Exodus 30:8, commentary and pictures

The verse commands a continual daily service in which fragrant incense is burned on the golden altar in the evening when the lamps are lit, as it is in the morning. The fire for it was kindled by God Himself and was to be kept burning perpetually as holy fire, for only that sacred fire was to be used. The incense rising with the prayers of the people is an emblem of Christ's mediation and perpetual intercession, and of His perfect righteousness which alone makes the worship of sinful people acceptable to God. The prayers, praise, confession and thanksgiving of believers are defiled by sin and unacceptable on their own, but Christ as intercessor presents them with His spotless righteousness and cleansing blood, and thus purified they rise before God who returns gracious answers. In heaven there is an altar of purest gold where the prayers of the saints in faith come up to Jesus as He stands by the ark, and He offers them with the smoke of the incense to His Father as a sweet fragrance, while glory and light come from the Father's throne to Jesus and from Jesus are shed upon those who prayed.

Evening Service in Sanctuary

The verse commands a continual daily service in which sweet incense is burned on the golden altar in the evening when the lamps are lit, as it is in the morning. That golden altar stood in the holy place of the wilderness tabernacle before the veil separating the holy from the most holy place, with the seven-lamped candlestick on the south side giving light by day and by night and the table of showbread on the north. The sanctuary lamps burned continually day and night alongside the altar of incense, the seven lamps lighting both apartments and reflecting from the gold-covered walls upon the sacred furnishings.

The fire for the incense was kindled by God Himself and was to be carefully kept burning perpetually as holy fire, never extinguished, kept burning day and night on the censer. Only that sacred fire provided by God was to be used to kindle the continually offered incense before the Lord. Offering with common fire instead violated His express directions for this holy service, insulted the infinite God, and was punishable with death.

The fragrant cloud of the continually offered holy incense filled the sacred apartments and spread beyond the tabernacle. As the priest looked toward the hidden mercy-seat while offering, the rising cloud accompanied the manifestation of God's glory there. Under Ahaz the temple doors were closed and this regular evening service ceased, so the evening incense no longer ascended.

Symbol of Christ's Mediation

The evening incense with the morning incense was to rise before God mingled with the earnest prayers of His people praying without, and is an emblem of the mediation of Christ. The incense burned daily on the golden altar sent up its cloud of fragrance together with the prayers of Israel, representing Christ's mediation and the access to God opened through Him alone. The fire that kindled it was to be only fire of God's own kindling, burning day and night and never extinguished, kept burning perpetually on the censer. That divine fire represents the communication between God and man opened through Jesus Christ alone, and no sacrifice is acceptable to God unless salted and seasoned with it.

The continual incense is a symbol of perpetual intercession and of Christ's perfect righteousness, which is credited to His people through faith and alone makes the worship of sinful people acceptable to God. The prayers, praise, confession, obedience, penitence, and thanksgiving of believers ascend as that continual incense, yet they are defiled by human sin and cannot be acceptable on their own. Christ as intercessor at God's right hand presents them with His spotless righteousness and the cleansing power of His blood. Thus purified and made acceptable through His merits they rise before God, and all obedience, penitence, praise, and thanksgiving must rest on His righteousness while God returns gracious answers.

The altar and its services point through blood and incense to Christ as the great Mediator through whom repentant believers may approach God and receive mercy and salvation. The altar fire was kindled by God and carefully kept burning with holy incense, whose fragrant cloud filled the sanctuary, and as the priest looked toward the hidden mercy-seat while offering, the rising cloud accompanied the manifestation of God's glory there. This service illustrates how God's people by faith direct their prayers to Christ, their unseen Mediator before the mercy-seat in the heavenly sanctuary, and claim the benefits of His mediation.

Heavenly Altar and Antitype

In the temple in heaven there is an altar of incense of purest gold in the holy place, in the first apartment, together with the candlestick with seven lamps and the table of showbread, and a golden censer between the cherubim before the ark in the most holy place, in the second apartment. The burning incense is the prayers of the saints in faith coming up to Jesus as He stands by the ark, and as the prayers come up to Him the incense smokes. He offers up their prayers with the smoke of the incense to His Father as a sweet fragrance rising like smoke of most beautiful colors. As the incense ascends to the Father, 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.

The altar named here is the altar of perpetual incense, and in its antitypical application the High Priest's coming to this altar after leaving the Most Holy marks a special time of prayer and confession of sins and the great cry, before the antitypical atonement is finished.