The Sanctuary Of The Bible

"Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." Hebrews 8:5

---

John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Why was Jesus called the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world?

Because of SIN, which is transgression of God's immutable law, someone had to pay the ultimate penalty and the Bible says,

• Hebrews 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

In the Old Testament and today, God's plan led people to believe that sin leads to death.

• Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We were at enmity with God and righteousness after breaking His law. Our sins separarated us from God.

• Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Thankfully, Jesus Christ reconciles us to God the Father, helping us to overcome sin and Satan and reunite with our merciful God. What more could God have given us than His Son to show His love?

• Jeremiah 31:3 "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

Thus, the true Gospel centers on Jesus Christ, NOT Buddha, Krishna, Confucius, Maitreya, or any other individual.

• Mark 1:1 says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;”

Only Jesus of Nazareth reveals the Father's eternal love for you and me.

• Matthew 11:27 “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”
• John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
• John 14:9 “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

Jesus provided a way of escape by making an everlasting covenant with God the Father for the salvation of man.

• 2 Samuel 23:5 “Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.”
• Isaiah 45:17 “But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.”

When man chose to break God's law and commited sin, death was the punishment. But this penalty was not immediately executed because the Father allowed His only Begotten Son to offer Himself as a substitute to bear the penalty of death in our place. The Father and the Son entered into an everlasting covenant for our salvation. Jesus Christ lovingly choose to sacrifice His own life in place of our life! He choose to be slain and his blood to spill to provide fallen man a chance to be redeemed back to the Father. Thus, even Adam and Eve could be saved! So Jesus was basically "slain from the foundation of the world."

• Revelation 13:8 says, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

It implies that Jesus Christ existed before Adam and Eve sinned, as He offered His life to be slain for the punishment of sin from the foundation (or beginning) of the world.

• 1 Peter 1:20 “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”

The truth is, Jesus created the worlds and all things!

• John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
• Hebrews 1:2 “(God) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

So, after Adam and Eve had sinned, this Gospel of salvation was preached to them, providing them a way out of impending death which was really good and glad tidings for them!

• Ephesians 1:13 says, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"

Plus, to emphasize the dreadful consequence of disobeying God's immutable law, God established a sacrificial system of an innocent lamb (symbolizing Jesus) to be slain and have its blood spilt every time God's law was broken.

Abraham erected altars wherever he travelled and offered sacrifices to God.

• Genesis 12:7 “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.”
• Hebrews 11:17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,”

This symbolic system symbolized Jesus' bloody sacrifice as a lamb for sin as our only hope of salvation.

God called Moses in the mountain after the Exodus and gave definite instruction concerning the sacrificial service. He intended His people to have a place to meet with Him regularly.

• Exodus 25:8 says, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”

• Exodus 25:40 “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.”

Moses received the pattern of the sanctuary in heaven, thus the earthly tabernacle needed to be exact.

The sanctuary serves as the foundation of our faith and by studying this subject allows us to better understand the truth and prophecy. The Bible said,

• Psalms 77:13 “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?”
• Psalms 73:16-17, "When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."

Hebrews 9:1-5 says, "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat;"

---

First, let's look at each piece of furniture and its meaning.

THE OUTER COURT IN THE COURTYARD

What does this altar of burnt offering represent?

• Revelation 5:6 says, "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

The altar of burnt offering symbolizes Calvary's ultimate truth. In short, Jesus Christ willingly died for us before He created the world and built the Sanctuary. For Revelation 13:8 says, "... the lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

Interestingly, this altar shows an important aspect. Revelation 6:9 says, "when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held." Notice? Prophetic symbolism shows that those killed for their testimony WERE UNDER THE ALTAR! The martyrs' blood is on the Heavenly Sanctuary's altar of burnt offerings. Their rock-hard faith in Jesus Christ cost their lives. Indeed, they followed the lamb wherever he led them.

---

What does this symbolize? Why did the priests wash their hands and feet with water?

• Ephesians 5:25-26 "Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,"
• Acts 2:38 "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

---

The main building has two rooms or apartments: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, or Holy of Holies. A heavy, beautiful veil divided these two apartments.

The first apartment had a table of showbread, the golden seven-branched candlesticks, and the golden altar of incense.

