Copyright
1994 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
-BC-
4SP
-TI-
The Spirit of Prophecy Volume Four
-CN-
18
-CT-
The Sanctuary
<SB
Chapter XVIII. <EB
-
<SB
The Sanctuary. <EB
-PR-
01
-PG-
258
-TEXT-
The
scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and central
pillar of the Advent faith was the declaration, "Unto two thousand and
three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."[1 DAN. 8:14.]
These had been familiar words to all believers in the Lord's soon coming.
By the lips of thousands was this prophecy joyfully repeated as the watchword
of their faith. All felt that upon the events therein brought to view depended
their brightest expectations and most cherished hopes. These prophetic
days had been shown to terminate in the autumn of 1844. In common with
the rest of the Christian world, Adventists then held that the earth, or
some portion of it, was the sanctuary, and that the cleansing of the sanctuary
was the purification of the earth by the fires of the last great day. This
they understood would take place at the second coming of Christ. Hence
the conclusion that Christ would return to the earth in 1844.
But
the appointed time came, and the Lord did not appear. The believers knew
that God's word could not fail; their interpretation of the prophecy must
be at fault; but where was the mistake? Many rashly
259
cut
the knot of difficulty by denying that the 2300 days ended in 1844. No
reason could be given for this position, except that Christ had not come
at the time of expectation. They argued that if the prophetic days had
ended in 1844, Christ would then have come to cleanse the sanctuary by
the purification of the earth by fire; and that since he had not come,
the days could not have ended.
To
accept this conclusion was to renounce the former reckoning of the prophetic
periods, and involve the whole question in confusion. It was a deliberate
surrender of positions which had been reached through earnest, prayerful
study of the Scriptures, by minds enlightened by the Spirit of God, and
hearts burning with its living power; positions which had withstood the
most searching criticism and the most bitter opposition of popular religionists
and worldly-wise men, and which had stood firm against the combined forces
of learning and eloquence, and the taunts and revilings alike of the honorable
and the base. And all this sacrifice was made in order to maintain the
theory that the earth is the sanctuary.
God
had led his people in the great Advent movement; his power and glory had
attended the work, and he would not permit it to end in darkness and disappointment,
to be reproached as a false and fanatical excitement. He would not leave
his word involved in doubt and uncertainty. Though the majority of Adventists
abandoned their former reckoning of the prophetic periods, and consequently
denied the correctness of the movement based thereon,
260
a
few were unwilling to renounce points of faith and experience that were
sustained by the Scriptures and by the special witness of the Spirit of
God. They believed that they had adopted sound principles of interpretation
in their study of the Scriptures, and that it was their duty to hold fast
the truths already gained, and to still pursue the same course of Biblical
research. With earnest prayer they reviewed their position, and studied
the Scriptures to discover their mistake. As they could see no error in
their explanation of the prophetic periods, they were led to examine more
closely the subject of the sanctuary.[1 SEE APPENDIX, NOTE 5.]
In
their investigation they learned, that the earthly sanctuary, 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."[2 HEB. 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
261
the
light of the seven lamps of the golden candlestick. The table of show-bread
and the altar of incense glittered like burnished gold. The gorgeous curtain
which formed 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 forerunner ministers for us before the
throne of God.
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."[1 REV. 4:5;
8:3; 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 his law, the great
262
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 sinner's behalf. 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 sinner, and renews his intercourse with
the fallen race; that Christ could stoop to raise unnumbered multitudes
from the abyss of ruin, and clothe them with the spotless garments of his
own righteousness, to unite with angels who have never fallen, and to dwell
forever in the presence of God.
At
the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844, no sanctuary had existed on
earth for many centuries; therefore the sanctuary in Heaven must be the
one brought to view in the declaration, "Unto two thousand 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 accomplished 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
263
[the
blood of animals]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these [even the precious blood of Christ]."[1 HEB. 9:23.] To obtain
a further knowledge of the cleansing to which the prophecy points, it was
necessary to understand the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary. This
could be learned only from the ministration of the earthly sanctuary; for
Paul declares that the priests who officiated there served "unto the example
and shadow of heavenly things."[2 HEB. 8:5.]
