates from the ‘Most Holy’; and if they have requests to make they may be presented with the incense—‘much incense with the prayers of saints.’ (Rev. 8:3) The prayers of such priests of God are effectual. Our Lord Jesus kept the incense continually burning, and could say, ‘I know that thou hearest me always.’ (John 11:42) So the underpriests, ‘members of his Body,’ will be heard always if they continually offer the incense of faith, love and obedience to God: and none should expect to have requests recognized who do not thus keep their covenant—‘If ye abide in me and my words (teachings) abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.’ (John 15:7) The necessity of a clear apprehension of Christ’s teachings as a guide to our requests and expectations, that we may not ‘ask amiss’ and out of harmony with God’s plan, is clearly shown by this scripture—but seldom noticed.” (T120)

“He [Paul] was living in the ‘Holy’ condition, feeding on the ‘shewbread,’ and enlightened continually by the light from the ‘Golden Candlestick.’ Thus furnished with knowledge and strength, he was able to offer ‘incense’ acceptable to God through Jesus Christ; that is to say, the Apostle Paul’s sacrifice, because of Jesus’ merit imputed to it, was acceptable to God. Thus he kept the goat nature always sacrificed; not only did he keep the fleshly will dead, but so far as possible he kept the fleshly body ‘under’—subject to the new will. So, too, the same thing has been done by other members of this ‘Lord’s goat’ company though others have not been so widely known. Paul’s sacrifice sent up a very rich perfume; his was a sacrifice of very sweet odor to God, yet like ours it was acceptable to God, not on account of its own value, but because of being offered upon and partaking of the merit of Christ, the Redeemer, the ‘Golden Altar’.” (T65)

It must not be assumed from Exod. 30:10 that no other blood but that of the sin-offering of ‘atonements’ was ever placed upon the horns of the altar of incense. From Lev. 4:6,7,18, we learn that the blood of the bullock offered for the “priest that is anointed” or for the “whole congregation of Israel”—when these sinned through measurable ignorance, and somewhat against the commandments—was placed upon the horns of this altar of incense. Let it be noted, however, that these atonements were separate and apart from, yet based upon, the national atonement, the blood of which alone is called “the blood of atonements.”

I have not been able to find any scripture which indicates that the blood of all sacrifices offered upon the altar of Burnt Offering was placed upon the horns of the Altar of Incense except for that involving the bullocks offered for the priests (Lev. 4:6,7) and for the congregation as a whole (Lev. 4:18), and that of the blood of atonements (Exod. 30:10; Lev. 16:16-19)!

“Upon its horns was placed the blood of the sin-offering for the sin of the priest, or of the whole congregation (Lev. 4:7,18); also once a year, upon the day of atonement (Lev. 16:18). Its constant use was for the burning of the divinely prescribed incense, morning and evening (Exod. 30:7,8), in connection with the trimming and lighting of the lamps.” (Ridout, Lectures on the Tabernacle, p. 353)

“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 a year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.” (Exod. 30:10)

The Hebrew word rendered “atonements” in the KJV is actually plural even though most translators, including those of the Standard and the Revised Standard versions, have rendered it in the singular. Rotherham, recognizing that the word is plural, rendered it so in his translation, but used another term, viz., “propitiatory coverings.”

Golden Censer vs. Golden Altar

“The first … had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second vail, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.” (Heb. 9:1-4)

The Greek word thumiaterion here rendered “censer” has been rendered as follows in these versions and translations:

Evidently, the term “golden censer” in the KJV might more correctly have been rendered “altar of incense,” since if it were not so it would be the only piece of furniture within the Tabernacle not to be mentioned. Yet, even were we to assume that the “golden censer” here mentioned is in reality the “golden altar of incense,” we would still be confronted with the difficulty arising from the fact that it would place this piece of furniture in the Most Holy, whereas the Old Testament puts it in the Holy. (Exod. 40:26; Lev. 4:7,18)

Some, recognizing this difficulty, and endeavoring to harmonize the two accounts, have been led to raise the question as to whether the language of the Old Testament could not be understood to support that of the New Testament, and that therefore the traditional view, viz., that the incense altar stood in the Holy, is erroneous. They claim that the language of Exod. 30:6—“And thou shalt put it [the incense altar] before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I shall meet with thee”—is ambiguous, for it does not say which vail (first or second), nor does it explain what is meant by “before the vail.” One could stand in the Most Holy, they say, facing east, with his back toward the ark of the covenant, and then declare that whatever stood between him and the vail would be “before the vail.”

But there is really no reason for doing such violence to the simple yet plain language of the Old Testament. It proves itself: “before the vail” in this instance can only mean east of the second vail, that is, in the Holy of the Tabernacle. Such passages as the following surely do establish the fact that the Incense Altar stood in the Tabernacle of the Congregation:

“And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the Tabernacle of the congregation.” (Lev. 4:7)

“And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Lev. 4:18)

In Leviticus 16 we learn of the three places which called for reconciliation by means of the commingled blood: the Most Holy, the Holy, and the Court. The three pieces of furniture representatively identified with these were the ark of the covenant, the incense altar, and the altar of burnt- offering.

“And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness … and he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about; and he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel; and when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.” (Lev. 16:16-20)

Here the altar has reference to the Court, the tabernacle of the congregation to the Holy, and the holy (place) to the Most Holy. Now there can be no doubt but that the Most Holy was reconciled by way of the ark of the covenant and, from these scriptures, that the Court was reconciled by way of the altar (which is specifically mentioned). If then, it can be proved that on the Day of Atonement the blood was put upon the incense altar, it ought to establish as fact that this altar stood in the tabernacle of the congregation, i.e., the Holy. And we do read in reference to this altar:

“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 a year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.” (Exod. 30:10)

If then, the Old Testament record is thus correct in setting forth that the incense altar stood in the Holy, what shall we say about the New Testament (Heb. 9:3,4) which seems to place it in the Most Holy? Perhaps there is something wrong with the translation, or even with the manuscripts that support such a view. And this evidently is the thought of Professor Benjamin Wilson:

“For a tabernacle was prepared—the first—in which were both the lampstand, and the table, and the loaves of the presence, and the Golden Altar of incense; this is named the Holy place.” (Heb. 9:2, Diaglott)

Significantly he adds this footnote:

“The reading of the Vatican MS. has been adopted as giving a solution of an acknowledged difficulty, and as perfectly harmonizing with the Mosaic account.”

Or could it be possible that what Paul meant to be inferred was that though the Altar of Incense was rightly placed in the “Holy” of the ancient Tabernacle (Exod. 30:6), it really belonged to the “Most Holy” (1 Kings 6:22)?

