The incense altar signifies Christ as the Intercessor to maintain the relationship between God and His people (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; Rev. 8:3). The arrangement of the tabernacle with its furnishings is an accurate and detailed picture of God’s administration, God’s economy, in the universe. According to this picture the Ark is the focus, but in practice the incense altar is the center. The interceding Christ is the center of the execution of God’s government on earth. According to Rev. 8:3-6, the intercessor is not merely the individual Christ but the corporate Christ, the Head with the Body. Christ as the Head is interceding in the heavens, and the church as the Body is interceding on earth (1 Tim. 2:1).

In Exodus the incense altar is revealed after the tabernacle and its furniture and the equipping of the priesthood are revealed. This indicates that the priestly service begins at the incense altar, at the place where prayers of intercession are offered to God (Luke 1:10). The incense altar is the place from which the activities at all the other places in the tabernacle are motivated. It is not merely one item on the passageway through the tabernacle. Rather, it can be compared to a motor that causes everything to operate. Hence, in our experience of the tabernacle (see note Heb. 9:4^3c), the incense altar stands by itself as a turning point. It makes all the aspects of the tabernacle and the outer court effective in our experience. The prayer of intercession also motivates others to come to Christ at the altar of burnt offering, at the laver, at the table, at the lampstand, and at the Ark in the Holy of Holies. According to Rev. 8:3, the incense altar is directly in front of the throne of God’s authority, which is also the throne of grace (see note Rev. 4:2^2b). The prayer offered at the incense altar, a prayer that is offered in Christ and with Christ as the incense (see note Exo. 30:7¹), governs God’s dispensing of grace and motivates the execution of the divine administration. Hence, this prayer governs the universe.

Acacia wood signifies Christ’s humanity, and gold (v. 3), His divinity. The incense altar made of acacia wood overlaid with gold signifies that Christ’s humanity is strong in character and high in standard to express His divinity. Nothing can express God as much as an interceding life based on the renewed and uplifted humanity of Christ.

The incense altar was a square, one cubit in length and width, and was two cubits high. Thus, it was two cubes of one cubit each. A square signifies perfection, and a cube signifies perfection in perfection. Moreover, two indicates something that gives confirmation and bears a testimony. This implies that the interceding Christ, or the interceding life, is a confirmation, perfection, and testimony. Furthermore, the height of the incense altar was greater than that of the table and the Ark (cf. Exo. 25:10, 23). This indicates that Christ is interceding in the highest.

Horns signify strength. The four horns on the incense altar signify the strength of Christ’s intercession and indicate that Christ’s intercession is powerful toward the four corners of the earth.

See note Exo. 30:1^2a.

See note Exo. 25:11². The rim, or crown, of gold around the incense altar signifies the glory of Christ’s divinity being the power of Christ’s intercession to preserve God’s people and His interests.

The two rings of gold as receptacles for the carrying poles signify the moving of Christ’s intercession. The poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold (v. 5) signify that Christ’s human nature with His divine nature is the strength for the moving of His intercession. The rings and the poles both refer to the Spirit of Christ, i.e., to the life-giving Spirit, who includes both Christ’s divinity and His humanity. The life-giving Spirit brings the intercession of Christ everywhere on the earth. When the churches and the saints pray with Christ, the life-giving Spirit carries out whatever they pray, bringing the effectiveness of Christ’s intercession to every place on earth related to God’s interests.

See note Exo. 30:4¹.

Regarding the location of the incense altar, see note Heb. 9:4¹. The incense altar was in the center of the tabernacle, which typifies the incarnated God (John 1:14). To pray at the incense altar, we must enter into the tabernacle, i.e., into Christ as the incarnated God, by offering Christ as the trespass offering and the sin offering on the altar of burnt offering in the outer court (cf. Heb. 10:19-20) and by eating our portion of the Christ whom we have offered (John 6:57). Thus, to pray at the incense altar is to pray in Christ and with Christ in us as the energizing life supply. Such prayer is actually Christ praying in us.

Burning the incense typifies praying (Psa. 141:2; Luke 1:10-11; Rev. 8:3-4). The incense typifies the resurrected and ascended Christ (see note Exo. 30:35^1a and note Rev. 8:3^4d). Hence, to burn the incense is to pray Christ, to pray in Christ and with Christ as the incense. This kind of prayer is intercessory prayer, not prayer for ourselves but prayer for the carrying out of the divine administration, for the dispensing of God’s supplying grace, and for the churches and the saints. Such prayer is a fragrant incense to God — it fulfills His purpose, satisfies His desire, and delights His heart.

