The altar of incense symbolizes Jesus Christ and His finished work, and it also pictures the prayers of the saints rising as a sweet aroma before God.
Les Feldick teaches that every part of the tabernacle, including the altar of incense, is a picture of Christ and specifically says "He's the altar of incense" (Clip 3). He also connects the burning incense to prayer, using Revelation 8:3-4 to show that the prayers of the saints ascend before God like sweet incense (Clip 1).
Exodus 30:1 — This is the command to make the altar of incense, showing the physical object that points to Christ in Les's teaching.
Revelation 8:3-4 — This verse shows incense offered with the prayers of all saints on the golden altar, the biblical connection between incense and prayer.
In Exodus 30:1, God told Moses to make an altar to burn incense upon, made of shittim (acacia) wood. This golden altar stood before the veil and was used for burning incense before the Lord. Revelation 8:3-4 pictures a golden altar before the throne in heaven. An angel was given much incense to offer "with the prayers of all saints" on that golden altar, and "the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God." So Scripture itself connects incense with the prayers of God's people.
Les teaches that the entire tabernacle—every material and every piece of furniture—was a picture of Christ. He explicitly names the Lord Jesus as the altar of incense, just as He is the candlestick, the Ark of the Covenant, and the mercy seat (Clip 3). In his words, every aspect of the tabernacle is a picture of "the work of salvation that Christ accomplished at the cross," the work he calls propitiation (Clip 4). Les also teaches that the incense rising from the golden altar pictures the prayers of the saints. He asks what the purpose of incense was in the tabernacle and answers: to give a sweet aroma, an aura of worship and holiness. Then he adds that for God, "the sweetest incense that could ever come up to his nostrils are the prayers of the saints" (Clip 1). So the altar of incense has a double symbolism in his teaching: Christ, and the prayers of believers.
Les teaches that "every jot and tittle" of the tabernacle is a picture of Christ and His finished work. He specifically says Jesus is the altar of incense, along with the laver, table of showbread, candlestick, and Ark of the Covenant (Clips 3, 5). He also includes the altar of incense in the whole system of the Day of Atonement, where Christ is both the sacrifice and the place of applying the sacrifice (Clip 6).
In Revelation 8:3-4, an angel offers incense along with the prayers of all saints on the golden altar before the throne. Les says the purpose of incense is to give a sweet aroma, an atmosphere of worship and holiness. He then draws the lesson: the prayers of the saints are the sweetest incense that can come up before God (Clip 1).
Following Exodus 30, Les points out that the altar of incense was made of acacia wood covered with gold. He also notes that it was the third item in the middle, positioned between the brazen altar and the laver of cleansing in the tabernacle layout (Clip 2).
What the Tabernacle Reveals About Christ Most People Miss
All right, then after the inside linen had been hung, and again that was hung on golden hooks, whereas the outer fence was hung on silver, this will be hung on golden hooks, and the wood frame was set in blocks, not of brass, but of what? Silver, huge blocks of silver. I read one time that somebody tried to contemplate or interpolate a little bit, and they came up with several tons of just silver.
Incense and the Prayers of the Saints
Les directly connects the incense of the tabernacle and Revelation 8 to the prayers of the saints, explaining that prayer rises before God as the sweetest incense.
Description of the Altar of Incense
Les describes the altar of incense from Exodus 30 as made of acacia wood covered with gold, positioned in the middle of the tabernacle.
Christ Is the Altar of Incense
Les explicitly teaches that Jesus Christ is the altar of incense, along with every other tabernacle item, showing the altar as a picture of Christ.
The Tabernacle as Propitiation
Les says every tabernacle item pictures the work of salvation Christ accomplished at the cross—the work of propitiation, which includes His interceding work.
Everything in the Tabernacle Speaks of Christ
Les emphasizes that all the tabernacle materials, furniture, sacrifices, and priesthood speak of the finished work of Christ.
Christ as All the Tabernacle Furniture
Les reinforces that Christ is everything in the tabernacle, including the altar of incense, as the sacrifice and the place of applying the sacrifice.
God's Divine Appointments in Scripture – Ruth, John 4 & The Tabernacle Explained | Bible Study
And so the altar here where the sacrifices were committed was a brazen altar, wood covered with brass. Now, as you moved into the next little piece of furniture, between the brazen altar and again the curtain or the opening into the little tent was the labor of cleansing. Now, we referred to that a week or two ago, and I ran out of time, and I tried to show a lesson in the New Testament from that.
Exodus 30:1: And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
This is God's command for the altar of incense, the object Les says points to Christ.
Revelation 8:3-4: And 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 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 passage explicitly links incense with the prayers of the saints rising before God, the connection Les makes in his teaching.
Yes. Les teaches that every item in the tabernacle is a picture of Christ, and he specifically says "He's the altar of incense" (Clip 3). The altar, like the rest of the tabernacle, pointed to the finished work of Christ.
Incense was used to give a sweet aroma of worship and holiness. Les connects this to Revelation 8:3-4, showing that the prayers of the saints ascend before God like the sweet smell of incense (Clip 1).
According to Exodus 30:1, it was made of shittim (acacia) wood. Les points out that it was covered with gold, following the Exodus instructions (Clip 2).
Watch the Teaching: What the Tabernacle Reveals About Christ Most People Miss