The Hebrew noun qetoreth refers to incense — the aromatic substance burned in worship, and by extension the rising smoke of sacrifice. It is one of the most symbolically rich words in tabernacle and temple worship.
Qetoreth represents the ascending nature of prayer and worship. Exodus 30:34-38 specifies the exact composition of the sacred incense — a blend reserved exclusively for worship of God. When Aaron ran into the midst of the plague-struck congregation with a censer of qetoreth, 'he stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped' (Numbers 16:48). This dramatic scene foreshadows Christ's intercessory work. In Revelation, the prayers of the saints are described as qetoreth rising before God — the ultimate fulfillment of the incense altar.