HAVING A GOLDEN ALTAR OF INCENSE: chrusoun echousa (PAPFSN) thumiaterion:
(Leviticus
16:12;
1 Kings 7:50;
Revelation 8:3)
Golden altar of
incense - Note that several Bible versions (Darby, KJV, NKJV, Weymouth, Young's Literal)
translate this Greek word (see below) as a censer not an altar of
incense.
Altar of incense
(censer) (2369)
(thumiasterion) strictly speaking in secular usage described a utensil or container for
burning incense. However the Jewish historian Josephus uses thumiasterion to describe the altar of incense in the Jewish
Temple, which would be a metonymy. Metonymy refers
to a figure of speech where one uses the name of one thing (the utensil
for burning incense) for the name of another thing (the altar of incense)
of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated.
In the
Septuagint (LXX)
thumiasterion is used only twice (2 Chronicles
26:19,
Ezekiel 8:11) and
both times describes a censer or utensil of incense and not the altar of
incense. It appears therefore that what the author is describing with the term
thumiasterion is the taking of coals of fire
from the altar of incense in the Holy Place into the Holy of holies once each year on the
Day of Atonement (see
Lev 16:12,13).
Such an explanation would present no contradiction with the location of the
altar of incense in front of the second veil. (Ex 40:26,
Ex 40:1-5). It is amazing that some commentaries go
so far as to suggest that the writer must not have been familiar with the
Old Testament Tabernacle and simply "slipped up"! This is a highly
unlikely and very speculative explanation.
This altar of incense
was gold-overlaid acacia wood, 11/2' square and about 3' high. On this altar
were placed the burning coals from the bronze altar in the courtyard, where
sacrifice was made.
ISBE has this
note on the altar of incense explaining that
Ex 30:1-10 contains
the commands for the construction and use of an altar of incense. The
material was shittim wood, the dimensions one cubit by one by two, and it
also had horns. Its top and sides were overlaid with gold and it was
surrounded by a crown or rim of gold. For facility of transport it had
golden rings and staves. It stood before the veil in front of the ark.
Solomon also constructed an altar of incense (1
Ki 6:20; 7:48;
1 Ch 28:18), cedar
replacing shittim wood. The altar of incense reappears in 1 Macc
1:21;
4:49.
Incense is from
from the Latin "to burn," "a
mixture of gums or spices and the like, used for the purpose of producing a
perfume when burned;" or the perfume itself of the spices, etc., burned in
worship. The incense employed in the service of the tabernacle walls
compounded of the perfumes stacte, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense.
All incense which was not made of these ingredients was forbidden to be
offered. (Exodus
30:9) Aaron, as high priest, was originally
appointed to offer incense each morning and evening. The times of offering
incense were specified in the instructions first given to Moses. (Exodus
30:7,8) When the priest entered the holy
place with the incense, all the people were removed from the temple, and
from between the porch and the altar. Cf. (Luke
1:10) Profound silence was observed among
the congregation who were praying without, cf. (Revelation
8:1 [note])
and at a signal from the perfect the priest cast the incense on the fire
and, bowing reverently toward the holy of holies, retired slowly backward.
The offering of incense has formed part of the religious ceremonies of most
ancient nations. It was an element in the idolatrous worship of the
Israelites. (2 Chronicles
34:25;
Jeremiah 11:12,17; 48:35)
It would seem to be symbolical, not of itself, but of that which makes
acceptable, the intercession of Christ. In (Revelation
8:3 [note];
8:4 [note])
the incense is of as something distinct from offered with the prayers of,
all the saints cf. (Luke
1:10) and in
Revelation 6:8 (note) It is the
golden vials, and not the odors or incense, which are said to be the prayers
of saints. (Incense)
AND THE ARK OF THE
COVENANT COVERED ON ALL SIDES WITH GOLD, IN WHICH WAS A GOLDEN JAR HOLDING
THE MANNA: tęn kibôton tęs diathękęs perikekalummenen (RPPFSA) pantothen chrusio en e stamnos chruse
echousa (PAPFSN) to manna:
(Exodus
25:10-16;
26:33;
37:1-5;
39:35;
40:3,21) (Exodus
16:33,34)
The Ark of the
Covenant - It was here that God manifested Himself in a
bright shining cloud, the Shekinah glory cloud (See discussion -
Glory of the LORD). It was the only
site where God could be approached with the blood of atonement or covering
on the Day of Atonement.
The ark was not in the
Herod's temple, but in its stead was a stone basement (called “the stone of
foundation”) some three fingers high.
Covenant
(1242)
(diatheke from dia = two + tithemi = to place) pictures
that which is placed between two and thus a covenant is something placed
between two, an arrangement between two parties. It was a commonly used in
the Greco-Roman world to define a legal transaction in settling an
inheritance and would correspond with our modern term of "a will" which
defines how that which belongs to the testator (the one who made the will)
will be divided among the heirs.
The manna -
This manna was supernaturally preserved by God, because otherwise it would
rotted within one day. The manna would serve to remind Israel of God's
provision for them in the wilderness wanderings.
The Rabbis believed
that in the future Elijah would restore to Israel the container of manna,
the flask of sprinkling water and the jar of anointing oil.
Smith's Bible
Dictionary writes that the Ark of the Covenant was...
