H2 - Pillars and Altar

The columns (or pillars) represent God. He delivered the Israelites from slavery and led them through the dessert.  God never left his place in front of the people. Exodus 13:21 shows us: “The Lord preceded them, in the daytime be means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire to give them light.

The altar is “God’s table.” It is a sacred place to offer up sacrifices and where Communion (the Eucharist) is celebrated to remember the Last Supper where Jesus “took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) The act of building an altar means that we are offering everything we have to God. It is a reminder that everything belongs to God.

Book of life, (Phil 4:3, Rev 3:5, 13:8…) or the Book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16) is sometimes called the Lamb’s book (Rev 21:27) or Lord’s book (Exodus 32:32). Jesus says “…rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven!” (Luke 10:20)

The angels worshiping under the altar have placed their wings to form the “mercy seat.” This is part of the arc of the covenant that God designed and told the Israelites to build for Him.  (Exodus 25:18-20)