4401. 'And he set up an altar there' means interior worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting up an altar' as worship, for the altar was the chief representative of the Lord, 921, 2777, 2811, and therefore the chief feature of worship. By worship here is meant interior worship originating in the Divine Spiritual, dealt with in the paragraph following this.

To "go before" in the Bible means either to lead or to prepare, depending on context. When it is said of the Lord or things representing the Lord -- the Ark of the Covenant, an angel, the pillars of cloud and fire -- it means to lead. When it is said of other people -- John the Baptist, for example, was to "go before the face of the Lord" -- it means to prepare people for what is to follow.

(Verweise: Arcana Coelestia 10399, 10508; The Apocalypse Explained 724 [7]; True Christian Religion 688)