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built by Moses at the command of God, according to the pattern
shown him in the mount, was “a figure for the time then present, in
which were offered both gifts and sacrifices;” that its two holy places
were “patterns of things in the heavens;” that Christ, our great High
Priest, is “a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle,
which the Lord pitched, and not man;” that “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.” [Hebrews 9:9, 23; 8:2; 9:24.]
The sanctuary in Heaven, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf,
is the great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a
copy. God placed his Spirit upon the builders of the earthly sanctuary.
The artistic skill displayed in its construction was a manifestation
of divine wisdom. The walls had the appearance of massive gold,
reflecting in every direction the light of the seven lamps of the
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golden candlestick. The table of show-bread and the altar of incense
glittered like burnished gold. The gorgeous curtain which formed
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the ceiling, inwrought with figures of angels in blue and purple
and scarlet, added to the beauty of the scene. And beyond the
second vail was the holy shekinah, the visible manifestation of
God’s glory, before which none but the high priest could enter and
live. The matchless splendor of the earthly tabernacle reflected to
human vision the glories of that heavenly temple where Christ our
foreru
As the sanctuary on earth had two apartments, the holy and the
most holy, so there are two holy places in the sanctuary in Heaven.
And the ark containing the law of God, the altar of incense, and
other instruments of service found in the sanctuary below, have
also their counterpart in the sanctuary above. In holy vision the
apostle John was permitted to enter Heaven, and he there beheld the
candlestick and the altar of incense, and as “the temple of God was
opened,” he beheld also “the ark of his testament.” [Revelation 4:5;
8:3; Revelation 11:19.]
Those who were seeking for the truth found indisputable proof
of the existence of a sanctuary in Heaven. Moses made the earthly
sanctuary after a pattern which was shown him. Paul declares that
that pattern was the true sanctuary which is in Heaven. John testifies
that he saw it in Heaven.
In the temple in Heaven, the dwelling-place of God, his throne is
established in righteousness and judgment. In the most holy place is
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his law, the great rule of right by which all mankind are tested. The
ark that enshrines the tables of the law is covered with the mercy-
seat, before which Christ pleads his blood in the si
Thus is represented the union of justice and mercy in the plan of
human redemption. This union infinite wisdom alone could devise,
and infinite power accomplish; it is a union that fills all Heaven
with wonder and adoration. The cherubim of the earthly sanctuary
looking reverently down upon the mercy-seat, represent the interest
with which the heavenly host contemplate the work of redemption.
This is the mystery of mercy into which angels desire to look,—that
God can be just while he justifies the repenting si
his intercourse with the fallen race; that Christ could stoop to raise
u
the spotless garments of his own righteousness, to unite with angels
who have never fallen, and to dwell forever in the presence of God.
Sanctuary
173
At the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844, no sanctuary had ex-
isted on earth for many centuries; therefore the sanctuary in Heaven
must be the one brought to view in the declaration, “Unto two thou-
sand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
But how could a sanctuary in Heaven need cleansing? Turning again
to the Scriptures, the students of prophecy learned that the cleansing
was not a removal of physical impurities, for it was to be accom-
plished with blood, and therefore must be a cleansing from sin. Thus
says the apostle: “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of
things in the Heavens should be purified with these [the blood of
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animals]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these [even the precious blood of Christ].” [Hebrews 9:23.] To obtain a further knowledge of the cleansing to which the prophecy
points, it was necessary to understand the ministration of the heav-
enly sanctuary. This could be learned only from the ministration of
the earthly sanctuary; for Paul declares that the priests who offici-
ated there served “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.”
[Hebrews 8:5.]
The ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of two di-
visions: the priests ministered daily in the holy place, while once
a year the high priest performed a special work of atonement in
the most holy, for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Day by day the
repentant si
and, placing his hand upon the victim’s head, confessed his sins,
thus in figure transferring them to the i
was then slain, and the blood or the flesh was carried by the priest
into the holy place. Thus the sin was, in figure, transferred to the
sanctuary. Such was the work that went forward throughout the year.
The continual transfer of sins to the sanctuary, rendered a further
work of ministration necessary in order for their removal. On the
tenth day of the seventh month the high priest entered the i
apartment, or most holy place, which he was forbidden, on pain of
death, to enter at any other time. The cleansing of the sanctuary then
performed completed the yearly round of service.
On the great day of atonement, two kids of the goats were
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brought to the door of the tabernacle, and lots were cast upon them,
“one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scape-goat.” The goat
upon which fell the lot for the Lord was to be slain as a sin-offering
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for the people. And the priest was to bring his blood within the
vail, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat.
“And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of
the unclea
gressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of
the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their
unclea
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live