Seamus Hammond
The altar of incense is first mentioned in Exodus chapter 30 as one of the items inside the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The altar was made of acia wood and overlaid with gold. It had four horns, one at each corner. The Lord instructed Aaron to burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning and at twilight as a regular offering. The incense was a special blend of sweet spices or sweet-smelling spices, including gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense. The burning of incense was symbolic of intercessory prayer, and the altar of incense was considered most holy to the Lord.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Incense type | Ketoret or a blend of sweet-smelling spices including gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense |
| Incense weight | 368 pounds prepared annually, with one pound burned daily |
| Incense burner | Aaron, the high priest |
| Incense timing | Morning and twilight |
| Incense purpose | To purify the Holy Place, to symbolize intercessory prayer, and to mask the smell of slaughtered beasts |
| Incense recipe | Given by God, with instructions to only burn this recipe on the altar |
| Incense preparation | Mixed by a perfumer with olive oil and salt to create a sacred anointing oil |
| Incense altar material | Acacia wood overlaid with gold |
| Incense altar shape | Square with four horns, two cubits high and one cubit wide |
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What You'll Learn
- The altar of incense was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold
- Aaron, the high priest, was instructed to burn fragrant incense every morning and at twilight
- The incense was a blend of sweet spices, including frankincense
- The altar was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies
- Burning incense was symbolic of intercessory prayer
The altar of incense was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold
The altar of incense was made of acia wood and overlaid with gold. The Bible describes the altar as square-shaped, with each side measuring one cubit, and a height of two cubits. The top, sides, and four horns of the altar were overlaid with pure gold, and a gold molding was added around it. Two gold rings were affixed to opposite sides of the altar, below the molding, to accommodate the acia wood poles used to carry it. The poles themselves were also overlaid with gold.
The altar of incense was constructed from precious materials because of its holy purpose as a place of intercessory prayer. It was placed in front of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Testimony resided, symbolizing the presence of God. Aaron, the high priest, was instructed to burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning and at twilight as a regular offering to the Lord.
The incense burned on the altar was a blend of sweet spices, including stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense. It was prepared annually by the House of Avtinas, who produced 365 pounds for daily offerings and an additional 3 pounds for the Yom Kippur rituals, totaling 368 pounds for the year. The high priest would pour the incense onto hot coals, allowing the sweet-smelling smoke to fill the Holy of Holies.
Burning incense on the altar was symbolic of intercessory prayer. In Scripture, incense is often associated with prayer, as seen in Psalm 141:2, where David prayed, "May my prayer be set before you like incense." The altar of incense, therefore, represented the prayers of God's people rising up to God, just as the smoke of the incense ascended to the sanctuary.
The altar of incense was to be sanctified annually on the Day of Atonement, along with the priests, through the sprinkling of blood. The high priest would smear blood on the four horns of the altar to purify it from the sins of the Israelites. God commanded that only the designated incense blend be burned on the altar, and no other incense was to be used.
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Aaron, the high priest, was instructed to burn fragrant incense every morning and at twilight
The incense that Aaron burned was a special blend of "sweet spices" or "sweet-smelling spices" known as Ketoret. God gave Moses the recipe for this incense, which included "stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense in equal parts." The incense was to be salted and pure, and it was to be made by "a person who makes perfume." The high priest would burn half a pound of this incense during the morning and evening Tamid offerings, for a total of one pound per day.
Burning incense was symbolic of intercessory prayer, and the Golden Altar of Incense was a place of prayer where people could come before the Lord in humble petition. Incense is often associated with prayer in Scripture, such as in Psalm 141:2, where David prays, "May my prayer be set before you like incense." Additionally, the altar of incense was to be purified each year on the Day of Atonement, when Aaron would smear blood on its horns.
It is important to note that Aaron was warned never to offer any strange incense on the altar or to use it for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings. The Lord communicated that the altar of incense was "most holy to the Lord," and it was to be used only for its designated purpose. Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu disregarded this command and burned "strange incense" at the altar, resulting in their deaths as they were consumed by fire from the Lord.
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The incense was a blend of sweet spices, including frankincense
The burning of incense on the altar was an integral component of Jewish rituals. The altar of incense is first mentioned in Exodus chapter 30, which describes it as an item inside the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The altar was made of acia wood and overlaid with gold, with four horns, one at each corner. The Lord instructed Aaron, the high priest, to burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning and at twilight as a regular offering.
