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For centuries, frankincense has been a revered essential oil for its numerous therapeutic and spiritual benefits. It is no surprise that this precious oil has been mentioned over 50 times in the Bible as an offering to God and a symbol of holiness. In this blog post, we explore the significance of frankincense in the Bible and how you can incorporate it into your spiritual practices today. Modern neuroscience is now discovering what ancient worshippers experienced: frankincense fundamentally alters brain chemistry in ways that create ideal conditions for prayer, meditation, and spiritual openness.
Frankincense in the Bible
Long before frankincense graced the shelves of modern apothecaries, this precious resin held a place of profound significance in biblical tradition. When the three wise men journeyed from the East to honor the newborn Christ, they didn't bring ordinary gifts—they brought gold, myrrh, and frankincense. This wasn't simply an aromatic curiosity; frankincense was a treasure as valuable as gold itself, reserved for kings and deity.
The biblical reverence for frankincense runs deeper than this famous nativity story. In the Book of Exodus, God gave Moses explicit instructions to incorporate frankincense into the sacred anointing oil used to consecrate the Tabernacle and all its holy furnishings. This wasn't optional—it was divine mandate. The rising smoke of burning frankincense became a physical manifestation of prayers ascending to heaven, its fragrant clouds filling the temple during ceremonies as a worthy offering to God.
Throughout Scripture, frankincense appears as a symbol of worship, purity, and divine connection. The Song of Solomon speaks of it in verses dripping with poetry and longing, while the Psalms reference its use in worship and praise. In every mention, frankincense represents something beyond the physical—it bridges the earthly and the sacred, the mortal and the eternal.
This ancient respect for frankincense wasn't superstition or sentimentality. It was an understanding that certain plants carry medicine for both body and spirit, a truth we're only now beginning to reclaim in modern wellness practices.
Spiritual Benefits of Frankincense
As mentioned above, frankincense has been used for thousands of years for its spiritual benefits. It is believed to have a calming effect on the mind and body, promoting feelings of peace, relaxation, and spiritual awareness. Frankincense can help deepen meditation and prayer practices, helping individuals connect with their inner selves and the divine.
In addition, frankincense is known for its purifying and cleansing properties, which can help clear negative energy and promote positive vibrations. This makes it an ideal oil for use in spiritual rituals and ceremonies.
Using Frankincense Today
Today, frankincense is still widely used for its spiritual and healing properties. In addition to our extensive collection of single frankincense essential oils, we offer a unique blend of 100% Pure essential oils called Six Kings, which contains six different types of frankincense from various countries. This blend has a warm, woody, and slightly spicy aroma that is perfect for use during meditation, prayer, or other spiritual practices.
To use our Six Kings Frankincense blend, simply add a few drops to an oil diffuser, blend it 50/50 with a carrier oil like our wonderful Castor oil or Hemp oil, and apply it to your skin. (My husband and I like to apply it directly to our skin. We have been using it liberally all over for many years.) You can also add a few drops to a warm bath or use the oil in a massage to promote relaxation and spiritual awareness...plus a whole array of benefits.
To learn more about how to use essential oils, see this article.
The Perfect Blend
If you want to appreciate the magic of frankincense on a deeper level, we reccommend checking out our pure frankincense essential oil blends.
Six Kings
Six Kings is a perfect mix of 6 frankincense oils in one fantastic fusion. If you’re already a fan of frankincense, this is the best blend to choose when you can’t decide which one to use! Each individual oil has its own unique uses and when combined into this one harmonious mixture, you can benefit from the vast array of properties that the entire frankincense family has to offer.
This blend contains Boswellia Carterii, Boswellia Frereana, Boswellia Sacra, Boswellia Papyrifera, Boswellia Serrata, and Boswellia Neglecta essential oils. It provides a spicy, woody aroma with a hint of fresh sweetness that calmly awakens the senses while offering a reassuring ambiance. The origins of each oil are spread throughout Asia and Africa in countries such as Somalia, Oman, Yemen, India, and Northern Kenya. It provides a diverse range of properties that can benefit the skin, immune system, mental well-being, and spiritual connection.
Six Kings - 100% Pure Essential Oil Blend of 6 Varieties of Frankincense
$15.97
100% Pure Frankincense Essential Oil Blend - Boswellia Carterii, Boswellia Frereana, Boswellia Sacra, Boswellia Papyrifera, Boswellia Serrata, Boswellia Neglecta Aroma: Sweet, Resinous, Fresh, Woody, and Spicy … read more
Four Wise Men
Our Four Wise Men essential oil blend is a combination of Boswellia Carterii, Boswellia Frereana, Boswellia Sacra, Boswellia Papyrifera. This blend is ideal for deepening the breath and using in meditation and prayer.