The following excerpt from another scholar bears on this same matter:

“In our author’s description of the second room of the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, there are … points of difficulty. At first glance it seems as if he had made a mistake and put the ‘altar of incense’ which, as we recall, stood on this side of the second vail and in the first room, within the Holy … This difficulty led the translators of both the King James’ version and of the English Revised version to translate the Greek word ‘censer of incense’ instead of ‘altar of incense.’ The Greek word is ‘a neuter adjective importing anything having regard to or employed in the burning of incense’ (Alford) and ‘may therefore mean either an altar upon which, or a censer in which, incense was burned.’ If the word is to be translated ‘censer of incense,’ then the reference must be to a special golden censer which tradition says the high priest used on the day of atonement, or to some censer stand upon which the high priest placed his golden brazier in which he carried the incense into the Holy of Holies, thus leaving his hand free for the sprinkling of the blood. But there are strong reasons for rejecting the reading of both the King James’ Version and the English revision in favor of ‘altar of incense’ as in the American Revised Version. In the first place, if this word does not mean ‘altar of incense,’ then the writer in what appears to be a most careful inventory of the furniture of the tabernacle does not mention the important and necessary ‘altar of incense’ at all. This seems incredible. In the second place, we have no mention in Scripture, unless here, of such a special ‘golden censer’ used on the day of atonement; and even if it were so used, it could not by the very nature of the case have been kept in the Holy of Holies, for in that case the high priest would have been compelled to go in there to get it; this would have been a very improbable thing for him to do, considering, as Professor Bruce says, ‘that the very purpose of its use was to make it safe for the officiating priest to go within the veil,’ under the protecting cloud of rising incense. In the third place, a more careful study of our writer’s language and of the position and purpose of the altar of incense in the arrangement of the tabernacle will relieve the difficulty of the problem very much. Our author, who has already shown himself to be a master of accurate language and well acquainted with Judaism, has made no mistake here; but, while he speaks of the first tabernacle ‘wherein’ were the candlestick and the table, he carefully changes the form of expression with reference to the second room: ‘having’ a golden altar of incense. The altar of incense did not stand within the Holy of Holies, but it belonged to it. And this is rigidly accurate, for in 1 Kings 6:22 we read, ‘Also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold,’ the reference being unquestionably to the altar of incense. In the original directions concerning the placing of the altar of incense its position is very accurately fixed: ‘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’ (Exod. 30:6). This position ‘by the ark’ and ‘before the mercy seat’ was an indication of its peculiar sanctity … As the great altar of burnt-offering was a sort of a doorway and means of entrance into the Holy … so the altar of incense was the doorway into the Holy of Holies. Though it stood just this side of the veil, it belonged to the Holy of Holies. This altar of incense was made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold and was not used for ordinary sacrifices, but, ‘as a stand for the vessel in which the sacred frankincense was burnt.’ Live coals were brought morning and evening from the great altar of burnt-offering outside and placed in this vessel for the offering of incense, incense being the symbol of praise.” (Shepardson, Studies in the Epistle to the He- brews)

The base area of the Incense Altar was 1 x 1 cubits (Exod. 30:2; 37:25), or one square cubit. The base area of the Most Holy was 10 x 10 cubits, or 100 square cubits externally. By dividing the Most Holy’s area (100) by that of the Incense Altar (1), the quotient is 100 which is Jesus’ number. May this not be mute testimony that the Incense Altar, despite the fact that it stood in the Holy of the Tabernacle, really belonged to the Most Holy even as it was suggested concerning the Temple of old when it was declared, “the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.” (1 Kings 6:22, Standard and RSV) (See also Rev. 8:3)

Note: the third definition of the word “oracle” in Webster’s New World Dictionary is “the Holy of Holies of the ancient Jewish Temple: 1 Kings 6:16,19-23.” The Hebrew word debir according to Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible has been rendered “oracle” in 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Psalm 28:2.

“And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.” (Lev. 16:13)

“Both the incense and the blood had to do with the satisfaction of justice. We read that the incense must cover the Mercy-Seat. (Lev. 16:13) In other words, unless the incense had gone forth the high priest would not have lived. This shows that unless our Lord had rendered up his human life satisfactorily he would have forfeited his right to life. In consecration he had agreed to this and had surrendered his earthly life-rights. If he proved faithful to his engagement, he would receive a higher life beyond the veil. So the satisfaction of justice, represented in type by the incense preceding the high priest beyond the veil, would be a satisfaction for himself and would testify that he had faithfully fulfilled the required conditions.

“But as for the satisfaction of the sins of the church and of the world, this is accomplished subsequently, not by the incense, but by the blood.” (R4868)

It should be remembered that only the priest was authorized to approach this Altar to offer the incense to the Lord. One of Judah’s kings—Uzziah— undertook it (2 Chron. 26:16) and was punished with leprosy (v. 20).

“Those whose eyes of understanding have never been opened to a realization that Jesus is the Divine Appointee for the reconciliation of the world to God may be excused if they approach God in prayer aside from him. Their prayers may be answered to a limited extent if offered in sincerity, from the heart, and because, as the Apostle intimates, God ‘winked at’ their ignorance of his arrangements.

“But as King Uzziah knew of the Divine arrangement, that his prayers as incense could be offered to the Almighty on the ‘Golden Altar’ only by the priest, so those who now have come to a realization of the fact that Jesus is the great antitypical Priest through whom communication with the Father has been opened up would come under condemnation should they intrude into the Divine presence in prayer, otherwise than as provided in the Divine arrangement, as King Uzziah was smitten with leprosy for his presumption and pride.

“Leprosy, Scripturally considered, is a type of sin. Uzziah’s experiences, therefore, signify typically, that whoever would approach God aside from his ordained Priest, having a knowledge of the impropriety, would come under Divine sentence as a willful sinner. The penalty would be in proportion to the degree of enlightenment previously enjoyed.” (R4786)

The Incense

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices, with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof; it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from the people.” (Exod. 30:34-38)

The incense was offered upon the Golden Altar whenever the High Priest trimmed or lighted the lamps in the Holy of the Tabernacle.

“And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it; a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.” (Exod. 30:7,8)

It was offered by the High Priest in connection with his own sacrifice on the Day of Atonement.

“And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself. And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.” (Lev.16:11-13)

Israel’s High Priests of old had no right of access into the Most Holy where the “shekinah glory” represented the presence of Jehovah unless they had first caused the sweet incense to prepare the way in advance for them. (Lev. 16:12,13) Nor can we, the members of the “royal priesthood,” either in our prayers or ultimately by way of the “second vail,” find acceptable access without the “sweet incense” of faith, love, obedience and praise (T120) having preceded us, preparing the way into the Holiest of All—into His glorious presence. Incense in biblical symbolism has a double significance. It may represent 1) the prayers (Psa. 141:2) of the saints (Rev. 5:8), and also 2) that which makes those prayers acceptable (Rev. 8:4). Both of these, however, are comprehended in the life which is a prayer—i.e., the life in which the heart’s sincere desires to do always those things which please the Father (John 8:29) is ever being manifested. Such a life will continually be yielding—and this more particularly under the heat of trials, a sweet savor unto the Lord. So was it with Jesus whose life was so much a prayer that it was not even necessary for him to express his heart’s desire in formulated words, for God could read his own will—Jesus’ sanctification, in the faith, love, obedience and praise of his beloved Son. (John 11:38-42)

“That offering of the incense by the priest in the Holy represents to us the light in which our heavenly Father viewed his Son and his offering of him- self in the trials and difficulties of his life during the three and a half years of his consecration. As a whole it was sweet incense to the Lord, a fragrant incense, holy and acceptable.” (R3708)

The term “incense” is applicable in two different ways or senses: 1) To the incense (i.e., the spices themselves), a symbol of the perfect humanity of Jesus; 2) To the sweet fragrance arising as a perfume upon the incense’s contact with the coals of fire, a symbol of that obedience which Jesus rendered unto Jehovah under the most trying of circumstances.

“As High Priest, Jesus slew the bullock; at baptism he offered the sacrifice of his humanity. The typical priest took his two hands full of incense and crumbled it in the fire on the incense altar—that represented the three and one-half years of our Lord’s ministry. This picture of the incense falling upon the fire represented the glorious qualities of Jesus as He came in contact with the trials of life. In every case His faithfulness yielded a sweet perfume.

“… The sweet incense went before Him and appeared in the presence of God before He finished His course at Calvary. His death upon the cross was the last crumb of incense falling into the fire, in the antitype.” (R5731)

The faith, love, obedience and praise which marked the man Christ Jesus in his consecration unto God represent the “ingredients” of the “sweet in- cense” which he had to offer; and correspond to the stacte, onycha, galba- num, and frankincense of the original formula as set forth in Exod. 30:34. Of these ingredients, frankincense is perhaps the most familiar to us.