In type, to offer strange incense is to pray something that is not Christ or is not related to Christ (cf. note Exo. 30:7^1b), and to use strange fire (Lev. 10:1) is to pray with motives that have not been dealt with by the cross (cf. note Exo. 30:35^3b).

These offerings, signifying the crucified and judged Christ, should be offered at the burnt offering altar in the outer court. At the incense altar only the resurrected and ascended Christ as incense is acceptable to God; everything else is prohibited.

See Lev. 16 and notes.

The incense altar was connected to the altar of burnt offering by the redeeming blood of the sin offering (Lev. 4:7) and by the fire that burned on the altar in the outer court (Lev. 16:12-13). This indicates that in order to pray at the incense altar, we must first have the experience at the burnt offering altar — the experience of the blood that solves the problem of our sin and our trespasses, and the experience of the fire that burns us, terminates us, and reduces us to ashes. Then we must go to the table of the bread of the Presence to enjoy Christ as our life and life supply (versus our natural conduct), to the lampstand to be enlightened by Christ as our light (versus our natural sight), and to the Ark to touch Christ as God’s testimony (versus our entire natural being as the veil). After passing through all the stations in the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies, we will no longer be natural persons but will be members of the corporate Christ who are qualified to intercede at the incense altar with Christ as the incense (versus our natural virtues).

This was the sum of the males who were twenty years old and over (v. 14; Num. 1:2-3) — the 603 550 men who could be formed into an army to fight for God’s interests on earth (Exo. 38:26; Num. 1:45-46; 2:32). Only these, not the women or the younger men, were qualified to be ransomed by the expiation silver.

The tabernacle signifies God embodied in His chosen people for His move on earth to build up the church as His corporate expression. The prayer offered at the incense altar is for God’s move. This intercessory prayer issues in the numbering of God’s people to form an army to fight against God’s enemies, who oppose His move, i.e., against the rulers and authorities in the heavenlies, typified by the inhabitants of the good land (see note Exo. 23:23^1a). When God has such an army, He is able to move on earth for His interests. Thus, there is a direct relationship between the expiation silver and the incense altar.

Our natural man is not qualified to fight in God’s army. Thus, we must experience Christ as our ransom, signified by the expiation silver.

The half-shekel as a heave offering typifies the ascended Christ experienced by God’s people and paid by them as the expiation silver. In order to fight the spiritual warfare, our experience of Christ must reach the highest point, the point where we are sitting with Him in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6; 6:12). If we fight in ourselves and not in the ascended Christ, spiritually we will suffer a plague (v. 12). See note Eph. 6:10^4b.

That the amount of the expiation silver was half a shekel indicates that God’s requirement in this matter is not too high. Later, among the children of Israel the half-shekel was known as the temple tax, or poll tax (Matt. 17:24-27).

Spiritually, males who are twenty years old and over (Num. 1:2-3) signify those among God’s people who, regardless of their natural status, are strong in spirit and mature in the divine life. Only these are qualified to be formed into an army to fight for God’s interests and move on earth.

The giving of the half-shekel was used by God for two purposes:
1) to accomplish the formation of an army (see note Exo. 30:12^1a),
2) to gather silver for the building up of the tabernacle.
According to Exo. 38:25-28, the expiation silver was used to make the one hundred sockets for the boards and pillars of the tabernacle and also to make the capitals, the hooks, and the connecting rods for the pillars. This signifies that the ascended Christ experienced and offered by the strong and mature saints in a local church becomes the base (sockets) in which that church stands and the glory (capitals of the pillars) and the strength and the linking power (hooks and connecting rods) of that church.

The laver typifies the washing power of the life-giving Spirit issuing from the death of Christ. The locating of the laver after the altar signifies that the washing power of the laver comes out of God’s judgment at the altar. After passing through God’s full judgment at the altar (the cross), the crucified Christ entered into resurrection and became the life-giving Spirit who washes us (1 Cor. 15:45; 6:11; Titus 3:5). The dimensions of the laver are not given, signifying that the life-giving Spirit is immeasurable, unlimited (John 3:34).

