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Apocalypse Revealed # 392
392. Then another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer. (8:3) This symbolizes spiritual worship, which originates from the goodness of charity expressed through truths of faith.
The altar at which the angel stood, and the golden censer that he had in his hand, symbolize worship of the Lord springing from a spiritual love, which is worship that originates from the goodness of charity expressed through truths of faith.
The children of Israel had two altars, one outside the Tabernacle, the other inside the Tabernacle. The altar outside the Tabernacle was called the altar of burnt offering, because burnt offerings and other sacrifices were presented on it. The altar inside the Tabernacle was called the altar of incense, and also the golden altar.
They had these two altars because worship of the Lord originates from celestial love and from spiritual love - from celestial love in the case of angels in His celestial kingdom, and from spiritual love in the case of angels in His spiritual kingdom. Regarding these two kingdoms, see no. 387 above.
Regarding the two altars, see the following passages in the books of Moses: On the altar of burnt offering, Exodus 20:24-26; 27:1-8; 29:36-43, Leviticus 6:8-12; 8:11; 16:18-19, 33-34. On the altar of incense, Exodus 30:1-10; 31:8; 37:25-29; 40:5, 26, Numbers 7:1.
John saw altars, censers, and the burning of incense, not because things of that kind are found in heaven. They were simply images representative of the worship of the Lord there. John saw them because such things were instituted among the children of Israel, and are often mentioned, therefore, in the Word. Moreover that church was a representational church, for every aspect of their worship was representative, and therefore those things now symbolize the Lord's Divinely given celestial and spiritual elements which are connected with His church in heaven and on earth.
[2] These same things are therefore symbolically meant in the Word by these two altars in the following places:
Send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me... to Your habitations. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God... (Psalms 43:3-4)
I wash my hands in innocence, and go around your altar, O Jehovah, and I will make to be heard the voice of confession... (Psalms 26:6-7)
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron... on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars... (Jeremiah 17:1-2)
God is Jehovah, who gives us light; bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. (Psalms 118:27)
In that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt... (Isaiah 19:19)
An altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt symbolizes worship of the Lord originating from love in the natural person.
The thistle and thorn shall rise up on their altars. (Hosea 10:8)
These symbolize worship originating from evils and from the falsities accompanying evil.
See also elsewhere, such as Isaiah 27:9; 56:6-7; 60:7.
[3] Since an altar represented and so symbolized worship of the Lord, it is apparent that the altar here in the book of Revelation has no other meaning, and so, too, elsewhere. As for example:
...I saw under the altar the souls of those slain for the Word of God... (Revelation 6:9)
...the angel stood and said, ."..measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it." (Revelation 11:1)
...I heard another (angel) from the altar saying, ."..true and just are Your judgments." (Revelation 16:7)
Since representative worship was carried out principally upon the two altars, and since it was abolished by the Lord when He came into the world because He laid open the inner qualities of a church, we are accordingly told in Isaiah,
In that day a man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will regard the Holy One of Israel, and... not... to the altars, the work of his hands. (Isaiah 17:7-8)
Leviticus 8
1
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2
"Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;
3
and assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting."
4
Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
5
Moses said to the congregation, "This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded to be done."
6
Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.
7
He put the coat on him, tied the sash on him, clothed him with the robe, put the ephod on him, and he tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod on him, and fastened it to him with it.
8
He placed the breastplate on him; and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim.
9
He set the turban on his head; and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
10
Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and sanctified them.
11
He sprinkled it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the basin and its base, to sanctify them.
12
He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
13
Moses brought Aaron's sons, and clothed them with coats, and tied sashes on them, and put headbands on them; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
14
He brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.
15
He killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it.
16
He took all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses burned it on the altar.
17
But the bull, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
18
He presented the ram of the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
19
He killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
20
He cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat.
21
He washed the innards and the legs with water; and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
22
He presented the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
23
He killed it; and Moses took some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot.
24
He brought Aaron's sons; and Moses put some of the blood on the tip of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
25
He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh;
26
and out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before Yahweh, he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and on the right thigh.
27
He put all these in Aaron's hands and in his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before Yahweh.
28
Moses took them from their hands, and burned them on the altar on the burnt offering. They were a consecration for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
29
Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
30
Moses took some of the anointing oil, and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, and on his sons, and on his sons' garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
31
Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, "Boil the flesh at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.'
32
What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire.
33
You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration are fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days.
34
What has been done this day, so Yahweh has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.
35
You shall stay at the door of the Tent of Meeting day and night seven days, and keep Yahweh's command, that you don't die: for so I am commanded."
36
Aaron and his sons did all the things which Yahweh commanded by Moses.