Four Wise Men Essential Oil Blend of 4 Premium Frankincense Essential Oils
$19.97
100% Pure Frankincense Essential Oil Blend - Boswellia Carterii, Boswellia Frereana, Boswellia Sacra, Boswellia Papyrifera Aroma: Sweet, Resinous, Fresh, Woody, and Spicy Also Available as a Body Oil … read more
Sacred Self-Care: Anointing the Temple
The same precious resin that anointed priests and sanctified altars in frankincense in the Bible carries its sacred purpose into modern spiritual practice—this time, through the ancient art of caring for the body as a holy temple. Just as the Tabernacle was consecrated with aromatic oils, cultures throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean understood that frankincense possessed remarkable skin-regenerating and cell-renewal properties. Cleopatra herself, who would have been intimately familiar with the frankincense trade routes flowing from Arabia through Egypt, incorporated this biblical resin into her legendary beauty rituals—not merely for vanity, but as an act of honoring the divine vessel of the body.
Today's use of Frankincense Essential Oil for skin care echoes this ancient wisdom. As a natural astringent and anti-inflammatory agent, frankincense works to calm irritated skin, reduce hyperpigmentation, and address acne—all while supporting the skin's natural regeneration processes. Its remarkable ability to improve tone, elasticity, and reduce the visible signs of aging speaks to the same restorative properties that made it precious enough to offer to kings and gods. When we anoint ourselves with frankincense, we participate in a ritual that spans millennia: the practice of treating our physical form with the reverence it deserves, honoring the sacred within ourselves just as our ancestors honored the Sacred in their temples.
You can read more about how frankincense encourages collagen production and skin health in our Complete Guide to Frankincense Essential Oil.
Blend for Spiritual Practice
Use this blend to cleanse energy and connect to your inner wisdom before beginning your spiritual practice.
- Palo Santo Essential Oil
- Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
- Rosemary Essential Oil
- Six Kings Frankincense Blend or any of our other Frankincense Oils
Use equal parts of each essential oil in your diffuser before beginning your spiritual practices such as yoga, meditation, tarot reading, prayer, etc
Blend for Youthfulness & Beauty
Reduce fine lines and wrinkles with this organic blend of anti-aging oils!
- 8 Drops Bulgarian Rose Essential Oil
- 12 Drops Six Kings Frankincense Blend or any of our other Frankincense Oils
- 1oz Organic Hemp Seed Oil
Massage into the skin once daily before bed.
Blend for Deepening the Breath
Frankincense is known to deepen the breath, which can bring extra healing benefits to your respiratory system, in addition to its effects on your emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Breathe in this spicy, cooling blend to discover natural relief from respiratory ailments such as asthma or seasonal allergies.
- Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- Clove Essential Oil
- Six Kings Frankincense Blend or any of our other Frankincense Oils
Use equal parts of each essential oil in a diffuser and follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you need a high quality waterless diffuser (you do if you want to get the most out of diffusing), the best ones are found Here.
FAQs
Which type of frankincense was most likely used for Church incense?
Based on the research, Boswellia papyrifera (Ethiopian/Eritrean frankincense) was most likely the primary frankincense used for church incense, and it's actually still called "Church Incense" today. Frankincense Papyrifera is distinguished from other types of Frankincense by the presence of Boswellic acids, Incensole and Incensole Acetate, compounds shown to affect our central nervous system and possess psychoactive properties that generate heightened feelings of well-being and spirituality. One can see why this has been an ideal incense for spiritual/religious purposes in churches and temples for millennia.
Which type of frankincense was gifted to Jesus by the Three Wise Men?
There's actually scholarly debate about the exact species of frankincense gifted to Jesus, and the answer depends on interpreting the Biblical phrase "from the East.” The first candidate is Boswellia sacra (Arabian Frankincense) This species grew primarily in southern Arabia—specifically Oman and Yemen—and the Horn of Africa including Somalia and Ethiopia. The second is Boswellia serrata (Indian Frankincense. Because the Magi traveled "from the East," some scholars identify the Indian species Boswellia serrata as most likely. The Magi were traditionally associated with Persia, and trade routes connected them to Indian aromatics.
Why did the Three Wise Men give frankincense to Jesus?
The symbolism behind this gift is profound:
Divinity and Worship Frankincense was used to anoint priests, kings, and sacred places in the Old Testament, and burning it symbolized prayers rising to heaven—a bridge between earth and the divine.
Recognition of Jesus's Divine Nature By bringing frankincense, the Magi recognized Jesus as both the ultimate Anointed One who would reconcile humanity with God, and as deity in His own right. While gold symbolized His kingship and myrrh foreshadowed His death and sacrifice, frankincense uniquely honored His divinity.
Extreme Value Frankincense was extraordinarily expensive due to long transport distances and local taxes along the incense routes. It was literally worth its weight in gold—making it a gift worthy of royalty.
