301 "Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense ; you shall make it of acacia wood . 2 "Its length shall be a cubit , and its width a cubit , it shall be square , and its height shall be two cubits ; its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 "You shall overlay it with pure gold , its top and its sides all around , and its horns ; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. 4 "You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding ; you shall make them on its two side walls -on opposite sides -and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 "You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold . 6 "You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony , in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony , where e I will meet with you. 7 "Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps . 8 "When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight , he shall burn incense . There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 30:1-8
Commentary on Exodus 30:1-10
(Read Exodus 30:1-10)
The altar of incense represented the Son of God in his human nature, and the incense burned thereon typified his pleading for his people. The continual intercession of Christ was represented by the daily burning of incense thereon, morning and evening. Once every year the blood of the atonement was to be applied to it, denoting that the intercession of Christ has all its virtue from his sufferings on earth, and that we need no other sacrifice or intercessor but Christ alone.