Bronze signifies God’s righteous judgment (see note Exo. 26:37²). The bronze used to make the laver came from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting (Exo. 38:8), implying that the laver of bronze was a mirror that could reflect and expose. This indicates that the judgment suffered by Christ on the cross has the power to expose our uncleanness and our need to be washed.

The laver was put between the altar and the Tent of Meeting to continue the work of the altar for the entrance into the tabernacle. The location of the laver was after the altar, but the function of the laver was before that of the altar (vv. 20-21).

The water put into the laver signifies the washing of the life-giving Spirit. See Eph. 5:26 and notes.

The washing at the laver signifies not the washing away of sin by the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7) but the washing away of the defilement that comes from contacting earthly things, by the life-giving Spirit. See John 13:5 and notes.

The priests were required to wash in the laver before serving, lest they die. This indicates that if we try to serve God without washing away our earthly defilement by the life-giving Spirit, we will suffer spiritual death.

This holy anointing oil, a compound ointment of olive oil and four spices (vv. 23-24), is a full type of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the compound, all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit of the processed Triune God, whom Christ became through His death and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:45; cf. note John 7:39^1a and note Phil. 1:19^4d). The significances of the ingredients of this compound anointing oil are as follows:
1) flowing myrrh, a spice used in burial (John 19:39), signifies the precious death of Christ (Rom. 6:3);
2) fragrant cinnamon signifies the sweetness and effectiveness of Christ’s death (Rom. 8:13);
3) fragrant calamus, from a reed that grew upward in a marsh or muddy place, signifies the precious resurrection of Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1; 1 Pet. 1:3);
4) cassia, used in ancient times to repel insects and snakes, signifies the power of Christ’s resurrection (Phil. 3:10);
5) the olive oil as the base of the compound ointment signifies the Spirit of God as the base of the compound Spirit (Gen. 1:2).
Since the number four signifies the creatures (Ezek. 1:5), of which man is the head (Gen. 1:26), and the number one signifies the unique God (Deut. 4:35; 1 Tim. 2:5), the four spices signify the humanity of Christ in God’s creation, and the one hin of olive oil signifies the unique God with His divinity. Thus, the blending of olive oil with the four spices signifies the compounding, the mingling, of God and man, of divinity and humanity, in the compound Spirit (cf. Lev. 2:4 and note Lev. 2:4³). The olive oil and the four spices were all prepared through a process of either pressing or cutting, signifying that the Spirit of God became the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9 and note Rom. 8:9^4a) through Christ’s sufferings (Matt. 26:36 and note Matt. 26:36¹). Furthermore, the measure of the four spices, being three complete units of five hundred shekels each, the middle five hundred shekels being split into two parts, signifies the Triune God in resurrection, the second, the Son, being “split” by His death on the cross. Since in the Bible five is the number for responsibility (Matt. 25:2 and note Matt. 25:2¹), the five elements in the compound ointment and the three units of five hundred shekels of the four spices signify the Triune God in resurrection as the power, the capability, for bearing responsibility. Since the numbers three and five are related to God’s building (see note Gen. 6:15²), these numbers in the compound ointment signify that in the compound Spirit there is the element for God’s building. Based on the above significances, the compounding of the four spices with the olive oil to make an anointing oil signifies the mingling of the above-mentioned elements with the Spirit of God through the process of Christ’s incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to produce the compound Spirit for the building of God’s eternal dwelling place.

Lit., spice compound.

The compound ointment was used to anoint the tabernacle with all its furniture, the altar with all its utensils, the laver and its base, and the priests, to make all these things holy, separated, sanctified, to God for His divine purpose (vv. 26-30; cf. 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Cor. 6:11; Rom. 15:16). Thus, this ointment signifies the Triune God processed and consummated through Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection to become the all-inclusive compound Spirit to reach His chosen and redeemed people and to anoint them with Himself, making Himself one with them and making them one with Him (John 20:22; 1 John 2:20, 27; 2 Cor. 1:21; 1 Cor. 6:17). Such an anointing, being the moving of the compound Spirit within us, applies to us and also adds all the elements of the processed and consummated Triune God into our inner being so that our inner man may grow in the divine life with the divine elements and we may be mingled with God as one.

