Heavenly Temple/Sanctuary.

[phipps]

What the sanctuary teaches Christians about Salvation.

The Sanctuary was God's way of explaining the plan for man's salvation. God had already explained much when He revealed the sacrificial system to Adam and Eve. (Fig leaves and the slain lamb.) Abel understood this truth, though Cain refused to accept it. Noah understood it as did Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But when God chose a people, He wanted to explain these things in far greater detail. So He gave them the sanctuary. It was modelled on the temple in heaven.

• How do we know there is a temple in heaven? Revelation 11:19.
• Is it like the one Moses built? Hebrews 8:1-5. The earthly sanctuary was patterned after the heavenly temple.
• Revelation 1:12. It has seven lamps.
• Revelation 8:3. It has an altar of incense and a censer.
• Revelation 11:19. It has the ark of His testament.
• And Jesus is the High Priest there. Hebrews 2:17. Hebrews 4:15-16. The task of the high priest was to stand between God and man so that he was an intercessor.

Just as the earthly sanctuary was patterned after the heavenly sanctuary, so the earthly high priests were patterned after Jesus, our great High Priest. So, as Paul says, we must consider Jesus as our High Priest. Hebrews 3:1 and the Epistle to the Hebrews was written for that purpose.

 

[Thunderian]

What the sanctuary teaches Christians about Salvation.

The Sanctuary was God's way of explaining the plan for man's salvation. God had already explained much when He revealed the sacrificial system to Adam and Eve. (Fig leaves and the slain lamb.) Abel understood this truth, though Cain refused to accept it. Noah understood it as did Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But when God chose a people, He wanted to explain these things in far greater detail. So He gave them the sanctuary. It was modelled on the temple in heaven.

• How do we know there is a temple in heaven? Revelation 11:19.
• Is it like the one Moses built? Hebrews 8:1-5. The earthly sanctuary was patterned after the heavenly temple.
• Revelation 1:12. It has seven lamps.
• Revelation 8:3. It has an altar of incense and a censer.
• Revelation 11:19. It has the ark of His testament.
• And Jesus is the High Priest there. Hebrews 2:17. Hebrews 4:15-16. The task of the high priest was to stand between God and man so that he was an intercessor.

Just as the earthly sanctuary was patterned after the heavenly sanctuary, so the earthly high priests were patterned after Jesus, our great High Priest. So, as Paul says, we must consider Jesus as our High Priest. Hebrews 3:1 and the Epistle to the Hebrews was written for that purpose.

Fig leaves were part of God’s sacrificial system? I thought they were what Adam and Eve used to try and cover their sin.

 

[phipps]

Fig leaves were part of God’s sacrificial system? I thought they were what Adam and Eve used to try and cover their sin.

After Adam and Eve sinned they realised they were naked and made coverings from fig leaves to cover their nakedness and shame but as you know that wasn't going to last. Because of sin things died now. So God had to make them garments from animal skins. An animal had to die for Adam and Eve to be clothed. God established the sacrificial system from them on. The death of that first animal symbolised that Jesus would have to die to cover the sin and nakedness of the lost.

When we sin, one of two things will happen. We either start looking for fig leaves to make our own flimsy cover-up, or we look to Jesus for His robe of righteousness.

 

[phipps]

The Courtyard

1. Conviction of sin leads us to enter the sanctuary courtyard. The door is Christ. John 10:9. Ephesians 2:18. Read Exodus 27:16. The gate of the court shall be a hanging of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen. Significance of the colours? The white linen is Christ's righteousness. Compare Revelation 7:9, 13, 19:8. The red represents Christ as the sin bearer, who shed His blood for us. Compare Isaiah 1:18. The blue represents the law of God which we have sinned by breaking it. Christ is the law giver. See Numbers 15:38-40. The purple is of course the colour of kingship e.g Judges 8:26, Mark 15:17. Purple is, of course, a combination of blue and red. Christ is our King because He is not only the law-giver but also the one who died to save us.

2. We enter the courtyard because the Holy Spirit has convicted us of sin and its penalty. We seek freedom from sin's penalty through the blood of Jesus at the altar of sacrifice. He has already done His part for us. Romans 5:8. Our part is repentance. We should understand all its aspects. The Greek word for repentance is 'metanoia'. 'Meta' means a change from-to, 'noia' is to do with our inner being. Repentance involves a complete change in our inner being, not just an act of penance. Repentance involves being born again. Notice in every aspect of the plan of salvation we co-operate with God. Christ plays His part and we must play our part.