“The word in the original is from the root meaning ‘to be white.’ Thus Mount Lebanon, the same word, received its name probably from the white limestone rock of which it is largely composed. The name has been supposed to be given to the frankincense because of the whiteness of the pure gum; this would also suit the white flame with which it burns. The Greek word is a transliteration of the Hebrew, and the English frankincense refers to its freely burning qualities …

“Here, then, we have a fulness of suggestion as to our Lord who, ‘as a root out of dry ground,’ grew in the arid wilderness of this world, where naturally there was nothing to sustain. The characteristic number five, stamped upon so much of the Tabernacle, would suggest, in the flowers, fruit and species of this plant, the Truth of Him who was the Word made flesh. That it should extract nourishment and fragrance from marble, suggests the two-fold thought that He flourished in that pure and perfect will of God which put Him in a barren world, but where He gathered in every way that which was fragrant to God. The incision through which the gum flowed reminds us that His piercing drew forth the sweet perfume of entire submission to God—priceless indeed to God as a sweet savor, and the perfect antidote to Satan’s poison with which he drugged man, a healing medicine for the deepest ills of the soul.” (Ridout, Lectures on the Tabernacle, ppg. 370, 371)

Normally, it was the duty of the High Priest to offer the incense at the Golden Altar. This occurred at least twice daily, in connection with the care of the Golden Candlestick (the Lamps), according to Exod. 30:7,8. But it occurred also on the Day of the Atonement, just prior to the High Priest’s entering the Most Holy with the blood of his own sacrifice (the bullock), according to Lev. 16:12,13. In the latter, he represented Jesus and Jesus alone as our High Priest. However, there is a sense in which each and all of the consecrated are expected of the Lord to offer incense at the Golden Altar:

“We now find ourselves as ‘new creatures’ in the ‘Holy’—in the first of the ‘Heavenlies’ or Holies (Eph. 2:6—Diaglott), and begin to be enlightened by the ‘Golden Candlestick’ (God’s Word) respecting spiritual things—‘the deep things of God’—and to be refreshed and strengthened daily with truth as represented in the ‘shewbread’ lawful for only the Priests to eat. (Matt. 12:4) And thus enlightened and strengthened, we should daily offer up sacrifices at the Golden Altar, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ—a sweet perfume to our Father.—1 Pet. 2:5.” (T22)

“But those who made the consecration and who fail to burn the incense on the Golden Altar may not remain in the Tabernacle—they must go out again into the Court. They lose the priestly privileges, but not their Levite privileges and right to remain in the Court condition. Only a willful, deliberate rejection of the Lord’s grace and turning to sin—anger, malice, hatred, envy, strife, etc., works of the flesh and of the devil, which would mean their utter destruction in the second death—would exclude them from the Court of favor.” (R4579)

Before considering the ingredients of the sweet incense specifically, it is worthy of note that the fragrance, the sweet aroma, resulted from contact with coals of fire. As if to say, the “sweet incense” which prepares our access into the presence of God is not constituted of a faith untried; nor a love which has not suffered, but still is kind; nor an obedience which has not endured the contradiction of sinners against itself and has overcome evil with good; nor a praise, save such as might arise from the stricken, as does the fragrance from the flower whose petals have been crushed. All this and more is suggested by the four ingredients of which Moses was instructed to make the sweet incense.

“[STACTE] The Hebrew nataph signifies to drop or distill. As the exudation of all gums is in drops, the etymology does not help us. But it is evident from the context in Exodus that a fragrant gum is intended. Many identify the stacte here mentioned with the gum from the libneh … But stacte means primarily myrrh … It is most likely then that nataph, and its LXX and Vulgate equivalent stacte, refers to myrrh in drops or tears which is the purest form.” (Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible)

As suggested, stacte corresponds to the first “ingredient” of the “sweet in- cense”—faith. But this faith is not the mere intellectual or mental assent or belief in the existence of God; but, rather, that heart appreciation of God, whom it has found to be its comfort and solace in all of the bitter and trying experiences of life. Is it not this that is suggested by the tear-like exudation of this myrrh plant? Myrrh itself means bitter. In this connection it is necessary only to think upon those Ancient Worthies who obtained a good report through faith, because they failed not to believe in and trust in God, despite the bitterness of their trials and experiences. Surely, a faith that will manifest its trust in God when undergoing severe trial, cannot help but inspire all who are called upon to witness it. Thus does its fragrance cling to the “garments” and permeate the very atmosphere through which it moves. How often have others breathed in the “fragrance” of our faith as it was emitted in some deep sorrow or trial of life, when we, like Job of old, have declared, “though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (Job 13:15)

“[ONYCHA] The operculum of a shell fish … When burned it emits a pungent aromatic odor, from the combustion of the animal matter which it contains.” (Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible)

This second ingredient corresponds to love, and not a love which is either sentimental or sensual. Nor is reference here to the phileo or duty love. It is rather to that love which comes closest to being like God’s and whose “fragrance” is evidenced in suffering long, but still being kind. It is that love—the agape—which moves us to lay down life itself in the service of our brethren. In this connection let it be particularly noted that the fragrance (the pungent aromatic odor) of the onycha resulted from the combustion of the “animal matter” which it contained. What a precious thought is this!

“The second substance is a pulverized shell of a mollusk, something obtained by crushing; the meaning of this is readily understood, vid. Psa. 51:19 (17). ‘According to modern authorities, when burnt alone it [the onycha] has a bad odor; but everywhere … it is made the fundamental ingredient of incense, and imparts to the materials of the incense their real strength’ (Knobel).” (Lange, Commentary, Exodus-Leviticus, p. 128)

“[GALBANUM] A gum resin, Ferula galbaniflua … It occurs in the form of tears and lumps … Pliny and Virgil (Georg iii-415) say its smoke drives away serpents.” (Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible)

This ingredient corresponds to obedience, but not an obedience which costs nothing. Quite to the contrary, this obedience is “learned” by way of suffering (Heb. 2:10; 5:8). It is not always easy to hold one’s peace, to be quiet, to say nothing, not to retaliate, not to revile, when all manner of evil is spoken against us, falsely; or when mean and unjust things are done unto us. But it is from the overcoming of just these things that the “sweet incense” of the life of prayer arises unto the Lord, and merits for us the abundant entrance into His presence.

We cannot know how true the statement of both Pliny and Virgil may be, but we do know that a positive, a deliberate, a firm, determined, definite stand, taken in obedience to the Divine Will, will spare us much that is evil and injurious, which might otherwise overtake us.

“[FRANKINCENSE] This gum is obtained in Arabia, and is of a bitter taste. It comes from a tree bearing flowers with five petals and ten stamens; the fruit is five-sided, and there are five species of the plant. It grows upon almost bare marble rocks, deriving its sustenance from these. The gum is obtained from incisions, and is very valuable. Besides being in demand for incense, it is useful as a medicine, and an antidote for poison.” (Ridout, Lectures on the Tabernacle, p. 370)

This last ingredient corresponds to praise; but as suggested, a praise that arises from the soul which in the midst of trial or difficulty recognizes that “all things” work together for its good, and that the trial or difficulty is God’s will—permissive or otherwise—concerning it. So, like the great Apostle Paul, it will glory even in tribulation. Yea, we ought always to praise God for our trials, for are they not the chastenings which prove that God is dealing with us as sons (Heb. 12:5-8)? If, then, this type of praise is essential as an “ingredient” of the “sweet incense” which must arise with the prayers of the saints, it is quite evident that no murmurer can ever expect to get into the presence of God. Let us see to it, then, that we neither murmur nor repine at what the Lord’s providence may permit, since faith can firmly trust Him, come what may.

