The Altar

[Ex. 38:1] And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
The altar was made of acacia wood overlaid on the outside with brass. Horns on the corners were the animal to be sacrificed were sometimes bound. “Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar” (Ps. 118:27). The compass was a rim or border encircling the upper part of the altar that help to compact its sides together. In the original it was ledge not compass. The grate of network was a shelf or ledge from the middle of the altar on the outside, served as a platform for the priests standing on when offering up sacrifices. Ash falling accidentally off the altar would escape through the meshes of the grate, while fuel and pieces of the sacrifice would be caught.
The grate had four rings, one at each corner, and it was through these the staves passed by whichbthe altar was carried. Before leaving one place of encampment, the ashes and the fir were removed - the former cast away, and the latter placed, and then a cover of badger’s skin spread over them. When all was ready to move, the massive brazen framework was raised, and borne away by its bearers. The utensils of the altar were all made of brass. The pan for removing the ashes to a clean place (Lev. 4:12) the shovel for scraping the ashes together and placing them in the pan; the basins for holding the blood of the slain animals; flesh hooks for keeping the sacrifices in proper position on the fire, lifting up portions that might fall off; and retaining them on the altar; fire-pans for holding the fire when the surface of the altar was being cleared, and also for transporting it when the Israelites were on the march. (Ex. 27:3). The fire was kindled supernaturally (Lev. 9:24) and the divine command was, “the fire shall ever be burning. It shall never go out” (Lev 6:13). The alter was to make reconciliation upon (Lev. 9:24) between G-d and His sinful people. This was effected by the priests, who sprinkled upon it the blood of the atoning victims, and who also put their carcasses, or certain pieces of them, on the fire to be consumed. The blood shed and poured out before and sprinkled upon the altar, was atonement for the sins of the people. The death of the victim signified that the offered deserved to die for his transgressions, and that its life was substitute for his, procuring remission of sins and abetting deserved wrath. The altar was a type of the cross on which the Messiah was the great sacrifice, reconcile all things unto Himself (Col. 1:20-21). The blood shed at and sprinkled upon the altar, the type of that blood which cleanest from sin and the lamb that was slain on it. The blood of the sin-offerings was sprinkled on the altar horns, which symbols of power, protection and salvation. The brass in the brazen altar signified judgment, as it always does in the Bible. The use of the altar as commanded by G-d was to teach Israel G-d’s abiding wrath against sin. The clean animal, in type, represented the Redeemer who would come be sacrificed for the sins of the people. Josephus mentions four horns - like projection at each corner of the altar. On the model altar, four fires are shown, two of which were normally burning, and one as an auxiliary. On the Day of Atonement an extra fire was employed. There was a scarlet line, which ran around the middle of the altar. This line distinguished the level above and below which the flood of certain sacrifices had to be sprinkled, if they were to be acceptable. The upper level was for sacrifices where the blood had to be dash on the altar, while the lover level was for blood that had to be thrown against the side of the altar. There was a special rite on the altar known as the Water Liberian which took place during the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth). During the rite, the waster was drawn by a priest who had gone down with a lively procession to the Pool of Solomon where he filled a golden flagon with water and returned to unite with the priests who were ordering the morning sacrifice. He entered the Temple with the water at the Water Gate to accompaniment of three trumpet blasts. Ascending the ramp of the alter; he was joined by another priest carrying the wine for the drink offering. Two silver funnels stood ready on the altar, one for water and one for wine. Into these the water and the wine were poured simultaneously, while the people look on. On the last day of the feast, Y’Shua got the attention of the onlookers by identifying Himself with this symbolic act in John 7:37-38) when H e said, “if any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”