He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. The evening incense accompanies the lighting of the lamps at twilight — the transition from day to night is marked by both prayer (incense) and light (lamps). The morning and evening incense that flanks each day creates a continuous column of prayer ascending before God: between the morning burning and the evening burning, the incense from each offering continues to rise. The fragrant cloud that fills the Holy Place throughout the day is the visual representation of Israel's continuous prayer before God. Revelation 5:8 says the golden bowls full of incense represent the prayers of God's people — the incense altar of Exodus 30 is the origin of that image.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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