The first piece of the tabernacle
furniture, for which precise directions were delivered.
Exod 25.
I. Description. -- It
appears to have been an oblong chest of shittim (acacia) wood, 2 1/2 cubits
long by 1 1/2 broad and deep. Within and without gold was overlaid on the
wood, and on the upper side or lid, which was edged round about with gold,
the mercy-seat was placed. The ark was fitted with rings, one at each of the
four corners, and through these were passed staves of the same wood
similarly overlaid, by which it was carried by the Kohathites. (Numbers
7:9; 10:21) The ends of the staves were
visible without the veil in the holy place of the temple of Solomon.
(1 Kings
8:8) The ark, when
transported, was enveloped in the "veil" of the dismantled tabernacle, in
the curtain of badgers? skins and in a blue cloth over all, and was
therefore not seen. (Numbers
4:5,20)
II. Its purpose was to contain inviolate
the divine autograph of the two tables, that "covenant" from which it
derived its title. It was also probably a reliquary for the pot of manna and
the rod of Aaron.
III. History .--Before
David's time its abode was frequently shifted. It sojourned among several,
probably Levitical, families, (1 Samuel
7:1; 2 Samuel
6:3,11; 1 Chronicles
13:13;
15:24,25) in the
border villages of eastern Judah; and did not take its place in the
tabernacle, but dwelt in curtains, i.e. in a separate tent pitched for it in
Jerusalem by David. Subsequently the temple, when completed, received, in
the installation of the ark in its shrine, the signal of its inauguration by
the effulgence of divine glory instantly manifested. It was probably taken
captive or destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Esdr.
10:22, so that there
was no ark in the second temple.
(See
longer article in ISBE)
AND AARON'S ROD WHICH BUDDED: kai he rhabdos aaron hę blastęsasa (1AAP): (Numbers
17:5,8,10;
Psalms 110:2,3)
(Exodus
25:16,21;
26:33;
34:29;
40:3,20,21;
Deuteronomy 10:2-5;
1 Kings 8:9,21;
2 Chronicles 5:10)
Aaron's rod which
budded - This rod was given in the Old Testament as a "sign against the
rebels" who were grumbling against Moses, so that they might cease their
grumbling and not die! The rod which budded was to thereafter serve
as a gracious warning from God not to grumble against God.
Numbers 17:5 "And it will come
about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout
(Hebrew = parach = bud, sprout, send out shoots; Lxx = ekblastano - sprout
out, be caused to grow out). Thus I shall lessen from upon Myself the
grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you."
6 Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave
him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers'
households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among
their rods.
7 So Moses deposited the rods before the LORD in the tent of the
testimony.
8 Now it came about on the next day that Moses went into the tent of the
testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi
had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms,
and it bore ripe almonds.
9 Moses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the LORD
to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
10 But the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the
testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put
an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they should not die."
It is interesting to
note that the Hebrew word in Numbers 17:8 for ripe almonds is shaqed which
means awakening or the
awakening one, which is an allusion to an almond blossom, for these blossoms
were the first to bloom in the spring, their
pinkish-white blossoms always appearing before the leaves. Read the Numbers
17 passage above and notice that twelve dead or inanimate rods were placed
before Jehovah in the Tent of the Testimony (the Tabernacle), and
life came forth from only one. Some see this as a foreshadowing of a future Spring "Awakening One"
(speaking obviously of Christ's resurrection indicative of His return to
life from the dead), which in one sense is true but which might be pushing
the original intended meaning somewhat.
ISBE has this
note on Aaron's Rod...
AARON'S ROD - (Nu
17 and
Heb 9:4): Immediately
after the incidents connected with the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram
against the leadership of Moses and the priestly primacy of Aaron (Nu
16), it became necessary to indicate and
emphasize the Divine appointment of Aaron. Therefore, at the command of
Yahweh, Moses directs that twelve almond rods, one for each tribe with the
prince's name engraved thereon, be placed within the Tent of the Testimony.
When Moses entered the tent the following day, he found that Aaron's rod had
budded, blossomed and borne fruit, "the three stages of vegetable life being
thus simultaneously visible." When the miraculous sign was seen by the
people, they accepted it as final; nor was there ever again any question of
Aaron's priestly right. The rod was kept "before the testimony" in the
sanctuary ever after as a token of the Divine will (Nu
17:10). The writer of Hebrews, probably
following a later Jewish tradition, mentions the rod as kept in the Holy of
Holies within the ark (Heb
9:4; compare
1 Ki 8:9).
(ISBE
Article)
AND THE TABLES OF THE COVENANT: kai ai plakes tes diathekes:
The tables of the covenant - see Ex 25:16f; Ex 31:18; Deut 9:9;
10:5. This refers to what we classically think of as the "Ten
Commandments" (if you are as old as me, this phrase congers up the
image of Charlton Heston portraying Moses holding the tablets in his
hands in the classic movie The Ten Commandments.) We see the origin of
the tables in Exodus 24...
Now the LORD said to Moses, "Come
up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the
stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have
written for their instruction." (Exodus 24:12)
They were also called the
tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone in (Exodus 31:18) and
the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant (Deut 9:9).
Note that 1 Kings 8 states that
the Ark contained the tables of the covenant but makes no
mention of the other items...
There was nothing in the ark ex
