Atonement by Incense

More Proof of the Intercessions of Saints

The Wisdom of Solomon speaks of the events of the Exodus where God sent forth his almighty Word from heaven’s throne to slay the firstborn of the Egyptians.⁽¹⁾ It is within this context that the writer makes mention of Aaron offering prayers along with the incense which atoned for the sins of the people:

“For though they had disbelieved everything because of their magic arts, yet when their firstborn were destroyed they acknowledged your people to be God’s child. For while gentle silence enveloped all things and night in its swift course was now half-gone, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of your authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death and touched heaven while standing on the earth. Then at once apparitions in dreadful dreams greatly troubled them, and unexpected fears assailed them, and one here and another there, hurled down half-dead, made known why they were dying, for the dreams that disturbed them forewarned them of this, so that they might not perish without knowing why they suffered.

“The experience of death touched also the righteous, and a plague came upon the multitude in the desert, but the wrath did not long continue. For a blameless man was quick to act as their champion; he brought forward the shield of his ministry, prayer and propitiation(exilasmon) by incense; he withstood the anger and put an end to the disaster, showing that he was your servant. He conquered the wrath not by strength of body, not by force of arms, but by his word he subdued the avenger, appealing to the oaths and covenants given to our ancestors. For when the dead had already fallen on one another in heaps, he intervened and held back the assault and cut off its way to the living. For on his long robe the whole world was depicted, and the glories of the ancestors were engraved on the four rows of stones, and your majesty was on the diadem upon his head. To these the destroyer yielded, these he feared, for merely to test the wrath was enough.” Wisdom of Solomon 18:13-25 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

Here's another translation of the relevant section:

“For the blameless man^[g] hastened to be their champion, bearing the weapon of his special office, prayer and the propitiation (exilasmon) of incense; He withstood the wrath and put a stop to the calamity, showing that he was your servant. He overcame the bitterness not by bodily strength, not by force of arms; But by word he overcame the smiter,^[h] recalling the sworn covenants with their ancestors.

g. 18:21 Blameless man: Aaron, acting according to his office of high priest and intercessor (cf. Nm 17:9–15; Ex 28:15–21, 31–38).

h. 18:22 Smiter: the destroying angel; cf. v. 25. New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE; emphasis mine)

Note that the text explicitly states that it was this specific act of Aaron’s that appeased the Destroyer/Avenger/Smiter from destroying the Israelites, who is obviously the Word of God just mentioned previously.⁽¹⁾

What makes this so interesting is how this relates to and confirms the intercession of the saints.

The word translated as propitiation is the term which refers to atonement, expiation, etc.:

ἘΞΙΛΑΣΜΟΝ, ἐξιλασμον

EXILASMON, exilasmon

Sounds Like: ex-ee-LAS-mon

Translations: propitiation, an act of propitiation, atonement, an atonement, expiation, an expiation

From the root: ΕΞΙΛΑΣΜΟΣ

Part of Speech: Noun

Explanation: This word refers to an act or means of appeasing or making amends, especially in a religious context to reconcile with a deity. It signifies the removal of guilt or the satisfaction of divine justice through an offering or sacrifice.

Inflection: Singular, Accusative, Masculine

Strong’s number: G2434 (Lookup on BibleHub) (ἘΞΙΛΑΣΜΟΝ | Concordance (Beta))

This specific phrase is even used in the Greek versions of the Hebrew Bible for the atonement made by animal sacrifices:

“And of the priests that were come together, and had strange wives, there were found: Of the sons of Jesus the [son] of Josedec, and his brethren; Matthelas and Eleazar, and Joribus and Joadanus. And they gave their hands to put away their wives and to offer rams to make reconcilement (exilasmon) for their errors.” Ezra (I Esdra) 9:18-20 LXX