3. When we have repented and been forgiven, then we should be baptised. This cleansing is represented by the Laver. (Because we may fall into sin again, Christ has provided a renewal of our baptism in the ordinance of foot washing which Christ instituted as a preparation for the Lord's supper. John 13:1-17. Verse 10, "Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” Peter had already been baptised so he did not need to be baptised again. Verse 14, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.")

 

[Thunderian]

After Adam and Eve sinned they realised they were naked and made coverings from fig leaves to cover their nakedness and shame but as you know that wasn't going to last. Because of sin things died now. So God had to make them garments from animal skins. An animal had to die for Adam and Eve to be clothed. God established the sacrificial system from them on. The death of that first animal symbolised that Jesus would have to die to cover the sin and nakedness of the lost.

When we sin, one of two things will happen. We either start looking for fig leaves to make our own flimsy cover-up, or we look to Jesus for His robe of righteousness.

The wording of your post made it sound like fig leaves were part of God’s revealed sacrificial system.

 

[phipps]

The wording of your post made it sound like fig leaves were part of God’s revealed sacrificial system.

I can see why you asked me the question you did.

 

[phipps]

The Holy Place.

1. Conviction of righteousness leads us to participate by faith in the work of the Holy Place. The worshipper in the earthly tabernacle went no further than the altar. But he followed his priest by faith as the priest went from the altar by way of the Laver into the Holy Place. The sinner entered the sanctuary by faith, not through his own purity, but by faith in the purity of the priest. Likewise we enter the heavenly sanctuary through faith in our great High Priest. See Hebrews 4:15-16 and 10:19-22.

2. Here the Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness. (Many Christians remain by the altar because they have no desire for righteousness. All they desire is forgiveness. For them the Gospel is only justification.) The Holy place is the sanctification room, the righteousness room, the holiness room. Here we receive salvation from the power of sin through the power of the Gospel. Romans 1:16. (Salvation from what? Matthew 1:21. The only salvation that matters is salvation from our sins.) This does not mean that we no longer have to perform the work of the courtyard. 1 John 2:1.

3. There are three means of righteousness ordained by God and they are represented by the three items of furniture in the Holy Place. Each of them reveals something about Jesus and also each of them reveals the part we must play in co-operation with Jesus.

4. The table of shewbread reveals Jesus as the One who supplies our needs, physical and spiritual. He is the Word, He is the bread of life. John 6:48. We do not live by bread alone. Matthew 4:4. We must feed day by day upon the Word of Life, by Bible study in communion with Him.

5. The candlestick reveals Jesus as the light of the world. John 8:12. But this light must shine out through us. Matthew 5 :14-16. How does a light shine? The light comes from outside itself. How is the light enabled to keep shining? We need fire and oil. Luke 3:16. The fire (from Christ Matthew 3:11) lights the lamp, the oil (The Holy Spirit) keeps its shining. We are to witness to others of Christ's love and His plan for man's salvation.

6. The altar of incense reveals Jesus as our intercessor. Revelation 8:3. The incense is offered with the prayers of the saints. Psalm 141:2, Luke 1:10. The prayers are acceptable to God because of the incense. But the sinner did not offer incense. The priest did this. This teaches us prayers are only acceptable to God as they are offered by our Priest. We should therefore pray to our Father in the name of Jesus. John 14:13-14, 16:23. (How do we know the Holy Spirit gives our prayers the right words? Romans 8:26.)

 

[phipps]

The Most Holy Place

1. Finally, the Holy Spirit convicts of judgement. The high priest entered this room only once a year on the most solemn day of all, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Jews also refer to it as Yom Haddin, which means the Day of Judgement.

2. Through the third door, which is still Christ, we enter by faith into the Most Holy Place. Just as some remained behind in the courtyard, so there are those who will remain behind in the Holy Place. All they know of the plan of salvation is prayer, Bible study and witness. They will not enter by faith with their great High Priest into the Most Holy Place. Here Jesus blots out forever the sins of His people. In the Most Holy Place is the Judgement room, the place where, through the ministry of Jesus, our great High Priest, God's people are fitted to meet Jesus face to face at His coming, with freedom from the presence of sin. This place is for those who look to be alive and remain to the coming of Christ. They have been convicted by the Holy spirit of judgement and they afflict their souls to be sure that not one spot or wrinkle or any such thing remains. They continue the work of the Courtyard and they Holy Place.

