921、“挪亚为耶和华筑了一座坛”表示主的一个代表。这从刚才的阐述清楚可知。古教会的所有宗教仪式都是主的代表，犹太教会也是如此。但在后来的时代，主要代表是祭坛和燔祭；祭牲因是洁净的牲畜和洁净的鸟，故照它们的象征意义而拥有其代表：洁净的牲畜表示仁之良善，洁净的鸟表示信之真理。当古教会成员献上这些东西时，就表示他们正在向主献上这些良善或真理的礼物。只有将这些东西献给主才会讨祂喜悦。而他们的后代，如外邦人，还有犹太人，却败坏了这些供物，甚至不知道它们具有这样的意义。他们将敬拜仅仅局限于外在事物。
祭坛是主的主要代表，这一点从以下事实清楚看出来：在其它仪式设立，约柜和圣殿被造之前，就连外邦人当中也有祭坛。这一事实从亚伯兰明显看出来，如他来到伯特利东边的山上，在那里筑了一座坛，求告耶和华的名（创世记12:8）；后来他被吩咐把以撒作为燔祭献在坛上（创世记22:2，9）；所以雅各在路斯，就是伯特利筑了一座坛（创世记35:6-7）；摩西在西乃山下筑了一座坛，并献祭（出埃及记24:4-6）。所有这些事都发生在犹太人的祭祀制度和约柜被造之前，后来他们在旷野约柜的周围举行敬拜。外邦人当中也有祭坛，这一事实从巴兰明显看出来，巴兰对巴勒说，他要筑七座坛，预备七只公牛和七只公羊（民数记23:1-7，15-18，29-30）；这一事实也可从经上吩咐拆毁列族的祭坛明显看出来（申命记7:5；士师记2:2）。因此，以祭坛和祭物来举行神性敬拜并不是犹太人创立的新鲜事。事实上，人们在意识到把小公牛和其它动物烧在坛上之前，就已经筑祭坛了，尤其是用来纪念的祭坛。
“祭坛”表示主的一个代表，“献燔祭”由此表示对祂的敬拜，这一点从先知书很清楚地看出来，如在摩西五经，当论述祭司职分所属的利未人时，经上说：
他们要将你的典章教训雅各，将你的律法教训以色列。他们要把香放在你鼻孔里，把全牲的燔祭献在你的坛上。（申命记33:10）
这表示整个敬拜；因为“将你的典章教训雅各，将你的律法教训以色列”表示内在敬拜，而“把香放在你鼻孔里，把全牲的燔祭献在你的坛上”表示相应的外在敬拜；所以这节经文表示整个敬拜。以赛亚书：
当那日，人必仰望造他的主，他的眼目必注视以色列的圣者。他必不仰望祭坛，就是自己手所筑的。（以赛亚书17:7-8）
此处“仰望祭坛”明显表示将要被废除的一般的代表性敬拜。又：
当那日，在埃及陆地中间必有一座祭坛献给耶和华，在埃及的边界上必有一根柱献给耶和华。（以赛亚书19:19）
此处“祭坛”也表示外在敬拜。
耶利米哀歌：
主抛弃自己的祭坛，憎恶自己的圣所。（耶利米哀歌2:7）
“祭坛”表示沦为偶像崇拜的代表性敬拜。何西阿书：
以法莲为罪增添祭坛，它们对于他却成了犯罪的祭坛。（何西阿书8:11）
此处“祭坛”表示与内在分离的一切代表性敬拜，因而表示偶像崇拜。又：
伯亚文的高地，就是以色列的罪恶，必被毁灭；棘刺和蓟草必长在他们的祭坛上。（何西阿书10:8）
此处“祭坛”也表示偶像崇拜。阿摩司书：
我为以色列的过犯而察罚以色列的日子， 我也必察罚伯特利的祭坛，坛角必被砍下。（阿摩司书3:14）
此处“祭坛”同样表示已沦为偶像崇拜的代表性敬拜。
诗篇：
求你带我到你的圣山，到你的居所！我就进到神的祭坛前，到我欢喜快乐的神那里。（诗篇43:3-4）
此处“祭坛”明显表示主。因此，在古代和犹太教会，筑坛表示主的一个代表。由于对主的敬拜主要通过燔祭和祭物来进行，因而这些事物表示主要的代表性敬拜，所以很明显，祭坛本身表示这种代表性敬拜本身。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]921. The symbolism of Noah built an altar to Jehovah as the practice of representing the Lord can be seen from the things just now said.
