Overlooked Furniture!

There were different pieces of furniture in the Tent of the Tabernacle of Moses.  We are familiar with most: The Ark of the Covenant is the one most people know, The Table of Shewbread, mostly known because of David, The Golden Candlestick, speaking to us that God is our supplier in all, however we tend to overlook one: The Golden Altar of Incense.

Looking at this piece of furniture in relation to the others located inside the tent, we see it was the highest piece in the actual tent.  This points us towards Christ’s ministry of Intercession as His highest ministry now in behalf of the Church in the 2000 years of the Church Age or Dispensation of the Spirit.   We know from reading the Scriptures the Golden Altar of Incense had four horns upon the four corners which spoke to the power, authority and kingship of God. 

But I want to focus on the burning of incense upon the Golden Altar.  This represents the prayers of the Saints ascending up to God, through our Savior Jesus, who offers them as a sweet savor unto our LORD.

However that is often where we leave it.  If we fast forward to Luke 1:1-23 for we know the Old Testament is only a foreshadowing of Christ in reality or our New Testament, we see Zacharias ministering at the Golden Altar of Incense.  Why is this important?  Zacharias received the revelation of the forerunner of the Messiah while he ministered here.  In the same way, the Church will be made ready for the Messiah’s second coming as it enters into full ministry at this piece of furniture, the Golden Altar of Incense or Prayer.  We need to recognize just how important this piece of furniture is in God’s mind.

Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of Prayer” (Matthew 21:13) and the Bible teaches us we are to pray in the Spirit (Jude 20) and to pray by the Spirit (Romans 8:26).  The true incense will arise from the heart of the believer, ascending into the Heavenly Sanctuary.  What makes it a sweet savor unto God is Christ our intercessor whom our prayers pass through.

When we send up Incense to the LORD, our entire nature and being must be involved.  We must be saturated with the fragrance of a Prayer Life, and the fire of the Spirit will cause our Incense to ascend.  God does place a high premium on prayer.  Have you been to The Altar of Incense lately?