What was the purpose of the ancient Jewish
Sanctuary? Exodus 25:8
Then have them make a Sanctuary for me and I
will
NOTE: In interpreting the Sanctuary of Daniel
8:14 we must clearly understand what Daniel understood by the term
"Sanctuary."
What was the Sanctuary called in the Old
Testament? Exodus 26:1
The
NOTE: The Israelites were nomads in the Sinai
desert at the time God had them make a Tabernacle for Him. The design
and making of this portable, tent Sanctuary is described in detail in
Exodus, chapters 25 through 40.
The Old Testament Sanctuary consisted of three
sections:
the Courtyard the Holy Place the Most Holy Place
Each of these sections had it's own set of
furniture:
In the Courtyard was the Altar of Burnt
Offering and the Laver.
In the Holy Place was the Table of Shewbread,
the Seven-branched Candlestick, and the Altar of Incense.
In the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the
Covenant, containing the Ten Commandments. The Ark had a golden lid
called the atonement cover or mercy seat which covered the Law. Mercy
and Law in one piece of furniture indicates how God's mercy and justice
are blended together. On the mercy seat were two cherubim, and between
them was the Shekinah Glory, the literal presence of God on earth.
Courtyard Tabernacle When a person wished to seek forgiveness of
sin in ancient Israel, what was he to bring to the Sanctuary? Leviticus 5:6
A
NOTE: The Sanctuary was where forgiveness of
sins was obtained. The work of the Sanctuary dealt with the removal (or
forgiveness) of sin from the sinner and transferring that sin and its
wages (death) to the substitute (the lamb). The sinner lay his hands on
the head of the lamb and confessed his sin. Then the sinner killed the
lamb by the Altar of Burnt Offerings. Blood from the lamb was then
sprinkled before the veil by the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place. In
this symbolic manner, the fact that sin had been committed and then
forgiven was recorded in the Sanctuary. The dwelling place of God thus
became defiled by the sins of His people and needed cleansing and
reconsecrating.
This work of sacrifice was performed by and for
sinners every day; thus it became known as the "daily."
WHO DESIGNED
THE SANCTUARY? Did Moses design the Tabernacle? Exodus 25:9, 40
... make them according to the
NOTE: Moses did not originate the Old Testament
Tabernacle; he made it according to the pattern shown him by God while
he was on Mount Sinai. It is God who designed the sanctuary.
What was Moses' Tabernacle patterned after? Hebrews 8:5
A copy and shadow of what is in
NOTE: Moses was to make his Tabernacle
according to the pattern of the Heavenly Sanctuary.
How many Sanctuaries are there in the Bible? Hebrews 8:1-5
Who serves in the Sanctuary, the true
tabernacle set up by the
NOTE: The writer of Hebrews clearly indicates
that there are two Sanctuaries: an earthly (the Tabernacle and all the
succeeding Temples) and a heavenly Sanctuary. One was designed and set
up by the Lord (the heavenly), the other set up by Moses (the earthly).
JESUS
FULFILLS The three parts of the Sanctuary -- the
courtyard, the holy place, and the most holy place -- indicate three
phases in the plan of salvation. In other words, one phase of the
ministry of Jesus is symbolized by the courtyard, a second phase is
symbolized by the holy place, and a third phase is symbolized by the
most holy place.
What phase of Christ's ministry is symbolized
by the work of the courtyard? Hebrews 9:26 ; John 1:29
To do away with sin by the
NOTE: Jesus, by His death upon Calvary's cross,
fulfilled the Old Testament Sanctuary's courtyard. He became the
sinner's sacrifice; the Lamb of God. No longer do people need to offer
a lamb to God when they confess their sin. Jesus, the Lamb of God, died
for our sins. The courtyard symbolizes Jesus' work of sacrifice. The
Sanctuary is God's pictorial presentation of the plan of salvation.
Who is the high priest of the heavenly
Sanctuary? Hebrews 4:14
, the
Son of God.
NOTE: The earthly Sanctuary had earthly priests
who ministered according to the Old Testament symbolic ceremonial
system. But in the heavenly Sanctuary there is only one priest, Jesus.
He is not only the 'Lamb of God,' He is also our High Priest.
How does Jesus fulfill the ministry of the
holy place? Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not enter a
NOTE: Upon His ascension, Jesus entered into
the holy place of the heavenly Sanctuary, where He appears in the
presence of God for us. When we sinners confess our sins and accept the
death and resurrection of Jesus' life as our own, Jesus is in heaven
recording our forgiveness of sin through his blood. Thus the Heavenly
sanctuary is defiled by our sins and needs to be cleansed.
Courtyard The courtyard represents Jesus' work of
sacrifice, the holy place His work of intercession. The altar of
sacrifice represents the death of Jesus; the altar of incense, the life
of Jesus which we claim as our own when we accept forgiveness. The
sinner is reconciled to God through the death of Jesus and saved by His
life.
How does the apostle Paul indicate that
individuals are restored to a right relationship with God? Romans 5:10
We were reconciled to Him through the
NOTE: These two aspects of the ministry of
Jesus as foretold in the Sanctuary have been fulfilled by Jesus. He is
the only one who can fully restore a person to a right relationship
with God.
How many mediators are there between God and
humanity in New Testament times? 1 Timothy 2:5
For there is
NOTE: In New Testament times there is no need
for an earthly priestly system. After Jesus died on the cross and was
resurrected, the High Priestly ministry of Jesus was inaugurated. There
is, therefore, no other mediator between God and mankind except Jesus.
