The Golden Censer

2023-02-28

The golden censer corresponds with the golden altar of incense. This altar was also gold-covered shittim wood as the shewbread table was. It also had rings to bear it with when it was to be transported.

Every morning and evening, incense was to be burnt on it. “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” (Exodus 30:7-8). It was for no other kind of offering, and only a specific type of incense could be burnt on it.

On the Day of Atonement, atonement was made for sin upon the 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 the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD” (Exodus 30:10). And again, “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” (Leviticus 16:12-13).

The altar itself was before the veil. So when a translation of Hebrews 9:4 says that the altar was within the veil, that would have to be wrong. The altar was without the vail. However, the censer went into the veil once a year on the Day of Atonement. The emphasis here in Hebrews 9:4 is on that time when the censer went into the veil.

The incense represents the prayers of the saints. “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints” (Revelation 5:8). “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” (Revelation 8:3-4).

The significance of the golden censer being within the veil is clearly seen here. Jesus Christ went in on our behalf into the holiest place, offering our prayers. He does this continually. Aaron did it without the veil every day and within the veil only once a year. Jesus Christ remains within the holiest lifting up our prayers before the Father.