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.

472. And when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. This symbolically means that the Lord has disclosed throughout the whole of heaven what is in the little book.

This is the symbolic meaning, because we read next that John wished to write what the seven thunders said, but that he was told from heaven to seal those things up and not to write them, and later that he ate the little book, which in his mouth was as sweet as honey, but made his stomach bitter. The symbolic meaning is that present within were such things as would not yet be accepted. The reason may be seen in the next number.

But now I will reveal what the little book had in it. The little book had in it the same contents as found from beginning to end in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, which are as follows:

[2] The Sacred Scripture throughout has the Lord as its subject, and the Lord is the Word (nos. 1-7).

The Lord's fulfilling all things of the Law ¹ means that He fulfilled all things of the Word (nos. 8-11).

The Lord came into the world to conquer the hells and glorify His humanity, and His suffering of the cross was the final battle by which He fully overcame the hells and fully glorified His humanity (nos. 12-14).

By His suffering of the cross the Lord did not take away sins, but bore them (nos. 15-17).

Any imputation of the Lord's merit is simply the forgiveness of sins following repentance (no. 18).

The Lord is called the Son of God in relation to His Divine humanity, and the Son of Man in relation to the Word (nos. 19-28).

The Lord made His humanity Divine from the Divinity in Him, and thus became one with the Father (nos. 29-36).

The Lord is God Himself, from whom the Word originated and who is the subject of the Word (nos. 37-44).

There is one God, and the Lord is that God (no. 45).

The Holy Spirit is the Divinity emanating from the Lord, and it is the Lord Himself (nos. 46-54).

The doctrine of the Athanasian Creed accords with the truth, provided a trinity of persons is interpreted to mean a trinity of person, which is present in the Lord (nos. 55-61).

[3] We are told that the seven thunders uttered their voices because the Lord's speech descending through the heavens into the lower regions sounds like thunder. And because He speaks at the same time throughout the whole of heaven, thus in fullness, there are said to be seven thunders, for the number seven means, symbolically, all people or all things, and thus completeness (nos. 10, 390). Consequently thunder also symbolizes instruction and a perception of truth (no. 236), and here discovery and disclosure as well.

That a voice from heaven sounds like thunder when it comes from the Lord is apparent from the following:

(Jesus said,) "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." (John 12:28-30)

The multitude heard this as thunder.

(God roars with His voice;) He thunders with His majestic voice... (Job 37:4-5)

Jehovah thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice. (2 Samuel 22:14)

I heard a voice from heaven... like the voice of loud thunder. (Revelation 14:2)

You called... and... I answered you in secret with thunder. (Psalms 81:7)

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