3. What does it mean to afflict your soul? Leviticus 16:29-31. How important is this? Leviticus 23:29 and Isaiah 58:5-9. What will God's people be like who pass through judgement? 1 John 3:2, Ephesians 5:27.

Conclusion: When Christ's work of intercession is complete, the sanctuary will close. Revelation 15:8, Revelation 22:11-12, which describes Christ's verdict in the judgement and His imminent return. Jesus no longer intercedes for the sins of His people, pleading His precious blood. Every sin has been confessed and put away. Now God's people are ready for His coming.

 

[phipps]

Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuaries.

"who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:5).

In other words, Moses' model for the earthly sanctuary was a copy of the heavenly sanctuary.

To some extent, the earthly sanctuary had for the Israelites the same function as the heavenly has for the rest of the universe. First, both sanctuaries are God's dwelling place among His people. God said to Moses, "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8); the heavenly sanctuary, in contrast, is the place in the universe where God has located His presence within creation, where His throne is (Psalm 11:4; Daniel 7:9, 10; Revelation 4:2-7).

Second, both sanctuaries are a meeting place for God and His servants. In the earthly, He met with the Israelites, and they worshipped Him (Exodus 29:42-45; Psalm 43:3, 4). The heavenly is the place where God meets with celestial beings who come to serve and praise Him (Job 1:6; Psalm 103:19-22). God localized Himself there in order to be accessible to heavenly beings, and, from there, His presence is projected throughout the universe.

Third, God rules as King from both sanctuaries: "The Lord reigns;... He dwells between the cherubim" (Psalm 99:1). "The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all." (Psalm 103:19).

When did Christ inaugurate His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary? Daniel 9:24; Hebrews 9:11-12; 10:19, 20.
Hebrews indicates that after His ascension, Jesus "consecrated" a way for us to have access to God (Hebrews 10:20). This passage teaches that after His ascension, Christ initiated His priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary. Daniel 9:24 places this inauguration, or anointing (Exodus. 40:9-11), within the time frame of the 70 weeks.

 

[phipps]

More on the Day of Atonement.

During the daily services sin was, symbolically, transferred to the sanctuary through the sacrificial system. Once a year, the sanctuary itself was cleansed from the sin and impurity accumulated there throughout the year. Yet, according to Leviticus, not only was the sanctuary cleansed, but the people were too. At the consummation of this service, both the people and the sanctuary were cleansed from sin.

According to Scripture, however, the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary was only a symbol of a greater reality, a greater cleansing. Hebrews 9:23, "Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these."

Bible students have been surprised by the statement that heavenly things need to be cleansed. How is it that something in heaven, needs to be cleansed? What could have defiled it?

The answer is best grasped once it is recognized that the entire earthly service was a shadow, an image of the heavenly service (Hebrews 8:1-5). Just as the earthly was defiled by sin, so is the heavenly. For this reason the Bible, in Hebrews 9:23, talks about the need to cleanse even the heavenly sanctuary. What else would it need to be cleansed from other than sin, even if sinners do not enter directly into it any more than sinners (with the exception of the priest) entered into the earthly sanctuary.

Hebrews 9:23 is, actually, referring to the Day of Atonement. The verse does not state, however, that this cleansing took place immediately after Christ's ascension to the heavenly sanctuary; the point, instead, is that, at some point in salvation's history, heavenly things themselves needed to be cleansed.

According to Revelation, Christ performed in the Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary a work of mediation (Revelation 8:3-4). Yet, Revelation teaches that He also is performing a particular work in the Most Holy Place. The beginning of this work is introduced in Revelation 11:19, where the Most Holy Place is visible, and it closes, in Revelation 15:8, where there is no longer access to it.


"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" (Daniel 8:14).

According to Daniel, at the end of the 2,300 years, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary was to begin. The "Day of Atonement" which is the cleansing of the sanctuary (Leviticus 16:30), began after 2300 years. That means that just like the earthly sanctuary where the record of sins of the people were removed by the high priest, so also will the record of sin of this entire planet since the beginning of time, be removed from the heavenly sanctuary. This is also known as the pre-advent judgment because it takes place before Jesus' second coming. This first phase of judgement or pre-advent judgement considers only those who claim to be God's children just like the earthly sanctuary where the high priest only cleansed the sins of those who had repented. 1 Peter 4:17.