The showbread was a perpetual offering. There were 12 cakes—one for each tribe—in 2 rows. This bread was always on the table. Thus, the bread symbolized our physical and spiritual dependency on God for food. Fresh bread was replaced every Sabbath. Even though we should eat spiritual nourishment every day, we should get the fresh bread of life at Sabbath services.

The 7 candlesticks represents Jesus Christ, the light of the world (John 8:12; John 9:5).

Day and night, the golden candlestick's lights shone. They symbolized the Holy Spirit's light, which shines into everyone's heart. The priest had to trim and burn the lamps both morning and night. Therefore, we must keep our lights shining so that others can see Christ in us. Letting our light fade could cause someone to stumble, fall, and lose heaven.

The beautiful golden altar of incense was in front of the veil.

The Incense symbolizes prayers of the saints. Daily sprinkllings of rotting blood on the temple veil represent our sins, which offend the Lord. The temple curtain is behind this incense altar, just a few steps from the "Most Holy Place." However, the earnest and sincere prayers of the saints, symbolized by sweet-smelling incense, eliminate the sinful fragrance in the "Most Holy Place." The Holy Spirit perfumes the repentant sinner's prayers to please God.

• Revelation 8:4 "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."
• Romans 8:26-27, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

The priest ministered to transgressors in the Holy Place every day, but only the high priest may enter the most Most Holy Place beyond the veil once a year.

---

---

---

The ark with the tables of God's law, the mercy seat, and the glory above symbolized God on His throne in heaven, with His law as the foundation. The mercy seat symbolized God's mercy in sending Jesus to die for our sins and transgressions against His law. The covering cherubim were in heaven's firestones. The cherubim, facing down and reverently staring at the ark, symbolized the heavenly host's reverence for God's law and interest in the plan of redemption.

• Jude 1:21 says, "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."
• 1 Peter 1:12 "Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
• Psalms 103:20 “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”

Let's examine how these services in Tabernacle could forgive sins. When an Israelite sinned, he had to bring a spotless lamb, confess his sins, and kill it in that outer courtyard. The lamb symbolized Jesus, and the transgressor sacrificed the animal to warn us that sin causes death. He realized that his own sins caused Jesus' death on the cross by placing them on the animal. He agreed to Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and the priest brought the animal's blood into the sanctuary's first apartment. He sprinkled it before the veil, figuratively transferring that person's sins into the sanctuary's most holy place. Daily transgressions prompted the performance of this service. The sanctuary eventually held the people's sins, and each year they observed a special day of atonement. It was time for cleansing the sanctuary. Note these words.

• Leviticus 16:29-30 says, “29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.”

On this day, only the high priest stepped behind the veil into the most holy place to atone for the people's accumulated sins recorded there. That record of sins had to be blotted out or erased.

Let us look at how this works.

On the outer court, two goats were present for the throwing of lots. One would be the Lord's goat, and the other would be the scapegoat. The Lord's goat sacrifice atoned for the people's sins. Aaron entered the Most Holy Place through the veil and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat between the cherubim. While this happened, people prayed and fasted outside. It was judgment day for them.

Every Israelite who did not confess his sins by the end of that day of atonement would perish forever. Thus, we may see how solemn it was for them. The high priest atoned and reconciled when he sprinkled the blood that represented Jesus' blood on the mercy seat for forgiveness of sin. As he exited that most holy place, the high priest paused to make arrangements for those who came while he was ministering behind the veil. Now we must acknowledge that the Lord's goat blood has completely cleansed the people and enabled atonement.

Please note that the scapegoat did not atone for the sins of the people. The high priest did put his hands on the scapegoat's head later, symbolizing the people's sins. Why did he do this? Every sin includes shared blame. Let's say a man and woman in Israel committed adultery. Each of them would be responsible, and Satan would be guilty for tempting them. Each of the three parties to adultery must take responsibility for their sin. If the woman brings a lamb and confesses her fault before the sanctuary, the day of atonement that represents Christ will atone for her sin because she accepts a divine substitute and Jesus bears her transgression in his body. If the man fails to bring an offering to the sanctuary, he bears the punishment in his own body and loses access to the Saviour's substitute. Satan must pay for his own sin; thus, the scapegoat represents him, and his misdeeds are his share of all sins. He is unable to tolerate the people's confessed transgressions. Christ's reconciliation erased those sins. Their atonement is complete. The scapegoat is bloodless. A fit man released him. Perish alone, says the Bible:

• Leviticus 16:21-22 “21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. ”

Our sin bearer is Christ. Satan suffers his own sins and perish. God's great confessional system worked in Israel's camp year after year.