Often one’s attitude of praise to Jehovah will react like a medicine to cure another’s thoughts of bitterness and self-pity; and such thoughts do come at times to each and every one of us, to rob us of our peace with God. Any thought which thus deprives us of the joy we should ever be having in Him is a poison, for which the praise of Jehovah for all of His goodness to us- ward is the best antidote.

“Frankincense representing praise.” (R3703)

“Frankincense—of heart, adoration, appreciation, and gratitude.” (R3703)

“So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.” (Psa. 61:8)

Such then, must the prayer life, the life of prayer be, that it glorifies God, and ministers to our brethren. Thus, it calls for the deepest sincerity; and any simulation is but hypocrisy—an abomination unto the Lord. This is the reason why those of old were forbidden to make unto themselves any- thing like this “sweet incense” (Exod. 30:37,38), under penalty of being cut off from among the people of God.

“ ‘Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense.’ [Psa. 141:2] This is the same thought elsewhere expressed in the Bible—that the prayers of God’s people rise before him as a sweet perfume. (Rev. 5:8) And, by the way, we remember that the incense of old, which typified the prayers of the saints, was composed of a rare mixture of spices, giving forth a particularly sweet odor; and that nobody was allowed to make that incense except the priests who were to offer it. (Exod. 30:34-38; 37:29)” (R5692)

David, to whom Psalm 141 is ascribed, was not a priest; yet he was very familiar with the priest’s functions. Among these was that of daily offering the incense, and the morning and evening burnt-offerings to which he here alludes—not to the incense, nor the sacrifices which the High Priest offered on the Day of Atonement. (Lev. 16:12,13, etc.; Exod. 30:7,8; 29:38- 42; Num. 28:3-8)

“The chief thing in offering incense is not the producing of the smoke which presses like prayer towards heaven, but the spreading of the fragrance … Looking upon incense in connection with the other ceremonial observances of the Mosaic ritual, it would rather seem to be symbolical, not of prayer itself, but of that which makes prayer acceptable, the intercession of Christ. In Rev. 8:3,4, the incense is spoken of as something distinct from, though offered with, the prayers of all the saints.” (McClintock & Strong, Cyclopedia, v. 4, p. 539)

It is worthy of note that the incense (the admixture of stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense) which Israel’s High Priest had to crumble over the coals of fire in his censer, was according to the divine formula to have been “beaten small.” (Lev. 16:12)

The reason for this is that when these ingredients are beaten small (pulverized), they are able to present a larger surface area to the burning coals of fire in the censer, thus assuring a quicker yielding of the fragrance, and a speedier consumption of the incense.

In the case of Jesus, the sweet incense beaten small may well be considered to have been represented in his human perfection, which perfection, when it came in contact with the trials of life, enabled him to yield a perfect obedience in faith, love, obedience and praise, unto the divine will—a sweet perfume, indeed! (T56) Because of this perfection, all areas of his being (i.e., his complete self) were gladly and willingly exposed to the various trials of life which the heavenly Father poured as a “cup” for him to drink. (R4602) Not only could he honestly and truthfully say that he did always those things which pleased the Father (John 8:29); but also that he de- lighted in the doing of His will. (Psa. 40:8; John 4:34)

With us (the church), it is a bit different. The incense which we offer (T22) is often quite “lumpy.” Having been born in sin and “shapen in iniquity” (Psa. 51:5; Rom. 3:10), we are imperfect, and thus prone to be fearful of exposing ourselves, fully, completely, gladly, and willingly, to the trials of life. We are afraid that something we ought to do may hurt someone near and dear to us. It was not thus with Jesus.

So, we are glad that the type of Leviticus 16 shows the incense being offered in this connection by the High Priest, and this but once. Thus are we called upon to realize that the incense which Jesus our High Priest offered was for us—i.e., it represented us, the whole Church (R4922); that we, by the grace of God, are “accepted in the beloved.” (Eph. 1:6) (E445)

“ And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy.” (Exod. 30:35)

In the KJV there is a marginal reading for “tempered” which would indicate that the Hebrew word has the significance of “salted.” (See also RSV.) Among the translations which have given the Hebrew word malach the inflection of salted or seasoned with salt are the American Standard (RV), Berkeley, Jewish Publication Society, Moffatt, New American (Roman Catholic), New Old Testament (Berry), and Lamsa.

However, among those giving another inflection are An American Translation (Meek) which uses the term “clarified,” Leeser (Hebrew Rabbi) which has “well-mingled,” and Knox (Roman Catholic) which says “well tempered together.” These seem to be well in accord with Bagster’s English translation of the Septuagint which gives the thought of “tempered with the art of a perfumer.” It is true that God did instruct his ancient people to offer with every oblation of their meat-offering—firstfruits or otherwise—a seasoning of salt (Lev. 13:13); but reference here is to the “meat” (meal) offering. (Lev. 13:1)

We lean to the thought suggested by Meek, Leeser, and Knox that the thought is merely that the ingredients were to be well mixed. However, should the rendering of the others prove to be correct, then the significance of the salt must be that of a preservative; antitypically that every saint of God as a priest offering the incense of faith, love, obedience, and praise must see to it that these graces are never permitted to get into the state of decadence!

“The Golden Altar in the ‘Holy’ would seem to represent the ‘little flock,’ the consecrated Church in the present sacrificing condition. From this altar ascends the sweet incense, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ—the willing services of the priests: their praises [frankincense], their willing obedience—all things whatsoever they do to the glory of God. Those who thus offer incense acceptable to God (1 Pet. 2:5) come very close to their Father—close up to the ‘Vail’ which separates from the ‘Most Holy’; and if they have requests to make, they may be presented with the incense—‘much incense with the prayers of saints.’ (Rev. 8:3) Jesus kept the incense continually burning, and could say, ‘I know that thou hearest me always.’ (John 11:42) So the underpriests, ‘members of his body,’ will be heard always if they continually offer the incense of faith [stacte], love [onycha], and obedience [galbanum] to God: and none should expect to have requests recognized who do not thus keep their covenant—‘If ye abide in me and my words (teachings) abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.’ (John 15:7) The necessity of a clear apprehension of Christ’s teachings as a guide to our requests and expectations, that we may not ‘ask amiss’ and out of harmony with God’s plan, is clearly shown by this Scripture—but seldom noticed.” (T120)

There is a sense in which the incense represents the creature who offers it, even as the bullock of the sin-offering represented the priest who offered it in the Court. In fact Bro. Russell seems to suggest this when he says “when the perfections of his being (incense) came in contact with the trials of life (fire), he yielded perfect obedience to the divine will—a sweet perfume.” (T56) This figure is one of transmutation even as matter can be changed from substance into energy, so is it with our offering of ourselves—our all—unto God. The destruction of the flesh yields, as it were, the sweet fragrance of faith, love, obedience and praise unto—and so is pleas- ing to—Jehovah God, our heavenly Father!

Storing the Incense

“And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Exod. 30:36)

There is really nothing in the Scriptures to indicate where the bulk of the sweet incense may have been stored. From our reading of Exodus 30:34- 38, we gather that its four ingredients were merely thoroughly mixed (“tempered”—mingled together according to Leeser) and stored some- where; and only when the priest was ready to offer “some” of it upon the Altar of Incense within the Holy of the Tabernacle of the Congregation was any of it beaten small. Some have concluded from the wording of the KJV that the incense was stored in the Tabernacle of the Congregation. The Hebrew text should have been rendered much as Rabbi Leeser rendered it in his translation: “and offer it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation.” The Hebrew word nathan here, like that of the Hebrew word bo in Lev. 16:12,13, because of a faulty translation in the KJV, has given rise to much unnecessary controversy. (See R5961:3)

It is, therefore, possible that the bulk of the mixed ingredients—the sweet incense unbeaten—was stored in one of the copper vessels, which together with the Laver and the Altar of Burnt Offering, graced the Court (Exod. 27:3)—perhaps a basin such as was used for the commingled “blood of atonements” which was subsequently put upon the horns of the Altar of Incense (Exod. 30:10).