The
ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of two divisions: 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 sinner brought his offering to the
door of the tabernacle, and, placing his hand upon the victim's head, confessed
his sins, thus in figure transferring them to the innocent sacrifice. The
animal 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 inner 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
264
goats
were 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
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 uncleanness
of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their
sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth
among them in the midst of their uncleanness."[1 LEV. 16:8, 16.]
"And
Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess
over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions
in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send
him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness; and the goat shall
bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited."[2 LEV. 16:21,
22.] The scape-goat came no more into the camp of Israel, and the man who
led him away was required to wash himself and his clothing with water before
returning to the camp.
The
whole ceremony was designed to impress the Israelites with the holiness
of God and his abhorrence of sin, and, further, to show them that they
could not come in contact with sin without becoming polluted. Every man
was required to afflict his soul while this work of atonement was going
forward. All business was laid aside, and the whole congregation of Israel
spent the day in solemn humiliation before God, with prayer, fasting, and
deep searching of heart.
265
Important
truths concerning the atonement may be learned from the typical service.
A substitute was accepted in the sinner's stead; but the sin was not canceled
by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it was transferred
to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner acknowledged the
authority of the law, confessed his guilt in transgression, and expressed
his desire for pardon through faith in a Redeemer to come; but he was not
yet entirely released from the condemnation of the law. On the day of atonement
the high priest, having taken an offering from the congregation, went into
the most holy place with the blood of this general offering, and sprinkled
it upon the mercy-seat, directly over the law, to make satisfaction for
its claims. Then, in his character of mediator, he took the sins upon himself,
and bore them from the sanctuary. Placing his hands upon the head of the
scape-goat, he confessed over him all these sins, thus in figure transferring
them from himself to the goat. The goat then bore them away, and they were
regarded as forever separated from the people.
Such
was the service performed "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things."
And what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly, is done in
reality in the ministration of the heavenly. After his ascension, our Saviour
began his work as our high priest. Says Paul, "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."[1 HEB.
9:24.] In harmony with the typical service, he began his ministration in
266
the
holy place, and at the termination of the prophetic days in 1844, as foretold
by Daniel the prophet, he entered the most holy to perform the last division
of his solemn work,--to cleanse the sanctuary.
As
the sins of the people were anciently transferred, in figure, to the earthly
sanctuary by the blood of the sin-offering, so our sins are, in fact, transferred
to the heavenly sanctuary by the blood of Christ. And as the typical cleansing
of the earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by which it
had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished
by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded.
This necessitates an examination of the books of record to determine who,
through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits
of his atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work
of investigative Judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming
of Christ to redeem his people; for when he comes, his reward is with him
to give to every man according to his works.[1 REV. 22:12.]
Thus
those who followed in the advancing light of the prophetic word saw that
instead of coming to the earth at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844,
Christ then entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, into
the presence of God, to perform the closing work of atonement, preparatory
to his coming.
It
was seen, also, that while the sin-offering pointed to Christ as a sacrifice,
and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator, the scape-goat typified
Satan, the author of sin, upon whom the sins of the truly
267
penitent
will finally be placed. When the high priest, by virtue of the blood of
the sin-offering, removed the sins from the sanctuary, he placed them upon
the scape-goat. When Christ, by virtue of his own blood, removes the sins
of his people from the heavenly sanctuary at the close of his ministration,
he will place them upon Satan, who, in the execution of the judgment, must
bear the final penalty. The scape-goat was sent away into a land not inhabited,
never to come again into the congregation of Israel. So will Satan be forever
banished from the presence of God and his people, and he will be blotted
from existence in the final destruction of sin and sinners.
------------------------------------------------------------