THE INCENSE: ITS SIGNIFICANCE
By Stephen N. Haskell
A READER of the REVIEW asks for the “direct Bible proof that the incense is the righteousness of Christ.” The offering of incense formed a very important part in the sanctuary service. God directed Moses to make an altar of incense. It was placed before the veil in front of the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that was over the testimony, where God met with the priest. Aaron was to burn incense upon it every morning and evening, when he dressed and lighted the lamps. It was to be a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout their generations. Once a year Aaron was to make an atonement upon the horns of the altar with the blood of sin offerings of atonements. It was most holy unto the Lord. Ex. 30: 1–10. This daily burning of incense was at the time of their daily offerings. “The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even.” Ex. 29: 38–44. At the time of offering incense each morning and evening, “the whole multitude of the people were praying without.” Luke 1: 9–11. Let it be remembered, three things were here associated: The offering of the lamb for a sin offering for the people each morning and evening; the offering of the incense by the priest; and the prayers of those who were interested in the work of the priest. “Ye shall offer no strange incense” was a command of the Lord. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram offered strange fire on a certain occasion. “And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among the congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?” “And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.” “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that pertained unto Korah, and all their goods.”
“On the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.” See Numbers 16. It will be noticed in this chapter that prayer was not sufficient to save the people. Incense must be offered with the prayers. It will also be noticed that those who offered the incense stood between the living and the dead. The incense with the prayer of Moses was what saved the people. SUMMARY OF THE TYPICAL SERVICE
During the year, when any of the people sinned, they brought their sin offering to the door of the tabernacle, confessed their sin on its head, and the sinner took its life. The priest put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation. Leviticus 3 and 4. The morning and evening incense covered the altar of incense, upon the horns of which the blood of the sin offering represented the sinful life and the sins of the sinner. It was thus that the sins were covered by the incense which continually ascended before the Lord, and whose fragrance extended far around the tabernacle. This was the continual service throughout the year. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” Rom. 4: 7. On the tenth day of the seventh month, the priest was to take a censer full of burning coals from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of 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: and he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and shall sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.” Lev. 16: 12–17. Thus the work for the sinner was completed on the day of atonement before the law of God. This service at the end of the year was for those who, during the year, had brought their lamb and confessed their sin, and these sins had been covered by the incense. From the preceding we learn that the incense was ever between the sinner and God. In no other way could he be accepted. No repentance and prayers could save the sinner without the incense. The sins of the sinner, which represented the sinner, must be covered by the incense. This incense must always be offered by the priest. Any one except the priest offering incense, brought upon himself swift destruction. But the sin offering must be brought by the sinner. In the Jewish economy there was no salvation for any one except through this arrangement. It was a compacted prophecy of the gospel. It was the gospel in types and symbols. Must we bring a sin offering?—Most assuredly. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” This is our offering. And when “we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If cleansed from unrighteousness, we must be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. The spotless Lamb of God is, and always was, the righteousness of His people. “In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith He shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.” Type meets antitype every time the sinner comes to God, presenting the Lamb of God as his offering. The Father then sees the sinner clothed in the righteousness of His dear Son. It is the righteousness of Christ, and that alone, which makes the sinner accepted in His sight. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” “When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” Isa. 53: 10. In Rev. 8: 3, 4 (margin) the prophet was permitted to see the real work in heaven: “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 [or “add it to,” margin] 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.” This incense made the prayers acceptable in God’s sight. What is it that does this? Is it not the righteousness of Christ? In Rev. 5: 8 the prophet sees vials full of prayers. They have been accepted, and are in the hands of the four and twenty elders, ready to be answered. When accepted, the incense must have been added to them; for they are spoken of as being full of odors, or incense. Here, in the righteousness of Christ, is hope for every sinner. The more vividly this subject is seen, the more joy and hope will spring up in the heart of every trembling soul. In Rev. 19: 8 “the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” Is not this the robe spoken of in Isa. 61: 10? Were not the linen garments spoken of on the day of atonement typical of the robe of righteousness the saints must wear before they enter the presence of God? If the fine linen is the robe of righteousness, why is the incense used to represent the same thing? The linen garments were typical of the righteousness of Christ. This was also illustrated by the lamb’s being without blemish, and by the fragrant incense. The righteousness of Christ is represented in many ways. God illustrates the truth in a variety of ways to meet a variety of minds, that Christ may be seen by all. God will be clear in the day of Judgment. This principle is found throughout the Bible. The Saviour at the well, talking to the woman seeking water, illustrated the Holy Spirit by water; to Nicodemus He likened it to the wind blowing where it listeth; while to the Jews in the temple he compared it to an artesian well, sending out rivers of living water. The force of the first illustration is not weakened in the least by the others. Neither is the beauty of the figure which uses the incense to illustrate the righteousness of Christ dimmed by the taking of the unblemished condition of the offering or the spotlessness of the priest’s robe to illustrate the same. Each has its peculiar significance. It takes all to complete the figure. The unblemished condition of the lamb illustrates perfection; the white robes, the righteousness we should possess in our daily lives; while the fragrance of the incense illustrates the influence of the righteous character, which, like perfume, is recognized by all who come in contact with the Christian.