Let it be remembered that it was the anointed priest (T56) that offered that sweet incense; and for this purpose had to resort to the Court, there to procure the copper censer (firepan) belonging, as it were, to the Altar of Burnt Offering, to carry therein the coals of fire from the Altar in the Court to the Altar in the Holy. Should it seem strange then, if at the same time he took from another copper vessel in the Court the necessary incense which after being beaten small he would use on the Altar of Incense before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation? Seemingly, this is the thought that caused Bro. Russell to write as follows:

“The High Priest took with him (along with the blood) fire from off the altar, and his two hands full of sweet incense to cause the perfume; and so our Lord Jesus’ fulfillment of his vow of consecration, during the three and a half years of his ministry, was a sweet and acceptable perfume to the Father, attesting at once the completeness of the consecration and the perfection of the sacrifice. The sweet incense beaten small represented the perfection of the man Jesus. The fire from the ‘Brazen Altar’ represented the trials to which he was subject; and its being carried by the Priest signifies that our Lord must, by his own course of faithfulness, bring his persecutions upon himself. And when the perfections of his being (incense) came in contact with the trials of life (fire), he yielded perfect obedience to the divine will—a sweet perfume. Thus is shown his temptation in all points, yet without sin. As the incense must be all consumed in the fire, so he yielded his all in obedience. It was the Priest’s ‘two hands full’ which he offered, thus representing our Lord’s full capacity and ability of righteousness, required and yielded.” (T56)

“After the Jewish high priest had crumbled the sweet incense upon the fire of the golden altar, after its fragrance had penetrated beyond the second veil and had covered the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, he then himself passed beneath the veil. Every time the high priest raised the vail thus to pass under it he probably feared; for in case he had failed in any particular to carry out his sacrificial work acceptably he would have died as he passed under the vail. So our Lord Jesus knew that his work must be acceptable in the most absolute sense, else he would forever forfeit his existence. He would become as though he had not been; he would lose all.

“There was no earthly being to give our Lord encouragement along this line. There was no one to say, You have done everything perfectly; you could not have done better. So the Master went alone to the Father for this assurance and for strength and courage. He prayed, ‘not my will, but thine be done’; and the Father heard his prayer and gave him the needed assurance and strength. He was heard in respect to that which he feared; and during all that night and the following day, up to the hour of his crucifixion, he was calm and courageous.” (R5712:5)

The draping of the Vail from the four pillars (Exod. 36:36) formed three vents through which the incense (perfume) from the Golden Altar might in turn flow through into the Most Holy to cover the Mercy Seat, making safe the High Priest’s access into the Holiest of All. (Lev. 16:3)

However, by the same token, the incense, after filling the Holy, might also seep through the four vents over the first Vail or Door, into the Court. It should here be recalled that the “sixth” curtain of the tent which covered “the Tabernacle” was doubled in the forefront of the Tabernacle (Exod. 26:9). This served to seal the Door, so that the incense could not escape in that direction.

We have assumed that the Vail measured 10 x 10 cubits. Since the inside of the Tabernacle, from wall to wall, measured only nine cubits, it will readily be seen that the draping of the Vail from the four pillars, left fairly large vents.

Censers

“And thou shalt make an altar … And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass [copper].” (Exod. 27:1,3)

“And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail. And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the Mercy Seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.” (Lev. 16:12,13)

It can be reasoned that the censer (Lev. 16:12) belonged to the Altar of Burnt-Offering, inasmuch as the Hebrew word machtah, rendered (in the KJV) “firepans” in Exod. 27:3, is rendered “censers” in the following instances: Lev. 10:1; 16:12; Num. 4:14; 16:6,17,18,37,39,46. A censer was indeed a “firepan” for in it the high priest carried the coals of fire from off the Altar of Burnt-Offering in the Court to the Altar of Incense in the Holy.

There were two different types of censers used by the Jews and two different names were used to identify them:

“Those in daily use were called miktereth (occurs only in 2 Chron. 26:19; Ezek. 8:11) … whereas that used on the Day of Atonement is distinguished by the title of machtah (something to take fire with) or coal pan (often ‘firepan’ in the English version). We learn also that the daily censers were of brass1 (Num. 16:39) … whereas the yearly one was of gold (Josephus, Ant. 14,4,4)2 … The latter of the above Hebrew words seems used generally for any instrument to seize or hold burning coals, or to receive ashes, etc., such as the appendages of the Brazen altar and the golden candlestick mentioned in Exod. 25:38; 37:23 … It, however, generally bears the limited meaning which properly belongs to the former word, viz., a small portable vessel of metal, on which the incense was sprinkled by the priest to whose office this exclusively belonged (2 Chron. 26:18; Luke 1:9).” (McClintock & Strong, Cyclopedia, “Censer,” v. 2, p. 181)

1. Read copper.

2. There is no Scriptural evidence for this; furthermore, Josephus is not regarded as a very accurate historian.

“In KJV censer is used as a translation of two Hebrew words, viz., machtah and miktereth. The former word is generally rendered ‘censer,’ sometimes ‘fire-pan,’ and in three cases (Exod. 25:38; 37:23; Num. 4:9) ‘snuffdish.’ It denoted a bowl-shaped vessel used for different purposes, viz., (1) a censer, in which incense was burnt (Lev. 10:10); (2) a fire-pan, made of bronze, used in connection with the altar of burnt-offering (Exod. 27:3); (3) a snuffdish— i.e., a receptacle to hold pieces of burnt lamp-wick removed by tongs or snuffers (Exod. 25:38). Probably in all these cases the same kind of vessel was meant, viz., a bow-shaped utensil with a handle, not unlike a saucepan. The other Hebrew word (derived from the same root as the word ‘incense’) denoted a vessel for conveying incense (Ezek. 8:11; 2 Chron. 26:19).” (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Censer”)

The following quotation is from a letter written to Bro. Russell by W. Crawford, of England, which Bro. Russell printed in the Watch Tower of September 15th, 1916, without comment. Evidently he endorsed the thought suggested, which is in itself in accord with T55.

“Turning up the Diaglott at the latter text [Heb. 9:3,4] I find a footnote there which satisfactorily explains the evident contradiction here between the Old and New Testament records of the A.V. on this point.

“Apparently from the reading of this verse [Lev. 16:12,13], the Censer, full of burning coals of fire, as well as the Incense, were both taken by the Priest beyond the second vail. There is no doubt that from a comparison of Scripture, the vail referred to here is the one between the Holy and the Most Holy. On closer examination, however, I find that the apparent contradiction of this verse rests entirely upon a poor translation of one word. The word ‘bring’ in this verse is from the Hebrew word ‘bow,’ which, according to Professors Young and Strong, literally means ‘to cause to come in’ or ‘to send.’ The action implied in this word does not refer to the censer or the fire, but only to the incense. This is admitted even by the singular number of the pronoun supplied by the translators of the A.V.