The incense that was burned on the altar was a special blend of sweet-smelling spices, including frankincense. God gave the recipe for the incense, stipulating that no other incense was to be burned on the altar. The formula for the incense is given in Exodus 30:34-38, which states that the incense was to be made from "sweet-smelling spices," including "stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, with each spice in equal amounts." The incense was to be salted, pure, and holy, and it was to be made by a perfumer.
The House of Avtinas was responsible for preparing the incense, which was to be burned in a specific amount each day. The high priest would burn half a pound of incense during the morning and evening Tamid offerings, for a total of one pound per day. However, during the Yom Kippur rituals, the high priest would burn three pounds of incense. The burning of incense was symbolic of intercessory prayer, and the sweet-smelling smoke was believed to saturate the Holy of Holies.
The altar of incense was considered "most holy to the Lord," and it was to be sanctified each year through the sprinkling of blood. The blood of a sin offering was smeared on the horns of the altar to purify it, and this was typically done on the Day of Atonement. The altar of incense was never to be used for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings, and it was important that only the designated type of incense be burned on it.
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The altar was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies
The altar of incense is mentioned in Exodus chapter 30 as one of the items inside the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The altar was square at the top, with each side measuring one cubit, and the entire altar was two cubits tall. A cubit was approximately twenty inches, or just under two feet. The altar was constructed of acacia wood and covered in gold. It featured four "horns," one at each corner, similar to the altar of sacrifice in the courtyard. The altar of incense was positioned before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. On the other side of the veil was the Ark of the Testimony, which housed the presence of God.
Aaron, the high priest, was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight as a daily offering to the Lord. This incense was described as a special blend of sweet spices, with the recipe provided by God (Exodus 30:34-38). The burning of incense symbolized intercessory prayer, and the fragrant smoke served to counteract the unpleasant odours resulting from the daily animal sacrifices in the holy place.
The altar of incense was considered "most holy to the Lord" and was subject to strict regulations. It was not to be used for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings. Aaron was specifically warned against burning any strange incense on the altar, indicating that only the designated incense blend was to be used in worshipping the Lord. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would smear blood on the altar's horns and burn incense inside the Holy of Holies to purify it.
The Holy of Holies, veiled and separated from the Holy Place, held profound spiritual significance in Hebrew tradition. It represented the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, where God's presence appeared and where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. According to tradition, only the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, and even then, only once a year on Yom Kippur, to offer sacrifices and incense. The tearing of the veil upon Jesus' death on the cross symbolized the end of the age of animal offerings and opened the way for people to come directly to God.
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Burning incense was symbolic of intercessory prayer
The burning of incense has been a significant part of religious rituals since antiquity. In Exodus 30:7-8, the Bible mentions that the Lord instructed Aaron to burn incense on the altar every morning and at twilight as a regular offering to the Lord. The Hebrew word for burn, "qatar", means "to cause to rise up in smoke", and is used most often to refer to ritual burning. The incense was to be burned continually, symbolising the perpetual nature of Christ's mediation.
The altar of incense was situated before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, with four "horns", one at each corner. The altar of incense was considered holy to the Lord and was to be sanctified each year with the sprinkling of blood. The high priest would burn incense every morning and evening, resulting in incense being before the Lord all day, every day.
Burning incense on the altar was symbolic of intercessory prayer. Incense is often associated with prayer in Scripture. In Psalm 141:2, David prayed, "May my prayer be set before you like incense". In Revelation 5:8 and 8:3, John describes the elders around the throne in heaven holding "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people". The smoke of burning incense is interpreted by Western Catholic and Eastern Christian churches as a symbol of the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven.
The sweet-smelling smoke from the incense also served a practical purpose, as it helped to counteract the smell of slaughtered beasts in the holy place. The pleasant aroma of the incense created a sacred space and elevated the hearts and minds of the people.
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Frequently asked questions
The incense burned on the altar in Exodus was a blend of "sweet spices" (Exodus 30:7, 34-35). The recipe was provided by God and included "stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense in equal parts" (Exodus 30:34-35). The incense was prepared annually by the House of Avtinas, amounting to 368 pounds for the year.
Aaron, the high priest, was responsible for burning incense on the altar. He was instructed to burn incense every morning and at twilight (Exodus 30:7-8). Aaron's sons also participated in burning incense on the altar.
Incense was burned on the altar as a sacred offering to the Lord. It served as a symbol of intercessory prayer, purifying the holy place with its pleasant fragrance. The smoke of the incense ascending towards God represented the prayers of His people rising to heaven.
