The altar in the Tabernacle, as described in the Old Testament, is a central element of Israelite worship and sacrificial system. It served as the primary place where offerings were made to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and played a crucial role in the religious life of the Israelites during their wilderness journey and beyond.

1. The Altar of Burnt Offering (Brazen Altar):

The Altar of Burnt Offering, also known as the Brazen Altar, was located in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. It was the first piece of furniture encountered upon entering the Tabernacle complex, symbolizing the necessity of atonement before approaching God. Constructed according to divine specifications given to Moses on Mount Sinai, the altar was made of acacia wood and overlaid with bronze (Exodus 27:1-2). It measured five cubits square and three cubits high, with horns on each of its four corners (Exodus 27:1-2).

The altar was equipped with a bronze grating, a network beneath the ledge, and rings for carrying poles, allowing it to be transported as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness (Exodus 27:4-7). The altar's primary function was to facilitate the offering of burnt sacrifices, which were essential for atonement and worship. The fire on the altar was to be kept burning continually, signifying the perpetual nature of worship and the need for ongoing atonement (Leviticus 6:12-13).

2. The Altar of Incense:

Inside the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place, stood the Altar of Incense. This altar was also made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold, reflecting its sacred purpose and the holiness of the space it occupied (Exodus 30:1-3). It was smaller than the Brazen Altar, measuring one cubit square and two cubits high, with horns on its corners (Exodus 30:2).

The Altar of Incense was used for burning fragrant incense every morning and evening, symbolizing the prayers of the people ascending to God (Exodus 30:7-8). The incense was a specific blend, holy and set apart for this purpose alone (Exodus 30:34-38). The altar was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, signifying the intercessory role of prayer in approaching God.

3. Theological Significance:

The altars in the Tabernacle were not merely functional but carried deep theological significance. The Brazen Altar represented the need for atonement and the seriousness of sin, as it was the site where sacrifices were made to cover the sins of the people. The continual fire symbolized God's unending presence and the ongoing need for reconciliation with Him.

The Altar of Incense, on the other hand, highlighted the importance of prayer and worship in the life of the covenant community. It served as a reminder of the sweet aroma of faithful prayers and the necessity of approaching God with reverence and purity.

Together, these altars underscored the centrality of worship, sacrifice, and prayer in the covenant relationship between God and His people, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled and transcended the sacrificial system of the Old Testament.Exodus 27:3-7
And you shall make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his meat hooks, and his fire pans: all the vessels thereof you shall make of brass.
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Exodus 38:3-7
And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the meat hooks, and the fire pans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
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1 Samuel 2:13,14
And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a meat hook of three teeth in his hand;
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The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... Chapter VI."The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture. ... and veil, where
the priests were allowed to enter, was situated the altar of incense ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the mystic meaning of.htm

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
... that our obedience is 'an odour of a sweet smell.' So the three pieces of furniture
in the ... There, before the door of the Tabernacle, was the altar of burnt ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the copies of things in.htm

The Altar of Incense
... To one item of these, this altar of incense ... The Jewish Tabernacle, and subsequently
the Temple, were arranged ... are three pieces of ecclesiastical furniture in it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the altar of incense.htm

Books of the Hebrew Canon.
... Veils (xxxvii.3"6). Altar of Burnt-offering (xxxviii.1"7). Court (xxxvii.7"18).
Laver (xxxviii.8). Court (xxxviii.9-20). Furniture of the Tabernacle, &c. ...
/.../chapter ii books of the.htm

Exodus
... concerning the tabernacle with all its furniture, the ark ... the four-fold covering
for the tabernacle, the wood ... curtain for the door (xxvi.), the altar, the court ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/exodus.htm

On the Management of the Resources Collected for the Support of ...
... in diet, or fond of idle furniture, but contented ... and Levites, ministering to the
holy tabernacle, the holy Catholic Church; who stand at the altar of the ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iv on the management of.htm

Consecration and Dedication
... of the tabernacle, the placing of all the furniture, and the ... complete, the glory
of the Lord came into the tabernacle. ... at the east end of the altar, and with ...
/.../byers/sanctification/chapter iii consecration and dedication.htm

Book 8 Footnotes
... set down, and 1 Kings 4;22, 23, with the like daily furniture of Nehemiah the ... The
making any other altar for worship but that at the tabernacle was equally ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 8 footnotes.htm

Scriptural Types.
... The directions for the construction of the tabernacle with its furniture are introduced
by ... all the sacrifices must be brought to its altar, and presented ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

The New Covenant.
... The tabernacle consisted of two chambers: the foremost and larger ... This chamber also
had its proper furniture. To it belonged[159] the altar of incense (for so ...
/.../chapter viii the new covenant.htm

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