“How then does the Priest cause the incense to come within the vail? Analyzing verse 12, it would mean something like the following: He shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar (in the court) before the LORD (and place it in the top of the incense altar in the Holy); then ‘he shall take his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring (cause it to enter) within the vail.’ The Priest standing at the incense altar in the Holy and crumbling the incense on the fire in the top of the altar would cause the sweet perfume of the incense to enter the presence of Jehovah beyond the vail. (Rev. 8:3,4)” (R5961:3*)

According to 1 Kings 7:50 Solomon’s Temple had censers made of gold. However, it should be remembered that the Temple represented the “glori- fied church” (R4296:4) in contrast to the erstwhile traveling condition so beautifully pictured in the Tabernacle. There is also a Golden Censer in the Revelation (8:3-5).

It is probable that each priest had his own censer which we deduce from

the fact that Nadab and Abihu had each “his censer.” (Lev. 10:1)

The censer that Aaron used on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:12) and which he was also instructed to use in staying the plague (Num. 16:46) was, according to the Hebrew text, “the censer.” Whether this was Aaron’s own individual censer is not definitely stated.

In Numbers 16:17,18, we read that Korah (a Kohathite Levite) and his company took every man “his censer” and put incense therein. We incline to the thought that normally none others aside from the priests were to have censers; but that Korah and his group, seeking a place in the priesthood of God, had made their own censers in order to contest the claim of Moses and Aaron.

“ ‘Korah and his company’ were bidden to take ‘censers,’ with which, in emulation of Aaron and his sons, they had perhaps provided themselves … ; and Moses tells Aaron to take ‘the censer’ (not ‘a’ as in the A.V.),—i.e., that of the sanctuary or that of the High Priest, to stay the plague by atonement.” (McClintock & Strong, Cyclopedia, “Censer,” v. 2, p. 181)

The censer was the copper vessel used by Israel’s priests to carry live coals from the Altar of Burnt-Offering in the Court to the Altar of Incense in the Holy. The censer with its live coals was placed atop this Golden Altar and fragrant spices were dropped into it, giving rise to a sweet perfume which filled not only the Holy, but carried over into the Most Holy as well.

The New Creature is a spiritual entity, whose rightful body “beyond the vail” will be spiritual in substance. However, while the New Creature is still “this side of the vail,” it must of needs have a body. This body, for the time being, is a fleshly one—the body of the “old creature” which for the Church is justified and accounted perfect. In a sense, this “perfect humanity” was offered unto God, a willing sacrifice upon his altar.

“Christ kept the Law and satisfied divine Justice for all who become his during the Gospel age; and his merit is imputed to those who keep the law in their heart and are hindered from keeping it absolutely by the weakness of their fallen flesh which they are unable to control. And so St. Paul says that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. First of all, through the imputation of his merit to their mortal bodies, their flesh, our Redeemer covers their natural imperfections. Second, because that body is devoted, is justified, is sacrificed, he reckons them dead as human beings. They are then begotten to a new, a spirit, nature. Thenceforth their mortal body is counted as the body of the New Creature, no longer as a human body; for this was sacrificed. Actually, however, it is quickened to be the servant of the new creature. Being still actually human, it must be given a robe of righteousness to wear until the end of the present life. This is furnished by our Savior.” (R5918)

“The earthen vessel is not the New Creature … we might say that the body belongs to the New Creature … Draft the mortal body into the service of the Great King as alive from the dead—that is the thought.” (Q508 [1912])

In the Atonement Day type, this sacrifice was represented by the sin-offering, of which only the “inwards”—the liver, kidneys and their fat—were actually burnt upon the altar (T57; Lev. 16:25; 4:8,9); the remainder of the animal slain in the Court was burnt with fire “without the Camp.” (Lev. 16:27) But there was another sacrifice on that Atonement Day, the blood of which was not brought into the Sanctuary, but whose whole body was consumed upon the altar in the Court; this was the burnt-offering. (Lev. 16:24; 1:8,9,12,13) The sin-offering and the burnt-offering reflected two different aspects of one and the same consecration unto death (R4389:3); the burnt-offering merely showed how God accepts the sin-offering. (T44,45)

The body of the New Creature, however, in another sense, must even here and now be a living one—one in, and by way of which, the New Creature may be perfected for its future work and glory, including the blessing of all families of the earth—a body in which it will also be able to serve and worship God acceptably. Of course, this is the same body (justified humanity) already accounted “dead,” but here it is to be regarded as a (faith) restitution body, temporarily loaned to the New Creature for its development.

We suggest that it is this “body” of the New Creature that is represented by the copper censer, which Israel’s ancient priesthood used in their ministrations about the Tabernacle. The High Priest used the censer to carry the coals of fire from the Altar of Burnt-Offering in the Court, to the Altar of Incense within the Holy where he then offered the “sweet incense” unto the LORD. It should be noted that he never took this censer with him into the Most Holy, beyond the Vail. How significant!

This “body” is never forfeited (because of sin) and in the ultimate is merely that “mortality” which in due time is to be exchanged for “immortality.” It is this, we believe, that is so beautifully reflected in the fact that the censer was never transported into the Most Holy. In the case of Jesus, this “censer” was his actual human perfection—i.e., his perfect fleshly body; whereas ours, as already suggested, is only reckonedly so.

Thus the censer, appropriately, was made of copper (copper being the symbol of human perfection—T18). It played a most important part in the Atonement Day ritual; so important, in fact, that the very life of the priest was dependent upon its rightful and proper use. (Lev. 16:12,13) This too is significant, for while the New Creature is represented by the High Priest himself, his very existence as such is dependent upon the rightful and proper use of the fleshly body, “that he die not” to his priestly calling. Paul may have had this in mind when he said, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (1 Cor. 9:27), lest he should become a “castaway,” dying to all the rights and privileges of membership in the future priest- hood of blessing.

What constitutes the rightful use of this “censer”? The priest in the type was to take from off the Altar of Burnt-Offering, coals of fire, put them into the censer, carry them into the Holy, there placing the censer atop the Altar of Incense. The priest was then to crumple the fragrant spices upon the burning coals, causing thus a sweet incense (perfume) to arise, not filling only the Holy, but penetrating the second Vail into the Most Holy, and there covering the Mercy Seat, thus preparing the way for the priest’s access into the “holiest of all”—into the very presence of God himself.

The fragrant spices which fell from the hands of the priest represented, we believe, the very same as did the “inwards” of the animal (sin-offering) burnt upon the altar in the Court, viz., the heart devotions of the consecrated “priest.” The sweet fragrance which arose from these spices when they came into contact with the coals of fire, represented these selfsame heart devotions under trial, yielding faith, obedience, love and praise unto God. (T120)

The coals of fire upon the altar accordingly represented such experiences and trials as Jehovah God in his infinite wisdom and love permits or ordains to come upon us for the purpose of making us “meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col. 1:12)

“The coals of fire upon the altar, that which caused the burning of the fat, would not seem to represent anything that our Lord had or did, but rather experiences from the ordinary affairs of life. Wood doubtless was used on the altar, as we read in some places, and the glowing embers from this fire upon the altar were taken inside the vail to constitute the basis of the offering on the Golden altar, the offering of the incense. This shows, therefore, that the fire was the same kind in all three of these pictures—wood-fire that burned the animal outside; wood-fire that burned the fat in the Court; and wood-fire or coals of fire that burned the incense upon the Golden altar.

“What does fire here represent? We answer that, as usual, fire represents destructive influences. Was there anything peculiar about these destructive influences that would mark them as separate and distinct from many other destructive influences? Our thought is that the fact that they are connected with the altar and were typified by the fire which burned only on the altar, implies that they were connected with the sacrificing; not the destructive influences which might come against mankind in general, as disease, or war, or famine, or pestilence, or from some other general source of fire, trouble, destruction, but rather here a sacrificial fire, sacrificial influence, something connected with what was being offered; therefore such adverse influences as would be of the Father’s appointment and for the very purpose of accomplishing this test or sacrifice; as our Lord expressed it, using another figure: ‘The cup which my Father hath poured for me, shall I not drink it?’ It was not the Jews that poured that cup for him; it was not the Pharisees that poured that cup; it was not the Romans; it was not the people nor hypocrites; it was not the scribes that poured that cup; but it was the Father who provided the cup.