All the ritual of the ancient church represented the Lord, as did the ritual of the Jewish religion. But the chief item representing him came to be the altar, along with the burnt offering. Because it was clean animals and birds that were offered, the representation matched the symbolism involved, clean animals meaning the good effects of charity, and clean birds, the true ideas of faith. When the people of the ancient church offered up such creatures, it meant symbolically that the gifts they offered the Lord consisted of these attributes. Nothing else can be offered to the Lord that is pleasing to him.
Their descendants, however, like the surrounding nations and the Jews too, corrupted the practice, not realizing that it had any symbolic meaning and viewing all worship as an external affair.
[2] The fact that the altar was the main object to represent the Lord can also be seen from this: Before the establishment of any other kind of ritual, before construction of the ark, before the building of the Temple, there were altars, even among non-Jewish nations.
We see that when Abram came to the mountain on the east of Bethel, he constructed an altar and called on Jehovah's name (Genesis 12:8). He was ordered to offer Isaac up as a burnt offering on an altar (Genesis 22:2, 9). Jacob built an altar at Luz, which is Bethel (Genesis 35:6-7). And Moses built an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai and offered a sacrifice (Exodus 24:4-5, 6). This was before the establishment of the sacrifices and before the construction of the ark, around which they later conducted their worship in the wilderness.
By the same token, we know about the existence of altars among non-Jewish nations from the story of Balaam, who told Balak to build seven altars and prepare seven heads of cattle and seven rams (Numbers 23:1-7, 15-18, 29-30). And it was decreed that those nations' altars should be destroyed (for instance, Deuteronomy 7:5; Judges 2:2). So the use of altars and sacrifices in the worship of God was not an innovation on the part of the Jews.
In fact before people knew anything about slaughtering cattle and the smaller livestock on altars, they were building them as memorials.
[3] The symbolism of altars as the practice of representing the Lord, and of burnt offerings as the resulting worship of him, is clearly evident in the prophets. One example is Moses' prophecy concerning the tribe of Levi, to whom the priesthood was assigned:
They will teach your judgments to Jacob and your law to Israel. They will put incense in your nostrils and a whole [burnt offering]{*1} on your altar. (Deuteronomy 33:10)
This is about the totality of worship. "They will teach your judgments to Jacob and your law to Israel" stands for inner worship. "They will put incense in your nostrils and a ‘whole [burnt offering]' on your altar" stands for outward worship that corresponds to inward worship. So the verse stands for the totality of worship. In Isaiah:
On that day, humanity will look to its maker, and its eyes will regard the Holy One of Israel; and it will not look to the altars, the work of its hands. (Isaiah 17:7-8)
Looking to altars plainly stands for representative worship in general, which was to be abolished. In the same author:
On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the middle of the land of Egypt and a pillar to Jehovah by its border. (Isaiah 19:19)
Here too the altar stands for external worship.
[4] In Jeremiah:
The Lord has deserted his altar, has despised his sanctuary. (Lamentations 2:7)
The altar stands for representative worship, which became idolatrous. In Hosea:
Ephraim multiplied altars for sinning; it had altars for sinning. (Hosea 8:11)
The altars stand for every act of representative worship cut off from its inner meaning and so for idolatrous practices. In the same author:
The lofty places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will climb over their altars. (Hosea 10:8)
Again the altars stand for idolatrous worship. In Amos:
On the day that I exact punishment on Israel for its transgressions, I will also bring punishment on the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar{*2} will be chopped off. (Amos 3:14)
Once more the altars stand for representative practices that became idolatrous.
[5] In David:
They will bring me to your holy mountain and to your dwelling places, and I will go in to God's altar, to God, my happiness and joy. (Psalms 43:3-4)
The altar obviously stands for the Lord. So the construction of an altar in the ancient and Jewish churches stood for the practice of representing the Lord.
Since the principal means for carrying out worship of the Lord were burnt offerings and sacrifices and these were consequently the principal symbols for representative worship, it stands to reason that the altar symbolized representative worship itself.
