Sanctuary is the Sinner’s Journey Back to God
Secrets of the Sanctuary
1.
Experts have proven that
one of the most successful methods of memorization is through picture
association. The Lord uses this teaching technique because He knows that humans
are extremely visual creatures. This is one of the main reasons Jesus taught
with parables. Picture stories help people understand and remember the many
abstract principles of salvation by associating them with visual images.
2.
God first illustrated the
plan of salvation immediately after Adam and Eve sinned by having them
sacrifice a lamb. ( Genesis 3:21) This process impressed upon the first couple
the terrible results of sin and foreshadowed the ultimate death of the
"Lamb of God" for their sins.
3.
By the time the children
of Israel had spent 400 years in Egypt serving as slaves to a pagan nation, the
Lord saw that His people needed a complete re-educating as to the "big picture" of the plan of
redemption-including their role and God's role in cleansing them from their
sins and restoring them to His image.
4.
This is why, when the
children of Israel finally limped out of Egypt with scars on their backs and
visions of the Promised Land dancing in their minds, God didn't immediately
lead them north toward the Promised Land, but south toward Mt. Sinai. He was
about to deliver to this infant nation one of the most powerful and enduring
object lessons ever recorded. And He would do it almost entirely with symbols.
5.
The Lord told Moses,
"Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" (Exodus
25:8). Keep in mind that this earthly tabernacle was never intended to be an
edifice to shelter God from the elements. Jehovah is not a homeless God. When
Solomon was building the first temple in Jerusalem, he said: "But will God
indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot
contain thee; how much less this house that I have built?" (1 Kings 8:27).
This, then, is the key to
the puzzle of the sanctuary. The structure and ceremonies were to serve as
symbols to illustrate the sequence and process of salvation.
6.
As we consider the
sanctuary and its symbols, the best example would be from the first sanctuary -
the one that Moses had the people construct in the wilderness. This portable
tent was often called the "tabernacle." Moses did not simply dream up
what he thought this structure should look like. In the same way God spelled
out the precise dimensions for Noah's Ark, God gave Moses exact plans for
everything in the sanctuary, even to the minutest detail of the accessories.
7.
God's plan wasn't
arbitrary either. He already had a real dwelling place in heaven where the plan
of salvation was first conceived. The earthly sanctuary was to be a miniature
model, or shadow, of the heavenly. God told Moses, "According to all that
I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle in heaven, and the pattern of
all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it" (Exodus 25:9).
8.
Unlike any other building
ever constructed, the sanctuary would be a three-dimensional, life-sized lesson
book. Every component, from the largest curtain to the tiniest piece of
furniture, had a symbolic meaning that helped the children of Israel see,
experience, and comprehend the plan of salvation and the role of the heavenly
sanctuary in a very practical way.
A Journey to God
9.
Let's begin a brief tour
through this unusual structure and learn a few basic lessons before examining
the deeper meanings of the sanctuary system.
10.
The sanctuary consisted
of three principal areas: the courtyard,
the holy place, and the most holy place.
11.
These three locations
represent the three primary steps in the process of salvation known as 1) Justification, 2 Sanctification,
and 3) Glorification, and they correspond with three phases of
Christ's ministry: 1) The
substitutionary sacrifice, 2) The priestly mediation, and 3) The
final judgment.
12. The Holy of Holies, the tabernacle's most sacred spot,
represents the presence of God. The walls around the courtyard and the holy
place vividly illustrate man's separation from God. "But your iniquities
have separated between you and your God and your sins have hide his face from
you, that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2).
13.
All of the sanctuary services represent a sinner's journey back
to God. In
the first three chapters of the Bible, sin enters the world and man is evicted
from the Garden of Eden. In the last three chapters, sin is eradicated and man
is restored to the garden and communion with God.
14. Please keep in mind as we venture onto this holy ground that we
are gathering only a few gems of truth. Volumes could be written on the
sanctuary and its symbols without exhausting the subject.
The Door
15. The first thing we notice as we approach the sanctuary is that
there is only one door. Not even a fire exit! Remember Jesus' words: "I am
the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9).
16. All that are saved are redeemed by Jesus alone. "Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts
4:12). The only way to God is through Christ, the only door.