THE DAY OF
ATONEMENT While the work in the Courtyard and the Holy
Place was performed every day, the work of the Most Holy Place was
performed only once a year. Thus, while the former was known as the
"daily," the latter was known as the "yearly." The work of the Day of
Atonement in the Most Holy Place symbolizes the third and final phase
of the ministry of Jesus. Let us examine the events of this, the most
solemn day in the life of ancient Israel.
What happened at the Sanctuary on the Day of
Atonement? Leviticus 16:29, 30
On this day atonement will be made for you, to
NOTE: The purpose of the Day of Atonement was
to cleanse both the sinner and Sanctuary. The cleansing of the
Sanctuary was achieved through the work of the most holy place.
How many goats were chosen on the Day of
Atonement? Leviticus 16:5 Who were the two goats for? Leviticus 16:8
The The
NOTE: One goat was chosen to be offered to the
Lord, the other was to be a scapegoat, or as the margin reads, it was
for Azazel. Azazel was another name for Satan. Thus, on this particular
day two goats were chosen, one for the Lord and one to represent Satan.
What happened to the Lord's goat? Leviticus 16:9
Sacrifice it for a sin
NOTE: The Lord's goat was sacrificed on the
altar of burnt offerings.
Where did the priest sprinkle the blood of
the Lord's goat? Leviticus 16:15
On the atonement
NOTE: The Atonement cover, also known as the
mercy seat, was located in the Most Holy Place. (please notice that
this is the only time each year when the high priest went into the Holy
of Holies.) Rather than sprinkle this blood upon the Altar of Incense,
this blood was sprinkled on the Atonement cover.
The sprinkling of the blood of the Lord's
goat on the atonement cover seat was to make atonement for what part of
the Sanctuary? Leviticus 16:16
The
NOTE: The translators of the NIV have here
mistranslated from the original Hebrew texts. They added the word
"Most." Other versions of the Bible such at the KJV and the RSV translate it properly as 'holy
place.' (This is a good example of why it is important to compare
different versions of the Bible). Note again that the high priest is in
the Most Holy Place, but he is making an atonement for the Holy Place.
Why does the Holy Place need to be cleansed? Leviticus 16:16
because of the
NOTE: The reason the high priest went into the
Most Holy Place was to cleanse the Holy Place of all the sins of the
children of Israel that had been transferred there all year long
through the work of the Holy Place.
What happened to the live goat when the work
of cleansing the Sanctuary was complete? Leviticus 16:20, 21
The sins that were removed from the holy place
of the Sanctuary were confessed over the live goat and he was taken
into the
NOTE: Please note that the scapegoat was never
slain. Satan's goat was never slain. Only Jesus bears the penalty for
sin (death). The live goat only enters the picture when the work of the
Sanctuary is complete -- the work of salvation is over! This removal of
sin from the Sanctuary is the final act of the Sanctuary service. The
ceremony simply shows that Satan is the final responsible agent in sin.
In order for Jesus to remove sin from the
sanctuary, a work of judgment was needed. This is why this service in
ancient Israel was known as the day of judgment. It was the most solemn
day in the history of Israel, because the Israelites knew that their
sins were being removed from the Sanctuary.
SUMMARY The Sanctuary has symbolized for us three
phases in the ministry of Jesus:
His work of sacrifice completed on the
cross. His work of intercession begun when He
ascended into heaven and sat down at the bar on the right hand of God
and continuing until he comes the second time. His work of final judgment, dealing with the
removal of sin is symbolized by the work of the Most Holy Place, the
cleansing of the heavenly Sanctuary. Thus the cleansing of the
Sanctuary refers to Jesus' final work of judgment in the heavenly
Sanctuary.
When does Jesus perform this final phase of
His ministry, the cleansing of the heavenly Sanctuary? Daniel 8:14
After the end of the
NOTE: After the 2300 days, beginning in 1844,
Jesus began that final phase of His ministry, the judgment. This
judgment must occur before the second coming of Jesus for three
reasons:
It is only logical that judgment occur
before Jesus comes, because how could Jesus perform judgment after He
had already given the people their reward by taking them to heaven? In the Day of Atonement service in the
ancient Jewish Sanctuary, if someone happened to remember some sin that
he had not confessed, he could still bring that sin to the Sanctuary on
the Day of Atonement, and it could be sent into the Sanctuary and
removed that very day (Leviticus 16:4, 23-25). This indicates that
grace was to still be available to the sinner while Jesus' final phase
of ministry was going on. At the end of the work of the Day of
Atonement, the live goat was sent into the wilderness. Later we will
study Revelation 20, where we discover that Satan is sent into the
wilderness for 1,000 years following the second coming of Jesus. The
judgment is all over when Satan is sent into the wilderness. Lesson 12
will give you greater details of this judgment that began in 1844.
Thus, since 1844 Jesus has been conducting the
final phase of his ministry as taught in the ancient Jewish Sanctuary
-- His work of final judgment. While Jesus conducts the judgment, He
still intercedes for us; He still continues the work of the Holy Place
even while he conducts the final judgment. Our High Priest is not only
our Judge, but also our Intercessor -- He stands for us (1 John 2:1).
What do you think of this amazing plan of
salvation pictured for us in the ancient Sanctuary service?
