The Enduring Altar: A Journey Through Time
“The altar yesterday, today and tomorrow”
This article explores the concept of the altar throughout history, examining its evolution from a place of physical sacrifice to a metaphor for faith and devotion. We will delve into the past (“Yesterday’s Altars”), the present (“The Altar Today”), and the future (“The Altar Tomorrow”), drawing connections between the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and the broader Christian context.
Altar: An altar is a place of worship, while sacrifices are our prayers and offerings.
Altars of Yesterday: A Foundation of Faith
Yesterday, in biblical context, refers back to the time when Noah created an altar to give thanks to God after the great flood. Other instances in the Bible are included. And so, we will be discussing the altars of yesterday in the modern context (yesteryears). “Yesterday” is about our predecessors in the Christian faith. We will be making the past figures of the Christ Apostolic Church our case study.
Evidently, altars were made to make burnt offerings to God. Different animals were slaughtered as offerings according to God’s directives, but all that changed when Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of this world on the cross, and that is the last sacrifice we will ever need.
As a result, Today, the only sacrifice we need is our prayers and supplications. In the Christ Apostolic Church denomination, there are a lot of places consecrated as altars and sacred locations. On Erio Mountain, some altars have been erected for many years. Historically, Apostle Ayo Babalola went to Erio town when the town was no different from the wilderness. There, God gave him a vision to make the mountain an altar.
In the CAC denomination, some altars are so sacred that even women are not allowed to go into them. There is a certain place like that on Erio Mountain. This place was consecrated after Ayo Babalola spent 51 days praying without speaking to anyone or seeing the sun. This sacred place is an example of yesterday’s altars. Yesterday, altars were very special; they held so much power that there would be repercussions if they were violated. The Bible talks about the two sons of Aaron who brought abominable fire to the altar of God, and they were consumed.
Individually, within ourselves, we sometimes desecrate the altars of God that are within us. The altar of humility, respect, holiness, giving and so on. Look within yourselves; are you not violating these altars?
Also, on the altars of yesterday, there were no lies, no foul language, no deceit, no false messages or prophecies, unlike today, where it is very rampant.
Furthermore, an altar does not exist alone; it exists in conjunction with the one who erected and worshipped it. In the CAC altar of yesterday, there were altars of humility, prayers, praises, purity, holiness, and the holy spirit. These are the characteristics of the altars of yesterday in CAC.
The Altar Today: Challenges and Change
It is quite obvious that today we have more numerous and uncountable altars than yesterday. Prominent among them are computerised and technological altars, and this has led to the partial neglect of our inherited altars. We have refused to pay attention to or maintain our altars.
Many diluted altars are springing up today, as many so-called ministers only see today’s altars as a base or channel to fame and wealth accumulation.
There are some questions to be asked and answered today:
- What happened to yesterday’s altars?
- Who or what destroyed it?
- Are today’s ministries ready to rebuild the broken altars?
- Are they not destroying yesterday’s altars to build their unclean ones?
These are questions to be tackled, as an altar cannot stand alone without the support or efforts of a minister or ministries. Likewise, the issue of altars cannot be completed without its user, the minister. As it was yesterday, it is today that many church members do not simply know the difference between a godly altar and a satanic altar.
Today we are having or hearing some gospel ministers say, “God has anointed me from heaven; therefore, I do not need human ordination. God said my ministry should not be under any authority.”. This is what led to the destruction of yesterday’s altars.
RELATED: Unveiling the Deeper Meaning of Altars in the Bible
The Altar Tomorrow: Building for the Future
Surely we inherited some godly altars from our forefathers, but today we have to lay the foundations for the altars of tomorrow.
Study: Ecclesiastes 2:18–19.
Since God is never short of good materials at any time (1 Kings 19:14–18), we can rest assured that a godly altar will exist till Christ’s second coming.
In conclusion, while the physical form of the altar may change, the core concept of a dedicated space for worship and devotion remains constant. Altars remain unchangeable, but the users of the altars are the problem. I admonish all readers to maintain their integrity and our inherited altars. Preserve it and hand it over to coming generations tomorrow in purity and godliness.
Content Credit| Ajibola Emmanuel Adebayo
Picture Credit |
https://www.arkofgreatness.org/2018/04/how-to-build-personal-altar-unto-lord_28.html
https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2020/02/24/build-an-altar-to-the-lord