Unlike the earthly Day of atonement which lasted only a day, the heavenly "Day of atonement" for this planet will take years because Christ our great High Priest will have to cleanse the heavenly sanctuary beginning from Adam and Eve's time.

 

[phipps]

Christ Not a Priest Before He Came to Earth

Christ was not a priest before He came to the earth. Therefore He was not performing a priestly service in the heavenly sanctuary before that time. His priesthood could not begin until the priesthood of Aaron had closed. It was this changing of the priesthood that made necessary the abolition of the ceremonial law which governed the priestly ministry. “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.” Hebrews 7:12.

Before Christ could serve as priest, it was necessary that He should have an offering to present to God. Said the apostle: “For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.” Hebrews 8:3. Christ shed His blood that He might have something to offer. The earthly priest offered the blood of animals, but He came not to offer the blood of bulls and goats and lambs, but to offer His own blood; therefore His priestly service could not begin until after His blood had been shed.

Paul very definitely tells us that the earthly priests were taken from among the people whom they were to serve, in order that they might have compassion on the people and understand their infirmities. “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.” Hebrews 5:1, 2.

Thus the priests were not brought in from some distant part of the world, from some nation which did not understand the needs and sufferings of the people whom they would serve, but they were taken from among their brethren. Paul tells us that this was true also of Christ. Before He could serve as a priest on man's behalf, He must Himself become a man. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” Hebrews 2:14-18.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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 4:15, 16.

Thus in all things He was made like His brethren. Why? That He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest. Therefore, Christ was not a priest until after He had become man and had suffered on man's behalf. Why do we emphasize this point? For the reason that this shows conclusively that all the priestly work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary has had to be performed since the cross. None of it was done before He came to earth. In the earthly sanctuary the priest served in the first apartment and then in the second apartment, and the service was an example, or type, of the service of Christ. Therefore Christ must serve in both the first and second apartments of the heavenly sanctuary, and His service in both these apartments must come after the cross. The priest served first in the first apartment. Therefore, if the types mean anything to us, they show that when Christ went to heaven as a priest, He began His service in the first apartment, whereas His ministry in the second apartment was to come at a subsequent time.

Now the work in the first apartment of the earthly sanctuary required a much longer period than the work in the second. Day by day throughout the year the priest ministered in the holy place, and one day in the year he ministered in the most holy. So if we follow that in the antitype in heaven, we conclude that it was necessary that Christ should go first into the first apartment, and that He should serve a much longer period there than He would afterward serve in the most holy place.

 

[phipps]

The Throne of God

In Hebrews 8:1 we are told that our High Priest is “who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” Some argue that this constitutes evidence that Christ went immediately into the most holy place, since it is presumed that the throne of God is there, and that it corresponds to the ark of the earthly sanctuary. But we do not find that the ark is called God's throne, but find very clear indications that the throne of God is movable, that it moves about from place to place as need requires, being conveyed by living creatures who are capable of moving about with the swiftness of lightning. (See Ezekiel 1.)

We also know that the throne of God must be movable from what Daniel tells us in chapter 7:9, 10, of his prophecy. Here he describes the beginning of the work of judgment. He says: “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated” This indicates that God would move His throne when the time should come for the opening of the judgment. In Revelation 4:2, 5, it is recorded that John saw the throne in the first apartment of the sanctuary, for he says he beheld it in the place where the seven lamps were.

Thus it seems that the throne of God moves about whither God wishes to go, and therefore, wherever God is, the throne is present. He is not limited to one little corner.

As King Solomon said in his prayer to God when he dedicated the temple in Jerusalem: “Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” 1 Kings 8:27. When we are told, therefore, that Christ sat down on the throne at the time of His ascension, that should not be taken to mean that He went at that time into the most holy place of the sanctuary; for we learn from a careful study of the sure word of prophecy that God did not occupy the throne in the most holy place of the sanctuary until the time came for the opening of the judgment.

 

[phipps]

Christ's Ministry in the First Apartment

What was the work of Christ in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary? Was there anything for Him to do there? We answer: Jesus' ministry in the first apartment was to plead the merits of His righteousness and of His shed blood in behalf of sinners in the earth who had and who should yet accept Him. He had extended the invitation, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth,” and it was only through the ministry of His blood that He was able thus to save.

