Incense, Incense Bowl, and Incense Spoon.

During our worship in Church and rituals in houses and cemeteries, the priest burns incense in a censer. Incense is a mixture of spices and gums, that is a material used to produce a fragrant smoke when burned causing clouds of smoke to go heavenward, the prayer of God’s people ascending on high and the appearance of God in numinous glory, assuring His people of His presence with them.

Incense is often used as part of a purification ritual. Incense is burned for a variety of reasons, including to bring the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit to our souls and bodies, which once served as the temple of God. Incense is a symbol of heavenly worship, stimulating and stirring the senses of the worshipper. Its aroma and smoke are believed to represent the fragrance of prayer and the mysterious nature of God’s presence. Incense can help with the mental and spiritual state of the worshipper. It is a symbol of reverence for the body that was once the temple of God. God Himself commands us to incense Him, and asks us to offer incense. In fact, in the Ark of the Covenant there was the golden censer that was made by order of God.

The incense most often mentioned in the Bible is frankincense, sometimes used alone and in the holy incense. Incense is composed of aromatic plant materials, often combined with essential oils. In the Old Testament times, perfume was made of sweet spices, (Ex. 30: 34-38). Equal parts of this and of stacle, onycha, and galbanum with a little salt were mixed to make the holy incense used on the incense altar (Ex. 30: 34, 35; cf. Eccl. 24: 15). It was an inevitable item in the temple. (Heb. 9: 4).

Burning incense symbolizes the symbolic offering of oneself as a sacrifice to God for a smelling aroma (Eph. 5: 2). It plays an important role in gaining proper mood for worship, attaining spiritual communication with the invisible spiritual power, and permeates an atmosphere of internal spiritual purification. It symbolizes the prayers of the faithful as the sweet-smelling smoke goes up, so also does our prayers (Ps. 141: 2, Lk. 1: 10-11; Rev. 8: 3-4).

The incense bowl / is the container or vessel for keeping the incense and the spoon is used to put the incense, from the incense bowl into the censor, by the priest of bishop.  In the Revelation of John, incense symbolizes the prayers of the saints in heaven …..they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people (Rev. 5: 8).