The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuary
500-550 words summarizing the literature and reflecting how it could affect your life and ministry as a health professional. Use the information below as summary reference
WHAT WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BIBLICAL SANCTUARY?
For thousands of years, the Sanctuary and its services was the focus of the Israelites’ worship experience. Right after their escape from Egyptian slavery, God (Links to an external site.) told Moses,
“Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8, NKJV).
At this sanctuary, there were morning and evening sacrifices (Numbers 28:4).
The sanctuary was the center of the yearly feasts (Leviticus 23).
All were invited to come and offer personal sacrifices for their sin (Links to an external site.)(Leviticus 4). Each service reminded the people of a coming Redeemer. This sanctuary, or the tabernacle, was their “church” in the desert during their journey from Egypt to Canaan. God had a very specific plan for the building.
“According to all that show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it,” (Exodus 25:9, NKJV).
Once they settled, they built a permanent structure. King Solomon built the first stately temple. “propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God,” (1 Kings 5:5, NKJV).
IS THERE A SANCTUARY IN HEAVEN?
Yes. The earthly sanctuary was made like the heavenly sanctuary. The Bible (Links to an external site.) tells us that this heavenly sanctuary is one that “the Lord pitched, and not man” (Hebrews 8:2, KJV). The earthly sanctuary was a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5, NKJV). It was modeled after the heavenly sanctuary (Links to an external site.), which was shown to Moses, so we could learn about what happens in Heaven.
“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (Hebrews 9:24, ESV). The earthly sanctuary service symbolizes the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly Sanctuary. And the various elements pointed forward to the amazing gift of Jesus Christ.
WHAT DID THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY LOOK LIKE?
In your mind’s eye, walk to the entrance of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary. This tour is guided by the descriptions we find in Exodus chapters 25-27.
A fence separates the Sanctuary from the rest of the camp. Walk through the open gate and come into the courtyard. Every article of furniture, every service, every detail about the Sanctuary, bears symbolism of Jesus’ ministry for us, for He is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
The first thing you notice in the courtyard is the Altar of Burnt Offering. This is where the morning and evening sacrifice is offered. This is the place you bring a lamb and sacrifice it for your sins. All these sacrifices point forward to Jesus, the perfect Lamb.
This symbolism is reinforced in the New Testament, when John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, NKJV). In Christ’s redeeming ministry (Links to an external site.), He offers His blood for our forgiveness and cleansing.
If you look a little further in the courtyard, you’ll see the Laver. This is a huge basin of water, used for the cleansing and purification of the priests. Throughout the Bible, water is used as a symbol for life and for purity. Jesus offers a “fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14, NKJV), and He promises, “He who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35, NKJV).
Jesus’ ministry offers us cleansing, healing, and hope through the waters of baptism (Links to an external site.). Just like the psalmist prayed, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2. NKJV).
Next you will see a curtain-covered building. This is the two-compartment sanctuary, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. If the veil could be pulled aside, you would see the inside. This is a place that only priests can enter.
In the Holy Place,here are three pieces of furniture. The Table of Shewbread had two stacks of bread, with six loaves in each stack. This bread was made new each week. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told His disciples. “He who comes to Me shall never hunger” (John 6:35, NKJV). Christ’s ministry gives us the “bread of life” through His Word.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV).
The second piece of furniture is the Golden Candlestick. There are seven lights on this candlestick, which are always filled with oil for burning. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus declared. “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness” (John 8:12, NKJV). Jesus promises to guide us in His ways. His ministry brings joy and hope to us, and His light can shine through us to give light to others. (Links to an external site.)
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV).
The Altar of Incense is close to the veil which separates this room from the Most Holy Place. Incense is burned on this altar and it fills the sanctuary with fragrance. “Let my prayer be set before You as incense,” (Psalm 141:2, NKJV) prays David the psalmist. As our prayers rise to heaven, Jesus hears them and relays them to the Father, interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25). Christ’s ministry enlightens our understanding as we talk with Him through prayer (Links to an external site.). We can have faith that He hears the prayers of our hearts and tends to them.
Stepping through the veil, you would find yourself in the most sacred part of the tabernacle: the Most Holy Place. There is only one piece of furniture in this small room: the Ark of the Covenant, or the ark of Testimony. The first thing to catch your eye will likely be the two angels of gold on top of it, looking down from either side of the ark. Their wings spread over this sacred box.
Inside the ark are two tablets of stone containing God’s law (Links to an external site.), or the Ten Commandments. The law shows us God’s will and helps us to realize how much we need Him. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. … The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:7, 8, NKJV).
Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary gives us wisdom to see why humanity needs a foundational law that tells us what is right and what is wrong (Links to an external site.).
Inside the ark is a pot of manna, the food God rained down from Heaven to feed the Israelites in the wilderness. This is a reminder of how God promises to take care of us, even when our situations seem impossible. “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, NKJV).
In the ark is Aaron’s rod that miraculously flowered when the tribes questioned who God had chosen to work for Him as priests (Numbers 17:8-10). We can think of this whenever we question who is on our side. We can also remember the words of David: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).
God promised that the Ark of the Covenant was where His presence would be. “And there I will meet with you,” God told Moses. “And I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony” (Exodus 25:22, NKJV). Only the High Priest could come into the Most Holy Place where God’s presence was. This happened once each year, on the Day of Atonement.
When Jesus Christ came to earth, He put an end to the need for animal sacrifices. They symbolized the death of Jesus, taking on the consequences of sin for us and allowing us to be redeemed, should we so choose.
JESUS IS RESURRECTED, THEN RETURNS TO HEAVEN TO MINISTER IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY
Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus returned to Heaven. His disciples stood together, looking after their beloved leader. Suddenly, they noticed two men in white apparel.
“Men of Galilee,” one of the men said, “Why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11, NKJV).
The disciples took heart at these words. Jesus ascended to heaven, gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit (Links to an external site.) (“the Helper”) to guide us, and then began His ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary.
Since returning to Heaven, Jesus serves as our Advocate and Intercessor. He stands between us and Satan, and also connects us directly to the Father. “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1, NKJV).
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection opened the way for communication with Heaven. As our prayers ascend to heaven, Jesus intercedes for us. To intercede means to plead on someone else’s behalf. Jesus offers His life and death to pay the price for our sins. “Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25, CSB).
Jesus, the Lamb of God, also has another important role in our salvation. He is now our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. “We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14, NKJV).
A priest is someone who mediates within a spiritual role. Priests are also “set apart” from others to perform holy tasks, maintaining a strong relationship with God.
Priests in the Old Testament were the ones to conduct the sacrificial rituals with the animals. Today, Jesus is the One who performed the ultimate sacrificial task when He laid down His life for us. The sacrifice is done, and He remains our High Priest.
And Jesus was meant for this role. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, NASB).
Our High Priest understands exactly what it’s like for you to struggle with temptation. God knows exactly what you’re going through. He knows the sins that are especially hard for you. He has endured difficult temptations. He understands the struggle. We can come to Him with confidence, knowing He will help us. Which is why the passage in Hebrews continues, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, NKJV).