In 1 John 2:1, Jesus is said to be our “advocate.” In Romans 8:34, Paul states that He “makes intercession for us.” John the revelator sees Him in the holy place before the golden altar, offering up incense with the prayers of the saints; and Jesus Himself declared that He would confess before His Father those who confessed Him before men. (See Matthew 10:32.)

This, then, was His work in the first apartment of the sanctuary. As sinners came to God for pardon and would plead the shed blood of Jesus on their behalf, Jesus became their Advocate and made intercession for them before God. He offered up their prayers with sweet incense before the Father, and pleaded that since His blood had been shed on behalf of sinners, and since these had accepted Him as their sacrifice, they might receive pardon. Yea, more, He offered to take away the guilt of their sin, and to impute to them His life of righteousness. Thus by accepting Jesus as their substitute and sacrifice, the sins of the sinners were transferred from themselves to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ was ministering, and where the sins would remain until blotted out in the investigative judgment.

Thus Jesus performed a continual service in the first apartment after His ascension to heaven. Just as in the earthly sanctuary the altar fires were to be kept burning continually, in readiness to consume the sacrifices of sinners who should seek pardon, so Christ stood ready, day and night continually, to receive sinners and offer His shed blood in their behalf. His standing invitation to sinners is: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He gives rest by taking away their load of sin, lifting the burden entirely from their shoulders. He beareth away the sins of the world.

Thus did Christ minister as High Priest in the holy place, receiving there the sins of the people who came unto God by Him. And thus the heavenly sanctuary has become defiled by the sins of men. From this defilement it requires cleansing at the close of His priestly ministry.

 

[phipps]

The Cleansing of the Sanctuary

Daniel 8:14 introduces us to a work called the cleansing of the sanctuary: “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” In Hebrews 9:6-7, Paul mentions the fact that in the sanctuary service on earth the priests served daily in the first apartment, but that the high priest went into the second apartment only once each year. During the daily ministration in the first apartment the sins of the children of Israel accumulated in the sanctuary. The arrangement was that when one committed sin in the camp of Israel, he should bring a lamb or other sin offering, place his hands upon its head, and confess his sins over it. Thus the sins of the individual were in type transferred to the sacrifice. Then the animal was killed, and a portion of its blood put on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. The rest of the blood was poured out at the base of this altar, and the flesh was taken into the holy place of the sanctuary, where it was eaten by the priest. This service typified the transfer of the sin from the individual to the sanctuary, and thus the repentant sinner went away free. This slaying of the sacrifice prefigured the death of the Lamb of God, who was to be slain for the sins of the world. The bringing of sin offerings to the sanctuary continued for the whole year, until the tenth day of the seventh month. On that day the sanctuary was to be cleansed.

The book of Leviticus, chapter 16, tells about the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary. Full details are given here as to what happened on that day. Two goats were brought before the priest, who was to cast lots on them, thus choosing one to be the Lord's goat and the other Azazel's. (Azazel is the enemy, or adversary.) In other words, one goat was to represent the Lord, and the other God's adversary, Satan. When the lots were cast and the Lord's goat was selected, it was slain, and the priest carried its blood into the sanctuary, beyond the second veil, into the most holy place. Verse 15 says that he was to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat and before it, and this was to “make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.” Verse 16. Thus this special service was a cleansing service. It was to accomplish the cleansing of the holy place from the sins of the people.

This is further emphasized in verse 19, where we read: “He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." Verse 19. So the cleansing of the sanctuary was a cleansing from sin. This is definitely established. It was not a cleansing from physical, but from spiritual defilement.

If, as is argued by some, the cleansing of the sanctuary consisted only in the removal of idols brought into it when Israel was in apostasy, that could have been done with men's hands. No blood would be necessary for such a work; but this cleansing of the sanctuary was accomplished with blood. “He shall sprinkle some of the blood, … cleanse it, and consecrate it .” Now the priest could not have removed the idols out of the sanctuary by simply sprinkling blood on them. The only uncleanness that can be cleansed by blood is that of sin. Therefore the cleansing of the sanctuary that is brought to view here is a spiritual cleansing from the sins of the people which had been received there.