“And he said to me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God of Israel; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day of its being made, to offer upon it whole-burnt-offerings, and to pour blood upon it. And thou shalt appoint to the priests the Levites of the seed of Sadduc, that draw nigh to me, saith the Lord God, to minister to me, a calf of the herd for a sin-offering. And they shall take of its blood, and shall put [it] on the four horns of the altar, and upon the four corners of the propitiatory (tou hilasteriou), and upon the base round about, and they shall make atonement (exilasontai) for it. And they shall take the calf of the sin-offering, and it shall be consumed by fire in the separate place of the house, outside the sanctuary. And on the second day they shall take two kids of the goats without blemish for a sin-offering; and they shall make atonement (exilasontai) for the altar, as they made atonement (exilasanto) with the calf. And after they have finished the atonement (exilasmon), they shall bring an unblemished calf of the herd, and an unblemished ram of the flock. And ye shall offer [them] before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt upon them, and shall offer them up [as] whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord. Seven days shalt thou offer a kid daily for a sin-offering, and a calf of the herd, and a ram out of the flock: they shall sacrifice them unblemished for seven days: and they shall make atonement (exilasontai) for the altar, and shall purge it; and they shall consecrate themselves. And it shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, [that] the priests shall offer your whole-burnt-offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord.” Ezekiel 43:18-27 LXX

It is also employed in relation to the atonement which Judas Maccabees and his army made for their slain comrades:

“On the next day, as had now become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kindred in the tombs of their ancestors. Then under the tunic of each one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was the reason these men had fallen. So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous judge, who reveals the things that are hidden, and they turned to supplication, praying that the sin that had been committed might be wholly blotted out. The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened as the result of the sin of those who had fallen. He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a purification offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement (exilasmon) for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.” 2 Maccabees 12:39-45 NRSVUE

It is further used for the forgiveness that God himself grants to those who are truly repentant:

“He who lives forever created the whole universe; the Lord alone will be justified. To none has he given power to proclaim his works, and who can search out his mighty deeds? Who can measure his majestic power, and who can fully recount his mercies? It is not possible to diminish or increase them, nor is it possible to fathom the wonders of the Lord. When humans have finished, they are just beginning, and when they stop, they are still perplexed. What are humans, and of what use are they? What is good in them, and what is evil? The number of days in their life is great if they reach one hundred years. Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand, so are a few years among the days of eternity. That is why the Lord is patient with them and pours out his mercy upon them. He sees and recognizes that their end is miserable; therefore he grants his forgiveness (exilasmon) all the more. The compassion of humans is for their neighbors, but the compassion of the Lord is for every living thing. He rebukes and trains and teaches them and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock. He has compassion on those who accept his discipline and who are eager for his decrees… Before judgment comes, examine yourself, and at the time of scrutiny you will find forgiveness (exilasmon).” Sirach 18:1-14, 20

This shows that incense itself can be offered as an atonement for sins.

Here is where it’s connection with prayers comes in.

The Bible likens the prayers of the righteous as incense which pleases God:

“Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2

In fact, during the time of Christ the Jews in Jerusalem would go up to the Temple during the hour of incense in order to offer up prayers to God. It was during this hour that Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of his son John:

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.

“Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

“Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.’

“Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.’ The angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.’ The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute. When the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.” Luke 1:5-23

What’s even more remarkable is that, in heaven itself, prayers are being presented along with incense to God on the heavenly altar, with the prayers of the saints being actual incense that the living spirit creatures offer to the Lamb:  

“Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8

“I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, then threw it on the earth. Thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake followed. Revelation 8:2-5

Therefore, since incense makes atonement, and since prayer itself is described as and likened to incense, this means that the prayers of the righteous can and do make atonement and procure the forgiveness of sins.

After all, the Holy Bible does say that the prayers of God’s holy people are his delight and actually move God to do miracles and bring about the salvation of sinners:

“The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.” Proverbs 15:8

“Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months. He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

“Brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:13-20

“Yahweh spoke to Moses, ‘Go, get down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves! They have turned away quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”’  Yahweh said to Moses, ‘I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.’

