The Sanctuary Message

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

 

Is the sanctuary of the Old Testament important to us? Should we be concerned about what is written about it and what was done in it? Ellen White wrote much on the subject. Here is a sample of many of her instructions:

Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour's mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The precious hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to gain seeking, should be devoted to an earnest, prayerful study of the word of truth. The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days. Great Controversy p. 488

The ministers of God are not to be content to remain in ignorance of the deep things of his word. Many do not make any progress in attaining knowledge; they are slothful servants, who do not realize the importance of the truth for this time. They fall easily under temptation, and are content to meet a low standard. They are not self-sacrificing, because they have not the spirit of Christ. They do not become more and more efficient in the work, because they do not become more and more intelligent in the Scriptures of truth. They do not seek to place themselves in harmony with the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, where he is making an atonement for his people. While Christ is cleansing the sanctuary, the worshipers on earth should carefully review their life, and compare their character with the standard of righteousness. As they see their defects, they should seek the aid of the Spirit of God to enable them to have moral strength to resist the temptations of Satan, and to reach the perfection of the standard. They may be victors over the very temptations which seemed too strong for humanity to bear; for the divine power will be combined with their human effort,and Satan cannot overcome them. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 04-08-90

This is the great day of preparation, and the solemn work going on in the sanctuary above should be kept constantly before the minds of those employed in our various institutions. Business cares should not be allowed to absorb the mind to such a degree that the work in heaven, which concerns every individual, will be lightly regarded. The solemn scenes of the judgment, the great day of atonement, should be kept before the people, and urged upon their consciences with earnestness and power. The subject of the sanctuary will give us correct views of the importance of the work for this time. A proper appreciation of it will lead the workers in the publishing houses to manifest greater energy and zeal to make the work a success. None should become careless, blinded to the wants of the cause and the perils that attend every soul; but each should seek to be a channel of light. 5 Testimonies p. 420

In 1844 our great High Priest entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, to begin the work of the investigative judgment. The cases of the righteous dead have been passing in review before God. When that work shall be completed, judgment is to be pronounced upon the living. How precious, how important are these solemn moments! Each of us has a case pending in the court of heaven. We are individually to be judged according to the deeds done in the body. In the typical service, when the work of atonement was performed by the high priest in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary, the people were required to afflict their souls before God, and confess their sins, that they might be atoned for and blotted out. Will any less be required of us in this antitypical day of atonement, when Christ in the sanctuary above is pleading in behalf of His people, and the final, irrevocable decision is to be pronounced upon every case? 1 Selected Messages p. 125

The earthly sanctuary was God’s visual aid to explain to man the plan of salvation. It kept before the people the painful results of sin with the sacrifices. As you study it you can find many truths and prophecies that pointed to Christ, both His sacrifice and His work in heaven now and also what God desires of us.

The typical service was the connecting link between God and Israel. The sacrificial offerings were designed to prefigure the sacrifice of Christ, and thus to preserve in the hearts of the people an unwavering faith in the Redeemer to come. Hence, in order that the Lord might accept their sacrifices, and continue His presence with them, and, on the other hand, that the people might have a correct knowledge of the plan of salvation, and a right understanding of their duty, it was of the utmost importance that holiness of heart and purity of life, reverence for God, and strict obedience to His requirements, should be maintained by all connected with the sanctuary (ST Dec. 1, 1881). Bible Commentary Vol. 2 p. 1010

Every part of the sanctuary had a purpose. If it is an example of the sanctuary in heaven as is written in the book of Hebrews then its description should be consistent. The colors used in the sanctuary represented a part of God’s character and His plan for our redemption. The red represented blood.

This heifer was to be red, which was a symbol of blood. It must be without spot or blemish, and one that had never borne a yoke. Here, again, Christ was typified. The Son of God came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him, for He was independent and above all law. The angels, as God's intelligent messengers, were under the yoke of obligation; no personal sacrifice of theirs could atone for the guilt of fallen man. Christ alone was free from the claims of the law to undertake the redemption of the sinful race. He had power to lay down His life and to take it up again. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." 4 Testimonies p. 120

The Lord says:

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18 KJV

The yellow gold represented love and faith.

The gold mentioned by Christ, the True Witness, which all must have, has been shown me to be faith and love combined, and love takes the precedence of faith. Satan is constantly at work to remove these precious gifts from the hearts of God's people. All are engaged in playing the game of life. Satan is well aware that if he can remove love and faith, and supply their place with selfishness and unbelief, all the remaining precious traits will soon be skillfully removed by his deceitful hand, and the game will be lost. 2 Testimonies p. 36

Christ in Revelation speaks of the gold this way:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Revelation 3:18 KJV

The blue represented Gods’ law.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: Numbers 15:38 KJV

But the NEB changes the word blue to violet throughout the Old Testament. The NASB changes it in 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah and Ezekiel even though the Hebrew word used is the same as the blue used in other parts of the Bible. I looked up the word violet in the dictionary and found that it is blue mixed with a little red, in other words it is a blue purple. In Crayola Crayons the word violet is used for a mixture of blue and red (i.e. purple). Is the word blue too archaic? Why is this color changed? Is blue too difficult to understand? Many times that this word is used it is right next to the word purple. Where in the Bible do we see the colors purple and scarlet mentioned without blue? In the descriptions in Revelation of the woman on the beast and that great city.

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: Revelation 17:4 KJV

And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Revelation 18:16 KJV

Now if blue represents God’s law, then the church above is represented as not having God’s law. Instead we see the colors of blood and the mixture of blood and law. So by changing the color blue Satan can make God’s true church look like the church described in Revelation.

What was on the outside of the tabernacle? Ram skins and badger skins. See Exodus 25:5. Unless you are reading the NASB. In that bible it is ram skins and ‘porpoise’ skin. Tell me, how did the Israelites catch these porpoises? Did the porpoises jump out of the Red Sea while they crossed it? Common sense tells you this term used is wrong.

Most of us that have even the most brief study of the sanctuary would know there is a difference between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. It is understood that the Holy Place is the first part of the temple that contained the candlestick and the showbread. It is a specific place and is distinct from the Most Holy place where the Ark of the Covenant was located. But these distinctive labels are blurred in some instances in the NIV and the CEV. In Leviticus 16:16, 20,23, 27 & 33 the term ‘holy place’ is changed to Most Holy Place.

If God’s way is in the sanctuary, as it says in Psalms 77:13, would it please Satan for the information about the sanctuary to be obscured? Yes, it would. Look at the verse at the beginning of this chapter in another translation. If what this text in the KJV says is true we can learn of God’s way by studying the sanctuary. But the NIV, NASB, Living Bible, CEV, NEB and RSV make no mention of the sanctuary. They say that God’s way is holy. While that is true an important truth is lost. The chain of truth is broken.