The Altar of Incense

“And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.”Exodus 30:1 · KJV

“And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.”Luke 1:10 · KJV

“And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”Luke 1:11 · KJV

A small gold altar stood before the veil, and on it incense burned every morning and evening, a column of sweet smoke rising toward the holy of holies. It was the altar of prayer.

Scripture says outright what the smoke is: “let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense” (Ps 141:2). At this altar Gabriel appeared to Zacharias while “the whole multitude of the people were praying without” (Luke 1:10), and told him John would be born. And in the last book the picture completes: an angel offers “much incense... with the prayers of all saints,” and “the smoke of the incense... ascended up before God” (Rev 8:3-4). Your prayers are on that altar. The smoke that filled the tabernacle was people talking to God.