ectly in front of the ark, and separated from it by the
inner vail, was the _golden altar of incense_, on which the priests
burned sweet incense every morning and evening before the Lord (Exod.
30:6-8; 40:26, 27), whereby was shadowed forth Christ's intercession,
through which the prayers of saints are made acceptable to God.

In the book of Revelation an angel is represented as offering
upon this golden altar much incense with the prayers of all
saints. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the
prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's
hand." Rev. 8:3, 4. This passage seems to warrant the
interpretation above given to this symbol; not that the ancient
covenant people understood fully its meaning, or that of the
other symbolic rites, but that such was the mind of the Spirit,
to be made manifest in due time.

There is a view of the Mosaic ceremonial, which makes it simply
a _scenic representation_ of a king's court; in which the
tabernacle represents the royal palace, the incense the homage
rendered to the monarch (compare Dan. 2:46), the sacrifices,
show-bread, and other unbloody offerings the provision made for
his table, the priests his ministering servants, etc.; by which
the whole is reduced to the idea of service rendered to Jehovah
as the national monarch, and all typical representation of the
provision made by God for man's spiritual wants is excluded.
This interpretation of the Mosaic ritual is as superficial as it
is false. In this ritual, service is indeed rendered to God; but
it is a service which typically shadows forth the provision
which God makes for man's wants as a fallen being--light for his
darkened understanding, life for his spiritual nature dead in
trespasses and sins, and reconciliation to God through the blood
of Christ. This is the constant interpretation given in the New
Testament of the "carnal ordinances" of the Old.

11. In the court before the tabernacle stood the _brazen altar_ with its
_laver_. Here the blood of the sacrifices flowed from age to age--a lamb
every morning and evening, and on the Sabbath day two lambs morning and
evening, besides all the public sacrifices connected with the national
festivals, and the private sacrifices of individuals. The New Testament
teaches us that the _Levitical priests_ who ministered at the Jewish
altar _typified