The first altar mentioned in the Word was the one built by Noah after he came out of the ark, after being saved from the great flood. On that altar, he sacrificed clean animals to the Lord.

Mountains represent the Lord because of their height; we need to raise our thoughts above worldly things when "talking" with the Lord. An altar is a small artificial mountain. When it's used in worship, it can call to mind this raising of thought. The fire and smoke that rise from an altar are symbolically being sent to the Lord.

Most altars were made from unhewn stones. Stones represent truths. Unhewn stones - ones that have not been shaped by men - represent truths from the Word, truths that have not been adulterated.

The clean beasts to be sacrificed represent good things, charitable acts done because they are right. The clean birds represent thoughts about doctrine and actions, and about what is right. Presenting these things is an acknowledgment that we have them from the Lord, and a giving thanks to Him for them.

In the Israelitish Tabernacle, the altar of burnt offering represented the acknowledgment of good and the altar of incense that of truth. For this reason this larger altar, which was outside by the door, was made of brass which signifies natural good, while the altar of incense was made of gold, which signifies love to the Lord from whom comes truth.

68. And His eyes as a flame of fire, signifies Divine Providence from His Divine love. This is evident from the signification of "eyes," as being the understanding (See above, n. 37); and in reference to the Lord, as meaning presence, and thus providence (See Arcana Coelestia 3869[1-14], 10569) of which in what follows; also from the signification of "a flame of fire," as meaning, in reference to the Lord, Divine love. "A flame of fire" means Divine love because from heaven the Lord appears as a sun, and the Divine that proceeds from Him as light, flaming light in the inmost or third heaven, and bright white light in the middle or second heaven. The Divine love itself is what thus appears. From this it is that in the Word "fire" and "flame" signify love (as can be seen from what is shown in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that in the Word "fire" signifies love in each sense, n. 934, 4906, 5215. That sacred and celestial fire is Divine love, and every affection which is of that love, see n. 934, 6314, 6832. That there are two origins of heat, one the sun of the world, from which all things vegetate upon the earth, the other the sun of heaven, which is the Lord, from which angels and men derive the all of life, see n. 3338, 5215, 7324. That love is the fire of life, and that life itself is actually therefrom, see n. 4906, 5071, 6032, 6314. That flame is truth from the good of the inmost heaven, and light truth from the good of the middle heaven, see n. 3222, 6832; the reason is, that light in the inmost heaven appears flaming, and in the middle heaven bright white, see n. 9570; and likewise in the work on Heaven and Hell 116-140. In reference to the Lord, "eyes" signify Divine Providence, because, in reference to man, they signify understanding; and the Divine understanding, because it is infinite, is Divine Providence. Nothing else is signified by the "eyes" of Jehovah in Isaiah:

Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, and hear; and open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see (Isaiah 37:17).

In Jeremiah:

I will set Mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them again to their land, ¹ and I will build them (Jeremiah 24:6).

In David:

Behold the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear Him (Psalms 33:18);

and in the same:

Jehovah is in the temple of His holiness, His eyes behold, and His eyelids prove the sons of man (Psalms 11:4);

and elsewhere. (What Divine Providence is, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 267-279.)

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