The Bible is a rich tapestry of stories, teachings, and symbolism, and altars play a significant role throughout its pages. Altars were not merely stone structures for making sacrifices; they were also powerful symbols of worship, repentance, and divine encounters. In this blog post, we will explore seven altars in the Bible and their deep spiritual significance.
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7 Altars In The Bible
1. Altar of Noah
Genesis 8:20 – “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.”
2. Altar of Abraham
Genesis 22:9 – “When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.”
3. Altar of Moses
Exodus 17:15 – “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.”
4. Altar of Gideon
Judges 6:26 – “Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height.”
5. Altar of Elijah
1 Kings 18:30 – “Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come here to me.’ They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down.”
6. Altar of unknown God
Acts 17:23 – “For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”
7. Altar of the Apocalypse
Revelation 8:3 – “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.
Symbolism and Significance
- The Altar of Noah (Genesis 8:20)
After surviving the great flood, Noah built an altar to the Lord. This act of sacrifice and worship symbolized gratitude for God’s deliverance and a fresh start for humanity. It signified God’s covenant to never again destroy the earth with a flood, showcasing the importance of worship as a response to God’s grace.
- The Altar of Abraham (Genesis 12:7)
Abraham, the father of many nations, constructed altars wherever he journeyed. These altars served as markers of his devotion to God and his acknowledgment of God’s promises. The altars Abraham built were a physical manifestation of his faith, reminding us of the importance of setting up spiritual milestones in our own lives.
- The Altar of Isaac (Genesis 26:25)
Isaac, following in his father Abraham’s footsteps, built an altar and worshipped the Lord. This act was an affirmation of God’s covenant with the descendants of Abraham and a reminder that our faith should not merely be passed down but also personally experienced and expressed through worship.
- The Altar of Jacob (Genesis 28:18)
Jacob, while on the run from his brother Esau, had a powerful dream of a ladder reaching into heaven with angels ascending and descending. He set up a stone as a pillar and anointed it with oil, dedicating it as an altar to God. This altar serves as a reminder that God can meet us in unexpected places and moments, transforming them into sacred encounters.
- The Altar of Moses (Exodus 24:4)
Moses, after receiving the Ten Commandments and God’s instructions on Mount Sinai, built an altar as part of the covenant ceremony. This altar signified the people’s commitment to obey God’s commandments and the covenant relationship between God and the Israelites. It teaches us the importance of obedience and the need for personal and collective commitment to God.
- The Altar of Elijah (1 Kings 18:30)
Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel featured an altar as the central stage. The fire of God consumed the offering, confirming God’s power and presence. This altar demonstrates the contrast between true worship and idolatry, emphasizing the significance of God’s supremacy and the importance of sincere worship.
- The Altar of Revelation (Revelation 8:3)
In the book of Revelation, we find an altar in heaven where incense is offered with the prayers of the saints. This heavenly altar signifies the eternal connection between God and His people. It reminds us that our prayers are heard and cherished by God, and they continue to play a role in the unfolding of God’s divine plan.
What is an altar?
A special stepped area is any construction whereupon contributions, for example, penances, are made for strict purposes. It was normally a raised stage with a level surface. There are north of 400 references to raised areas in the Book of Scripture. The word special stepped area is first utilized in Beginning 8:20, when Noah assembled a special raised area for the Master in the wake of leaving the ark. In any case, the thought was available as soon as Beginning 4:3-4, when Cain and Abel carried their penances to the Ruler. They undoubtedly introduced their contributions on some sort of special stepped area, despite the fact that the word raised area isn’t utilized in that entry.
A special stepped area generally addressed a position of sanctification. Under the steady gaze of God, who gave His Regulation to Moses, men made raised areas any place they were out of anything material that was accessible. A raised area was frequently used to celebrate an experience with God that had a significant effect on somebody. Abram (Beginning 12:7), Isaac (Beginning 26:24–25), Jacob (Beginning 35:3), David (1 Narratives 21:26), and Gideon (Judges 6:24) every single fabricated special raised area and loved in the wake of having an extraordinary experience with God. A special stepped area generally addressed an individual’s craving to bless himself completely to the Ruler. God had worked in an individual’s life so that the individual wanted to make something unmistakable to memorialize it.
During seasons of Israel’s disobedience and worshipful admiration, the Ruler’s raised areas fell into decay. The prophet Elijah, defying the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, “fixed the special raised area of the Master, which had been destroyed” (1 Rulers 18:30). Elijah’s rebuilding of the special raised area was huge, given the wild agnosticism of his day. Likewise, despite the way that he was living in a partitioned realm, the prophet represented the solidarity of God’s kin in his development: “Elijah took twelve stones, one for every one of the clans dropped from Jacob, to whom the expression of the Master had come, saying, ‘Your name will be Israel.’ With the stones he fabricated a special stepped area for the sake of the Ruler” (1 Lords 18:31-32). It was on this reconstructed raised area that God poured down fire and shut the Baal-admirers down (refrains 38–39).
Once in a while, God Himself told that a special stepped area be worked after He had conveyed somebody in a marvelous manner (Deuteronomy 27:4–7; Departure 30:1). Such a raised area would be a memory to assist people in the future with recalling the powerful works of the Master. Since expiation is God’s work, the Law determined that a special stepped area made of stones should be made with regular, whole stones, “for you will debase it assuming you utilize an instrument on it” (Departure 20:25).
At the point when God gave guidelines for the sanctuary, He likewise gave itemized directions for the sort of special stepped area the patio ought to contain (Mass Migration 27:1–8). On this special raised area, individuals made penances that God acknowledged as expiation for their transgression. It was to have four horn-like projections, one at each corner. It must be adequately huge to hold penances of bulls, sheep, and goats. For the sanctuary that Solomon constructed, the special stepped area was made of unadulterated gold (1 Lords 7:48).
In the broadest sense, a special stepped area is just an assigned spot where an individual blesses himself to a person or thing. Many church structures have “raised areas” for supplication, fellowship, weddings, and other holy purposes. A few Christians make their own “raised areas” for individual love as noticeable tokens of Romans 12:1, which says to “introduce yourself as a living penance.”
Each human heart has an undetectable, special stepped area where the conflict between the tissue and the soul seethes. At the point when we give aspects of our lives over to the control of the Essence of God, we are actively laying that region on the special stepped area before God. It can assist with envisioning Abraham’s special stepped area, where he offered his child Isaac to the Ruler (Beginning 22:9). We can ask the Master what regions of our lives He is expecting that we propose to Him. We can emblematically lay that on the raised area and let go. We needn’t bother with a level surface; we can give our lives over to God on the raised area of our souls whenever.
Conclusion
Altars in the Bible are not just physical structures but powerful symbols of devotion, covenant, worship, and divine encounters. They teach us about the importance of faith, obedience, and the ongoing relationship between humanity and God. As we explore these seven altars in the Bible, we are reminded of the depth and beauty of our spiritual journey and the significance of our own personal altars of worship and dedication in our lives.