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)
Exodus 40
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Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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"On the first day of the first month you shall raise up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.
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You shall put the ark of the testimony in it, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
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You shall bring in the table, and set in order the things that are on it. You shall bring in the lampstand, and light its lamps.
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You shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
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"You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.
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You shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and shall put water therein.
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You shall set up the court around it, and hang up the screen of the gate of the court.
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"You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it, and shall make it holy, and all its furniture: and it will be holy.
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You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar will be most holy.
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You shall anoint the basin and its base, and sanctify it.
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"You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water.
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You shall put on Aaron the holy garments; and you shall anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.
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You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them.
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You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest's office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."
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Moses did so. According to all that Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
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It happened in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.
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Moses raised up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its pillars.
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He spread the covering over the tent, and put the roof of the tabernacle above on it, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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He took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.
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He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the side of the tabernacle northward, outside of the veil.
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He set the bread in order on it before Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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He put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
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He lit the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil;
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and he burnt incense of sweet spices on it, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
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He set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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He set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water therein, with which to wash.
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Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there.
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When they went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came near to the altar, they washed, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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He raised up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
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Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.
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Moses wasn't able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh's glory filled the tabernacle.
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When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys;
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but if the cloud wasn't taken up, then they didn't travel until the day that it was taken up.
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For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
