A censer is a vessel used for burning incense, an integral part of worship and ritual in the biblical context. The use of censers is primarily associated with the tabernacle and temple services, where incense was offered as a fragrant offering to the Lord. The practice of burning incense is deeply rooted in the religious life of Israel, symbolizing prayer, purification, and the presence of God.

Old Testament Usage

The censer is first mentioned in the context of the tabernacle, as described in the book of Exodus. God commanded Moses to make a golden altar of incense, and Aaron, the high priest, was instructed to burn incense on it every morning and evening (Exodus 30:1-8). The censer itself was a handheld vessel, often made of bronze or gold, used to carry the burning coals and incense.

In Leviticus 16:12-13, the high priest is instructed to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense to bring inside the veil on the Day of Atonement. This act was part of the atonement ritual, symbolizing the prayers of the people ascending to God.

The censers also played a significant role in the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. In Numbers 16, these men challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron. As a test, each of the 250 rebellious leaders was instructed to take his own censer, put incense in it, and present it before the Lord. The earth swallowed the rebels, and fire consumed the 250 men offering incense. God then commanded that the bronze censers be hammered into sheets to overlay the altar, serving as a reminder of the consequences of unauthorized incense offering (Numbers 16:36-40).

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the imagery of incense and censers continues, particularly in the book of Revelation. Revelation 8:3-4 describes an angel with a golden censer standing at the altar. The angel is given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, ascends before God. This passage highlights the symbolic connection between incense and prayer, emphasizing the idea that the prayers of the faithful are a pleasing aroma to God.

Symbolism and Significance

The censer and the act of burning incense hold rich symbolic meaning in the biblical narrative. Incense represents the prayers and intercessions of the people, rising to God as a sweet-smelling aroma. The use of the censer in worship underscores the holiness and reverence due to God, as well as the need for purification and atonement.

The censer also serves as a reminder of the importance of approaching God with the right heart and attitude. Unauthorized or insincere offerings, as seen in the rebellion of Korah, result in severe consequences. The censer, therefore, is not merely a ritual object but a profound symbol of the relationship between God and His people, highlighting themes of worship, prayer, and divine presence throughout the Scriptures.The vessel in which incense was presented on "the golden altar" before the Lord in the temple (Exodus 30:1-9). The priest filled the censer with live coal from the sacred fire on the altar of burnt-offering, and having carried it into the sanctuary, there threw upon the burning coals the sweet incense (Leviticus 16:12, 13), which sent up a cloud of smoke, filling the apartment with fragrance. The censers in daily use were of brass (Numbers 16:39), and were designated by a different Hebrew name, miktereth (2 Chronicles 26:19; Ezek. 8:11): while those used on the day of Atonement were of gold, and were denoted by a word (mahtah) meaning "something to take fire with;" LXX. pureion = a fire-pan. Solomon prepared for the temple censers of pure gold (1 Kings 7:50; 2 Chronicles 4:22). The angel in the Apocalypse is represented with a golden censer (Revelation 8:3, 5). Paul speaks of the golden censer as belonging to the tabernacle (Hebrews 9:4). The Greek word thumiaterion, here rendered "censer," may more appropriately denote, as in the margin of Revised Version, "the altar of incense." Paul does not here say that the thumiaterion was in the holiest, for it was in the holy place, but that the holiest had it, i.e., that it belonged to the holiest (1 Kings 6:22). It was intimately connected with the high priest's service in the holiest.

The manner in which the censer is to be used is described in Numbers 4:14; Leviticus 16:12.

(n.) A vessel for perfumes; esp. one in which incense is burned.CENSER

sen'-ser: In the King James Version censer is used as a translation of two Hebrew words, namely, machtah, and miqTereth. The former word is generally rendered "censer," sometimes "firepan," and in three cases (Exodus 25:38; Exodus 37:23 Numbers 4:9) "snuffdish" It denoted a bowl-shaped vessel used for different purposes, namely,

(1) a censer, in which incense was burnt (Leviticus 10:1);

(2) a firepan, made of bronze, used in connection with the altar of burnt offering (Exodus 27:3);

(3) a snuffdish, i.e. a receptacle to hold pieces of burnt lamp-wick removed by the tongs or snuffers (Exodus 25:38).

Probably in all these cases the same kind of vessel was meant, namely, a bowl-shaped utensil with a handle, not unlike a saucepan. The other Hebrew word (derived from the same root as the word for "incense") denoted a vessel for conveying incense (Ezekiel 8:11 2 Chronicles 26:19). The Greek word thumiaterion, by which the Septuagint rendered miqTereth, is used also in Hebrews 9:4, where the King James Version gives "censer," but the American Standard Revised Version is probably more correct, namely, "altar of incense" (see Commentaries under the word). Compare also Revelation 8:3, 1, where libanotos, properly the adjective of "frankincense," is translated "censer."