The transfer, in figure, of the sins of the people went forward day after day during the entire year, until the Day of Atonement. Thus there was a constant accumulation of sins in the sanctuary, and by these sins it was defiled. For this reason the cleansing, or purging, of sin from the sanctuary became necessary. Thus the Lord said:

"So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness." Leviticus 16:16.

 

[phipps]

A Work of Judgment

This work of the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary was a work of judgment. This is indicated in Leviticus 23:27-30.

“Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.”

The Jewish people always recognized the Day of Atonement as a judgment day. Even to the present time it is so regarded. The following is a copy of a statement published in a Jewish paper in the city of San Francisco in 1892. The Jewish Day of Atonement was coming on, and the rabbi issued this announcement:

“The monitory sounds of the shophar [trumpet] are to be heard every morning in the orthodox synagogues, advising preparation for the day of memorial and of the final judgment of Yom Kippur [Yom—day, Kippur—atonement].”—Jewish Exponent, September, 1892.

In 1902 Isador Meyer, a Jewish rabbi, spoke of the Jew on the Day of Atonement as follows:

“He is also summoned by the voice of the same trumpet, or shophar, to scrutinize retrospectively his actions of the past year, while he stands trembling before the all-seeing eye of Eternal Justice sitting on the throne of judgment.”

From this we see that the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary on the Day of Atonement was a work of judgment. And the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary was a type of the cleansing of the heavenly. Therefore it follows unquestionably that the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary is a work of judgment also.

 

[Lisa]

Do you think anyone actually reads your cut and pastes?

 

[phipps]

The Law of the Judgment

Every judiciary must have a code by which the cases brought before the court are tried. Without this, trial would be a farce, and the decisions rendered, a travesty on justice. God must of necessity, therefore, have a law by which He will test men's lives, a standard by which they will be measured; and if so, surely in this solemn hour, when court week has actually begun and cases are already being tried, it behooves every man to inquire seriously what that standard, or code, is, and to take the necessary steps to bring his life into harmony with it before his name is called.

We inquire, therefore, What is the standard of God's judgment? What is the code that will be used by the Ancient of days? And the reply comes from the Sacred Book, clear as a voice from heaven:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

And again:

James 2:10-12, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”

And the third time the answer is given:

Revelation 22:14, “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

Could God have made it plainer or more easily understood? The standard of the judgment will be God's Ten Commandments that were spoken by His mighty voice from Sinai, of which, according to Christ's sermon on the mount, not one jot or tittle has passed away. (See Matthew 5:18.) This law has ten distinct and definite points. James declares that a man may “keep the whole law” except just one point, and still be pronounced guilty in the judgment. Do not allow yourself to be deceived, therefore, into believing that nine points of the law will suffice, and the Sabbath point can be dropped out as non-essential.

When our names are called before the tribunal of heaven, it will be a full, complete moral code, without the change of a jot or a tittle, by which we will be measured. If we are short on one point the sentence can be only, “Weighed in the balance, and found wanting.”

2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

John 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."

 

[phipps]

Our Judge and Our Advocate
Summary: The ancient Jewish legal system symbolizes God's rule and role is our lives and demonstrates His incredible love for us.

God our Judge and Defender

In Old Testament times, defending the accused was such a sacred duty that the judge refused to delegate the work to an attorney. He himself served as the defender of the accused. The Jewish Encyclopedia explains: “attorneys at law are unknown in Jewish law.” Their legal code required judges to “lean always to the side of the defendant and give him the advantage of every possible doubt.”

What a system! God Himself defends and judges the accused. But who is the accuser? Revelation 12:10 speaks of the devil who accuses us before God day and night. The devil also keeps a record of sin, and his accusations are painfully correct. How do we then overcome these accusations?

Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony."

Christ our Advocate, Bridegroom, and King

When we accept the fact that Jesus died in our stead, God finds the evidence He needs to pronounce us innocent. In certain situations, the Hebrew judge appointed an advocate to assist him in defending the accused. The Jewish Encyclopedia states that the husband could represent his wife and help the judge defend her if the verdict involved his personal rights. Here we have a glorious parallel with the heavenly judgment: Christ the Bridegroom purchased His bride with His own blood.

Christ serves as our court-appointed Advocate to help the Father defend us against the accusations of Satan. He also defends His own right to grant us salvation and to give us eternal life. Our eternal salvation does not depend on how hopeless we are, but on how sufficient Christ is in saving sinners.