Footnotes:
{*1} This bracketed interpolation is Swedenborg's, although the same bracketed insertion a few lines later is not. [LHC]
{*2} The horns of the altar were projections from the four corners. Their origin is obscure, as is their sacramental function, though in 1 Kings 1:50; 2:28 fugitives seize on the horns when seeking refuge, and in ceremonies described in Exodus 29:12, Leviticus 4:30, and other passages the horns are either anointed or smeared with sacrificial blood. Perhaps originally they served as posts to secure the sacrificial victims, a use mentioned in Psalms 118:27, though biblical scholarship tends to frown on this explanation. The passage cited here (Amos 3:14) makes clear that the horns were considered an integral part of the altar that could not be removed without desecrating the whole. [SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 921
921. And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah. That this signifies a representative of the Lord, is evident from what has just been said. All the rites of the Ancient Church were representative of the Lord, as also the rites of the Jewish Church. But the principal representative in later times was the altar, and also the burnt-offering, which being made of clean beasts and clean birds, had its representation according to their signification, clean beasts signifying the goods of charity, and clean birds the truths of faith. When men of the Ancient Church offered these, they signified that they offered gifts of these goods and truths to the Lord. Nothing else can be offered to the Lord that will be grateful to Him. But their posterity, as the Gentiles and also the Jews, perverted these things, not even knowing that they had such a signification, and making their worship consist in the externals only. [2] That the altar was the principal representative of the Lord, is evident from the fact that there were altars, even among Gentiles, before other rites were instituted, and before the ark was constructed, and before the temple was built. This is evident from Abram, as that when he came upon the mountain on the east of Bethel he raised an altar and called upon the name of Jehovah (Gen. 12:8); and afterwards he was commanded to offer Isaac for a burnt-offering on an altar (Gen. 22:2, 9). So Jacob built an altar at Luz, or Bethel (Gen. 35:6-7); and Moses built an altar under Mount Sinai, and sacrificed (Exod. 24:4-6). All this was before the [Jewish] sacrifices were instituted, and before the ark was constructed at which worship was afterwards performed in the wilderness. That there were altars likewise among the Gentiles, is evident from Balaam, who said to Balak that he should build seven altars and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams (Num. 23:1-7, 14-18, 29-30); and also from its being commanded that the altars of the nations should be destroyed (Deut. 7:5; Judg. 2:2). Thus Divine worship by altars and sacrifices was not a new thing instituted with the Jews. Indeed altars were built before men had any idea of slaying oxen and sheep upon them, but as memorials. [3] That altars signify a representative of the Lord, and burnt-offerings the worship of Him thereby, is plainly evident in the Prophets, as also in Moses when it is said of Levi, to whom the priesthood belonged:
They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law; they shall put incense in Thy nostrils, and whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar (Deut. 33:10), meaning all worship; for "to teach Jacob judgments, and Israel the law" denotes internal worship; and "to put incense in Thy nostrils, and whole burnt-offering on Thine altar" denotes corresponding external worship. In Isaiah:
In that day shall a man look unto his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel and he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hand (Isa. 17:7-8), where "looking to the altars" plainly signifies representative worship in general, which was to be abolished. Again:
In that day shall there be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to Jehovah (Isa. 19:19), where also "an altar" stands for external worship. [4] In Jeremiah:
The Lord hath cast off His altar, He hath abhorred His sanctuary (Lam. 2:7);
"altar" denoting representative worship which had become idolatrous. In Hosea:
Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, altars have been unto him to sin (Hos. 8:11);
"altars" denote here all representative worship separate from internal, thus what is idolatrous. Again:
The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars (Hos. 10:8), where "altars" denote idolatrous worship. In Amos:
In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off (Amos 3:14), where again "altars" denote representative worship become idolatrous. [5] In David:
Let them bring me unto the mountain of Thy holiness, and to Thy tabernacles. And I will go unto the altar of God, unto God the gladness of my joy (Ps. 43:3-4), where "altar" manifestly denotes the Lord. Thus the building of an altar in the Ancient and in the Jewish Church was for a representative of the Lord. As the worship of the Lord was performed principally by burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and thus these things signified principally representative worship, it is evident that the altar itself signifies this representative worship itself.
