The Tabernacle - The Altar of Incense and The Veil
The Altar of Incense
Directly ahead as they entered the holy place was the altar of incense. The burned incense rose up toward heaven. Once fire is applied it ascends naturally. The cloud of smoke going upward was symbolic of Israel’s prayers to God.
The picture here is of prayer.
Psa 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice.
Exo 30:1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.
Exo 30:2 A cubit [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits [shall be] the height thereof: the horns thereof [shall be] of the same.
What do horns speak of? - Power There is power in prayer.
Exo 30:3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
Exo 30:4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make [it]; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
Exo 30:5 And thou shalt make the staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exo 30:6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that [is] by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that [is] over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
Exo 30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
Exo 30:8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
Exo 30:9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
Exo 30:10 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.
The incense was made of specific sweet perfumes, mixed and beaten to emit their fragrances.
Exo 37:29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.
The incense was special. It was made with sweet perfume. This speaks of the merits of Christ.
Only prayer that is sweetened by the merits of Christ can reach the Father.
Joh 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.
Sweet spices were used. The incense emitted a sweet smell. A sweet smell speaks of pleasing God. We need to offer up the sweet incense of prayer
They tells us that the incense was made of 4 spices of equal weight = 4 ingredients to prayer
Praise
Confession
Intersession
Petition
They took the sweet spices mixed them together and then beat it to make the incense.
They were given a warning to use no strange incense.
Exo 30:9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
Using no strange incense speaks of prayer offered contrary to God’s will. Strange incense would be incense that is not composed of the materials that God specified. It would be incense made their way and not God’s way. Since incense speaks of prayer, what is pictured here is prayer made man’s way and not God’s way.
Prayer is not to be thru vain repetitions Mt 6:7 but in the will of God.
1Jo 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jo 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].
Jam 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.
You go praying out of some prayer book instead of out of your heart, and that is strange incense.
You go praying out of your lusts, and that is strange incense.
And God warned them not to use strange incense.
Prayer must come from the heart in the will of God.
It took fire to make it rise. But not any fire would do. The coals had to come from the brazen altar. The coals were used to ignite the incense.
Lev 16:12 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:
There is a connection between Calvary and Prayer.
Here we see the connection between The Brazen Altar (which represents Calvary) and The Altar of Incense (Which represents prayer). There is a connection between Calvary and Prayer. Prayer must be based on Calvary.
There are many today who do not like that. When they let a man pray in Congress they tell him NOT to pray in JESUS’ NAME. But prayer not based on Calvary is not accepted.
Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
They had the true incense but the wrong fire.
The fire to burn the incense had to come from the altar that was a picture of Calvary.
Not only did the fire have to come from the altar of sacrifice but also blood from the altar had to be applied to the altar of incense.
Exo 30:10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements:
The blood applied gave the incense of prayer its value. It would not be accepted without the blood. Christ’s blood gives value to our prayers.
Only because of the cross can we pray. He is our advocate making it possible for us to have direct access.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Christ now appears in the presence of God for us.
1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Jesus is our advocate.
“Calvary gives Validity to our prayers.”
In the Tabernacle we see that we must worship God His way, and we must pray God’s way.
The Altar of incense was the tallest piece of furniture in the Holy Place. It was 36” high.
God placed a high value on the altar of incense. This piece of furniture was called most Holy in Ex 30:10. God put a tremendous importance on the altar of incense.
God places high value on prayer.
Prayer needs to be a priority for us. And the burning of incense was not to stop.
Exo 30:8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
One man who had a handle on this was William W. Walford. He was a blind English preacher of lowly birth. Although he did not posses a formal education, people called him “the walking Bible” because of his ability to quote Scripture with great preciseness. Although he was unable to see the beauty of this world, the glories of heaven were opened to him through the privilege of prayer. Spending many sweet hours in the throne room of intercessory prayer, he was moved to pen these words in 1842:
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known:
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
Its position was next to the Veil. The closest that the priests could come to God in daily worship was when they ministered at the altar of incense.
This principal holds true for Christians.
The closest we can get to God is through prayer.
Jam 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…
We need to draw close to God in prayer.
As close as they could get to God was at the altar of incense before the veil. God’s presence was represented in the Most Holy place behind the veil. Today there is no veil for us.
Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
We have a privilege now of going straight to the throne of God in prayer. We need to take advantage of it.
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Before the priest could offer the incense of prayer 3 requirements had to be met.
1) Offer at the brazen altar and shedding the blood for their sins. Before we come we have to accept the shed blood of Christ. You have to be saved before God will pay attention to your prayers.
