392. [verse 3] 'And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer' signifies spiritual worship which is performed out of the good of charity by means of truths of faith. By the 'altar' at which the angel stood, and by the 'golden censer' that he had in his hand, is signified worship of the Lord out of spiritual love, and this worship is out of the good of charity by means of truths of faith. With the sons of Israel there were two altars, one outside the tent, the other inside the tent. The altar outside the tent was called the ALTAR OF BURNT-OFFERING, because burnt-offerings and sacrifices were made upon it. The altar inside the tent was called the ALTAR OF INCENSE and the GOLDEN ALTAR as well. The reason for there being these two altars was because worship of the Lord is produced out of celestial love and out of spiritual love; out of celestial love by those who are in His celestial kingdom, and out of spiritual love by those who are in His spiritual kingdom. Something concerning those two kingdoms may be seen above (n. 387). Concerning the two altars the following passages in Moses may be seen: About the altar of burnt-offering (Exod. xx 21 to the end; xxvii 1-8; xxix 36-43; Lev. vii 1-5; viii 11; xvi 18, 19, 33, 34). About the altar of incense (Exod. xxx 1-10; xxxi 8; xxxvii 25-29; xl 5, 26; Num. vii 1). That altars, censers and incense-offerings were seen by John was not because such things are provided in heaven. They were only representative of the worship of the Lord there. The reason is because such things had been instituted among the sons of Israel, and therefore they are often mentioned in the Word; and that Church was a representative Church, for all the things of their worship used to represent, and now consequently signify, the celestial and spiritual Divine things of the Lord that are of His Church in the heavens and on earth (in terris). [2] Similar things are therefore signified in the Word by those two altars in the following places:-
Send out Thy light and Thy truth (veritas), they shall lead me to Thy habitations, and I will go up to the altar of God, unto God Ps. xliii 3, 4.
I wash my hands in innocence, and I compass Thine altar, O Jehovah, and I will make the voice of confession to be heard Ps. xxvi 6, 7.
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron upon the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars Jer. xvii 1, 2.
God is Jehovah, Who enlightens us; bind the festal-offering with cords even unto the horns of the altar Ps. cxviii 27.
In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt Isa. xix 19.
'An altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt' signifies worship of the Lord out of the love in the natural man.
The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars Hosea x 7, 8.
By this is signified worship out of evils and untruths of evil. Besides elsewhere, as Isa. xxvii 9; lvi 6, 7; lx 7; Lam. ii 7; Ezek. vi 3, 4, 6, 13; Hos. viii 11; x 1, 2; Amos iii 14; Ps. li 18, 19 [H.B. 20, 21]; Ps. lxxxiv 2-4 [H.B. 3-5]; Matt. v 23, 24; 3 xxiii 18-20. Since worship of the Lord used to be represented, and consequently is signified, by an altar, it is plain that by 'altar' here in the Apocalypse nothing else is understood, and elsewhere also, as:-
I saw underneath the altar the souls of those slain for the Word of God Rev. vi 9.
The angel stood by and said, Measure the temple of God and the altar, and those worshipping therein Rev. xi 1.
I heard another angel out of the altar saying, True and just are Thy judgments Rev. xvi 7.
Since the representative worship that used to be performed mainly upon the two altars was abrogated by the Lord when He came into the world, because He Himself opened interior things of the Church, therefore it is said in Isaiah:-
In that day a man shall look back to his Maker, and his eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel, and not to the altars, the work of his hands Isa. xvii 7, 8.
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