REFLECTIONS OF CHRIST IN THE TABERNACLE
Chapter 5
The Altar of Incense
  “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle” this verse in Hebrews 13:10 speaks of the brazen altar. Although the brazen altar was outside the court yard it had a direct relationship to the altar of incense inside the tabernacle. The brazen altar was a place of judgment for sin, but the coals from this altar of judgment were taken and placed on the altar of incense. It was upon these coals of judgment that God received the incense and the sweet savor to Himself. The incense was placed upon these coals and ascended up into His presence.
  We think of prayer many times in the simple sense of “to pray,” but there is much more that is categorical about prayer. For instance, prayer is intercession. Interceding for others as Christ intercedes for us; therefore, showing concern for those of like faith and praying on their behalf. We should be praying for those who serve the Lord in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have also prayer in thanksgiving. We should offer up thanksgiving to God for all we have, all that we are, and all that we’ll ever be, and for all that Christ is to us. Then we have prayer in a worship sense. This is presenting God’s Son to Him in all the beauties of the Lord Jesus Christ and the character that is in Him, and all that He has done for us at Calvary. This is worship! In Hebrews 2:12, the Lord said, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” When you are praying to God, praise Him for what He has done for us — this is the prayer of praise. Since the Lord Jesus said . . . “I will declare thy name unto my brethren,” how much more then should we declare His name to our brethren and to others as well.
  The Lord Jesus Christ is our great Intercessor. He is the one in Revelation 1:12, who tends the golden candlestick and the golden altar. He makes sure that our prayers are received by God the Father as they are ascending. And God the Holy Spirit also make intercession for our prayers, as sometimes even what we pray is not acceptable to God. According to Romans 8, the Holy Ghost also makes intercession for our prayers. “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27) He takes the crying from our hearts and presents it to God the Father. “Whereof he is able to save them to the uttermost that came unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25) The Lord Jesus Christ not only presents our prayers to God, but in times when we have strayed away from God, Christ intercedes for us before the throne of grace. He presents His nail pierced hands and His wounded side to God. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:33,34)
  In the Gospel of John, chapter 17, we have the great intercessory prayer of the Lord Jesus when He prayed for those who would remain in the world. In like manner, we ought to pray for those who we know in the Lord Jesus Christ. “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks in His name.” (Hebrews 13:15) Remember that this incense went up from the coals of judgment; therefore, when we are praying to God, we should be examining our hearts. Part of prayer is saying in effect, “God show me how I can be more conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Put me upon those of coals of judgment that I may offer up that sweet incense to Thee — the sins that are in my life, Lord, use those coals of judgment on the golden altar to reveal them to me, that my prayers might be sweet unto Thee.” Let us offer up the sacrifice of our loves continually to the Lord Jesus Christ and the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” (John 4:23)
  When we come to God in the Spirit to worship — remember that we are not only to worship in Spirit but also in truth. Consider the priest of the tabernacle — before the priest could enter into the holy place, he had to wash at the laver and he had to be sanctified before God. Thus, we have to sanctify ourselves before we approach the golden altar by the washing of the Word of God, that we might worship in Spirit and in truth. We come by washing and by being sanctified before God. Sanctification is being set apart by God for His glory. Sanctification is also setting ourselves apart from sin because anyone who is practicing and indulging in sin is not clean before God. When we are born again we receive sanctification by and through God the Holy Spirit, that we may be received by God the Father. We need daily sanctification in the Word of God and we must wash at the laver daily that we may approach the golden altar.
  We read in 1 Peter 2:5. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Notice, that we are a holy priesthood. We no longer need to depend on Aaron or any man to enter the holy place to offer up incense on the golden altar for us. Jesus Christ, in a sense, has taken Aaron’s place, and therefore, we have a High Priest before God. However, our High Priest has not only rent the veil for us and atoned for our sins, but He has made a way open for us wherein we may enter in and offer up prayers upon the golden altar; prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of praise, prayers of intercession, and prayers of worship. “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which served the tabernacle.” (Hebrews 13:10)
 “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4,5)
  Let us now consider the coals of the altar. These coals were placed on the altar of incense from the brazen altar by a directive from God. When Nadab and Abihu disobeyed this directive as recorded in Leviticus 10:1 — fire came down from heaven and consumed them both because they offered up “strange fire” or “strange coals” upon the altar of incense. We cannot come to God with a hypocritical heart in prayer, we cannot offer up strange fire to God because strange fire always demands judgement. We must come with a broken heart, a contrite and sincere spirit that our prayers may be received by God. If we come in the spirit of hypocrisy to please men than we are not offering up the sacrifice which is the fruit of our lips. Jesus Christ by ONE offering, “hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14) “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) We were reconciled, in type, at the brazen altar. Through His life we can now approach the golden altar that we may come into the very presence of God. Consider the brazen altar outside the tent, then examine this verse, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Hebrews 2:9)
  The brazen altar was constructed from acacia wood and covered with brass and not gold. Brass always speaks to us of the judgement of God. In the brass and acacia wood we see the humanity of Christ in His righteousness. We see the brazen altar as the place where the sacrifice for our sin was received by God. “He is crowned with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Hebrews 2:9)
  As the brazen altar and the cross was the place of God’s judgement, so also the altar of incense through our Lord Jesus is the acceptance of our manner of life with Him.
　© Copyright 2007, Michael Haigh
Chapter 6, The Lampstand, coming soon.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible (KJV)