Exodus 30:6, commentary and pictures

The golden altar of incense stood in the holy place or first apartment, directly before the veil that separated it from the most holy place and from the ark of the testimony and mercy seat where God meets with His people. It belonged just before that veil covering the ark, facing the immediate presence of God beyond it. The curtain drawn before the sacred ark within the second veil did not reach to the top of the building, so the glory of God above the mercy seat could be seen from both apartments, though in much less degree from the first apartment. The heavenly sanctuary follows that same order, with the altar in the holy place before the veil together with the candlestick with seven lamps and the table of showbread and the censer. All the furniture of that first apartment is like purest gold and reflects the image of the one who enters, and the curtain before which the altar stands is glorious, of different colors and material with a beautiful border and figures of gold wrought upon it representing angels. Beyond the second veil is the most holy place or holy of holies with the ark of finest gold holding the tables of stone containing the ten commandments, overshadowed by golden cherubim facing each other and looking downward and by exceeding bright glory above like the throne of God where God dwells.

The fire on the altar was kindled by the Lord Himself and was sacredly kept by feeding it with holy incense, which filled the sanctuary with its fragrant cloud day and night and spread its fragrance beyond it for miles around the tabernacle. The priest burns incense on it morning and evening, and from it the cloud of fragrance ascended daily before God with the prayers of Israel. Its horns are touched with the blood of the sin offering, and on the Day of Atonement it is sprinkled with blood. When the priest offered the incense he faced and looked toward the mercy seat which he could not see, knowing it was there though hidden by the veil. As the incense arose like a cloud the glory of the Lord descended upon the mercy seat and was manifested in the cloud of glory between the cherubim, filling the most holy place and becoming visible in the holy place, and often so filling both apartments that the priest was unable to officiate and had to stand at the door of the tabernacle.

The sanctuary incense represents the prayers of the saints rising in faith to Jesus, including believers' prayers, praise, confession, obedience, penitence, and thanksgiving. Jesus stands by the ark and offers those prayers with the smoke of the incense from the golden censer to His Father as a sweet fragrance, like smoke of most beautiful colors. As it ascends excellent glory and light come from the Father's throne to Jesus and from Jesus are shed upon those whose prayers ascended like sweet incense, overshadowing the mercy seat until the train of glory fills the temple. Those prayers and offerings are defiled by human corruption and cannot be acceptable to God unless Christ presents them before the Father, cleansed by His blood and joined with His spotless righteousness, and His merits make them wholly acceptable so that the fragrance of His righteousness rises around the mercy seat. The altar represents continual intercession, and its incense rising with prayer represents Christ's merits, intercession, and perfect righteousness imputed to His people through faith, showing that sinful people can approach God and receive mercy and salvation only through Christ, the great Mediator.

The priest in the holy place directing his prayer by faith to the mercy seat he could not see represents the people of God directing their prayers by faith to Christ before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary. They cannot behold their Mediator with the natural eye but see Him with the eye of faith and with assurance claim the benefits of His mediation.