T. Lewis

3031. libanotos -- frankincense, by ext. a censer
... a censer. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: libanotos Phonetic Spelling:
(lib-an-o-tos') Short Definition: a censer Definition: a censer. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3031.htm - 6k

2369. thumiaterion -- altar of incense, a censer
... altar of incense, a censer. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: thumiaterion
Phonetic Spelling: (thoo-mee-as-tay'-ree-on) Short Definition: altar of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2369.htm - 6k

4730. miqtereth -- a censer
... 4729c, 4730. miqtereth. 4731 . a censer. Transliteration: miqtereth
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-teh'-reth) Short Definition: censer. ...
/hebrew/4730.htm - 6k

4289. machtah -- a fireholder, censer, snuff dish
... machtah. 4290 . a fireholder, censer, snuff dish. Transliteration: machtah Phonetic
Spelling: (makh-taw') Short Definition: firepans. ... censer, firepan, snuffdish ...
/hebrew/4289.htm - 6k

The Seventh Seal.
... And another angel came and stood by the altar, having a golden censer; and much
incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seventh seal.htm

The Book of John Concerning the Falling Asleep of Mary.
... And after having rested a short time, she sat up and said to the virgins: Bring
me a censer, that I may pray. And they brought it, as they had been commanded. ...
/.../unknown/revelation of john/the book of john concerning.htm

The Day of Atonement
... And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before
the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the day of atonement.htm

Seventeenth Day for Kings and Rulers
... Let faith hold this fast. HOW TO PRAY."The Prayer before God as Incense. ="And another
angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/seventeenth day for kings and.htm

The Redeemer's Prayer
... WHEN the High Priest of old entered into the most holy place, he kindled the incense
in his censer, and waving it before him, he perfumed the air with its ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the redeemers prayer.htm

Hebrews ix. 5-Jan
... And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which
had the golden censer and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xv hebrews ix 5-jan.htm

Dangerous Effects to Religion and Morality of the Doctrine of So ...
... [2664] Why in persecutions also do you not, when the censer is presented,
at once redeem your life by the denial of your faith? ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxvii dangerous effects to religion.htm

The Second vision "In Heaven"
... q 2. The 7 angels and the 7 Trumpets. o r 3. Another angel with censer and prayers. ...
Smoke ascended up to heaven. o r 5-. The angel with censer and fire. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the second vision in heaven.htm

The Incense of Prayer
... like the mists in winter, that hug the marshes instead of rising, swirling up like
an incense cloud, impelled by nothing but the fire in the censer up and up ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the incense of prayer.htm

What is the Sanctuary?
... And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all; which
had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /23 what is the sanctuary.htm

Censer (10 Occurrences)
... The vessel in which incense was presented on "the golden altar" before the Lord
in the temple (Exodus 30:1-9). The priest filled the censer with live coal from ...
/c/censer.htm - 14k

Firepan (2 Occurrences)
... (Exodus 27:3; 38:3), one of the vessels of the temple service (rendered "snuff-dish"
Exodus 25:38; 37:23; and "censer" Leviticus 10:1; 16:12). ... See CENSER. ...
/f/firepan.htm - 9k

Censers (11 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer,
and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire ...
/c/censers.htm - 10k

Fire-pan (4 Occurrences)
... Numbers 16:17 and take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring
ye before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers ...
/f/fire-pan.htm - 7k

Thereon (90 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer,
and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire ...
/t/thereon.htm - 34k

250 (5 Occurrences)
... Numbers 16:17 and each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man
bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron ...
/num/250.htm - 7k

Fire-pans (11 Occurrences)
... Numbers 16:17 and take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring
ye before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers ...
/f/fire-pans.htm - 9k

Incense (167 Occurrences)
... as "strange incense" (keTorah zarah, Exodus 30:9). In the offering of incense, burning
coals from the altar of burnt offering were borne in a censer and put ...
/i/incense.htm - 44k

Fifty (131 Occurrences)
... Numbers 16:17 and each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man
bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron ...
/f/fifty.htm - 39k

Fragrant (30 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take the censer full of burning coals of fire from
off the altar before Jehovah, and both his hands full of fragrant incense ...
/f/fragrant.htm - 16k

What are the seven seals of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

Can a Christian burn incense? What does the Bible say about burning incense? | GotQuestions.org

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Censer: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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