Elliott(1983-1999) 921
921. 'Noah built an altar to Jehovah' means a representative of the Lord. This is clear from what has been stated just above. All the religious observances of the Ancient Church were representative of the Lord, as also were those of the Jewish Church. But the chief representative in later times was the altar, and also the burnt offering, which, because it was made from clean beasts and clean birds, represented the same as that of which it was the meaningful sign. Clean beasts represented goods that stem from charity, and clean birds the truths of faith. And when offering these, members of the Ancient Church meant that they were offering gifts of those goods or truths to the Lord. Nothing else can be offered up to the Lord that will please Him. But their descendants, like the gentiles, and also the Jews, corrupted these offerings, for they did not even know that these had such a meaning. They confined worship solely to things of an external nature.
[2] That the altar was the chief representative of the Lord becomes clear also from the consideration that there were altars even among gentiles before all the other religious observances were established, before the Ark [of the Covenant] was made, and before the Temple was built. This is clear from Abram's going on to the mountain east of Bethel, erecting an altar, and calling on the name of Jehovah, Gen 12:8; from his being commanded to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on an altar, Gen 22:2, 9, from Jacob's building an altar in Luz, which was Bethel, Gen 35:6, 7; and from Moses' building an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai and offering sacrifice, Exod 24:4-6 Each of these events took place before the establishment of the sacrificial system and before the construction of the Ark, the place where worship was at a later time celebrated in the wilderness. The fact that gentiles too had altars is clear from what is said about Balaam telling Balak to build seven altars and to prepare seven young bulls and seven rams, Num 23:1-7, 15-18, 29, 30, and also from the command to destroy the altars of the nations, as in Deut 7:5; Judg 2:2. Consequently Divine worship involving the use of altars and sacrifices was not something new when it was established among the Jews. Indeed men were building altars, especially those for commemorative purposes, before they ever knew of immolating young bulls and other animals on them.
[3] That 'altars' means a representative of the Lord, and 'burnt offerings' consequent worship of Him, is quite clear from the Prophets and also in Moses where Levi to whom the priesthood was entrusted is the subject,
They will teach Jacob Your judgements and Israel Your law. They will put incense in Your nostrils, and whole (burnt offering) upon Your altar. Deut 33:10.
This stands for the whole of worship. 'Teaching Jacob His judgements, and Israel His law' stands for internal worship, while 'putting incense in His nostrils, and whole [burnt offering] on the altar' stands for corresponding external worship, and so for the whole of worship. In Isaiah, On that day a man will look to his Maker and his eyes will regard the Holy One of Israel. And he will not look to the altars, the work of his hands. Isa 17:7, 8.
Here 'looking to the altars' clearly means representative worship in general, which was to be abolished. In the same prophet,
On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to Jehovah. Isa 19:19.
Here too 'altar' stands for external worship.
[4] In Jeremiah,
The Lord has abandoned His altar, He has abhorred His sanctuary. Lam 1:7.
'Altar' stands for representative worship which had become idolatrous. In Hosea,
Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have been to him altars for sinning. Hosea 8:11.
'Altars' here stands for all representative worship separated from internal, and so stands for what is idolatrous. In the same prophet,
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow up on their altars. Hosea 10:8.
Here too 'altars' stands for idolatrous worship. In Amos,
On the day I visit Israel for his transgressions, I will visit the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar will be cut off. Amos 3:14.
Here also 'altars' stands for representative worship that had become idolatrous.
[5] In David,
They will bring me to Your holy mountain, and to Your dwellings! Then I will go in to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy. Ps 43:3, 4.
Here 'altar' clearly stands for the Lord. So the making of an altar in the Ancient and the Jewish Churches stood for a representative of the Lord. Because worship of the Lord was carried out principally by means of burnt offerings and sacrifices, and these principally meant representative worship, it is clear that the altar itself means representative worship itself.
