The Tabernacle - The Altar of Incense

I. Introduction

A. Today we move in the holy place toward the veil. We move toward what is beyond the veil, the most holy place at the foot of the throne of God. Yet we have one more stop before we get there, the altar of incense.

B. Exodus 30:6-8 - A mini version of the altar outside that burns sweet smelling incense before the veil going into the holy of holies.

C. What is the altar of incense? The individual prayer of the saints …

Revelation 5:8 (ESV) “8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

Psalm 141:2 (ESV) “2  Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!”

D. Seems to be a intimate, individual encounter while the table was very communal. Only one priest would approach the altar of incense daily.

E. See the progression through this holy place: Hear God, Hear God’s people, Speak to God yourself. This holy place encounter must be a daily experience. As a father I not only want my kids to hear me, to hear each other, I want to hear what’s on their heart.

II. The Altar of Incense

A. Morning and Evening Incense

Exodus 30:7 (ESV) “7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it,”

Take note, every morning the lamps were tended and incense burned. Every morning the holy rhythm of life is to let the words of God speak to you and then you speak to God!

The world will change for all of us if we would simply make our first conversation everyday with God.

“Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the night.” Anonymous

“It is a good rule never to look into the face of man in the morning till you have looked into the face of God.” Charles Spurgeon

Psalm 5:3 (NIV) “3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

Mark 1:35 (ESV) “35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

B. The overlap between the holy and most holy

Exodus 40:26–27 (ESV) “26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

Hebrews 9:3–4 (ESV) “3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.”

Exodus clearly puts the altar of incense before the veil. Hebrews seems to put it on the other side of the veil, what’s up? It’s an overlap.

The bridge between holy and most holy encounters, between a measure of glory to full glory is our authentic heartfelt prayers.

It’s like having an encounter like Peter, James, and John had on the the mount of transfiguration.

Leviticus 16:12–13 (ESV) “12 And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil 13 and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.”

Notice the incense, sweet and beaten. It’s the real issues of life that are both sweet and precious to our hearts, gratitude. Yet also the issues that beat us down and makes us feel small, groaning. Gratitude & groaning, The real deal.

This is no place for hiding, manipulating, or being what you’re really not. No fake religious platitudes. Only the real survives this level of glory.

C. Prayers returned to earth

Revelation 8:3–5 (ESV) “3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

Crazy picture, again we get a glimpse of the heavenly tabernacle that the earthly tabernacle was fashioned after. The altar of incense on the earth and the one before the throne are connected.

And there is this filling of incense and smoke coming from the authentic prayers of the saints. When the censor is full it is flung back to the earth with heavenly propulsion.

Luke 6:38 (ESV) 38 “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Principle of receiving back form heaven. It goes up watery and comes back concentrate!

Intercession —‘assail with petitions’ A pleading with one party on behalf of another, usually with a view to obtaining help for that other.

The future of your family, your church, our community is dependent on those prayers being returned to the earth. In many ways your mornings with God not only determines your day but our destiny.

Don’t miss your mornings in a most holy place with God. There is a place for just you and Him.