THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
God spoke to St. Moses and Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, instructing them to gather the censers of those who had perished and to dispose of the fire. The censers belonging to these sinners have been sanctified through their death, and they should be broken into sheets for use on the altar, having been presented before the Lord and made holy; these shall serve as a sign for the children of Israel. This was the command of God at that time. In the book of Exodus, it is noted that Bezaleel, from the lineage of Uri and hailing from the tribe of Dan, was responsible for the arrangements: “This man made the altar of bronze from the censers of bronze, which were prepared by those who had conspired with Korah” (Ex. 38:1).
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It is important for us to recognize that the altar, which symbolizes Christ, along with the candlestick, the purificator, and the showbread, was constructed from the materials brought forth by the people, each dedicating what they had to God. This action is pleasing to the glory of God the Father, as they produce fruits unto Christ and offer spiritual gifts, which these items represent. The altar serving the purpose of the law serves as a profound reminder and foreshadowing of the suffering, opposition, and conspiracy against the great High Priest. Do you see this imagery clearly? Aaron serves as a type of Christ. However, the Jewish leaders also contested the glory of Christ, prompted by the altar's significance, as the ministry of the law had ceased in its shadow, and through Christ, we offer incense to the Father with a spiritual aroma. He has shown us this as a representation, as it is written, “And you shall make an altar for incense; of acacia wood you shall make it. Its length shall be a cubit, its width a cubit—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height; its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around, and its horns, and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around” (Ex. 30:1-3).