1 John 2:1-2, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."

When probation closes, Christ will cease His intercessory ministry, put on His kingly robes, and return to earth as King of kings to meet His bride. Daniel 7 describes the great judgment scene to take place just prior to Christ’s Second Coming, where He will receive kingship. In order for Jesus to qualify as King, He first had to become Priest. And before Jesus could become Priest, He had to become the Lamb, slain for the sins of the world:

Daniel 7:13-14, “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed."

The main theme of the book of Daniel is Jesus Christ, the crucified Lamb, the risen High Priest, and the coming King. The good news is that the judgment will turn out in favor of all those who come to Christ with a repentant heart, seeking forgiveness of their sins and a renewed heart that lives in harmony with God.

Daniel 7:22, "until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom."

Jesus Christ - Our Judge and Our Advocate

The ancient Jewish legal system symbolizes God's rule and role is our lives.When we accept the fact that Jesus died in our stead, God finds the evidence He needs to pronounce us innocent.

amazingdiscoveries.org

 

[phipps]

Is the Heavenly Sanctuary Really Real?

Is the heavenly sanctuary a real temple, with a holy and a Most Holy Place?

It may be important to know the structure of the heavenly temple, but what is really significant is the work that Christ has been doing there on our behalf.

1. There Is a Divine Heavenly Abode: If the heavenly sanctuary served as a model for the earthly sanctuary, there must be some type of structural relationship between the two (Hebrews 8:5). Obviously the correspondence is a pale or shadowy one, because the human imagination cannot encompass the totality of the heavenly one. But there is a level of correspondence.

The Scriptures testify to the reality of the heavenly sanctuary, which is described as God's heavenly abode (e.g., Revelation 11:19; 14:17; 15:5). That by itself clearly implies a particular space, a majestic structure about which we know close to nothing and about which we can only talk, using the images and terminology of the earthly sanctuary.

2. God's Abode Is Not an Empty Room: Inside that temple is the most majestic throne one could imagine, the throne of God and Christ (Revelation 4:2). The reality of this throne is emphasized by the fact that Christ sits on it. In the heavenly temple there are also seats or thrones where heavenly beings sit to worship and serve the Lord (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 4:4). God has allowed those creatures to assist Him in the administration of the universe.

3. God's Abode Is a Place of Action: Daniel saw God moving from one place to another within the heavenly sanctuary as He interacted with His creatures. Daniel saw Him entering a particular area and sitting on His throne (Daniel 7:9). He also saw the Son of man entering that same area and coming to the presence of God. The images are taken from Leviticus 16, where the high priest entered the Most Holy Place with a cloud of incense to minister before the throne of God, before the ark of the covenant. In Daniel, the Son of man functions as a High Priest, entering the heavenly Most Holy to minister for us.

4. God's Abode Has Different Spaces: John acknowledges that there are different spaces or rooms in the heavenly sanctuary. In one of his visions he was shown an angel ministering before the altar of incense in what would be the equivalent to the holy place in the earthly sanctuary (Revelation 8:3-4). But he was also allowed to look inside the heavenly Most Holy Place, where he saw the ark of the covenant (Revelation 11:19). We are dealing here with different areas within the heavenly sanctuary. The least we could say is that the heavenly sanctuary has no less than two rooms. This is to be expected if the earthly was built as a copy of the heavenly.

The nature of the heavenly sanctuary is beyond our full comprehension. That is to be expected of a fraction of space that unites the infinite and the finite, the eternal and the temporal, God and His creatures, God's mode of existence with that of His creatures. No human building could adequately represent it.

But its uniqueness is not incompatible with its concreteness. The majesty and grandeur of the heavenly sanctuary are emphasized when we say that there are rooms in it. Since we are unable to comprehend its nature fully, God has given us the language and images of the earthly sanctuary to refer to it. Thus the concreteness and reality of the heavenly sanctuary as well as its diversity of spaces are emphasized without equating the heavenly realities with those of the earthly sanctuary.

We must retain the language and images of the earthly sanctuary to refer to the heavenly in order to avoid spiritualizing or rejecting the reality of God's heavenly dwelling.

Link.

 

[llleopard]

This is very interesting. A lot to read and think about, but I'm giving it a go! I've been thinking about temples recently, places where God dwells. I can find seven. The garden of Eden, the Tabernacle, the first temple, the second temple, Christ, us the church, and eventually the realm of the new heavens and new earth.