This shadowy preaching of the Gospel continued until Christ left the throne of His Father and His glorious home, laid off His crown and kingly robes, vacated His position of authority and honor in the heavenly courts, and came down to this dark world seared and marred by sin.

• Philippians 2:6-8 “6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

What a mystery! God's way is in the sanctuary!

• Psalms 77:13 “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?”

Jesus' crucifixion revealed the true Lamb of God. Everything in the Lord's sacrificial system foreshadowed Jesus, God's Lamb. Every sacrifice concluded with Christ's crucifixion and death. The shadow brought him into the tangible realm. Type met anti-type. Jesus' blood satisfied the world's sins without the need for animal blood. As Jesus died on the cross, the temple witnessed a strange and glorious event.

• Matthew 27:51 “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

The veil between the holy and the most holy place was torn in half, revealing the holy of holies. Animal sacrifices ended.

Now, let's ask a question: why did Jesus return to heaven? What does He do in the sanctuary above?

• Hebrews 8:1-2 “1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Remember, God showed Moses a true pattern to build the earthly sanctuary, and Christ, as our high priest, has gone to that real or true heavenly tabernacle with His blood.

• Hebrews 9:11-12 “11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Jesus—our intercessor—did not enter into the holy places with animal blood. Our Lord pleads His blood to the Father. It's amazing that, right now, we have an advocate in front of God.

• Hebrews 9:24 “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”

Because of this, we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. As we accept his death in our stead and confess our sins in Jesus' name, why does Christ stand surety for us before the Father? Is there a connection between the earthly and heavenly sanctuary?

We know that the earthly was a copy of the heavenly. We also know that Christ entered the first apartment as He returned to heaven. John the Revelator saw Him there.

• Revelation 1:13 “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.”

Jesus would pass from the first to the second apartment to cleanse the sanctuary. Heaven would have an anti-typical day of atonement just like earthly services. Why does the heavenly sanctuary need cleansing?

• Hebrews 9:23 “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

So here we are told that the heavenly did need cleansing and purifying just as surely as the record of the people’s transgression was recorded in the sprinkle blood of the earthly, so the record of our sins are recorded in the books of heaven.

Back to top ⇧

---

No Literal Sanctuary in Heaven - Doctrine of Jesuitism and Mohammedanism   ^{NEW - 10/07/16}

"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven." 11:4. Paul says to the Hebrews, "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty, in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:1,2. "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." Rom. 1:20. Paul tells the Hebrews how they may understand these invisible things, which he says are clearly seen. See viii.c.,5 v. "Shadow of heavenly things." For see, (saith he) that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." Now then, whenever we want to understand about the heavenly sanctuary, we must turn to Moses's description of the sanctuary in the wilderness, which he made after the pattern God gave him; which Paul says were shadows of heavenly things. How will a man dare (in the face of all this inspired testimony) to stand here on God's earth, and assert that the heavenly sanctuary with all that pertains to it is a F I G U R E, and spiritualize it away. It would be ten thousand times easier for him to spiritualize the old Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple, seeing the one that is to come as far exceeds the temple of Solomon or Nehemiah, (although, it is allowed, that nothing on earth ever exceeded them) as the most splendid palace of the king does the sentry box of his guard. Much safer would it be for him to teach that the rocks had never been rent, or as he passed the streets in the afternoon and saw the shadow of the buildings, should insist upon it that the shadows were real, but the buildings, which cast the shadows, were spiritual. Such doctrine should be ranked with Mohammedanism and Jesuitism, save their demoniac spirit; it comes from the "bottomless pit and will go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth will wonder." Rev. 17:8. But I wish to present further evidence of the real (not spiritual) coming of this heavenly sanctuary."
- Bate's Pamphlet #1, SANCTUARY, pages 28-29, Joseph Bates (1846)

Back to top ⇧

---

Links For further reading...

• The Judgment By The Book ^New
• The Sanctuary of the Creator God
• The Path to the Throne of God
• THE CROSS AND ITS SHADOW

Back to top ⇧