The holy anointing oil is solely for the purpose of anointing God’s dwelling place and the priesthood (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5 and note 1 Pet. 2:5⁷). Hence, only those who are for God’s dwelling place and for the priesthood can have the enjoyment of the compound, all-inclusive Spirit.

Cf. Psa. 133:1-2 and notes.

The flesh of man denotes fallen man in the old creation (Gen. 6:3; Gal. 2:16). Those who live and act according to the flesh, the old man, have no share in the all-inclusive Spirit.

This means that we should not imitate any spiritual virtue, the fruit of the compound Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), by the effort of our natural life.

The stranger here refers to one who is not a priest. In the sight of God those who live according to the flesh, the old man, are regarded as strangers. See note Exo. 30:32¹.

The three fragrant spices signify the Triune God in resurrection (the number three signifies both the Triune God and resurrection), and the addition of pure frankincense, making the number of ingredients four, signifies the humanity of Christ (the number four signifies man as God’s creature — Ezek. 1:5). The compounding of the four ingredients into one incense signifies the mingling of God with man, of divinity with humanity, in Christ as the incense. Each of the three spices signifies the death of Christ, as follows:
1) stacte, a kind of myrrh, a resinous gum produced by a tree, signifies the sweet death of Christ’s generating life (signified by the plant life — John 12:24);
2) onycha, the shell of a small animal that grows in the marshes of the Red Sea, signifies the death of Christ with His redemptive life (signified by the animal life — John 1:29);
3) galbanum, also a resinous gum from a tree, signifies the powerful death of Christ’s generating life. The disagreeable and offensive odor of galbanum strengthened the fragrance of the other spices and caused the fragrance of the incense to remain and endure. Galbanum was used to repel noxious insects and poisonous reptiles, including serpents.
The second of the spices, being of the animal life, signifies that the second of the Godhead was slain to accomplish redemption. Hence, the three spices indicate that Christ’s death in His generating life and His redeeming life has three functions: to generate us as sons of God, to redeem us from the fall, and to expel the serpent, the Devil (cf. John 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Heb. 2:14). The fourth ingredient, frankincense, is a white resinous gum, signifying the sweet resurrection of Christ. The three spices and the frankincense are seasoned with salt (v. 35), making the number of ingredients five, the number five signifying responsibility (Matt. 24:2). Cf. note Exo. 30:25¹.

That all the four ingredients were in equal parts signifies that our experience of Christ should be even, balanced, including equal portions of His death and His resurrection. That no quantities are mentioned signifies that Christ is immeasurable, unlimited (cf. Eph. 3:8, 18).

The holy anointing oil (vv. 23-25) signifies Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit coming to us from God, whereas the incense signifies Christ as our prayer going to God from us. This is a divine traffic in two directions. The anointing brings God to us in Christ and through Christ for our participation in the divine element; the incense is our going to God with Christ and as Christ in prayer for God’s enjoyment. This kind of prayer simultaneously satisfies God with a sweet fragrance and carries out God’s economy, God’s administration (see note Exo. 30:1^1b).

Or, spice compound.

Salt kills corruption and functions as a preservative (Matt. 5:13). In typology salt signifies the killing power and the preserving power of Christ’s death. The seasoning of the four ingredients of the incense with salt signifies that our prayer needs to be “salted” by the cross so that all the impure motives in our heart and the bias in our spirit may be killed. For God’s coming to us in the compound ointment, the Spirit, the oil, is needed (v. 24); for our going to God in prayer, the cross, the salt, is needed.

According to vv. 35-36 the incense must be salted, beaten, and burned. Beating the incense and putting it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting signify the blending of Christ’s sweet death and His fragrant resurrection and the offering of His death and resurrection to God on the incense altar as a base for the intercession of Christ and His members. In order to have Christ as the incense to offer to God as a sweet-smelling fragrance, we need the genuine experiences of Christ with all the ingredients of the incense, and these experiences must be salted, beaten, and burned.

I.e., on the incense altar. The testimony is the law inside the Ark (see note Exo. 16:34^1a). Thus, this verse indicates that the incense altar was directly in front of the Ark. The significance of the closeness of the incense altar and the Ark is that the kind of prayer that is Christ Himself ascending to God as incense is the outcome of our contact with God and our being in His presence.

The incense is absolutely for God’s enjoyment and satisfaction, not for man’s. This signifies that we should not pray so that men will see us (Matt. 6:5-6).