“We would understand, then, that all these coals of fire represent those classes of circumstances and conditions which the Father provides for the very purpose of proving the character and the loyalty and the genuineness of our devotion. Carrying the coals into the Holy would seem to identify those two altars as expressing to us in symbol or type that the spirit of devotion which believers see consuming the sacrifice that is voluntarily offered to the Lord and which, while in line, in harmony with righteousness, is not commanded by the divine law, is the sacrificing principle which is so acceptable in God’s sight. It was in harmony with this, therefore, that our Lord offered up himself, in the sense of crumbling the incense upon the fiery coals.

Thus day by day he laid down his life, allowed himself to come in contact with these experiences, which served to destroy his earthly nature and sent forth a sweet fragrance to God. It was not any and every tribulation, as before intimated, but simply those which the Father had provided and were connected with his sacrificial experience.” (R4602)

Thus does it seem that the copper censer, as it was used by Israel’s high priest on the typical Atonement Day, most beautifully depicts the use made by the New Creature—the antitypical priest—of the fleshly body during the antitypical Atonement Day—the Gospel age.

The death of the sin-offering, it is true, made the blood of atonement available; but it needed first to be sprinkled on and before the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy by the priest who slew the animal and caused its “inwards” to be burnt upon the altar of Burnt-Offering in the Court ere the blessing of atonement could be brought to the people. Nor could he present that blood until the sweet incense from the Golden altar in the Holy had first preceded him into the Most Holy. Had the sweet incense not so preceded him, he would have died beneath the vail as he sought to enter in; in which event, the blood could not have been sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat, and Israel would have remained without atonement.

“Each time a priest went into the ‘Most Holy’ on the Atonement Day he risked his life; for if his sacrifice had been imperfect he would have died as he passed the ‘Second Vail.’ He would not have been accepted into the ‘Most Holy’ himself, nor would his imperfect sacrifice have been acceptable as an atonement for the sins of the people. Hence any failure meant his death, and the condemnation of all for whose sins he attempted to make reconciliation.” (T87)

“Moreover, since the typical Priest represented the ‘body’ as well as the ‘head’ of the antitypical Priest, the Christ, it follows that each member of the Church must pass this ‘judgment’—that although many have been called none will be chosen as finally acceptable ‘members’ of the Christ body, branches of the true Vine, except as they shall be ‘overcomers’—faithful unto death. (Rev. 3:21)” (T89)

The picture we have endeavored to present here is the general, not the specific one. In other words, there is a sense in which there is but one High Priest, Jesus, who did once offer the incense upon the “Golden altar.” This, of course, is the specific view. In the other—i.e., the general view—each consecrated child of God is himself a priest commissioned to “offer incense at the ‘Golden altar.’ ” (T22)

Censers of Korah and His Company

“Now Korah, the son of Ishar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even tomorrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him; even him whom he hath chosen to come near unto him. This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him? … And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou and they, and Aaron, tomorrow: And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer. And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron … And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Eleazer the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers of these sinners against their souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel. And Eleazer the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering for the altar.” (Num. 16:1-39)

The censers used by Korah and his company were undoubtedly made of copper for they were subsequently made into a “covering” for the “brazen” altar. (Num. 16:38,39)

We have suggested that the copper censer used by the High Priest, Aaron, on the Day of Atonement represented the perfect humanity (fleshly body) of Christ Jesus, used by him as the “vessel” by way of which the “priest,” the New Creature, offered the “sweet incense” of faith, love, obedience and praise unto God, at the “Golden altar.” (Lev. 16:12,13; T56) We, as “under-priests,” are privileged to follow in his footsteps, using also our reckonedly perfect humanity as “censers” out of which there should arise unto God an acceptable “sweet incense.” (T22,120)

Korah, and probably most of his company, were Kohathites—i.e., of that division of Levites from whence emanated the priesthood—Aaron and his sons. Let it be carefully noted: it was not the censers that God was displeased with (for they were “hallowed”—Num. 16:37); but with the “rebels” themselves (Num. 16:30), for they too offered “strange fire” (“scatter thou the fire yonder”—Num. 16:37).

All the Levites were consecrated “unto the LORD,” (Num. 3:6-12; 8:6-19); but the Kohathites among them were specially blessed in having commit- ted unto them the charge of the most precious things of the Tabernacle— the Ark, Table, Candlestick, etc. (Num. 3:30,31; 4:4-15) We believe, there- fore, that these Kohathites may have been intended to represent such of the Lord’s consecrated saints of the Gospel age to whom divine “treasures” have been committed, but who, by rebellion against certain providences of God, sin the sin unto death, for which they are destroyed as spiritual entities. Their share of the imputed merit of Jesus—which, by way of justifying their humanity, had constituted the same as “censers” from whence there might have arisen the acceptable “sweet perfume” unto the Lord—is, therefore, returned to its source. This is beautifully reflected in the fact that in the type, the censers1 were beaten into “memorial plates” for the altar. (Num. 16:38-40) This altar, it will be recalled, represented the ran- som-sacrifice of Christ Jesus (T22)—the source of the justifying merit.

Perhaps the “memorial plates” which were in due course affixed to the Altar of Burnt-Offering, will antitypically serve a very particular purpose for the “Israelites” of the Millennial age. Is it not possible that the Reuben- ites (Dathan and Abiram—Num. 16:1; 26:9) and any others of Korah‘s company who were not Kohathites, may represent presumptuous peoples of the next age who, in spirit at least, will be allies of the “Korahs” of the Gospel age? If so, these too will be destroyed from the presence of the Lord and the people by the righteous judgments of an offended God.

“Although these men (Korah and his company) did not die the Second Death, but will in due time share the benefits of the great atonement accomplished by the antitypical Priest, nevertheless they typified persons who enjoy great favors of the Lord, misappropriate these, applying them self- ishly and in pride, will die the Second Death, and with them their allies, sharers in their sin.” (R3100)

Golden Censer of Revelation

“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 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. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. 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. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” (Rev. 8:1-6)

¹ Note: The censers neither came from, nor were “returned” to the Altar. The metal (copper) of which they were made was the same as that of the altar; and which al- tar represented the perfect humanity of the man Christ Jesus, laid down in sacrifice (the ransom sacrifice), and bequeathed to the fallen human race. In a sense, therefore, this Altar might be said to represent Jesus’ redeeming merit. Symbolically, then, the “memorial plates” into which the censers were beaten, and eventually affixed to the altar, bespeak the “return” of the merit (of which the “rebels” had proved themselves unworthy) to Jesus. Without this merit (by imputation, or application) none of Adam’s race will have the right to live. Every Israelite as he approached the Altar was called upon to recognize that his very existence before God, was owed to it; and that he could lose his life by rebelling against the providences of God, as did Korah and his company. This will be true also of the “Israelites” of the Millennial age. Thus will the “memorial plates” then, too, bear their witness to any who might be tempted to be rebellious.

In some respects, it will be noted, this picture differs from the one of the typical Tabernacle. There is nothing in the type which says, or even suggests, that the incense was offered a second time—i.e., in connection with the High Priest’s sacrifice of the Lord’s goat. Nor is there any suggestion of the use of more than one, and that the copper, censer.

The Revelation scene features both the altar of burnt-offering and the al- tar of incense; but its censer is of gold. (Rev. 8:3) Evidently, the relation- ship of these two pictures is not that of type and antitype, though certain features, it is certain, are common to both.