The Courtyard (Exodus 27:9-18)
17. The entire edifice of the sanctuary was surrounded by a
courtyard made of linen curtains set up in a very specific orientation. It was
twice as long as it was wide (150 feet long and 75 feet wide), and was to be
set up with the one opening facing east. That arrangement ensured that the
worshipers and priests who stood at the door had their backs to the rising sun
instead of facing it like the pagan sun-worshiping religions of the day. God's
people worship the Creator instead of the creation.
The Alter of Burn offering (Exodus
27:1-8)
18. Immediately upon entering the door of the courtyard sat the
brazen altar of burnt offerings. The altar was actually made of acacia wood and
overlaid with brass. Some have likened the wood portion to human works and the
brass to Christ's work. Without the brass, the wooden frame would have been
consumed by the fire during the burning of the offerings, just as we will be
consumed by the lake of fire if we do not believe that Jesus' grace must
eclipse our good works.
The Laver (Exodus 30:18)
19. Between the altar of burnt offerings and the tabernacle itself
stood the laver. It was also made of brass and was filled with water for the
cleansing of the priests.
20. The picture of sinners' justification became clear in the
courtyard. Before God gave the Israelites His Law on tables of stone, He saved
them from slavery in Egypt by virtue of their faith in the Passover Lamb (symbolized
by the altar) and baptized them in the sea (represented by the laver). God
takes us just as we are and forgives our sins. When we accept Christ, confess
our sins, and ask for forgiveness, our heavenly record of sin is covered by
Jesus' blood.
The Holy Place
21. The actual tabernacle stood in the west half of the courtyard.
It was divided into two compartments or rooms. While the width of the two rooms
was the same, the length of the first room, the holy place, was twice as long
as that of the most holy place. The walls of the central structure were made of
acacia boards overlaid with gold and connected with silver hardware (Exodus
26).
22.
All who entered the holy
place to minister saw themselves reflected in the golden walls on every side,
reminding them that the eyes of the Lord see all. "And he made a covering
for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above
that. (Exodus 36:19).
23. The priests could look up and see that they served under a red
skin. Likewise, Christians are a nation of priests that serve Jesus under His
blood.
The holy place had three
articles of furniture. We will review them one by one.
The Table of Showbread
24.
Just inside the holy
place on the right (north) side. It was constructed of acacia wood and covered
with gold (Exodus 25:23-30). On it
were kept 12 loaves of unleavened bread (Leviticus
24:5-9). These loaves were symbolic of Jesus, who is the bread of life
(John 6:35). They number 12 signified the 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles
of Jesus who were to feed God's people with the bread of life-which is also a
symbol of the Bible (Matthew 4:4).
The Golden Lamp stand
25.
Opposite of the table of
showbread the lamp on the (south) side, stood the golden menorah that had seven
candlestick branches (see Exodus
25:31-40). They were not wax candles as we know them, but lamps fueled by
pure olive oil. The priests trimmed the wicks daily, and refilled the bowls
with oil so that the menorah would constantly be a source of light for the holy
place. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).
26.
He also said, "You
are the light of the world" (Matthew
5:14). The olive oil in the lamps symbolized the Holy Spirit that
illuminates the church. The lamp is a symbol of His true church that will carry the ministry
of Jesus. (Revelation 1:20)
The Altar of Incense
27. The altar of incense was located directly across from the door
standing against the ornate veil that separated the holy place from the most
holy place. Like several other items in the sanctuary, it was also made of
acacia wood and covered with gold (Exodus
30:1-3).
28. It was much smaller than the altar in the courtyard and
contained a brass pot that held hot coals from the brazen altar of burnt
offerings. It was here that the priest burned a very special blend of incense
which filled the sanctuary with a sweet-smelling cloud, representing the
prayers of intercession and confession of the believers sweetened by the Holy
Spirit (Exodus 30:8,Rev 8:3-4, 1Tim 2:5,
John 14:12-14, 1John 2:1,).
29. The Holy Place represents the process of Sanctification. This corresponds to the wilderness
wanderings of Israel. The pillar of fire was their menorah, and the manna was
their showbread. The pillar of cloud was their cloud of incense.
30. Sanctification is the
process in the Christian's life of learning to obey. It is made up of a series of justifications. Each time we sin
we ask for forgiveness, and we are justified again. However, God offers more
than forgiveness when we confess. In 1
John 1:9, He promises us that, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness."