Latin(1748-1756) 921
921. Quod 'aedificavit Noah altare Jehovae' significet repraesentativum Domini, constat ex illis quae modo nunc dicta sunt. Ritus omnes Ecclesiae Antiquae repraesentativi Domini erant, sicut etiam ritus Ecclesiae Judaicae; sed principale repraesentativum fuit postea altare, tum holocaustum, quod quia fiebat ex bestiis mundis et avibus mundis repraesentabat sicut significabat, bestiae mundae bona charitatis et aves mundae vera fidei; quae cum offerebantur, significabant apud Antiquam Ecclesiam quod offerrent Domino inde munera; Domino nihil aliud, quod gratum Ei sit, offerri potest: sed posteri, ut gentes, tum etiam Judaei, haec pervertebant, ne quidem scientes quod talia significarentur, cultum solum in externis ponentes. [2] Quod 'altare' fuerit principale repraesentativum Domini, constare quoque inde potest quod antequam ceteri ritus instituti, et antequam arca exstructa, et antequam templum aedificatum, altaria fuerint, etiam inter gentes; de Abramo constat, Quod cum venerit in montem ab oriente Bethelis exstruxerit altare, et invocaverit nomen Jehovae, Gen. xii 8;Quod ei jussum offerre Isaacum in holocaustum super altari: Gen. xxii 2, 9;
Quod Jacobus aedificaverit altare ad Luz seu Bethel, Gen. xxxv 6, 7;
Quod Moses aedificaverit altare sub Monte Sinai, et sacrificaverit, Exod. xxiv 4-6;
quod fuit antequam sacrificia instituta sunt, et antequam arca exstructa, ubi cultus dein peragebatur in deserto. Similiter quod altaria fuerint apud gentes, constat ex Bileamo, Qui ad Balakum dixit, quod aedificaret septem altaria, et pararet septem boves, et septem arietes, Num. xxiii 1-7, 15-18, 29, 30;
tum quod mandatum, quod gentium altaria destruerentur, ut Deut. vii 5; Jud. ii 2; quare cultus Divinus per altaria et sacrificia, non fuit novum quoddam institutum apud Judaeos. Immo altaria prius aedificata sunt quam noverunt super iis mactare boves et pecudes, et quidem in memoriale. [3] Quod 'altaria' significent repraesentativum Domini, et 'holocausta' cultum Ipsius inde, constat manifeste apud Prophetas: ut apud Mosen de Levi cui sacerdotium, Docebunt judicia Tua Jacobum, et legem Tuam Israelem; ponent suffitum in naribus Tuis, et totum (holocaustum) super alteri Tuo, Deut. xxxiii 10;
ubi pro omni cultu; 'quod docerent judicia Jacobum, et legem Israelem' pro cultu interno; 'quod ponerent suffitum in naribus, et totum super altari' pro cultu externo correspondente; ita pro omni cultu: apud Esaiam, In die illo aspiciet homo ad Factorem suum, et oculi ejus ad Sanctum Israelis spectabunt; et non aspiciet ad altaria, opus manuum ejus, xvii 7, 8;
ubi 'aspicere ad altaria' manifeste significat cultum repraesentativum in genere, qui aboleretur: apud eundem, In die illo erit altare Jehovae in medio terrae Aegypti, et statua juxta terminum ejus Jehovae, xix 19;
[4] ibi etiam 'altare' pro cultu externo: apud Jeremiam, Deseruit Dominus altare Suum, detestatus est sanctuarium Suum, Thren. ii (x)7;
'altare' pro cultu repraesentativo, qui factus idololatricus: apud Hosheam, Multiplicavit Ephraim altaria ad peccandum; fuerant ei altaria ad peccandum, viii 11;
'altaria' ibi pro omni repraesentativo separato ab interno, sic pro idololatrico: apud eundem, Perdentur excelsa Aven, peccatum Israelis, spina et carduus ascendet super altaria eorum, x 8;
ibi etiam 'altaria' pro cultu idololatrico: apud Amos, In die visitare Me praevaricationes Israelis super eum, et visitabo super altaria Bethelis, et succidentur cornua altaris, iii 14;
ubi 'altaria' quoque pro repraesentativo facto idololatrico: [5] apud Davidem, Deducent me ad montem sanctitatis Tuae, et ad habitacula Tua, et ingrediar ad altare Dei, ad Deum, laetitiam exsultationis meae, Ps. xliii 3, 4;
ubi 'altare' manifeste pro Domino; ita altaris constructio in Ecclesia Antiqua et Judaica, pro repraesentativo Domini; quia cultus Domini peragebatur principaliter per holocausta et sacrificia, et sic illa principaliter significabant cultum repraesentativum, constat quod ipsum altare significet ipsum repraesentativum.