393. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it for the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. This symbolizes a propitiation, lest angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom be harmed by the spirits of the satanic kingdom situated below.

The incense and golden altar symbolize worship of the Lord springing from a spiritual love (nos. 277, 392). Prayers symbolize those expressions of charity and so of faith that are found in worship (no. 278). And saints mean people who are of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, while the just or righteous are those of His celestial kingdom (no. 173). It can be seen from this that people in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are the subject here.

The much incense here, given for the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, symbolizes a propitiation lest the angels be harmed by the spirits of the satanic kingdom situated below, because incense was used for propitiations and expiations, especially when dangers threatened - as can be seen from the following:

When the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron and they suffered a plague, Aaron took fire from the altar, put incense in the censer, and ran between the living and the dead to make atonement, and the plague was stopped. (Numbers 16:42-50)

The altar of incense also was placed in the Tabernacle in front of the mercy seat upon the ark, and incense was offered on it every morning when they trimmed the lamps. (Exodus 30:1-10)

Moreover, Aaron was commanded to offer incense whenever he entered inside the veil, and a cloud of incense would cover the mercy seat, lest he die. (Leviticus 16:11-13)

It can be seen from this that in the representational Israelite Church, propitiations were made with the burning of incense. So, too, here, lest the angels be harmed by the satanic spirits living below.

277. And a golden bowl full of incense. This symbolizes a confession of the Lord's Divine humanity springing from spiritual goods.

Incense symbolizes worship springing from spiritual goods - although here a confession springing from those goods - because worship in the Jewish and Israelite churches consisted principally in sacrifices and the burning of incense. Consequently they had two altars, one for sacrifices and one for the burning of incense. The first stood outside the Tabernacle and was called the altar of burnt offering, while the second was inside the Tabernacle and was called the golden altar. ¹ The reason for the two was that all worship springs from two kinds of goods - celestial good and spiritual good. Celestial good is the good of love toward the Lord, while spiritual good is the good of love for the neighbor. Worship by means of sacrifices was worship springing from celestial good, whereas worship by means of the burning of incense was worship springing from spiritual good.

It makes no difference whether you say worship or confession, as all worship is a confession.

The symbolic meaning of incense is also the symbolic meaning of the bowls that contained the incense, since a container and its contents, like an instrumental and principal cause, form a single unit.

[2] Worship springing from spiritual good is symbolized by incense in the following passages:

...from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to My name... (Malachi 1:11)

They shall teach Jacob Your judgments... They shall present the smell of incense to Your nose, and a whole burnt offering on Your altar. (Deuteronomy 33:10)

I will offer to You burnt offerings of fatlings, with the incense... (Psalms 66:15)

They shall come from (round about) Judah... bringing a burnt offering..., a grain offering and frankincense... (Jeremiah 17:26)

...from Sheba they shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah. (Isaiah 60:6)

Frankincense has the same symbolic meaning as incense, because frankincense was the principal aromatic substance from which incense was made.

So likewise in Matthew:

(Wise men from the east) opened their treasures, (and) they presented (to the newborn Lord) gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)

They presented these three gifts, because gold symbolized celestial good, frankincense spiritual good, and myrrh natural good, and it is from these three goods that all worship springs.

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