31. It is that "cleansing from unrighteousness" that
constitutes sanctification. The key ingredients in our sanctification are a
devotional life in the word, prayer, and witnessing. The sanctuary's bread,
incense, and lamp represent these elements.
The Most Holy Place
32. The length of the most holy place equaled its width so that it
formed a square. It was also as high as it was wide and long, making it a
perfect cube-just like the New Jerusalem will be (see Revelation 21:16). The apartment contained only one piece of furniture.
33. This veil, or curtain, separating the holy and the most holy
places of the sanctuary has great significance, because it was this veil that
tore at the very moment Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). His death symbolized the
end of the need for the exclusive Levitical priesthood to mediate between man
and God.
34. The veil represents the body of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19, 20). It was only by passing through this veil that
access was possible to the most holy place (Hebrews
4:16). The tearing of the veil symbolized the death of the Lamb of God,
which now permits the believer in His atonement immediate access to the most
holy place through the new High Priest-Jesus Christ-the one and only Mediator
between man and God.
The Ark of the Covenant
35. Inside the most holy place, or "holy of holies," was
one piece of furniture-the Ark of the Covenant. This sacred box, also
constructed of acacia wood and covered with gold, contained the tables of stone
upon which God had written the Ten Commandments. Later it also contained
Aaron's rod that had budded and a small pot of manna.
36. The top of the ark was called the "mercy seat" (Exodus 25:17), and above it was the
shining glory of the Lord, or Shekinah (which literally means "the
dwelling"), radiating between two covering cherubs, or angels, on either
end of the ark. This was a symbol of the throne of God and the presence of the
Almighty in heaven. The walls of the most holy place were engraved with many
angels, representing the clouds of living angels that surround the person of
God in heaven (1 Kings 6:29).
How It All Works?
The sanctuary shows how God deals with sin.
1) Sin cannot be ignored. Its wages are death (Romans
6:23).
2) The law cannot be changed to make sinners not guilty.
3) Sin’s
wages must be paid, either by the sinner in receiving eternal death or by
Christ on the
cross. Let's follow a sin as it is confessed, and then processed
through the
sanctuary.
The Courtyard Ministry
37.
When a sinner became
convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and wanted to confess it, he came to the
door of the courtyard with a spotless animal (usually a lamb) to sacrifice. He
laid his hands on the head of the innocent victim and confessed his sin. This symbolically
transferred his sin and its penalty to the lamb. Then with his own hand he had
to slay the animal and shed its blood. This was to impress upon the repentant
sinner that his sins would ultimately require the death of the spotless Lamb of
God.(Leviticus 4:27-29)
38. This was the part of the sinner in the sanctuary service. The
priests, who represented the mediation of Christ between the guilty sinner and
his God, did the rest.
39. After confessing his sin and slaying the lamb, the sinner went
away forgiven, his sin covered by the shed blood of the victim. Of course the
lamb's blood didn't cover the sin, but it represented the blood of Christ,
"the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
40. After some of the blood was caught by the priest, the rest was
poured out on the ground at the base of the altar and the animal was burnt on
the altar. The altar symbolizes the cross where Jesus was sacrificed for the
sins of the world. His blood was spilt on the ground at the foot of the cross
when the centurion pierced His side (John
19:34).
41. The blood of the lamb, symbolically bearing the guilt of the
sinner, was then taken by the priest and transferred to the holy place of the
sanctuary. However, the priest never went into the sanctuary without first
cleansing himself at the laver. This washing is symbolic of baptism and is
listed as one of the symbols for salvation. (Acts 2:38) The Israelites had to cross the Red Sea before they
were free from the bondage of Egypt. "And were all baptized unto Moses in
the cloud and in the sea"
(1 Corinthians 10:2).
42.
So in the courtyard we
pass through the fire and water. Jesus said, "Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
43. In the holy place the smoke of the incense rising from the altar
represented the intersession of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name, making our
prayers of confession acceptable to the Father (Romans 8:26, 27).
44. Each day the blood,
bearing the guilt, was sprinkled before the veil, thus transferring the guilt
from the sinner to the tabernacle. There the guilt of the repentant sinners
gathered throughout the year until the Day of Atonement.
