Incense has long been linked to religion and spirituality. But, what does the Bible say about burning incense? It’s normal for many people to wonder about whether or not it is acceptable to burn incense in accordance with the Bible, and this is where we come in to lend you a helping hand.
If you would like to learn more about what the bible says about incense before you do it, rest assured that you have come to the right place.
In this guide, we are going to be providing you with some excerpts taken from the bible, so that you can make an informed decision about whether you might like to burn incense or not. Just keep reading.
What Does The Bible Say About Burning Incense?
So, what does the Bible say about burning incense? Below, we are going to be sharing with you some of the main things that the Bible says about burning incense.
This will help you to gain a better understanding of the Bible’s teaching with regard to incense burning, which will in turn help you determine whether or not you should burn it yourself. Let’s take a look at some passages taken from the Bible that discuss the burning of incense:
Luke 1:10
And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
Revelation 8:3-4
And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
Leviticus 16:12-13
And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.
Exodus 30:7-9
And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.
Luke 1:9-80
According to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.”
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”
Numbers 16:46-47
And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun.”
So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.
Can Christians Burn Incense?
If you’re reading this guide, chances are that you’re most interested in learning more about whether or not it is suitable for Christians to burn incense.
Generally speaking, burning incense is totally fine, although there are a few pointers that you should make sure you remember prior to lighting your incense of choice up!
As we have mentioned in the above section, according to the Bible, God hated the burning of incense after “people fell away into sin and idolatry, for it was merely an act, and not a true expression of loving worship.”
According to the bible, the special offering of incense that was intended to show love for God was beginning to be used for reasons other than this. For this reason, if you are a Christian and you would like to burn incense, you should make sure that you are doing it for the following reasons:
To display a true expression of love.
For worship purposes.
In celebration of a religious event.
Keep in mind that, according to the bible, burning incense for any other reason than to express one’s love for God is nothing more than an act. Due to this, the Bible states that God “hates” the burning of incense if it is not done as an act of holy worship, and to express loving worship of God.
Wrapping Up
You’ve reached the end of the guide. After taking the time to read through all that we have spoken about above, we hope that you now have a clear understanding of what the bible says about burning incense, as well as help you to come to a decision about whether or not you might like to burn it for yourself.
Just to recap all that we have spoken about above, the bible considers the burning of incense to be a divine practice.
When God gave Moses and Aaron the detailed instructions of the times, methods and places of burning incense, it was declared that incense was to be burned perpetually before the Lord, and it was also to be an act of holy worship.
If you would like to burn incense yourself, then the good news is that you absolutely can, so long as you are making sure that you are burning incense as an expression of love towards God, rather than merely just an act.
For more insights into incense, we recommend that you speak with your local church, or alternatively, read through the bible to discover more. Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide, and goodbye for now.
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