It would seem that the scene of Revelation is laid at the very beginning of the Gospel age, and perhaps (?) even during those 40 days which preceded Jesus’ ascension.

Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, had by faithfulness (obedience) unto death, won the right to open the seals of the “book written within and on the backside” (Rev. 5:1,2,7)—i.e., he was found worthy to execute the remainder of the plan of God. (R2208, 2209) One feature of this plan involved his intercession on behalf of those who were to be called to joint- heirship with him. As the High Priest of their order or profession (Heb. 3:1), he is here represented by the angel who “came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer” and to whom “there was given … much incense, that he should offer it with (add it to) the prayers of the saints, upon the golden altar” before the throne of God. (Rev. 8:3) The seven angels referred to in Rev. 8:2, are not the same as the special messengers to the seven churches; and it should also be noted that these “angels” did not prepare to sound their respective trumpets until after the angel had taken the censer, filled it with fire from the altar (of burnt-offering) and cast it upon the earth (cf. Rev. 8:5,6). Since the angel with the censer stood by the altar, which in the type of Lev. 4:7 and Exod. 30:6 was in the Tabernacle of the Congregation —“before the vail”—we assume that the time here is that period of 40 days during which Jesus, the New Creature, was already in possession of his new (spiritual) body, the “golden censer,” but had not yet ascended up on high (in a sense, had not yet passed “beyond the vail” to make intercession for his disciples—the Church).

We are told that to this particular angel there was given much incense, for the specific purpose of his offering of it with the prayers of the saints. (Rev. 8:3) At this time, Jesus having made his own “calling and election” sure, was given back the merits of the man Christ Jesus which he now no longer needed for himself but which he now, with the heavenly Father’s approval, might impute to the disciples and all saints. The prayers of these saints do not represent merely their audible prayers, but their heart’s sincere desires to live acceptable lives before God, which in their imperfect bodies they would find themselves unable to do. However, when these desires (prayers) are augmented by the imputed merits of the man Christ Jesus (the “sweet incense”) through the intercession of the “High Priest,” they then do reach the very heart of God. Perhaps this is the reason why, in the Tabernacle type, the High Priest’s offering of the incense occurred just once, and this in connection with his own sin-offering, for was this not “for himself and his house.” (Lev. 16:11)

“So we might say that the incense which he offered up, in a certain sense and to a certain degree, represented the whole church … Hence, in offering his own perfections, he was offering up that which would, by imputation, be our perfection, as his members.

“In view of the fact that nothing was said about offering the incense the second time, and since we do not go into the Holy as individuals, but as members of his Body, we are safe in saying that we are, ‘in Christ, a sweet savor to God.’ (Eph. 5:1,2; 2 Cor. 2:15; Rev. 8:3,4)” (R4922)

The same thought of the perfections of the man Christ Jesus, being intended for both Jesus and his Church, is suggested by the fact that in the ritual of Leviticus 8, Moses supplied for Aaron and his sons, but one animal (a bullock) for the sin-offering (there was no goat); and that Aaron and his sons, all laid their hands upon the head of this animal. (Lev. 8:14; T41) And so do we read “and the smoke [remembrance] of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” What a beautiful picture is this!

The copper censer of old served to link the altar of burnt-offering in the Court with the altar of incense in the Holy. Thus did the type beautifully set forth two aspects of the antitypical High Priest’s consecration, both of which were necessary if he was to attain eventual access into the “holiest of all.” (Lev. 16:2,3,12,13—“that he die not” Heb. 9:27) The same trials and experiences (coals of fire) which in the “court” brought about the destruction of Jesus’ humanity—his flesh—enabled him “in the Holy” and while still in the flesh (2 Cor. 4:7) to demonstrate his heart devotion and loyalty, under trial, to the most perfect will of God. His faithfulness in both the “Court” and the “Holy” won for him the right in due time to enter into the “Most Holy”—the very presence of God himself. The “vessel” (copper censer) employed to accomplish this could have been none other than his own perfect humanity—his flesh. The trials borne in his fleshly vessel enabled him to prove his heart devotions to Jehovah.

In the Revelation, however, the censer is of gold, representing the divine or spiritual body of our Lord after his resurrection; having been faithful unto death, he now possessed a body just as dedicated to God as was the erstwhile human body, but now no longer mortal.

The fact that this angel took the golden censer and filled it with fire of the altar (of burnt-offering) and then cast it upon the earth after he had offered the “much incense” with the prayers of the saints, seems merely to signify that those who of the earth would share the divine membership in the glorified Body of the Christ (the Church beyond the vail) would first have to share the identical trials and afflictions which God had ordained as part of Jesus’ “cup”—i.e., they would have to share in those afflictions of Christ which were left behind for the body’s sake (Col. 1:24), for only if they “suffer with him shall they also reign with him.” (2 Tim. 2:12; Rom. 8:17) This picture in the Revelation clearly sets forth also that Jesus could not offer the privilege of joint-heirship with him in the kingdom, nor could he even succor his disciples until he himself had been given his glorified body; not before this could he actually intercede for them.

The voices, the thunderings, lightnings, and the earthquake, which followed (Rev. 8:5) undoubtedly represent the events and controversies, etc., that marked the Church’s beginning. The voices may have reference to the Apostolic teachings such as Jesus had prophetically referred to before his crucifixion (Matt. 18:18) and confirmed thereafter (John 20:23); the thunderings—such controversies as would quite naturally be associated with the transition from the old order to the new—from Moses to Christ; among these were such as were precipitated by the Judaisers who continually plagued Paul; the lightnings would represent the dissemination of the Truth—perhaps more particularly its deeper aspects as brought to light by Paul; the earthquake may have reference to the earth-shaking doctrine, that the Gentiles were as acceptable as the Jews to God.

“When our Lord had proven his loyalty to the heavenly Father by his obedience, not only in humbling himself to take man’s estate for the suffering of death, but also in his obedience ‘even unto death,’ and still further, ‘even unto the (ignominious) death of the cross,’ then and thereby he did prove himself worthy of every confidence and trust. As the Apostle declares, ‘Wherefore him hath God highly exalted and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, both of things in heaven and things on earth.’ (Phil. 2:9-11) It is at this point that the picture we are considering (Rev. 5:9-13) shows our Lord Jesus as the Lamb that had been slain, before whom obeisance was made, and who was proclaimed, Worthy the Lamb! ‘Thou art worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals thereof, because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.’ Thus is pictured to us the high exaltation of the heavenly Father’s representative, the ‘Messenger (servant) of the Covenant.’ Because of his humility and complete submission and obedience to the Father’s will he is proclaimed thence-forth the sharer of the Father’s throne, and, by the Father’s own arrangement, the proclamation was made throughout the heavenly hosts, ‘Worthy is the lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing’; and finally ‘every creature’ shall catch the thought that Jehovah has very highly exalted his Only Begotten Son, even to association with himself in the Kingdom, and shout their approval, saying, ‘The blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne (of the universe—Jehovah) and unto the Lamb—for ever and ever!’ No wonder, then, that we are instructed that henceforth all men shall honor the exalted Son.” (E37)

“The symbolical panorama proceeds, and shows us the Lamb approaching Jehovah and receiving from him ‘the mystery of his will,’ the great plan of the ages, as mapped out in the divine purpose from before the foundation of the world. As soon as the ‘mystery of God’ was committed to ‘the Lamb of God,’ who had already fulfilled an important part of that plan by redeeming the world with his own precious blood, he receives homage, as it is written: ‘Him hath God highly exalted, and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things on earth,’ and ‘that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father.’ ” (R2208:6)