The Most Holy Place Ministry
45. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest took two
perfect kid goats, and lots were cast over them to determine which one would be
the Lord's goat and which would be the scapegoat (called Azazel in Hebrew).
46. After confessing his own sins and those of his family, the high
priest placed his hands on the Lord's goat and confessed the sins of the entire
congregation which had accumulated in the holy place during the year. Then the
Lord's goat was slain, and the blood was taken by the high priest into the most
holy place and offered before the mercy seat of the ark where the presence of
God dwelt.
47. The Ark of the Covenant contains some of the most beautiful and
significant symbolism of God's entire plan of salvation. Inside the ark,
between the golden bowl of manna, symbolizing God's providence, and Aaron's rod
that budded, symbolizing God's authority and discipline, were the two tables of
stone on which God's finger inscribed the law that has been violated by all men
(Romans 3:23). The breaking of that
law is sin (1John 3:4) and the
penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23).
48. Between the law which condemns us to death and the all-consuming
presence of God is the mercy seat, or the top of the ark. This arrangement
illustrates that only Jesus' mercy saves us from being consumed by the fiery
presence and justice of God. But Jesus' mercy isn't cheap. He bought it with
His own blood. He paid the wages of sin so He could offer mercy to all who will
accept it.
49. Next, representing Christ as Mediator, the high priest
transferred the sins that had polluted the sanctuary to the live goat, Azazel,
which was then led away from the camp of Israelites. This symbolically removed
the sins of the people and readied the sanctuary for another year of ministry.
Thus, all things were right between God and His people once again.
A Broad View of Salvation
50. The plan of salvation is the theme of the entire Bible. The
salvation of the children of Israel from Egypt follows this plan exactly.
51. Egypt corresponded to the courtyard where justification
transpired. God sacrificed all the firstborn of Egypt, representing those who
will pay for their own sins. But the Israelites were allowed to substitute the
blood of the Passover Lamb for their firstborn child, representing those who
accept Jesus' payment.
52. After the sacrifice came the cleansing. All of the children of Israel
were "baptized" in the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1, 2) symbolized by
the laver.
53. This daily progress in character building is the process of
sanctification. But what is the end result of sanctification? Eventually we
come to the place where we would rather die than dishonor our Savior by
sinning. That is when the new covenant is fulfilled in us.
54. "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel; After those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they
shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33).
55. When God's law is our delight and pleasure and sin has no more
power over us, then the process of sanctification will complete.
Atonement
56. For ten days leading up to the Day of Atonement, the children of
Israel were to clean their camp, houses, bodies, and guilt by confessing every
known fault. After the high priest went through the ritual of cleansing the sanctuary,
God had a clean sanctuary and a clean people.
57.
Now, as the real atonement is taking place in heaven, God's
people must be purified again. In order to finish the cleansing of the
sanctuary and bring His people to heaven, Christ cannot have any more sins
confessed. The wicked will go on sinning, but they will bear their own sins and
pay sin's wages in the judgment.
58.
The righteous, on the other hand, will have gained the victory
over sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. This takes place when they all have
the new covenant experience, which takes the law from the stone tables and
makes it an integral part of their hearts. At that time, Christ can finish
cleansing His heavenly sanctuary and come for His bride because His earthly
sanctuary-his people-have also been cleansed. He will have a clean sanctuary in
heaven and a clean sanctuary on earth. Doesn't Jesus say that we are His temple
(Ephesians 2:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:16)?
Jesus Is the Sanctuary
59. This study could go on for hundreds of pages, but ultimately the
central theme of the whole sanctuary system is Jesus. Jesus is the door, the
spotless lamb, and our high priest. He is the light of the world and the bread
of life. He is the living water in the laver and the rock upon which is written
the law of God in the ark. His love is the gold shimmering throughout the holy
place. It is His blood that makes it possible for us to approach the Father.
Indeed, Jesus is the essence of the temple, for He said, "Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up. ... But he spoke of the temple of
his body" (John 2:19, 21).
60. Have you made Christ your sanctuary? The Scriptures promise:
"Behold, A king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in
judgment. And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from
the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock
in a weary land" (Isaiah 32:1, 2).
61.
"We might have a
strong consolation, which have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set
before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast, and which entered into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:18, 19).
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