Noah built the first altar mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 8:20–21). Cain and Abel also gave offerings to God (Genesis 4:3–5). The patriarchs built many altars (see Genesis 12:7–8; 13:4, 18; 22:9; 26:25; 33:20; 35:1, 14–15). These altars marked holy places where God revealed himself and personal land claims in the promised land. These were both in the north (Shechem) and south (Beersheba).
They made altar of stone, earth, brick, or metal and wood. They were flat on top like a table, which helped the smoke rise. Altars were for memorials or used as places of sacrifice. They were the most common symbols of worship in the Old Testament and the ancient world.
Usually, an altar was on a raised platform with a ramp or stairs. This lifted the sacrifices for worship toward heaven. The four horns on the corners of many altars marked the holy area where the divine and human realms met (see Exodus 27:2). Through sacrifice and burning, the offering moved from the visible to the invisible world.
Jesus combines in himself the different symbolic roles of the high priest, sacrificial lamb, and altar (see Hebrews 4:14–15; 7:24, 27; 9:14, 26; 10:10; 13:10, 12). He prophesied his own sacrifice by mentioning the blood of martyrs (see Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:50–51). His crucifixion represents the final sacrifice on "the altar" of the cross. Therefore, the "Lamb" who is seated as king in Revelation makes the temple and altar unnecessary (Revelation 21:22).
Passages for Further Study
Genesis 8:20–21; 12:7–8; 22:9–14; 33:20; Exodus 20:24–26; Joshua 22:10–34; 1 Kings 18:20–40; Hosea 8:11–13; Matthew 5:23–24; Hebrews 13:10–14; Revelation 6:9; 8:3–5