Heidi Norton
Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible, and its use is still practised by some Christians today. The Bible contains 24 verses that refer to incense, and the practice is described in both the Old and New Testaments. The burning of incense is a divine command, and God gave Moses detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense. The Book of Exodus describes the recipe for the sacred incense as a mixture of costly spices and perfumes, including stacte, onychia, galbanum, and frankincense.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Incense ingredients | Stacte, Onycha, Galbanum, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cassia, Spikenard, Saffron, Costus, Aromatic bark, Cinnamon, Carshina lye, Cyprus wine, Sodom salt, Jordan amber |
| Incense usage | To be burned perpetually before the Lord, as a holy act of worship |
| Incense symbolism | Prayer, the relationship between God and His people, intercession of Christ |
| Incense in the Bible | Mentioned in the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Gospel of Luke; referred to in medieval Christian art; still used in liturgical rites in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Church, and some Lutheran churches |
| Incense offerings | Made by priests or high priests, depending on the tradition; offered by all the nations of the earth in worship of the Lord in his true Temple |
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What You'll Learn
Incense in the Old Testament
The use of incense in the Old Testament is mentioned in several books of the Bible, including Exodus, Leviticus, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Chronicles, and Malachi. Incense was offered to God as a holy act of worship and was often associated with prayer and the intercession of Christ.
In the Old Testament, the burning of incense was a sacred ritual performed by the high priest or ordinary priests. It is first mentioned in Exodus, where God gives Moses detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense. According to Exodus, the altar of incense was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, with four "horns" at each corner. Aaron, as the high priest, was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and evening. The incense was to be burned perpetually and was composed of specific perfumes, including stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense.
The altar of incense was located in the Holy Place of the tabernacle, before the veil that separated it from the Holy of Holies. This placement symbolized the intercession of Christ, as the altar of incense was situated before the mercy seat of the Ark, representing Christ's mediation between God and His people. The smoke of the incense rising towards God symbolized the prayers of the saints, as mentioned in Revelation and Psalms.
In addition to the regular offerings, the altar of incense was also involved in the annual Day of Atonement ritual. On this day, the high priest would place blood on the horns of the altar to cleanse it and take coals from the altar, along with incense, into the Holy of Holies. However, God made it clear that the ritualistic burning of incense was not enough to make the Israelites right with Him. He desired their sincere hearts and lives, not just their formal observance of rituals.
The use of incense continued in the time of Christ, as mentioned in the New Testament. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, served as a priest and offered incense in the Temple. The Magi also offered incense to the newborn Christ, symbolizing his divinity.
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Incense ingredients
Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible. The practice was carried by the Church through to the present day. The Bible describes God's instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense.
The Book of Exodus describes the recipe for the sacred incense prescribed for use in the wilderness Tabernacle:
> Take unto yourself sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And you shall make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together [salted], pure and holy: And you shall beat some of it very small, and put [it] before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with you: it shall be unto you most holy. And as for the perfume which you shall make, you shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto you holy for the Lord.
The Talmud lists seven additional components from the oral Torah, and the ingredients are still being studied and are not determined with absolute certainty. Stacte is variously described as being the extract of the transparent portion of the myrrh resin which exudes spontaneously from the tree, or a balsam from a tree such as opobalsamum. Other ingredients include myrrh, cassia, spikenard, saffron, costus, aromatic bark, and cinnamon. Rabbi Nathan of Babylon says that Jordan amber was also used, and Rabbi Shimon ben Gamaliel says that stacte is simply the sap that drips from the balsam tree.
The ingredients of this Holy Incense were handed down to Moses from God, and it was typically burned by the high priest, Aaron, each morning and evening. However, after the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple, incense was offered there (1/3 Kings 9:25).
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Incense in the New Testament
The use of incense in the Bible is mentioned several times in the New Testament. Incense was an important element in the religious ceremonies of many ancient nations, including the Israelites. The New Testament makes several typological references to incense, including a Christological reference to the coals from the altar of incense taken behind the veil on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:3–4).
In the Gospel of Luke, for instance, Zechariah enters the temple to burn incense while the people pray outside (Luke 1:9-10). An angel then appears to him, announcing that he and his wife Elizabeth will have a son, John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-16). This episode illustrates a shift in tradition, as it shows that ordinary priests, and not just the high priest, were allowed to offer incense.
Incense is also mentioned in Revelation 5:8 and 8:3, where it is connected to "the prayers of the saints" in the heavenly temple. This idea of incense symbolising prayer is further developed in medieval Christian art.
The specific ingredients and processes for making sacred incense were likely closely guarded secrets. The Bible provides some details about the composition of incense, which was made from costly materials contributed by the congregation. According to the Book of Exodus, the recipe included "sweet spices", specifically stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, with each ingredient in equal measure.
The Talmud, meanwhile, expands the recipe from four to eleven ingredients. Onycha is described as the operculum from a shell found in the Red Sea, resembling a fingernail. Galbanum is believed to be Ferula galbaniflua, and pure frankincense is the resin of a tree of the boswellia species.
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Incense in worship
Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible, at his divine command. The Bible describes God giving Moses and Aaron detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense. It was to be burned perpetually before the Lord, and it was a holy act of worship.
The burning of incense is a practice that has been common in the religious ceremonies of many ancient nations, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Phoenicians. The Bible describes the recipe for the sacred incense as a mixture of costly perfumes, including stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. The ingredients were to be mixed in equal parts, and the resulting incense was to be burned before the Lord as a holy offering.
The Bible also mentions that the times of offering incense were specified, with incense being burned in the morning and evening. When the priest entered the holy place with the incense, all the people were removed from the temple, and a profound silence was observed among the congregation, who were praying outside. This practice continued in the Temple, where incense was offered after the Tabernacle.
Incense is often symbolic of prayer and the relationship between God and His people. The smoke of incense rising towards heaven is seen as carrying the prayers of the saints up to God. This symbolism is reflected in Psalm 140/141:2, which says, "Let my prayer be set before you as incense; let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." This verse is still sung daily at Vespers, marking the new liturgical day with an "evening sacrifice" of prayer and incense.
The use of incense in worship has continued in various Christian denominations, particularly in liturgical rites within the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches.
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Incense in prayer
Incense has been used in prayer and worship in many different religions and cultures throughout history, including in the Bible. The burning of incense is described as a divine command in the Bible, with God giving Moses and Aaron detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense.
The Bible describes incense as a mixture of costly spices and perfumes, including stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. These were to be burned before the Lord as a holy act of worship. The Book of Exodus provides the recipe for this sacred incense, which was to be made by a perfumer and was to be "pure and holy". The Bible also mentions that myrrh, cassia, spikenard, saffron, costus, aromatic bark, and cinnamon were used in incense offerings.
The use of incense in prayer is symbolic and is often associated with the idea of ascending prayers. In the Bible, the smoke of incense is described as carrying the prayers of the saints up to God. Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible and has been continued as a practice by various Christian denominations to the present day. For example, Catholics typically burn holy incense in church as part of purification rituals.
The use of incense in prayer is also mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, where Zechariah enters the temple to offer incense while the people pray outside. As the incense smoke rises, an angel delivers a message to Zechariah, announcing the birth of his son, John the Baptist. This episode highlights the symbolic connection between incense and prayer in the Bible.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bible describes a sacred incense with a definite prescription of the following perfumes: stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense.
The recipe was handed down to Moses from God.
The incense was burned as a holy act of worship, carrying the prayers of the saints up to God.
The act of burning incense symbolises prayer and the relationship between God and His people.