Moses’ intercessory prayers which caused God to change his mind from destroying Israel for their blatant idolatry serve as an excellent illustration of the atoning power of intercession:

“Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, ‘Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians talk, saying, “He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth”? Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.”’ So Yahweh turned away from the evil which he said he would do to his people.” Exodus 32:7-14  

“On the next day, Moses said to the people, ‘You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.’ Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, ‘Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold. Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.’ Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book.’” Exodus 32:30-33

“It came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights that Yahweh gave me the two stone tablets, even the tablets of the covenant. Yahweh said to me, ‘Arise, get down quickly from here; for your people whom you have brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned away from the way which I commanded them. They have made a molten image for themselves!’ Furthermore Yahweh spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. Leave me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under the sky; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’

“So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. The two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. I looked, and behold, you had sinned against Yahweh your God. You had made yourselves a molded calf. You had quickly turned away from the way which Yahweh had commanded you. I took hold of the two tablets, and threw them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes. I fell down before Yahweh, as at the first, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you sinned, in doing that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which Yahweh was angry against you to destroy you. But Yahweh listened to me that time also. 

“Yahweh was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire, and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. I threw its dust into the brook that descended out of the mountain. At Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked Yahweh to wrath. 

^“When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and possess the land which I have given you,’ you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God, and you didn’t believe him or listen to his voice. You have been rebellious against Yahweh from the day that I knew you. So I fell down before Yahweh the forty days and forty nights that I fell down, because Yahweh had said he would destroy you. I prayed to Yahweh, and said, ‘Lord Yahweh, don’t destroy your people and your inheritance that you have redeemed through your greatness, that you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Don’t look at the stubbornness of this people, nor at their wickedness, nor at their sin, lest the land you brought us out from say, “Because Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land which he promised to them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.” Yet they are your people and your inheritance, which you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’” Deuteronomy 9:11-29

To sum up the data:

1. Incense makes atonement for sins.

2. The prayers of the righteous are identified as and even likened to incense itself.

3. Therefore, the intercessory prayers of the righteous, especially those alive and perfected in heaven, can bring about salvation and the forgiveness of sins.

Unless noted otherwise, scriptural references taken from the World English Bible (WEB).

Further Reading

VENERATION OF THE SAINTS: A BIBLICAL OUTLINE PT. 1 (https://www.samshmnthelogy.net/post/veneration-of-the-saints-pt-1), PT. 2 (https://www.samshmnthelogy.net/post/veneration-of-the-saints-pt-2)

IGNATIUS, POLYCARP & SOLA FIDE (https://www.samshmnthelogy.net/post/ignatius-polycarp-sola-fide)

Endnotes

⁽¹⁾ It is rather remarkable that the destroying Angel of the Exodus, who is none other than the Angel of YHWH, is identified as God’s Almighty Word that came down from the heavenly throne with his sword to slay the firstborn of the Egyptians. The reason being is that the NT describes Jesus in this manner, since he is said to be the Word of God who sits enthroned with God and who comes down with the sword of his mouth to destroy the wicked:

“He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:21

“I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called ‘The Word of God.’ The armies which are in heaven, clothed in white, pure, fine linen, followed him on white horses. Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.’…

“I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword of him who sat on the horse, the sword which came out of his mouth. So all the birds were filled with their flesh.” Revelation 19:11-16, 19-21

Paul even states that Christ is the spiritual Rock who accompanied Israel in the cloud, and who destroyed them by sending fiery serpents to bite them after having put him to the test:   

 “Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ… Let’s not test Christ, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents. Don’t grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, 9-10  

It is, therefore, clear from the inspired NT writings that Jesus is in fact that very destroying Angel of the Exodus who led his heavenly army into the land of Egypt to destroy Pharaoh and his army:

“He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.” Psalm 78:49 English Standard Version (ESV)