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I want to share with you regarding book three of “The Tabernacle Series”, which is subtitled “The Golden Altar of Incense.” But what is the Golden Altar and is its spiritual significance? Each individual piece of furniture within the Tabernacle represents a specific spiritual principle which enables mankind to draw progressively nearer to God.  In the previous two teachings, we deal first of all with the Brazen Altar of Sacrifice, which primarily has to do with justification and judgment against sins; and then we study the Bronze Laver, which is about sanctification. The Golden Altar, however, deals with the subject of prayer. It is important that we take a closer look at the significance of the Golden Altar, in order to more thoroughly demonstrate and verify its spiritual implications.

The following texts of Scripture serve as verification of its use and its spiritual significance.

*And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon … (Exodus 30: 1)

*Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense … (Psalms 141: 2)

In Exodus, chapter 30, verse 1 as God begins to give Moses instructions for making the Golden Altar, He tells him that it will be used for the purpose of burning incense upon it. Incense was a powdered mixture which produced a sweet smelling smoke when burned.

Psalms 141, verse 2 gives us the spiritual significance of burning incense upon the Golden Altar. The psalmist says “Let my prayer be set before thee as incense.” The burning of incense upon the Golden Altar is a parabolic picture (a parable or an analogy) of prayer offered up to God. The following New Testament text of Scripture is another good example.

*There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias … And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense (Luke 1:5, 8 – 10).

Here, we see that Zacharias the priest was charged with the job of burning incense in the Temple of the Lord (the larger version of the Tabernacle). The last verse tells us that a multitude of people were praying outside during this time of incense. They did this because the burning of incense represents prayer.

So far, we’ve seen physical examples of the Golden Altar’s ministry, but the following text of Scripture gives us a heavenly example.

*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 8:4 -5).

Here, in the Apostle John’s prophetic vision, we see an angel utilizing the ministry of the heavenly Golden Altar. We are plainly told that the smoke of the incense burning upon the Altar came with the prayers of the Saints.

The ministry of the Golden Altar of Incense is about prayer, but more specifically, it’s about prayer offered up in accordance to the work that Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. This applies to the heavenly Golden Altar, just as it did for the earthly, because God has gathered “together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth (Ephesians 1: 10)”.  The Golden altar of incense is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and it’s all about prayer offered up to God through Him.

This is commonly known, but as with the previous two items of furniture, the Golden Altar of Incense is absolutely loaded with many other spiritual insights; all of which demonstrate important aspects of prayer offered up to God through Jesus Christ. The Golden Altar’s construction materials, its various parts, its dimensions, its ministry of burning incense, and even the various components used to make the incense are all very important and are all absolutely loaded with profound and previously unknown spiritual insights. There are even four different type of prayer that you are most likely not aware of. All of this information will rejuvenate and energize you in regards to this much underused and underestimated area of ministry.

Don’t take this information lightly. If you have a hunger for God, you will be blown away. Of this, I am very sure. The previous two book are great (praise be to God), but of the three, this one is my personal favorite.