2) The priest had to wash all defilement from hands and feet. Ex 30:18-20 We must confess our sins and come before God with clean hearts. Un-confessed sin hinders prayer. 1 John 1:6-10 We need to confess our sins to God before we bring our petitions.
3) They had to be in the Holy Place. They stepped into the sanctuary to fellowship with God. This signifies a drawing near. Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. They had to be in the light of the candlestick. We must pray with the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
When transported it was wrapped in blue cloth and then badger skins. Numbers 4: 1-12.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
1Jo 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
We have a great privilege in prayer.
The Veil
Exo 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
Exo 26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim [wood] overlaid with gold: their hooks [shall be of] gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
Exo 26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy [place] and the most holy.
Veil means separation, conceal or protect
It was made of white linen with Cherubims embroidered in colors of blue, purple and scarlet.
Cherubims symbolize a protective presence that keeps out. Cherubims are what God put to guard the entrance to the garden of Eden when He kicked Adam and Eve out.
The veil pictures Christ.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
The veil was a picture of Jesus’ flesh.
The veil of the tabernacle hid the glory of God that was in the Most Holy Place.
The divine glory of God was hidden during Christ’s earthly ministry.
John 1:1 14 18
Phil 2:6-7
At one point Jesus revealed His glory to a few disciples Mt 17:2
Glimpses of His glory were seen thru the miracles.
John 2:11 11:40
When Christ died on the cross, the veil was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. The rending of the veil was the work of God.
The veil was rent while hanging between heaven and earth. Jesus was rent while hanging between heaven and earth.
The Veil was totally rent. It was completely rent. No half way.
When Jesus died it was finished. Barrier totally rent. Nothing more to be done.
At the 9th hour – the priest would have been preparing the evening sacrifice.
Hundreds of people were in the temple area.
They watched it happen. And all of a sudden the empty room of the Holy of Holies stood wide open before the priests bidding them to come in.
God had declared the priesthood had ended. No more did they have to enter thru the Veil for an annual sacrifice. The way is now open Heb 6:19 9:3-15 10:19
Torn veil is a picture of the torn body of Christ.
Heb 10:19-20 tells us that the Veil pictured Jesus’ flesh.
Thru His death Jesus opened direct access to God.
He is the only way.
The Veil had been changed from a barrier to a gateway.
We now have a privilege that the O.T. saints did not have.
The rent Veil means that we have a mediating High priest 1 Tim 2:5 who opened the way.
We have the privilege of entering into God’s presence Heb 10:22-25
We can draw near.
We can go boldly before the throne of God in prayer.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The rending of the veil was symbolic of the rending of the life of Christ and the way being made open to God.
Some say that an earthquake would have done it. But this is impossible for several reasons. One the veil at that time was about 4 inches thick. It was incredibly strong. The rods holding it up would have broke long before the veil would have rent. A earthquake that strong would have destroyed much of the temple.
But we read in the Bible how after the veil was rent the people looked into the Most Holy Place where the Ark would have been. Christ died at the time of the evening sacrifice and there were priests burning incense on the altar before the veil. They were standing there and watched it happen and they were still standing there after it was done looking into the Most Holy Place.
They were not running from an earthquake.
And also I believe that the rending of the veil happened first, then the earthquake.
Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
The rending of the veil was an act of God showing that the way was now open.
Heb 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service [of God].
Heb 9:7 But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:
Heb 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
The High Priest went thru the Veil only once a year. The Bible tells us that this was showing that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest.
God rent the veil to show that that was no longer true.
The way into the holiest is now made manifest. And that way is what Christ did on Calvary.
There were a total of three curtains in the Tabernacle.
They were not just pretty they served a function. The first one was the door in the outer fence. The second was the door to the Holy place.
The third was the Veil. It acted as a barrier between God and man.
According to Jewish tradition the three curtains had three names. The way the truth and the life.
There was only one way in. The first door.
Inside the second door was the table of showbread, which pictures the word of God. The truth.
Also inside the second door was the candlestick, which pictures Jesus as the light. The true light.
The veil was called the life. Inside was the presence of God represented.
Lev 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy [place] within the vail before the mercy seat, which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
God’s presence was inside the Most Holy Place, past the veil. God is life.
How aptly were they named. The way the truth and the life. Jesus referred to this when He said.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The Way - Salvation
The Truth – Service – which must come after salvation. The word of God and the Light of God. They are truth.
The Life – Final Perfect Sanctification – Eternal life.
The Tabernacle really is all about Jesus.
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