After the death of the apostles, the leadership of the church fell
into the hands of Gentile believers, commonly referred to as the Church
Fathers. These men saw very little value in the sanctuary doctrine. To them
this was something that belonged to Judaism and had no relevance to New
Testament Christianity. Consequently, the sanctuary truth became somewhat
obsolete, until the mid-Nineteenth Century when it was resurrected to life.
Today there is renewed interest in the sanctuary message.
When we examine the teachings of the New Testament, we find that much
of the truth it presents is expressed in sanctuary language. The simple
reason for this is because the sanctuary was given by God as a visual aid
of the whole plan of redemption. It is His master model plan of salvation.
Through it, God reveals to mankind the various stages of our redemption
in Christ — His earthly mission as well as His heavenly ministry. The
sanctuary, therefore, is God’s “Show and Tell” (see diagram
at end).
God’s primary purpose in giving the sanctuary was to reveal through
symbols, Jesus Christ and His saving grace. Everything about the sanctuary,
it’s buildings, it’s furniture, as well as it’s rituals,
all point to Christ as the Saviour of mankind. Since the sanctuary reveals
the full plan of salvation from beginning to end, its study becomes very
meaningful to us as Christians. Through the sanctuary message, we get a
bird’s eye view of the whole plan of salvation. This, in turn, will
strengthen our faith in the eternal hope we have in Christ. This is the
purpose in studying the sanctuary.
1. Why did God instruct Moses to build a sanctuary?
Exodus 25:8 __________________________________________________
Note: Sin had separated a holy God from sinful man (see Isaiah
59:2). What God was revealing through the sanctuary was the plan of redemption
that would bridge that gulf so that God and mankind may once again be “at-one-ment.”
2. In whom was this plan of redemption fulfilled?
John 1:14 __________________________________________________
Note: Christ is the reality of the Sanctuary message. Everything
about the sanctuary pointed to Christ and salvation through Him. That is
why David declared, “Thy way [of salvation] O God, is in the sanctuary.”
3. To what was Jesus referring when He made this statement?
John 2:19-21 __________________________________________________
Note: This is where the ancient Jews went wrong. They put the
emphasis of the sanctuary on their temple building and its rituals, rather
than on what it pointed to — salvation through Jesus Christ.
4. When did the disciples of Jesus discover the true meaning of the
temple?
John 2:22 __________________________________________________
Note: The disciples were also victims of Judaism and it was not
until the resurrection that they realized the whole of the sanctuary message
of the Old Testament. The sanctuary was given to point them to Christ, the
promised Messiah.
5. What did God prepare for Christ instead of the sacrificial system
of the sanctuary?
Hebrews 10:5 __________________________________________________
Note: The whole purpose of the sacrificial system was to point
to Christ and Him crucified. The only value the sacrifice of animals had
in the Old Testament was to point God’s people to the coming Messiah.
In and of themselves, the sacrifice of animals had no merits and that is
why God had no pleasure in them.
6. Why did God prepare a body for Christ?
Hebrews 10:7 __________________________________________________
Note: It was through the human body of Christ that the world was
redeemed. This was the will of God (see John 3:17). That is why the humanity
of Christ is everything to us. In it God has obtained salvation full and
complete for the entire human race.
7. What did the coming of Christ replace?
Hebrews 10:9 __________________________________________________
Note: The coming of Christ replaced the type with reality. This
is the difference between the Old and the New Covenants. The Old Covenant
was never given by God as a means of salvation but pointed to Christ, the
promised Saviour. The New Covenant is the fulfillment of that promise. However,
since we have not experienced the full reality of salvation, the sanctuary
message continues to point us to the consummation, the ultimate end of God’s
plan of salvation in Christ.
8. Why did the gospel preached to the Jews of the Exodus fail to profit
them?
Hebrews 4:2 __________________________________________________
Note: The pronoun “them” refers to the Jews of the Exodus.
God gave them the gospel through the sanctuary, the gospel in type. Unfortunately,
they missed the whole point of the sanctuary message, which is one of the
main reasons why the nation of Israel rejected Christ as the promised Messiah.
9. What did the sacrificed lamb of the sanctuary ritual point to?
John 1:29 __________________________________________________
10. The candle lamps in the sanctuary pointed to Christ as what?
John 8:12 __________________________________________________
11. How did Christ describe Himself in this passage?
John 6:51 __________________________________________________
Note: In the Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary, the two main
pieces of furniture were the seven-branch candlestick and the table of shew
bread. The candlestick pointed to Christ as the light of the world, while
the table of shew bread pointed to Christ as the living bread of life.
12. What has God made Christ to be for us through faith in His blood?
Romans 3:25 __________________________________________________
Note: The word “propitiation” (KJV) or the phrase “sacrifice
of atonement” (NIV) is translated from the same word used in the Greek
Old Testament (the LXX) for the mercy seat that rested on the top of the
Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary. This mercy
seat covered the law of God that condemns us sinners.
13. What did Christ obtain for mankind in His earthly mission?
Hebrews 9:12 __________________________________________________
14. What is Christ the end of, to all who believe in Him?
Romans 10:4 __________________________________________________
Note: In His earthly mission, Christ satisfied the full demands
of the law on behalf of fallen humanity. All who have accepted Him as their
personal Saviour are looked upon by God as meeting all the requirements
of the law for righteousness. This is the good news of the gospel!
15. Having redeemed humanity, what is Christ now doing in the heavenly
sanctuary?
Romans 8:34 __________________________________________________
16. To what extent can Christ save those who put their full trust
in Him?
Hebrews 7:25 __________________________________________________
Note: In His earthly mission, represented by the eastern square
of the sanctuary courtyard, Christ obtained salvation full and complete
for the entire human race. The western square reveals Christ’s priestly
ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Thus, through the sanctuary and its
services God has revealed the whole plan of redemption from the beginning
to the end. The diagram below illustrates the two-fold work of Christ as
our Saviour and Priest. The next two lessons will cover some important sanctuary
truths regarding Christ’s priestly ministry on the believer’s
behalf.
Christ is the Reality of the Sanctuary
EX. 25:8 (JH. 1:14); PS. 77:13 (HEB. 10:5-10); JN. 2:19-22
| CHRIST’S HEAVENLY MINISTRY | CHRIST’S EARTHLY MINISTRY |
| PRIESTHOOD (31 A.D. – New Earth; Heb. 10:12,13) | GOSPEL (4 B.C.? – 31 A.D.; Heb. 9:12) |
| 1. DAILY – Intercession (31 A.D. - Probation Closes) |
1. SPOTLESS LAMB – Doing (Birth - Temptation in the Wilderness) |
| 2. YEARLY – Cleansing (1844 - New Earth) |
2. SACRIFICE – Dying (Baptism - Cross) |