Altar refers to a table, platform or elevated place on which a priest placed a sacrificed as an offering to God. The nature of altars changed considerably during the several centuries from Old Testament times to New Testament days.

In addition to describing altars dedicated to God, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible speaks frequently also of pagan altars, particularly those associated with the false worship of the Canaanites. References to altars dedicated to pagan gods other than the one true God appear throughout the Old Testament. - Deut. 12:3; 2Chr. 33:3; 1Kings 11:5-7 - The Lord gave specific instructions that these pagan altars should be torn down and destroyed before altars dedicated to God's worship were built. - Deut. 12 to 13 -

The first altar in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible was the one built by Noah after the Flood. - Gen. 8:20 - The next several altars mentioned appear in connection with the patriarch Abraham and his wanderings. His first altars, at Shechem, seemed to served as a symbol of his possession of the land. - Gen. 12:7-8, 13:18 - At his altars between Bethel and Ai and Hebron, he sacrificed animals and called upon the name of the Lord. Abraham built his last altar on top of a mountain in the land of Moriah. - Gen. 22:9 - To these altars, his son Isaac added one at Beersheba. Gen. 26:25 - Isaac's son Jacob built no new altars; but he restored those which Abraham had built at Shechem and Bethel. - Gen. 33:20, 35:1-3 -

The Hebrew word for altar means "a place of slaughter or sacrifice." But the altars of the Old Testament were not restricted to offerings of animals as sacrifices. Joshua indicates that altars, were occasionally used to remind the Israelites of their heritage or to call attention to a major event. Sometimes an altar might even be used as a place for refuge. - Josh. 22:26-29; 1Kin. 1:50-51, 2:28 -

During the days of Moses, two priestly altars assumed important roles in the ritual of the TABERNACLE in the wilderness. These were the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense. The altar of burnt offering was placed in front of the entrance to the tabernacle - Ex. 27:1-8, 40:6 - where it was used for the daily burnt offering and meal offering. This altar declared that entry into the presence of God must be preceded by sacrificial ATONEMENT for sin. The altar of burnt offering was made of acacia wood, overlaid with bronze. The corners of the altar extended at the top into projections that looked like horns.

The altar of incense stood just before the veil inside the tabernacle that separated the most holy place from the rest of the worship area. - Ex. 30:1-10, 40:26-27 - Priests burned incense on this altar everyday so its fragrance would fill the tabernacle when the sacrificial blood was sprinkled on the altar of burnt offering.

As the first king of Israel, Saul built an altar during his conquest of the Philistines for the sacrifice of sheep, oxen, and calves. - 1Sam. 14:35 - Later king David erected an altar on a threshing floor of natural stone that he bought from Araunah the Jebusite. - 2Sam. 24:15-25 - This site became the central place of sacrifice in the TEMPLE after it was constructed by king Solomon, David's son and successor. Some have identified this site with the large rock structure in the city of Jerusalem now seen under the famous mosque know as the Dome of the Rock.

After building the Temple in Jerusalem, Solomon constructed an altar larger than the one Moses had built, probably adapting it to the size of the Temple. This was the altar restored later by king Asa. Still later, king Ahaz had Solomon's altar moved to the northern part of the Temple courtyard. This was also  the same altar cleansed by Hezekiah and rebuilt by Manasseh at the later times in Old Testament history. - 2Chr. 4:1, 15:8, 16:14-15, 29:18, 33:16 -

The incense altar of the tabernacle was also replaced by Solomon's altar made of cedar and overlaid with gold. - 1Kin. 6:20-22, 7:48 - Incense was burned every morning and evening on this altar. The priest also sprinkled the blood of a sacrificial animal on the incense altar to make atonement for his sins and the sins of the people. The incense altar was also symbolic of prayer. It is the only altar that appears in the heavenly temple. - Is. 6:6; Rev. 8:3 - When the captives returned to Jerusalem following their years of captivity in Babylon, one of their first acts was to build an altar. - Ezra 3:3 -

In addition to the Temple of the Jewish people with its altar, the New Testament refers to the altar in Athens that was dedicated "To The Unknown God" - Acts 17:23 - No physical Christian altar appears in the New Testament. The statement "we have an altar" refers to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The altar of incense mentioned in the book of Revelation 8:3 belongs to the heavenly temple. In the heavenly temple there is no need for an altar of burnt offering since atonement for our sins is now complete through the death of Jesus Christ.

Remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever. Do not let yourselves be led astray by all sorts of strange doctrines: it is better to rely on grace for inner strength than on dietary laws which have done no good to those who kept them.

We have our own altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. The bodies of the animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for the atonement of sin are burnt outside the camp, and so Jesus too suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people with his own blood. Let us go to him, then, outside the camp, and share his degradation. For there is no eternal city for us in this life but we look for one in the life to come. Through him, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name. Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are sacrifices that pleases God. - Heb. 13:7-16 -

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -